Thai Law to Change Driving Directions
The Thai government is proposing a new law that would change driver-side direction from the left side of the road to the right. The Department of Public Roads said the proposal will go to parliament in June, and if passed, will take effect in the beginning of January 2014.
Tongchai Matchamonton, spokesman for the department, said the change is to better align with ASEAN economic community, most which already drives on the right-hand side of the road. The change would make “transports and logistics more easy, especially with the neighboring countries Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia,” said Tongchai. He said that since Thailand is already planning rail transport which would have the same rail gauge as neighboring countries, the change is the next logical step.
Thai Labor Law
Thailand’s employment laws, governed by the Department of Labor, Protection and Welfare, regulate employment and working conditions.
Tongchai hopes the change will increase safety for not only Thais, but tourists as well, since most foreigners are used to driving on the right-hand side of the road. Regulations for new car manufacturers would follow, including an enforcement on putting the steering wheel on the left-hand side. The government will negotiate with manufacturers to ensure that transitioning the steering wheel in used cars is inexpensive.
Related texts: A Guide to Tourist Laws in Thailand
Related articles: Taxi Driver Demands Compensation
Florida Passes International Driver’s Law
Related blog posts: Big Brother in Bangkok
Flickr photo courtesy of Mark Fischer
IS THIS ARTICLE ABOUT CHANGING TO LEFT HANDED CARS REAL? OR APRIL FOOLS JOKE?
April Fool’s! It was a fun article we pulled from Thaivisa.com.