Bangkok City Doubles Fine for Riding Motorcycles on Sidewalks

BANGKOK – The city of Bangkok has announced it will double fines from 1,000 to 2,000 baht for motorcyclists caught riding on sidewalks or pathways.

People, who reported the motorcyclists riding sidewalks will receive half of the total fine or 1,000 baht after the cases end.

The new fine, to be enforced next week is still within the law that permits the City of Bangkok to impose not over 5,000-baht fine to each violator.

“Presently Violators do not respect the current law, we believe the hefty new fine will change that.” Mr. Thirapan Atirut-thanaporn, Director-General of City Law Enforcement Department said.

During the past one year, a total of 20,870 violators were apprehended for riding sidewalks, 14,870 were prosecuted and 4,000 others received warnings.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration received 11,374,000 baht from violators during the period.

Man Knocked Down on Sidewalk

Earlier this year a motorcyclist driving on a sidewalk was ridiculed on social media for deliberately running down a man on a sidewalk.

The motorcyclist, who had a pillion passenger, was using the sidewalk as a road and beeped his horn to get a man out of way.

The man called out, asking why he had beeped his horn when he was riding on a sidewalk.

The motorcyclist and passenger rode past but minutes later returned and drove straight into the man, knocking him to the ground.

The two men on the bike then fled.