5.2 Parking & Stopping Regulations & Curb Markings

5.2 Parking & Stopping Regulations & Curb Markings

Quick Answer: The Land Traffic Act treats stopping and parking separately. Under section 54, you park on the left, parallel to the curb and within 25 centimetres of it. Section 55 lists places you may not even stop. Section 57 lists places you may not park, with distances to remember: 3 metres from a crossing, a fire hydrant, or a postbox; 5 metres from a driveway; 10 metres from a junction or a traffic signal; 15 metres from a railway crossing; and from 15 metres before to 3 metres after a bus stop sign. Red-and-white curbs mean no stopping, while yellow-and-white curbs mean no parking, but you may stop briefly to pick up or drop off.

Fundamental Legal Definitions: Stopping vs. Parking

The Land Traffic Act B.E. 2522 (1979) differentiates clearly between two distinct vehicular states:

1. Stopping ("การหยุดรถ"): Bringing a vehicle to a stationary state temporarily while the driver remains seated at the vehicle controls with the engine running, solely for the immediate alighting or boarding of passengers or the rapid loading or unloading of personal goods.
2. Parking ("การจอดรถ"): Stationing a vehicle in a stationary position for an extended duration, whether the driver remains inside the passenger cabin, steps away from the vehicle, shuts off the engine, or leaves the vehicle completely unattended.

Where a traffic regulation or painted marking specifies "No Parking," a motorist is legally permitted to execute a brief stop to drop off a passenger, provided the action is immediate and causes no obstruction. Conversely, where a regulation specifies "No Stopping," bringing the vehicle to a halt for even five seconds constitutes a direct statutory infraction.

Statutory Parking Position Rules (Section 54)

Under Section 54 of the Land Traffic Act, whenever a driver parks a vehicle on a public roadway, the vehicle must conform to strict geometric alignment rules:

• Left-Side Orientation: The vehicle must be parked on the far left side of the roadway in the direction of authorized traffic flow (except on designated one-way streets where official traffic signs permit right-side parking).
• Parallel Alignment: The vehicle body must rest parallel to the roadway edge or concrete sidewalk curb.
• Curb Proximity Limit: The vehicle's wheels must be positioned not more than 25 centimeters (0.25 meters) from the sidewalk curb or roadway edge. Parking 40 or 50 centimetres out obstructs traffic and squeezes motorcyclists on the left. The same 25 cm is the pass line in the DLT curb-stop exercise.

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Where You May Not Stop (Section 55)

Section 55 bans even brief stops:

1. In a traffic lane, except close to the left edge where there is no bus lane.
2. On a footpath.
3. On a bridge or in a tunnel.
4. In a junction.
5. Where a sign prohibits stopping.
6. At the entrance or exit of a building or driveway.
7. In a safety zone.
8. Anywhere it would obstruct traffic.

These bans do not apply when you must stop because of an obstruction, a breakdown, or a traffic signal.

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Where You May Not Park (Section 57)

Unless another rule allows it, section 57 bans parking:

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Curb Markings & Color Codes (เครื่องหมายจราจรบนขอบทาง)

In Thailand, painted curb edges communicate legally binding parking and stopping directives under Ministry of Transport standards. Curb markings apply 24 hours a day unless accompanied by supplemental time-restriction signs.

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1. Alternating Red-and-White Stripes ("แถบสีขาวสลับแดง")

• Legal Meaning: Absolute Prohibition of Stopping and Parking at All Times ("ห้ามหยุดและห้ามจอดรถทุกชนิด ตลอดเวลา").
• Required Driver Action: Drivers are strictly prohibited from bringing their vehicle to a halt alongside a red-and-white curb under any circumstances. This ban applies to all motor vehicles, including taxis, delivery vans, and private passenger cars.
• Common Locations: Intersection corners, bus stop bays, bridge approaches, fire hydrant zones, narrow bottlenecks, and high-security government facilities.
• Test Trap: A driver cannot pause alongside a red-and-white curb even momentarily to let a friend step out or drop off school bags while keeping the engine running.

2. Alternating Yellow-and-White Stripes ("แถบสีขาวสลับเหลือง")

• Legal Meaning: No Parking Zone ("ห้ามจอดรถ แต่หยุดรับ-ส่งได้ชั่วคราว").
• Required Driver Action: Drivers are prohibited from parking or leaving their vehicle unattended. However, the law explicitly permits temporary stopping strictly for the prompt embarkation or disembarkation of passengers or the rapid loading/unloading of goods.
• Conditions: Stay with the vehicle and leave as soon as the passengers are in or out. Leaving the car, or waiting for someone who has not arrived, turns the stop into illegal parking.

3. Alternating White-and-Black Stripes ("แถบสีขาวสลับดำ")

• Legal Meaning: Visual Road Edge Delineator ("เครื่องหมายบอกขอบทาง").
• Required Driver Action: White-and-black painted stripes serve primarily as a high-contrast visual aid to highlight curb edges, median tips, bridge abutments, and road boundaries during night driving and heavy rain.
• Parking Status: Parking and stopping are legally permitted alongside a white-and-black curb, provided that:
  1. The vehicle is parked parallel on the left side within 25 cm of the curb.
  2. The spot is not one of the section 57 places (for example, not within 10 metres of a junction or 3 metres of a hydrant).
  3. No upright regulatory prohibition sign (such as a "No Parking on Odd/Even Days" sign) supersedes the marking.

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Police Enforcement: Wheel Clamping, Towing & Penalties

Under section 59 of the Land Traffic Act, officers may order a driver to move an illegally stopped or parked vehicle, move it themselves, or clamp it:

• Wheel Clamping: Officers may fit a clamp to a vehicle parked illegally, for example on a red-and-white curb or double-parked.
• Towing: Officers may tow a vehicle that obstructs traffic.
• Fees and Fines:
  • The owner or driver pays the clamping or towing charge and a daily storage charge. The Act sets these at no less than 500 THB per vehicle and no less than 200 THB per day.
  • If the charges are not paid within 3 months, officers may sell the vehicle at auction.
  • The fine for parking where parking is prohibited rose to up to 2,000 THB in the 2022 amendment.
• Do Not Tamper: Forcing or damaging an official clamp is a separate offence.

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DLT Theory Test Traps & Practical Examination Tips

1. Red-and-White vs. Yellow-and-White: This is one of the most frequently tested distinctions on the DLT computerized theory exam. Red-and-White means No Stopping and No Parking; Yellow-and-White means No Parking, but Temporary Stopping Allowed for Passenger Drop-off.
2. The 25-Centimetre Curb Rule: When parked, the left side of the car must be within 25 cm of the curb (section 54). In the DLT curb-stop exercise, stopping 30 cm out fails.
3. Bus Stop Distance Dimensions: Remember the asymmetrical formula: 15 meters before the sign and 3 meters beyond the sign.
4. Double Parking: Double parking is never legal under Thai law, even with hazard flashers operating.