BANGKOK, THAILAND – Drivers in Thailand who refuse an alcohol test were now treated in law as if they were over the limit, facing identical penalties under a newly tightened traffic policy.
Zero-tolerance policy announced
Deputy police chief General Samran Nualma personally announced the tougher rule, introduced as part of the country’s Traffic Discipline Policy 2026. He framed the measure as a response to the risks posed by drunk driving.
“Drinking and driving is a massive danger to public safety. We would now crack down with transparency and absolute consistency,”
said General Samran Nualma, deputy police chief.
Refusal now equals drunk driving
Under the change, refusing an alcohol test was legally equated with drunk driving, meaning the same punishment applied without exception. Anyone who declined to blow into a breathalyser was automatically treated like a driver caught under the influence, with no scope for excuses or negotiation. The Royal Thai Police sought to block a common tactic in which offenders tried to delay testing in the hope their blood alcohol level would fall.
Recent incident highlighted the risk
The announcement followed a case the previous Friday involving an apparently drunk driver who refused a test. The man attempted to flee and even attacked traffic police officers before being subdued. A subsequent test showed a blood alcohol level of 126 mg%, while Thailand’s legal limit stood at 50 mg%, leaving the driver facing several charges.
Heavy penalties for offenders
Drivers who were drunk or refused testing faced a fine of between 5,000 and 20,000 baht (approximately 125 to 500 euros). Courts could also impose up to one year in prison, or both a fine and imprisonment, and could suspend or permanently revoke a driving licence. For repeat offenders within two years, fines could rise to 100,000 baht (around 2,500 euros) alongside licence withdrawal.
Harsher consequences after serious crashes
Penalties increased sharply when accidents caused injuries or deaths. In such cases, up to ten years in prison were possible if a drunk driver caused a crash with severe consequences. The new rule on refusal also applied in these situations, meaning anyone declining a test would automatically be treated as drunk with all associated legal outcomes.
What the rule meant for drivers
Police urged all motorists in Thailand to prioritise safety and comply with checks, stressing that refusing a breath test would only bring more trouble. The new approach handed officers a powerful tool to enforce road safety. Authorities repeated their core message: those who drank should not drive, and those who drove should not drink, as the fight against drunk driving entered a tougher phase aimed at protecting all road users.