Pattaya, Thailand – Police launched a new “Safe Riding, 100% Helmet Use” campaign on Beach Road to curb motorcycle accidents and enforce helmet laws more strictly.
Launch on Pattaya Beach Road
The opening of the project “ขับขี่ปลอดภัย สวมหมวกนิรภัย 100%” (“Safe Riding, 100% Helmet Use”) took place on Pattaya Beach Road in front of the Pattaya City Police Station. Officers used the busy seaside strip to combine public education, visible checks and incentives such as free helmet distribution.
By choosing one of the most heavily frequented areas of the city, the police aimed to send a clear signal in favor of greater road safety. The campaign was designed to be highly visible to both residents and visitors moving through the beachfront zone.
Senior police lead the ceremony
The ceremony was led by Pol. Lt. Gen. Chat Chai Surachetpong, commander of Provincial Police Region 2. He presided over the official start of the initiative at the station frontage on Beach Road.
He was received by Pol. Col. Anek Sarathongyu, superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station, along with other officers and representatives of relevant authorities. Their presence underscored that the helmet drive formed part of a broader effort to tighten traffic discipline in the city.
Why Pattaya faces particular risks
According to Pol. Lt. Col. Amorntep Mai Ma, traffic inspector at Pattaya City Police Station, Pattaya was both an important economic hub and a heavily visited tourist destination.
“The constant influx of residents and visitors leads to significant traffic volume, especially with motorcycles, which further increases the risk of accidents.”
said Pol. Lt. Col. Amorntep Mai Ma, traffic inspector at Pattaya City Police Station.
The police pointed to statistics showing that motorcycles were among the vehicles with the highest risk. They often caused serious injuries, fatalities and property damage in local traffic.
Motorcycles as high-risk vehicles
Officers identified helmet use as a central factor in many of these incidents.
“One of the key factors is that riders and passengers do not wear helmets, or do not do so consistently.”
said Pol. Lt. Col. Amorntep Mai Ma, traffic inspector at Pattaya City Police Station.
The campaign therefore placed the wearing of helmets at the core of its messaging and enforcement measures. Authorities framed improved compliance with helmet rules as a direct way to reduce severe outcomes in crashes.
Information drive and strict enforcement
With the campaign, Pattaya City Police Station aimed to strengthen awareness of safe participation in traffic and improve traffic discipline.
“The approach combines public information with strict and continuous enforcement of the law, keeping the wearing of a helmet at the center at all times.”
said Pol. Lt. Col. Amorntep Mai Ma, traffic inspector at Pattaya City Police Station.
Officers intended to maintain ongoing checks rather than one-off inspections, making the measures a permanent feature of local traffic control. Public involvement and visible patrols were presented as key to changing behavior on the roads.
Beach Road as pilot area
Pattaya Beach Road was selected as the pilot area for the project so that the measures would be clearly visible in a particularly busy environment. The seafront route carries a high volume of both local commuters and tourists on motorcycles.
Activities at the launch included the distribution of free helmets to residents, providing a direct incentive for regular helmet use. Police expected that combining free safety gear with enforcement would lower barriers to compliance.
Markings against illegal parking
After the helmet distribution, Pol. Lt. Gen. Chat Chai Surachetpong and the participants jointly painted red-and-white traffic lines in no-stopping and no-parking zones. These markings were added around the station area and adjacent streets.
The new lines were intended to mark restricted zones more clearly and further improve traffic discipline near Pattaya City Police Station. By making parking rules more visible, police aimed to keep key access routes clear and enhance overall traffic flow.
Signal for safer roads in a tourist hotspot
According to the police, the action underlined the goal of reducing traffic accidents through education, public involvement and visible enforcement of rules. The combination of prevention and control was presented as a long-term strategy.
In Pattaya, one of Thailand’s busiest tourist destinations, this mix of measures was expected to have a lasting effect. Authorities signaled that sustained helmet use and stricter observance of traffic regulations would be central to making the city safer for both residents and visitors.