Thailand's new tough draft traffic law under review

BANGKOK, August 29 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has ordered a review of a new tough traffic draft bill following a public outcry. Kamol Buranapong, Deputy Director-General for Technical Affairs of the Department of Land Transport, under the Thai Ministry of Transport, told journalists of the update on Wednesday amid widespread public comments against the new tough law. "The prime minister has ordered relevant agencies to review the new draft traffic law, under which the legal punishment for drivers who are found not to have their driver's licenses with them while driving was set at the maximum of a three-month jail term and a stiff fine of as high as 50,000 baht each", said the senior official. According to the senior official, the Secretariat of the Cabinet is expected to send the new draft law back to the Thai Ministry of Transport and then his department soon. The senior official noted that his department will, however, review all over 300 Articles of the new draft bill, along with opening its website for the general public to post their opinions and proposals during the review process, which will be taken into consideration together with the results of relevant public surveys. The senior official revealed that his department plans to revise the tough regulation to be in a descending aspect for the legal punishment against violators of the traffic rule, with the amended draft bill believed to be promulgated within a timeframe set earlier. (TNA)