26/06/2026
𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝? 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰
Exploring northern Thailand by car is one of the best ways to travel and knowing a few local rules keeps your trip smooth and stress-free. Here are the parking basics our customers ask about most.
𝟏. 𝐎𝐝𝐝 & 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠
On many city streets, parking is allowed on only one side of the road and it switches by the date. On odd-numbered dates (1st, 3rd, 5th…) you park on the side with odd house numbers; on even dates, the even side. Look for the blue-and-white sign with the date numbers and an arrow. The side changes at midnight, so if you're parked overnight, move your car to the correct side before the new day begins.
𝟐. 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐛 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬
The painted curb tells you everything:
▪Red & white — No parking and no stopping, ever. The strictest rule.
▪Yellow & white — No parking, but you may briefly stop to drop off or pick up passengers.
▪Black & white (or unpainted) — Parking is allowed. Park close to the curb and don't double-park.
Also watch for the round "No Parking" sign (blue circle with a single red slash) and the "No Stopping" sign (blue circle with a red X). When a sign and the curb disagree, follow the stricter one.
𝟑. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐩
Park in the wrong spot and you won't just get a paper ticket. In Thailand, officers often lock your tire with a wheel clamp, a metal lock fitted to your wheel so the car can't move at all. To release it, you'll need to go to the local police station listed on the ticket, pay the fine, and have them remove it.
A parking fine usually starts at around 500 baht, and clamp removal or towing typically adds 500–1,500 baht, plus daily storage charges if the car is towed and not collected quickly. Serious moving offences such as running a red light, speeding, or using your phone while driving — carry much higher fines.
A quick tip from us: 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵, 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘺𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴.