How to Check Thai Traffic Fines by Licence Plate Online

You can check Thai traffic fines online through three official channels: the Thang Rath app, the Police Care app and the Royal Thai Police PTM website at ptm.police.go.th. All three first verify the vehicle owner's 13-digit ID number, then let you filter tickets by licence plate. The plate number on its own isn't enough. If you find an unpaid ticket you can pay it straight away, and for tickets issued from 1 August 2026, leaving one unpaid means you won't get your real tax sticker when you renew your vehicle tax.

Plenty of drivers have unpaid tickets without knowing it. Speed and red-light cameras issue tickets automatically, and the notice is posted to the owner's registered address, which may not be where they live now. This guide is written by the Talata team. Talata is a Thai marketplace for buying, selling and renting, including used cars and motorcycles, and unpaid tickets are one of the things owners, buyers and sellers should clear up before a vehicle changes hands.

Where can you check Thai traffic fines online?

The Royal Thai Police recognises only three official channels. They all pull from the same database; the difference is how you use them.

The PTM website is in Thai only, and every channel starts from a 13-digit ID number. If your vehicle is registered under a passport rather than a Thai ID number, you may not be able to register online; the simplest route is to contact the police station named on the ticket.

Checking on the PTM website (E-Ticket)

PTM is the police's online traffic ticket system for the public. It lists each ticket with the date, time and place of the offence and the fine, for every vehicle registered in your name. Camera tickets come with photo evidence you can open, and if you own several vehicles, the site groups all their tickets together. You need to register before you use it for the first time.

Checking in the Thang Rath app

Thang Rath is the government's all-in-one services app for iOS and Android. Once you've registered and verified your identity, go to บริการทั้งหมด (All services) > ยานพาหนะ (Vehicles) > ตรวจสอบใบสั่งจราจร (Check traffic tickets). It covers both cars and motorcycles, and if you find an unpaid ticket you can scan the QR code and pay in the app.

Checking in the Police Care app

Police Care is the Royal Thai Police's own app. It also has a menu for checking traffic tickets and suits people who already use it to report incidents or contact the police.

How to check traffic fines by licence plate, step by step

On the PTM website, the steps are:

1. Go to ptm.police.go.th/eTicket
2. New users click "ลงทะเบียนใช้งาน" (Register) and enter their ID number, date of birth, first name, surname and the laser code on the back of the ID card, then complete the remaining steps.
3. Log in with your ID number and the password you set.
4. Enter the date range when you think the offence happened, narrow it down by licence plate or ticket number, then search.
5. The site lists every matching ticket. Click any of them to see the details.
6. If you find an unpaid ticket, you can choose to pay it in the next step.

The Thang Rath app works in much the same way, except that you verify your identity once when you sign up for the app. After that you can go straight to the ticket check menu without registering separately on PTM.

What to have ready before you check

Keep these to hand and you can check and pay in one go.

• The vehicle owner's ID card: both the 13-digit number and the laser code on the back
• The licence plate number and province of the vehicle you want to check
• The ticket number, if you have the paper ticket and want to pay it directly
• An email address or phone number to receive verification codes
• A banking app on your phone to scan and pay

Found an unpaid ticket? Where can you pay?

You don't need to go to a police station. Tickets with a barcode and the PTM mark can be paid through Krungthai Bank channels, with these fees published by the bank:

You can also pay by QR code in the Thang Rath app, or at the police station that issued the ticket. A paper ticket handed to you by an officer can be paid at a bank two working days after you receive it. Keep the payment slip as proof. The payment is recorded automatically, so you don't need to send proof to the police station.

Traffic tickets are now "pinai" fines. What does that mean?

Since late October 2023, offences under the Land Traffic Act that carry only a fine, such as speeding, running a red light or riding without a helmet, have been reclassified from criminal offences to pinai offences (administrative fines) under the Act on Pinai Fines B.E. 2565 (2022). Offences that can lead to prison, such as drink-driving, haven't changed and are still handled as criminal cases.

Can you go to prison for not paying a traffic ticket?

No. Pinai offences carry no prison sentence, you can't be detained in place of paying, and they don't create a criminal record. That doesn't mean you can simply ignore the ticket, though. The next section explains what happens.

How long does a traffic ticket stay valid?

The limitation period for a pinai offence is 2 years from the date of the offence. Once a fine order or court judgment has been issued, it can be enforced for another 5 years. The one-year figure that many websites still quote comes from the old criminal rules and only applies to offences committed before the switch to pinai fines.

Can you pay in instalments or ask for a lower fine?

You can ask to pay in instalments if a lump sum is too much. Section 9 lets you request instalments from the officer or the court: file a request with the agency that issued the ticket, giving your reasons and the amount you can pay each time. If you genuinely can't afford the fine, Section 10 lets you ask the court to set a fine below the legal rate or to let you do community service instead. Bank payment channels can't split or reduce the amount; you have to apply to the agency.

What happens if you don't pay a traffic ticket?

An unpaid ticket leads to consequences in stages. No late fee is added, but the matter catches up with your vehicle tax, your licence points and eventually the court.

The first is your vehicle tax. The Royal Thai Police and the Department of Land Transport (DLT) signed an agreement to link ticket data on 23 July 2026. If a ticket issued on or after 1 August 2026 goes unpaid, you'll get a warning letter first. If it's still unpaid, the data is sent to the DLT around 60 to 90 days after the ticket was issued. From then on you can still renew your vehicle tax, but you won't receive the real tax sticker until the fine is paid in full. If you renew at a DLT office and an unpaid ticket shows up, you can pay it to the registrar there and then. The measure doesn't apply to tickets issued before 1 August 2026, and it's expected to start showing up in the DLT system between October and November 2026. If your motorcycle tax renewal or car tax is coming up, it's easier to clear any tickets first.

The second is demerit points. Every licence holder starts with 12 points and loses 1 to 4 points depending on the offence. For some offences, such as ignoring traffic signs or parking where it's prohibited, points are only deducted if you don't pay the ticket by the deadline. If you reach zero, your licence is suspended for 90 days, and driving during the suspension can mean up to 3 months in prison, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both. Deducted points come back 1 year after the offence. If you drop below 6 points, you can attend DLT training to recover points, up to twice a year. Drivers who hit zero get 8 points back once the suspension ends, or all 12 back if they attend the training.

The third is legal action. If you still haven't paid after the warning, officers pass the case to the public prosecutor, who files it with the court under the Pinai Fines Act. The court can set a fine up to the legal maximum, and if you don't pay after the judgment, the amount can be recovered from your assets.

What is the maximum fine for a traffic ticket?

Since the Land Traffic Act (No. 13) B.E. 2565 (2022) took effect on 5 September 2022, the maximum fines for the most common offences have been:

These are legal ceilings, and the amount on your ticket may be lower. The Supreme Administrative Court revoked the police's old fine schedule in 2025, so always go by the amount on the ticket or in the system. Fines for offences tied directly to road signs, such as driving the wrong way, parking in a no-parking zone or not stopping for pedestrians at a zebra crossing, are listed with their sign codes in our guide to Thai traffic signs and their meanings.

Real vs fake tickets: how to avoid scams

Scammers regularly use fake SMS messages and tickets to get people to click a link or scan a QR code and pay. On 10 September 2026 the police warned about SMS messages starting "RTP: ท่านมียอดค้างชำระ e-Ticket…" (RTP: you have an outstanding e-Ticket balance…) with a shortened link. Some add pressure with offers such as "pay within 15 days, get 50% off". The link leads to a fake site that shows a ticket number, plate number and amount to look convincing, then asks for your card details. The Royal Thai Police has confirmed it doesn't chase or collect fines by SMS with links or QR codes.

The rule is simple: don't click, don't scan and don't enter any details. Open Thang Rath, Police Care or the PTM website yourself and check whether the ticket really exists. Before transferring money, check the account name: it must be a Krungthai account named "สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ – ค่าปรับจราจร" (Royal Thai Police – Traffic Fines). If it's in a person's name, treat it as fake. If you receive a suspicious message or have already been scammed, call the Royal Thai Police hotline on 191 or 1599, available 24 hours a day. For general traffic matters, call the traffic hotline on 1197.

Check for unpaid tickets before buying or selling a used vehicle on Talata

Before you commit to a used car or motorcycle, unpaid tickets are as worth checking as the engine or the mileage. Every ticket-checking channel is tied to the owner's ID number, so a buyer can't look them up from the plate. What works in practice is asking the seller to log in to Thang Rath or the PTM website and show you the screen when you view the vehicle. If there are unpaid tickets, agree in writing who pays before the transfer. On Talata you can compare used vehicle listings by price, year and condition, and message sellers directly to ask about tax and unpaid tickets before you arrange a viewing. See the other checks in what to check when buying a used car.

If you're selling, clearing your tickets before the transfer makes things smoother at the DLT office and gives buyers more confidence. When you list your used car for sale on Talata, say clearly when the tax expires and that there are no unpaid tickets, add a full set of photos, and compare offers from several buyers before you agree.

Frequently asked questions

Can I check traffic fines with just the licence plate number?

No. Every official channel verifies the vehicle owner's ID number first and then uses the plate number as a filter. Plate-only searches aren't allowed, to protect personal data.

I tried to pay but the ticket can't be found, or the amount doesn't match. What should I do?

Contact the police station that issued the ticket so officers can check and correct the record. If you've paid but didn't get a slip, print your account statement and keep it as proof.

Where can I check how many licence points I have left?

Log in to the PTM website at ptm.police.go.th with the same account you use to check tickets. It shows your demerit points, licence status and any unpaid tickets.

I bought a used car and found the previous owner's unpaid tickets. Who pays?

Tickets are issued to the owner or keeper registered on the date of the offence. If someone else was driving, the owner must name the driver within 30 days of receiving the ticket. When buying or selling a used vehicle, the safest approach is to check and clear any tickets before the transfer and keep proof of payment.