The Department of Land Transport (DLT) has announced changes to its policy following a ruling by the Central Administrative Court on December 18, 2024, in case numbers 2120/2567 and 2682/2567. The court determined that the registrar cannot delay issuing annual vehicle tax stickers (known as "circular tax signs") based solely on outstanding traffic fines unless it is verified that the traffic officers have followed proper procedures as outlined in Section 141/1 of the Land Traffic Act B.E. 2522 (1979). The court found that the registrar cannot verify this compliance based on data from the Police Ticket Management (PTM) system alone.
As a result, the court ordered the registrar to issue the tax stickers within three days from the finalization of such cases.
Policy Changes Announced by DLT
To ensure compliance with the ruling, the DLT has suspended the practice of collecting unpaid traffic fines alongside annual vehicle tax payments. Vehicle owners will now receive their tax stickers immediately upon tax payment, regardless of outstanding traffic fines.
For individuals who were previously issued temporary receipts valid for 30 days in place of a tax sticker, the DLT has stated that these can now be exchanged for official tax stickers at any transport office nationwide.
Coordination with the Royal Thai Police
The DLT is working with the Royal Thai Police to develop a clear and legally compliant process for verifying that traffic officers have fulfilled all necessary steps before linking unpaid fines to the issuance of tax stickers. This collaboration aims to ensure that the collection of annual vehicle taxes and traffic fines adheres to the law moving forward.