Weirdest Laws in Thailand

[TampaYankee]

Weirdest Laws in Thailand

By Roger | August 25th, 2008

Some might argue that all laws are a little strange, but I think just about anyone would be hard-pressed to argue with these – they’re some of the weirdest laws in Thailand.

Now, I should mention that I have no idea whether these laws are actually still on the books at the current time, or whether they’re really enforced even if they are… But they’re pretty amusing, and the fact that they were once laws at all makes them worth sharing, even if they’re not something you should worry about today!

• It’s illegal to step on any of the Thai currency. Just for a laugh, I’d like to see someone throw a handful of Thai coins onto the sidewalk during rush hour and see what happens. Do the locals scatter like pigeons in order to avoid stepping on the coinage, or do they dive to collect it before you can?
• It’s against the law to leave your house in Thailand if you’re not wearing underwear. Every mother who has ever admonished her child to not leave the house without clean underwear will at least be partially pleased by this law. If only there were some stipulation about the cleanliness of said underwear here, every mother would send her children to Thailand to have the rule ingrained in their heads.
• It’s illegal to drive a car in Thailand if you’re not wearing a shirt. So, the Thai courts obviously have a thing about how their citizens are clothed. First we have the no-leaving-the-house-without-underwear law, and now this one. I can see how at least with this law it’d be easy to see the violators. With the underwear one, I’m not sure I’d want that job. Underwear checker? Nah, I’ll pass.
• It’s against the law to throw used chewing gum onto the sidewalk in Thailand, and you’ll be fined $600 if you’re caught. If you don’t pay, you’ll be thrown in jail. I’m all for a government that actively discourages discarding gum on the sidewalks. I mean, who hasn’t had to scrape gum off at least one pair of shoes at least once in their lives? But getting fined $600 for doing it, and jailed if you don’t pay… Well, that seems a bit extreme even to me.

So, folks, what this means is that if you’re going to Thailand, make sure you always wear underwear when you’re outside, dispose of used gum in the proper trash recepticle, keep your feet off the Thai money, and keep your shirt on whle you’re driving.

See original article at: http://www.thailandlogue.com/weirdest-laws-in-thailand.html

[RA1]

There are plenty of weird laws still on the books virtually everywhere but some of these either have historical context or some sensical reasoning behind them. We have several posters who have spent a lot of time in Thailand so I shall not try to usurp what they can tell us but I think it is likely that the Thai currency has a likeness of the king on it and "impolite" references to him seem to carry a penalty under law. Singapore has very stringent anti-littering laws so why not Thailand? And, last but not least, any kind of clothing not only promotes "modesty" but also protects one largest organ (the skin) from UV rays, chaffing and various other indignities we dumb humans perpetrate upon ourselves.

Now if I can just get my neighbor to run ahead of his car with a light to warn us of his comings and goings he wouldn't scare my cows.

Best regards,

RA1

[Guest FourAces]

I feel its important that even weird laws be followed. What to do what to do ... As much as I dislike doing this, sadly I am gonna have to report OZ Last time I was there I saw him use Thai Baht to line the walkway from his front door to his car, as he walked on the currency barefoot, he commented it was the perfect day to go commando style. He then jumped in his car took off his shirt and threw it in the backseat and began driving down the soi. At one point he stopped and tossed his gum out onto the sidewalk.

Again I am quite sorry about this but we all must follow the laws, even OZ, so I will be reporting him

[RA1]

LOL NP, so long as the Thais do not observe the same rules as the IRS, namely, if you report someone, you also get audited.

Best regards,

RA1