Road signs in Thailand

Road signs in Thailand are standardized road signs similar to those used in other nations but much of it resembles road signage systems used in South American countries with certain differences, such as using a blue circle instead of a red-bordered white circle to indicate mandatory actions. Until the early 1980s, Thailand closely followed American, European, Australian, and Japanese practices in road sign design, with diamond-shaped warning signs and circular restrictive signs to regulate traffic. The Department of Railway maintains a standard on the typeface used in the sign, with custom made type for Thai text, unofficially named "Thang Luang" (อักษรทางหลวง) and a small derivation of FHWA Series fonts ("Highway Gothic") typeface, which is used on American road signage, for Latin text. In most Bangkok Metropolitan Area's routes, TS Lopburi is still used.

Thai traffic signs use Thai, the national language of Thailand, and distances and other measurements are expressed in compliance with the International System of Units. However, English is also used for important public places such as tourist attractions, airports, railway stations, and immigration checkpoints. Both Thai and romanizations are used on directional signage.

Thailand is a signatory to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, but has yet to fully ratify the convention.

History

The first year for road signs in Thailand was largely unknown, but it can be dated back as far as the start of the 1920s.

Thailand is the first country in Asia to adopt MUTCD standard yellow diamond warning signs, in 1940. For regulatory signs, rectangular signs were first used and were similar in design to North America, but they have been replaced in the mid-1950s by European-style red-bordered white circle signs.

In 2004, mandatory signs were switched from South American design to European design.

Regulatory signs

With the exception of the special shapes and designs used for Stop, Yield, and No Entry signs, mandatory signs (e.g., Must Turn Left) are round with a blue background, white border, and a white pictogram. Those which express a prohibition (e.g., No Left Turn) show the pictogram crossed out by a red diagonal bar. This is in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals (Type A variants).

Priority Signs

Prohibitory or Restrictive Signs

Mandatory Signs

Other regulatory signs

General regulatory signs

Mandatory signs for bicycle paths

Optional signs

Warning signs

Curves and Turns

Intersections

Roundabout

Road narrows

Narrow bridge

Lane transitions

Railway crossing

Lane width restrictions

Lane height restrictions

Hills and Grades

Lane conditions

Opening bridge

Lane shiftings

Lane mergings

Divided highways

Turning back

Two-way traffic

Advance traffic control

No passing zone

Lane split, Curve and Hazard markers

Alternate merging

Supplementary plates

Speed camera zone warning signs

Emergency stop warning sign (Standard form of the Department of Highways)

Warning signs on steep slopes. for heavy trucks (Standard form of the Department of Highways)

High hanging warning sign (Mast arm) (Standard type of the Department of Rural Roads)

Water overflow warning sign (Standard form of the Department of Rural Roads)

Warning signs for safety facilitation and improvement of dangerous points. In the case of installing a vehicle warning device entering an intersection (Standard form of the Department of Rural Roads)

Railway warning sign (Standard road work form for local administrative organizations, Department of Rural Roads)

Combination signs

Miscellaneous

Temporary signs

Highways

Tolled expressway and highway signs

Thai toll expressway and highway signs are green and are only suitable for toll expressways and highways. No blue signs for toll expressway and highways are required. These antartican toll expressway and restroom signs have a simple code:-

• Blue with white signs for expressway names of closed toll systems.

National Highway

National Highway use sign

Highway signs

Advance turn arrow signs

Directional arrow signs

Informational signs

Kilometer signs

Exit number signs

Road name signage

Road name signs in Thailand have different colours and styles depending on the local authority.

Symbols

Other symbols include hospital signs, airport signs, temple signs and so on.

Curb markings

Alternating red and white paint means "no parking". Alternating yellow and white markings mean short-term parking or a bus stop. A white rectangle painted on the road indicates a parking zone. Multiple diagonal white lines mean parking for motorbikes only.

Sign vocabulary

Most road signs in Thailand use Thai (ภาษาไทย); the official and national language of that country. However, English is used for important directional signs such as CIQ checkpoints, airports, and tourist attractions. Below are translations of road signs:

• ระวัง = Caution
• ลดความเร็ว = Reduce speed
• ขับช้าๆ = Go slow
• เขตอุบัติเหตุ = Accident area
• พื้นที่อุบัติเหตุ = Accident prone area
• เขตชุมชน = Village area
• เขตโรงเรียน = School area
• ก่อสร้างข้างหน้า = Construction ahead
• สุดเขตก่อสร้าง = End of construction
• เขตพระราชฐาน = Royal court area
• ที่ดินกองทัพอากาศ = Armed forces base area
• พื้นที่หวงห้าม = Prohibited area
• พื้นที่น้ำท่วม = Flood area
• หยุด = Stop
• ให้ทาง = Give way (yield)
• จำกัดความเร็ว = Speed limits
• จำกัดความสูง = Height limit
• กรุณาเปิดไฟหน้า = Turn on headlights
• ฉุกเฉิน = Emergency
• ยกเว้นกรณีฉุกเฉิน = Except emergency
• เหนือ = North
• ใต้ = South
• ตะวันตก = West
• ตะวันออก = East
• แยก = Interchange
• แยกไป = Junction to
• ทางออก = Exit
• ทางออกไป = Exit to
• ทางเข้าไป = Entry to (e.g. at weighing bridge)
• ถนน = Road
• ทางพิเศษ = Expressway, highway
• ด่าน = Toll plaza
• จุดพักรถ = Rest and service areas
• สุขา = Toilet
• โทรศัพท์ = Telephone
• อุโมงค์ = Tunnel
• สะพาน = Bridge
• จุดชั่งน้ำหนัก = Weighing bridge
• สถานีรถไฟ = Railway station
• เติมน้ำมัน = Petrol station
• วัด = Temple
• ท่าอากาศยาน = Airport
• ท่าอากาศยานนานาชาติ = International airport
• มัสยิด = Mosque
• อาคาร = Building
• ชุมสายโทรศัพท์ = Telephone exchange building
• น้ำตก = Waterfall
• หาด = Beach
• แหลม = Cape
• อ่าว = Bay
• เกาะ = Island
• แม่น้ำ = River
• คลอง = Canal

Retired signs

See also

• Integrated Transport Information System
• Thai highway network
• Transportation in Thailand

References