Police arrested 540 drivers who violated traffic laws on Monday, the first day a new system was applied that deducts points from their driving licences.
All driving licence holders will be given 12 points at the start of each year, which they will gradually forfeit in the event they break the rules in what is known as the demerit system.
According to Pol Maj Gen Atchayon Kraithong, a police spokesman, 503 of those who were penalised on Monday were stripped of one point, with the remainder losing two points.
Some were found to have violated more than one rule, resulting in the two-point punishment, he said.
Police said 233 of those arrested had failed to display their tax stickers, indicating they had neglected to renew their annual vehicle tax. Eighty one people lost a point for failing to display their licence plates and 63 were punished for breaking the speed limit, Pol Maj Gen Atchayon said.
The demerit system is the brainchild of national police chief, Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas, part of a project to improve driving discipline and road safety in the kingdom.
Drivers will see their licences suspended for 90 days if they lose all of their points.
According to Pol Maj Gen Atchayon, the new scheme uses the Police Ticket Management (PTM) database and e-ticket system to record each violation of the law.
Drivers' remaining points can be viewed at the "ptm.police.go.th/eTicket" website or the Khub Dee mobile application. Traffic law violators can also choose to pay their fines using the government's Pao Tang e-wallet.
Pol Gen Damrongsak previously ordered deputy national police chief, Pol Gen Roy Inkhapairote, the Department of Land Transport, Krung Thai Bank (KTB), and National Telecom Public Company Limited (NT) to move the system forward, said Pol Maj Gen Atchayon.
