Get as far left as you can, get out of the vehicle, and get behind the barrier. Then call — 1543, option 1, for a Bangkok expressway, or 1586 and press 7 for an intercity motorway. Do not stand beside the car, do not stand in front of it, do not try to fix anything, and do not walk along the carriageway. A stopped vehicle in a live lane at expressway speeds is the most dangerous situation this whole section deals with, and the only correct response is to put a crash barrier between you and the traffic.
One piece of good news for two-wheeled readers: this will not happen to you on a motorbike, because motorbikes are banned from every Thai expressway and motorway at every engine size.
- Expressways (EXAT)1543, option 1, 24 hours
- Motorways1586, press 7
- Highway Police1193
- Ambulance1669
People, then vehicle. Never the other way round. Everyone out of the left-hand doors, over the barrier, and well back. The car is insured; you are not replaceable. If you cannot get out safely because you are stopped in a live lane with traffic passing on both sides, stay belted in with the hazards on and call for help — that is the one case where staying put is right.
Two different networks, two different numbers
Thailand runs two separate high-speed systems and they are administered by different bodies, which is why there are two numbers.
| Expressways (ทางด่วน) | Motorways (ทางหลวงพิเศษระหว่างเมือง) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | The elevated urban network in and around Bangkok | Intercity, such as Motorway 7 to Pattaya and Motorway 9, the outer ring |
| Run by | Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT), with BEM operating several under concession | Department of Highways |
| Incident number | 1543, option 1, 24 hours | 1586, press 7 |
| Also | BEM traffic information: 0-2664-6400 | Highway Police: 1193 |
If you are not sure which one you are on, call either — but the fastest answer is usually that an elevated road inside Bangkok is an expressway and a numbered intercity route with toll plazas is a motorway. Thailand's expressways and motorways explained covers the distinction properly.
The sequence
- Hazard lights on the moment you know something is wrong.
- Use your momentum to get left. An expressway is elevated with a hard shoulder that varies from generous to almost nothing; take whatever there is and get as far onto it as possible. If there is an emergency lay-by or a slip road within reach, aim for it.
- Wheels turned away from the carriageway so that the vehicle does not roll into traffic if it is struck.
- Everyone out of the left-hand doors and over the barrier. On an elevated section with no verge, get as far from the running lane as the structure allows.
- Call 1543 option 1, or 1586 press 7. Give the road, the direction, and the nearest kilometre marker or toll plaza — those are the reference points the operators work with.
- Call your rental company or insurer once you are safe and help is on the way.
- Wait behind the barrier. Not in the car, not beside it.
Kilometre markers and plaza names are your address. Expressway and motorway operators think in terms of route, direction and kilometre. "Motorway 7, outbound, just past Bang Pakong" locates you instantly, where a map pin sent from a moving phone may not. Note the last toll plaza or exit you passed as a matter of habit on any fast road.
Why staying in the car is usually wrong
The instinct to sit in the vehicle with the air conditioning running is strong, particularly in Thai heat, and it is the instinct that kills people on high-speed roads everywhere in the world. A stationary car on a hard shoulder is struck by inattentive drivers with grim regularity, and the occupants of a struck stationary car come off very badly. The barrier is uncomfortable, hot and undignified, and it is the right place to be.
The exception is genuine: if you are stopped in a running lane with traffic passing on both sides and no safe route out, getting out is more dangerous than staying. Keep belts on, hazards on, and tell the operator on the phone exactly that.
Warning devices
Place a warning triangle a good distance back if you have one and — this is the important qualifier — if you can do it without walking in a live lane. On a fast road that is often not possible, in which case do not attempt it. Hazard lights and distance from the vehicle are worth more than a triangle placed by someone standing in traffic.
Whether Thai law requires a private car to carry a triangle at all is something we investigated and could not establish either way, so we are not going to tell you it is optional. Carry one; they cost very little and a hire car may not have one. What your vehicle must legally carry in Thailand covers the equipment question.
Tolls, barriers and M-Flow
A breakdown does not remove the toll, and it creates one specific complication worth knowing about. Motorway M-Flow lanes are barrier-free, camera-based and do not take cash — you drive through and are billed afterwards, and missing the payment deadline attracts a penalty of ten times the toll. If you have been through an M-Flow lane in a hire car, tell the rental company immediately, because the bill lands on the registered keeper and reaches you later with a handling fee attached.
If you have to be recovered from a tolled road, let the operator and the recovery driver deal with the plaza. Easy Pass and M-Flow and toll roads in Thailand cover the payment side.
Motorbikes are not allowed up here
Motorcycles are prohibited from all Thai expressways and motorways, at every engine size, with a fine of up to 1,000 baht for riding on one. The legal basis is the traffic officer's power under section 139 of the Land Traffic Act to prohibit categories of vehicle, together with the regulations on traffic in special lanes.
That has two consequences. If you are on two wheels, you will never break down on one of these roads, and you should plan your route accordingly — Highway 4 and the ordinary national highways are the motorcyclist's network. And if you are in a car, you will not meet a motorbike on the hard shoulder, which is one hazard fewer than on an ordinary Thai highway.
Breaking down on an ordinary highway instead
Most of the same logic applies with one important difference: on a national highway you will have motorbikes, pedestrians, roadside stalls and slow farm vehicles on the left-hand edge, which makes the shoulder a busier and more complicated place. Get right off the tarmac if there is anywhere to go, call 1193 for the highway police, and read what to do when you break down in Thailand for the general version. At night, everything gets harder — driving at night in Thailand explains what the traffic around you can and cannot see.
Frequently asked questions
Which number do I call on a Thai expressway?
1543, option 1 — the Expressway Authority's 24-hour line for accidents and emergencies. On an intercity motorway it is 1586, press 7, for the Department of Highways. The Highway Police are on 1193, and 1669 is the ambulance.
Should I stay in the car?
No, unless you cannot get out safely. Everyone out of the left-hand doors and behind the barrier, well back from the vehicle. A stopped car on a hard shoulder is a target; a barrier is protection.
Can I walk to the next exit?
No. Walking on an expressway or motorway carriageway is extremely dangerous and, on the elevated Bangkok sections, there is often nowhere to walk at all. Call and wait behind the barrier.
Will they tow me off?
The authority's job is to make the incident safe and clear the obstruction, which normally includes getting the vehicle off their road. Onward recovery to a garage or your hotel is a matter for your rental company or your insurer.
Can I ride a motorbike on an expressway to avoid traffic?
No. Motorcycles are banned from all Thai expressways and motorways at every engine size, with a fine of up to 1,000 baht.
What about the toll if I never complete the journey?
Deal with it through the operator or the recovery driver. If a hire car has passed through an M-Flow lane, tell the rental company at once — the charge reaches the registered keeper and comes back to you later, and the penalty for a missed payment is ten times the toll.