ThaiRAP, the Road Assessment Programme for Thailand has been recognised for its excellence helping to advance road safety in the country at the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) Thailand Conference this month.

ThaiRAP Lead, Kasem Choocharukul, Professor and Head of the Civil Engineering Department of Chulalongkorn University, was presented with a Certificate of Recognition and honorary pin from His Excellency Mr Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the President of the National Assembly and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand, for contributions to road safety.

In receiving the award, Professor Choocharukul said, “I am grateful to receive this recognition. As part of the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Infrastructure and Vehicles, I am committed to driving safer roads for all. I am also proud that ThaiRAP, led by the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, was recognized for its collaborative efforts in road safety.”

The PACTS model of parliamentary engagement in road safety has been adopted by Thailand’s Parliament to address their own road safety challenges.

In October 2024, the Thai Parliament established a Road Safety Working Group and four subcommittees, chaired by Mr. Pichet Chuamuangphan, Deputy Speaker of Parliament. The ground-breaking initiative unites members from across political parties, showcasing a strong commitment to reducing road fatalities in Thailand, where rates remain ten times higher than in the United Kingdom. The four subcommittees are led by influential figures dedicated to driving change, and aim to utilise legislative authority, government oversight, and cross-agency collaboration to tackle road safety issues head-on.

Read more about how the PACTS model is inspiring road safety progress in Thailand here.

About ThaiRAP

Star Rating targets have been set in place in Thailand’s 2022-2027 Master Plan, Bangkok Road Safety Master Plan 2021-2025 and the National Roads Policy which requires all new roads to achieve a safe technical standard for road users through a 3-star or higher assessment. ThaiRAP was recognised in 2022 with a Prime Minister’s Award for Road Safety and Thailand’s Department of Rural Roads was awarded the 2021 International Road Federation (IRF) Global Road Achievement Award for its Integrated Road Safety Management System that includes ThaiRAP. ThaiRAP activity has assessed 132,164km of roads and designs, including motorways and 10 schools, influencing the safety of US$1.5 million of road infrastructure investment. The Department of Highways star rated the entire network in 2023, with 64,000km receiving a light star rating. ThaiRAP is working with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to improve road safety through iRAP capacity building and assessment, with a 500km assessment of the city’s road network completed and 360 high-risk sites upgraded. 288 people have benefited from iRAP global/on-line training and 1,854 people have been trained in events delivered in Thailand. Chulalongkorn University is one of 11 iRAP Centres of Excellence helping to guide the development of the global road infrastructure safety standard and tools.