Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered Pattaya motorcycle taxi drivers to return to orange vests after hearing concerns that the new dark blue ones are unsafe, Chonburi MP Yodchai Phuengphon said.
Yodchai, of the People’s Party, said he spoke with Anutin after a parliamentary session on 21 October. He told the prime minister that the switch had drawn criticism over the vests’ visibility, safety and compliance with international standards. Anutin replied that he “didn’t know about it” and agreed that the blue vests were unsafe, Yodchai said.
“He ordered them then and there: ‘Please go back to the original orange,’” Yodchai said in an interview with the Jor Luek Tua Thai Inside Thailand programme on 22 October.
Anutin was surprised to learn that drivers had to pay 550 baht each for the new vests, Yodchai said. He asked, “The drivers have to pay for them themselves?” and promised to look into how to resolve the issue.
About 5,000 vests are needed, and nearly half have already been bought, Yodchai said. A local shop was making and selling them, though he did not know which private business owned it. Drivers had been directed to the shop but were not required to buy from that particular seller.
Some drivers have already returned to their orange vests because they still have them. However, officials have not clarified when the decision to change colours will be cancelled or how drivers who bought blue vests will be reimbursed. Anutin has promised to find a solution, Yodchai said.
The change from orange to blue is part of a wider effort to regulate motorcycle taxi services in Bang Lamung district and create a new identity for Pattaya as a seaside tourist city. The programme covers 564 stands and 5,281 registered drivers.
Drivers have raised concerns that tourists may not recognise the new vests and that the dark blue colour is harder to see at night. In a field comparison for an earlier report, a reporter observed that an orange vest stood out more than a dark blue one in a poorly lit area. The comparison was not an engineering or road-safety test.
Rat, a 65-year-old motorcycle taxi driver who has worked in Pattaya for decades, said the change was announced at short notice and that the blue vests were not conspicuous at night. He argued that safety should take priority over matching the city’s seaside identity.
“We ride on roads. People and other road users need to be able to see us clearly.
“They say the colour will blend in with the sea, but we’re not riding in the sea,” he said
Rat said drivers should be allowed to wear bright colours such as yellow or green, with reflective strips to improve visibility. He also suggested that the government provide each driver with one vest free of charge, with drivers paying for any additional ones themselves.
Yodchai said Anutin seemed confused when he learned of the issue, adding: “I’m very confused. Suddenly, the whole country is asking me about it.”
