An online police poll has found that more than 86% of people support the idea to lift the maximum speed limit on many roads in Thailand from 90kph to 110kph.
On Friday, the Police Operations Command Social Media Centre asked Facebook users to vote whether they agreed with the idea.
As of 8pm yesterday, 86% of about 21,600 respondents said they agreed.
While most of those who commented supported the idea, some expressed concerns over safety and law enforcement.
Meanwhile, many also pointed out that some accidents are caused by those who drove slowly in the right-hand lanes.
However, Nikorn Chamnong, a member of the Leadership Council of the Global Network for Road Safety Legislators, advocated a cautious approach to any change in the law, saying it should be done on a road by road basis.
"While we are proposing to increase the speed of the cars on our roads, countries with more advanced road networks and vehicles are campaigning for lower speeds, saying it's one of the prominent causes of road deaths," he said.
Pol Maj Gen Ekkarak Limsangkat, commander of Special Branch Police 3, said the Royal Thai Police, Transport Ministry and Interior Ministry are working together on a proposal to change the speed limit, which was introduced in 1979.
As a member of the Royal Thai Police's committee working on traffic problems, he said the team would meet after the Songkran holidays to discuss the issue and expected to come up with the resolution within 30 days.
Cars are now allowed to drive at up to 80kph in some city areas. Outside urban areas, they are allowed to reach 90kph, or 120kph on inter-city motorways.
"The friction and the width of roads in Thailand follow US standards," he said. "However, not all the roads are suitable for such a high speed."
Meanwhile, Pol Maj Gen Theerasak Surewong, chief of the Traffic Police Bureau, agreed that the changes would suit improved road and vehicle conditions as well as reduce conflicts between police and drivers.
He suggested that in crowded areas, especially where schools are situated, the speed limit should be set at 40kph.
The head of the Thailand Accident Research Centre, Kunnawee Kanitpong, said any adjustment must mean that authorities strictly enforce the law.
"Authorities must erect clear signs detailing the maximum speed allowed and police must enforce the law," she said.
In October last year, Gen Anupong Paojinda, the interior minister, was criticised for signing off on a request to buy 849 hand-held speed guns for a total of 573 million baht.
Questions were raised whether the price of the equipment was too high.
A senior official from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation told the Bangkok Post yesterday the purchase of the speed guns is still under consideration, with the equipment likely to arrive by the end of the year.
He refused to elaborate, saying the public can check for updates on the department's website.
Despite the high prices, road safety experts and foundations met in December 2017 and came to an agreement that state-of-the-art speed guns used in Phuket, donated by the Safer Roads Foundation, have proven to be the most effective instruments for lowering speeds.
It is claimed that using more technology to make arrests would also help to reduce the levels of bribery involved in speeding offences as the once a car is recorded by the equipment a new layer of accountability is introduced into the process.