The idea was greeted enthusiastically by a traffic police chief who said, however, that the share of the fines would have to be negotiated.

Tenix Traffic Solutions (Thailand) Co Ltd has offered to invest Bt3 billion to install its Safe T Cam speed-detection device and Axis Red Light Cameras nationwide if the Royal Thai Police and the government were interested in signing a long-term contract with the company, giving it 50 per cent of the fines, Nithikorn said.

Traffic Police Commander Maj-General Panu Kerdlappol said he agreed with the idea in principle, but to let a private company run the scheme and receive half the fines would require an amendment to the traffic laws.

"If implemented, conflicts between the police and motorists would be reduced," Panu said, adding that the requested share would be difficult to manage.

Currently 50 per cent of the fine goes to the municipality or local administrative organisation, while 30 per cent goes to the officer who made the arrest. The remainder goes to related units supporting the arrest, Panu said.

"If we give half to the company, the officer and those supporting the arrest would get nothing," he added.

Deputy Commander Colonel Somsak Pathumrak said he agreed with the idea of installing the high-tech devices nationwide, but said amendments to the law would take a long time.

He said city police had installed traffic light cameras and other devices to detect law-breaking motorists in the city's 30 main intersections. He said they would come into use next year.

Nithikorn said Safe T Cam had a laser to detect speed at a distance and infrared to detect it at close range and could be installed in cars or be hand held. The 12-million pixel Axis Red Light Cameras had sensors that would detect cars going through a red traffic light and record all vehicles using the intersection, transmitting images to the Traffic Control Centre via high-speed internet.

The devices had been used in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, Nithikorn said.

He said the company has also developed a payment system to help people pay their fines by phone, counter services, post and the Internet.