Bangkok police want cars older than 10 years off the streets

[newermonkey]

Ridiculous... I agree vehicles in rough or dangerous condition should be off the roads but what about my vintage 1929 Rolls Royce, which is in perfect condition !

All they need to do is enforce the rules already in place, is that so hard.

yes... totally ridiculous you should be paying 4 x the tax... not the same......

Oh I don't mind paying 20 time more or a hundred time more, cant care less how much it costs.

[Feesbay John]

Put the tax on the fuel, them that do more miles should pay more. It's not how old the car is BUT how many miles you do in a year. Why should a car that covers 5k a year pay the same as a car that does 150k in a year.

Put more tax on fuel? I don't want to pay more for fuel, who does? Especially when the sales tax on new cars is so high.

Imports with 2litre engines 200% 3litre 300% and you want add more tax to Fuel?

in Thailand fuel is already double what it costs in neighbouring Malaysia.

We are already paying the tax on fuel and on the car, BUT if the car tax was worked out by an average and anded to the fuel, them that use the roads pay more than them that don't. Why should a car that covers 5k a year pay the same as a car that does 150k in a year. If you go to a restaurant and order 3 meals you don't pay the same as someone that only orders one meal. So why do we all pay the same with a car.

[Spare]

Tax the poor (who cannot afford new cars).

Make way for the rich (who own many many new cars).

[Thai at Heart]

Cut the foreign investment restrictions and watch the money flood in.

[HAL9000]

When are they going to eliminate import tax so Thai people can afford decent cars?

[OZEMADE]

i think taking cars off the road that are spewing out black smoke and are a danger to everyone around them is a great idea!

But this is not really about this is it?

Its just a deflective move to announce that the new car policy was a success because the second hand car price has fallen through the floor, and there are too many new cars on the market they cant get rid of.

a 10 year old Honda has plenty of life left in it - so whatever the 10 year plan is it sounds like garbage. 20 years okay!

5 years, well in that case the first ones to go should be the Government Busses, their old Ute's and a lot of old Police cars that are well over 5 yrs old. Then they can start on the trucks, some are over 50 yrs old. Then lets start on the Taxis. What a joke.

[seajae]

Why don't they have a yearly safety inspection on any vehicle over 5 years old and make a reasonable decision if the vehicle is safe for the road or not. Oh wait this is Thailand and this is too simple of a solution

There is such yearly inspection on all vehicles over 7 years I believe, whereby the vehicle is inspected for all safety and mechanical roadworthiness,

if thats the case then some people must be paying out shitloads of to keep their crap cars on the road to someone, I have seen tray backs that have the two pack panels tied together so they dont swing away from the main body due to all the rust and the missing floor in the tray(they actually swing side to side as they drive), doors missing, roof cut off(probaly with an axe by the look of it), no windscreen, cars going sideways along the road and vibrating like crazy due to a buggered subframe/buckled wheels etc etc. I doubt that anyone has their car put off the road by the authorities, they probably just write out a roadworthy certificate without ever leaving the office.

[Kularion]

Why don't they have a yearly safety inspection on any vehicle over 5 years old and make a reasonable decision if the vehicle is safe for the road or not. Oh wait this is Thailand and this is too simple of a solution

Another area for corruption and quick money...

[Lammbock]

A 10 year old BMW or Mercedes will drive for another 20 years.

They can not put all brands in one barrel.

[deepcell]

Are you kidding? really? no no no ..

It is the most stupid thing I have ever heard in a couple of days! No way it will be done. To do this you need to cut off half of traffic in Bangkok, since the most part of cars are too old. I saw an police car around Bang kapi it was for sure around 20 years old! That's bull****

[Arkady]

Enforcing the MOT tests instead of taking cash to pass old cars sight unseen would be a start. Police could also impound vehicles, including buses, emitting visible smoke.

At the end of day this police grandstanding for attention. It won't happen here because public transport is so poor and many people need to own their own cars. Thus the government would need to reduce the sky high taxes on new cars to allow owners of old cars to replace them with new cars which they don't want to do.

[malcyx]

Is the truck pictured considered a car ..

you would think they would start with people with no licence ,for car or motorbike... n

confiscate those cars n bikes . ..could add up to more than the ten year old cars 555.

testing for car safety would generate jobs n income for many ..

cant see this being successful , just another law to ignore till caught ..

more people will buy motorbikes with sidecar units on them lol..

more pollution n congestion ..

cars include, police, army , taxi , rental firms? some of them are ramshackles 555

[Joe Bloggs]

What a stupid idea!

Its on a par with the idea that only cars with even registration numbers can be used on Mondays and only cars with odd registration numbers can be used on Tuesdays.

As to a cars age and condition so much depends on the build quality of the car and how well it is looked after. Some years ago in the UK there were cars that used to fail their first Ministry Of Transport test (the MOT) when they were three years old! They failed in a big way as the sub-frame that held the power unit would rust so badly that there was the risk of the sub-frame breaking away from the car! The car maker did a deal with the car owners and bought the cars back from them. Allegedly a secret crushing plant was set up near Frome and the defective cars were taken there secretly in curtain-side lorries!

As to car safety, according to a local Motor Factor on average the taxis in North Cornwall use three sets of brake-pads each year! (the roads are very twisty and hilly) This would seem to indicate that a brand new car could become defective in less than six months. OK taxis do have to have extra safety checks every six months but when high mileages are being done this is perfectly fair.

These days a good quality car will have a six-year-anti-perforation warranty. The techniques used to obtain this may include (1) Use of good quality steel. (2) Use of "Zintec" galvanised steel. (3) A "Full body paint dip" where the car body is submerged in metal primer paint then slowly pulled out. (4) Wax injection of the car body cavities.

The very cheap cars are made of cheap steel and are just spray painted. The body cavities are unlikely to receive any paint and they become rust-traps. After just three years such cars can be looking quite rough.

The old Mercedes W124 and the Peugeot 405 can easily pass MOTs even when they are more than twenty years old. Allegedly the Lexus is pretty good too! This ban-ten-year-old-cars idea just looks to be a crude form of Congestion Charging based on how much money people have. Rich and new car, yes that's OK. Poor and old car, no you cannot come to town.

Look on the bright side, Japan has a crazy law that dictates that when a vehicle is three years old ALL the rubber components in the braking system have to be replaced. The cost of doing this is so high that the cars are exported to other countries where they drive on the left.

As all cars now have dual-circuit-braking that Japanese law is absolutely ridiculous.

[chooka]

A 10 year old BMW or Mercedes will drive for another 20 years.

They can not put all brands in one barrel.

Yes you are right, couldn't possibly include Mercedes Owners they are not the same as the little people in with Toyotas. If you can afford a Merc then you and your car are excluded from being banished to the provinces. To hell with equality for all this is Thailand and some backward western society.

[chooka]

Is the truck pictured considered a car ..

you would think they would start with people with no licence ,for car or motorbike... n

confiscate those cars n bikes . ..could add up to more than the ten year old cars 555.

testing for car safety would generate jobs n income for many ..

cant see this being successful , just another law to ignore till caught ..

more people will buy motorbikes with sidecar units on them lol..

more pollution n congestion ..

cars include, police, army , taxi , rental firms? some of them are ramshackles 555

you would think they would start with people with no licence ,for car or motorbike...

Funny you should mention this because that is exactly what they are doing in Chiangmai. They (The BIB) have established a task force and are running an operation targeting tourists and expats who are causing traffic problems and all the collisions in the province.

[otherstuff1957]

According to the OP older cars are currently taxed at 50% of the rate of new cars. I think I pay about 3 or 4,000 a year to register the car. Doubling that cost certainly wouldn't make me run out and buy a new car! Like most of the posters here I'm commenting about an issue that really won't affect me.

The only people who will be affected by this will be poor, working class Thais who rely on their old junkers for work or family transportation.

[ThePinkPanther]

Typical THAI again. Or shouldn't I actually say that? (Seeing I choose to live here). Banish old UNROADWORTHY vehicles to reduce high accident incidents in order to actually SAVE lives is totally acceptable. But now just look at the Thai incentive for doing this. Not to save lives but rather to earn more revenue, and that from the POOR who in fact cannot afford a new car neither the higher tax bill that comes with owning a new car. Vehicle AGE has absolutely NOTHING to do with anything regarding road-safety OR traffic congestion whatsoever. Bad infrastructure would be the reason accompanied by bad driving.

And in the case of Bangkok traffic the above reason world be the SOLE problem with regard to their traffic problems. I mean, where the hell in any modern-day metropolis will you come across an individual paddling a flipping tricycle right in the CENTER of the road and that during PEAK-HOUR. Then these Thais want to come and tell me OLD cars causes traffic jams? Oh com'on PLEASE. What the police SHOULD get rid of on ALL of Thailand's roads are these tricycle and tuk-tuk so-called taxis of them. With THESE off the streets ½ there traffic problems will be a thing of the past.

[ignis]

Sure one Thai guy I know in BKK will have something to say, his newest car is a 1962 Rolls, he has 5 other makes all older, all are mint condition, uses all and all are Taxed and Insured.

[webfact]

related topic:

Old car ban in Bangkok was just an idea: deputy city police chief

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/673341-old-car-ban-in-bangkok-was-just-an-idea-deputy-city-police-chief/

[technologybytes]

Why don't they have a yearly safety inspection on any vehicle over 5 years old and make a reasonable decision if the vehicle is safe for the road or not. Oh wait this is Thailand and this is too simple of a solution

They have yearly inspections for vehicles but they are very lax. I think they just test the brakes lol. You could be a rusted out piece of junk and still pass.

Standards vary a great deal. Our local test station is very thorough, he tests all the lights, indicators, brakes, steering and exhaust emissions. He has a machine to test exhaust volume if it's loud.

I like to use this station as obviously is there is a problem I'd like to know and get it fixed, but other stations are very lax, some don't even need to see the car if you bring your own rubbing of the number and a extra 200 baht.

[MarkCyr]

Disallow cars that are 10 years old? So who's the genius who selected that arbitrary number? My Toyota is over 10-years old and it purrs like a kitten.

Age is not a factor in the roadworthiness of a car. It's all about upkeep. But the rural poor or local transporters don't have that kind of money. They do, however, have enough money to pay off the BIB when the need arises. Enforce the required legal inspections and get the jalopies off the road. Don't just pick a number out of a hat.

[oyster]

Great idea! Get the old crappers out of the way so the rich kids in their ferarris have more room to violate traffic laws. Having said that didn't Japan have a law banning all cars over 3 years old? might still have that law... MOT testing (and enforcement) would help but instead of banning older cars why not implement congestion charges (and enforce them) as in London for example? Oh, and teach people how to drive correctly might help too - you know, stopping when the traffic light is red instead of dashing into the middle of the intersection and holding up all the traffic (thus starting or aiding and abetting the traffic congestion)! Start with taxi drivers... mass pogrom on the tuk tuk drivers... happy days

Yes Japan does ban all cars over three years old, which is why The Philippines,large sections of Africa - and now the UK are awash with good, cheap Japanese second hand cars

[Bobsufc]

LOL

What happens when someone from the province wants to drive his old car in Bangkok.

If they say OK you can drive here if you are registered in the provices.

Then all old cars in Bangkok will cobveniently registered the provinces. but the cars will stay in BKK. LOL

What about the Buses some of them are over 60 years old. They are always breaking down.

There is a hidden agenda here big Kickbacks to someone.

[peecee]

These Thais, they are something else. Now they're pressing down again on the poor Thais. Thais should think about raising tolls for entering Bangkok and enforcing compliance, inspection, and regulations to get plates every year.

Whats wrong with an annual test for older vehicles before they are let loose on the road?

[cyborgx]

Why don't they have a yearly safety inspection on any vehicle over 5 years old and make a reasonable decision if the vehicle is safe for the road or not. Oh wait this is Thailand and this is too simple of a solution

They do have a yearly inspection, but its basically a waste of time. I tillk mine in this years bellowing clouds of whote smoke, but it still passed!

They need:-

A proper comprehensive MOT test done by TRAINED individuals, that also is closely monitored for bribery and corruption.

Proper town planning including traffic flow. The major central intersections like MBK, Silom/RamaiV, Asoke Suhumvit, Rachadamri/Rama IV etc. have hardly changed at all in 20 years!

Enforcement of NON-use of the hard shoulder (inside lane) by drivers on motorways/expressways

Enforcement of laws covering motorbikes and their drivers . Simple solution - if they don't have licence/money/address/ID Card. Chain the bike to nearest lamp post marked for collection, and have specialists trucks touring the city taking them to bike graveyards throughout the day. That will soon cleanup the infestation of unlicenced, and non-roadworthy motorbikes.

Fine and Arrest/Ban loilitering taxis on street corners that block traffic.

Improve the driving test and prevent "pay to pass" - educate better on important things like stopping distance, rather than make you sit through an hour long soap opera that teaches you nothing about driving!!

At minor accidents, instead of leaving your cars in the middle of the road and blocking traffic for half an hour until police arrive, take a few pictures and move them to the side of the road!

Insstead of wasting time on fancy maps showing traffic flow (and causing even more madness as people try to change lanes and routes home in consequence), Have a PROPER traffic flow assessment done by specialists with proven track records!

Make membership of a vehicle recovery service a requirement not an option.

Actually the majority of cars over 10 years old (not inc. trucks and busses) are probably in better shape and are better cared for than newer vehicles, since the owners usually keep them for longer and therefore take more pride in their upkeep.

[ThePinkPanther]

Why don't they have a yearly safety inspection on any vehicle over 5 years old and make a reasonable decision if the vehicle is safe for the road or not. Oh wait this is Thailand and this is too simple of a solution

They do have a yearly inspection, but its basically a waste of time. I tillk mine in this years bellowing clouds of whote smoke, but it still passed!

They need:-

A proper comprehensive MOT test done by TRAINED individuals, that also is closely monitored for bribery and corruption.

Proper town planning including traffic flow. The major central intersections like MBK, Silom/RamaiV, Asoke Suhumvit, Rachadamri/Rama IV etc. have hardly changed at all in 20 years!

Enforcement of NON-use of the hard shoulder (inside lane) by drivers on motorways/expressways

Enforcement of laws covering motorbikes and their drivers . Simple solution - if they don't have licence/money/address/ID Card. Chain the bike to nearest lamp post marked for collection, and have specialists trucks touring the city taking them to bike graveyards throughout the day. That will soon cleanup the infestation of unlicenced, and non-roadworthy motorbikes.

Fine and Arrest/Ban loilitering taxis on street corners that block traffic.

Improve the driving test and prevent "pay to pass" - educate better on important things like stopping distance, rather than make you sit through an hour long soap opera that teaches you nothing about driving!!

At minor accidents, instead of leaving your cars in the middle of the road and blocking traffic for half an hour until police arrive, take a few pictures and move them to the side of the road!

Insstead of wasting time on fancy maps showing traffic flow (and causing even more madness as people try to change lanes and routes home in consequence), Have a PROPER traffic flow assessment done by specialists with proven track records!

Make membership of a vehicle recovery service a requirement not an option.

Actually the majority of cars over 10 years old (not inc. trucks and busses) are probably in better shape and are better cared for than newer vehicles, since the owners usually keep them for longer and therefore take more pride in their upkeep.

Let's rather NOT go there okay. You guys are now OPENING a whole new door to massive corruption.

[Phronesis]

This proposal has nothing to do with traffic management.

It is simply a covert initiative to spur car sales again.

I wonder how much tea money Toyota and Izuzu have promised to Adul?

[Hawkcarl]

How about reducing the tax on new cars BUT increase the price of fuel (gas and diesel) to same levels as neighbouring countries? This may/will lead to a natural scrapping of old cars as they are guzzlers. a couple of years ago the diesel price almost THB50/l which lead to much less cars on the road and I almost did not see any of the type of cars in the picture above!!

Moreover, having compulsory tax and insurance increased and the police more vigorously monitoring and fining transgressor.

Yes, yes, I know wishful thinking. Too much logic?!?!

[Pops]

Quote:

"At present, cars of seven years and older are now subject to 50 per cent less tax than on new cars."

At present, cars of seven years and older are also subject to an annual check up to determine whether they are still road worthy.

After reading the article, it seems like they should improve the annual check up of cars of seven years and older, problem solved.

Like with many issues in Thailand, it seems like (probably very adequate) rules and regulations are in place regarding older cars already, but everybody wipes their a.. with them.

[FangFerang]

Its a travesty of a car salesman's wetdream. Almost all the shops in the provinces drive into BKK to pick up goods of many kinds. So now they're going to have to buy a new car to run their shops.....

There was a recent report on TV that many of the first time buyers that lined up for cars last year backed out when they realized it was unfeasible for their finances to sustain. That same report stated there was a large new car surplus.

The whole thing smells like rat salad served with snake oil vinegrette.