Thailand to give green light to entry for some kinds of foreign vehicles

BANGKOK, April 5 (TNA) - Thailand will soon enforce a new regulation allowing vehicles of foreign countries with a total of nine seats and pickup trucks with a maximum weight of 3,500 kilogrammes to enter and travel in Thailand within a certain timeframe. Sanit Promwong, Director-General of the Department of Land Transport, under the Thai Ministry of Transport, announced the update on Tuesday, saying that the new regulation will be enforced 60 days after it is published in the Royal Gazette, which is expected in June. Sanit told journalists that the new regulation will be sent to the Secretariat of the Cabinet by this week to be published in the Royal Gazette. Under the new regulation, Sanit explained, motorists of foreign countries are each allowed to drive in Thai provinces where they are checked by Thai customs officials. Sanit stated that foreign motorists will be then permitted to travel in the Thai Kingdom at the maximum of 30 days each time and they will be allowed to drive in Thailand not more than 60 days in one year, but they must first seek permission at least 10 days in advance from a transport office in their destined province, before they can enter the Thai province. According to the senior official, motorists from foreign countries must bring with them a copy of their passports, a copy of their driving licence, car registration and other necessary documents, including their life insurance to the third party valued not less than one million baht per person per trip, along with property insurance valued at the minimum of one million baht per trip, all of which must be translated in either Thai or English. Besides, foreign motorists will be required to display permission cards which cost 500 baht plus a 500 baht fee before entering Thailand. The senior official noted, however, that foreign vans, personal cars and motorcycles are not yet covered under this regulation. (TNA)