Thailand's imported vehicles through grey market required to undergo emission testing

BANGKOK, March 23 (TNA) - Imported vehicles through Thailand's independent or "grey" market are required to pass a strict emission test before getting the Thai licenses. Permanent Secretary for Industry Witoon Simachokedee says that his ministry has joined hands with the Customs Department, Department of Land Transport, Pollution Control Department, the Thai Industrial Standards Institute or TISI and Thailand Automotive Institute to strictly implement the Industrial Product Standards Act, B.E. 2511, under which emission testing will be provided to vehicles imported through the grey market, particularly those equipped with compression-ignition engines. Witoon acknowledged that TISI is inspecting the first batch of the grey vehicles, which have been imported to Thailand since 1968, and will randomly go through later models if the importers have good record for reliability. The emission test costs up to 124,162 baht per vehicle, with tax included. However, 40,000 baht will be required for models which fail to meet emission tests and these models will need to take repeated emission tests until they are approved for use in the country. President of Thailand Automotive Institute under supervision of the TISI Patima Jeerapaet, meanwhile, reported that some 600 car models of 268 invoices totally which have passed customs inspection will have to undergo emissions tests, and that the institute is able to provide emission test for about 8 cars a day and has also increased its testing hours and procured additional facilities to deal with the expanding grey market. (TNA)