Seems to be happening.. Ban on imports of used vehicles

[LivinLOS]

Ban on imports of used vehicles
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet yesterday approved the Transport Ministry's proposal to ban import and registration of second-hand vehicles. Four types of vehicles are targeted by the ban: motorcycles, sedans, pick-ups and vehicles that carry more than seven passengers.

The ban also aims to prevent or minimise the smuggling of parts used to assemble vehicles that cab then be sold as new.

The initiative is viewed as being beneficial to domestic auto-makers as well as for the sake of public safety because ministry officials say many illegally assembled vehicles, especially motorcycles with large engine sizes, were being used for street racing.


-- The Nation 2012-04-18

 

[Brian66]

The last sentence is such a crock of shit. In all the years I have been in Thailand I have never seen “large engine” motor cycles street racing!! But maybe a 250cc is large to Thai politicians and the Land transport people who suggest these rules.
There are plenty of the ‘Under bone” bikes racing on the roads around the area I live.
The odd thing I find about Thai laws and their intention is that all the parts assembled bikes I have purchased, and that is 9 of them now. Every single one was brand new.

But i guess there are plenty of people trying to bring in their near new motor cycles that they had in their previous country or living and that are not obtainable in Thailand. This new law will affect them.

But, like everything else in Thailand that involves money, this law is there to be exploited and those with enough money and connections in the right place, will still get what they want imported

 

[LUFC]

But, like everything else in Thailand that involves money, this law is there to be exploited and those with enough money and connections in the right place, will still get what they want imported

Yeah, I'd bet money on nothing changing.

Is the dude in customs with his 20,000 baht? monthly salary gonna forgoe his "bonus" which likely trebles his salary.

 

[Tom]

I wonder how much the factories had to pay to get this stinker pushed through. This servers a very narrow, foreign-owned commercial interest, so I'd be interested in seeing what argument they put forward for it (as a side note, my personal opinion is that lobbying for commercial interests should carry a mandatory death penalty in any country that proclaims itself to be democratic! But that's just me...) If they really do get serious about this, quite a few people I know (Thais) will be out of business. Also, what about the brands that aren't represented here in Thailand, such as Harley (which, as we all know, has a rather fanatic following)? Unfortunately nothing will change this law, as the people getting trampled are too few and insignificant to consider.
As previously said, I think there will be ways around this. And like Brian said, an my many years in this country, I have never heard of a 'large capacity' street-race anywhere, anytime. And anyway, how would changing the import rules on bigger bikes affect this in the first place? Pure BS.

 

[LivinLOS]

The premise seems to be 'to stop street racing' which is about as flimsy as it could possibly be..

As to Harley.. I thought powerstation was a authorized Harley dealer now ?? And anyway, its 'secondhand' vehicles they seem to be stopping.. new, and non parts built bikes seem to not be included in the wording.

 

[Tom]

As to Harley.. I thought powerstation was a authorized Harley dealer now ??

Could be, I hadn't heard that. I don't follow HD all that closely, though, but last I heard anything it was all just grey import, as usual.

And anyway, its 'secondhand' vehicles they seem to be stopping.. new, and non parts built bikes seem to not be included in the wording.

Yes, but if they are adjusting the tariffs for import of bikes to a large payment per shipment of bikes, new or otherwise, the capital needed to fund a single shipment would be beyond any of the smaller shops - heck, even Red Baron seems to be worried - due to the volume needed to make it profitable.

Of course for registered road bikes we could all follow Phil's example and buy abroad and run them here on temporary import papers. And as you said, it remains to be seen whether this only presents a problem for bikes that are to be registered, as opposed to unregistered off-road bikes.

 

[Hoghead]

I am caught up in this with a 1947 BSA I bought in Burma and the Brokers now tell me not to even try and bring it in now before this is published in the Royal Gazette and becomes law. Customs is a law to their own and even though only a Cabinet resolution at this point, they are prohibiting and threatning to seize the bike and blacklist the importer.
Wonder about the poor sods with a container of HD's enroute?

I am thinking of floating it over the river at Mae Sot but if I make it past the police checkoints on the way back to CM, then taking it out for a ride is problomatic at least. The current situation of being able to ride around CM without a plate will be the next to end

At least the Enfield is excise tax paid and they cannot take it away, but a smuggled bike is totally illegal and subject to seizure.

Bring it in on a temporary import while feasable is not practical as it cannot exactly make regular boder runs

Looks like I am knackered and out the 1500 USD deposit paid to date.

 

[Tom]

Bring it in on a temporary import while feasable is not practical as it cannot exactly make regular boder runs.

Phil, correct me if I'm wrong here, but you can actually extend a temporary import license in-country, right? You don't actually have to make 'visa-runs' for your bike, or...?

 

[LivinLOS]

Bring it in on a temporary import while feasable is not practical as it cannot exactly make regular boder runs.

Phil, correct me if I'm wrong here, but you can actually extend a temporary import license in-country, right? You don't actually have to make 'visa-runs' for your bike, or...?

You get 1 - 2 months depending on mood of officer and your visa status at the border.. this can be extended for up to 6 months incountry at which time you have to leave. If you fail to extend incountry but are still inside of 6 months its a small fine (1000 ?? 2000 ??) but not a huge deal.. One day over the 6 months and its a major problem, might lose the bike.

You can go over the 6 months, with prior approval, if you can show the bike is off the road due to major repair / rebuild or accident.. This is a one time thing, needs some good luck with the officer and isnt advised. A mate on Phuket did it once when his bike was legit being fixed..

 

[Hassman]

Hoghead from what I can gather the law only makes the registration impossible, if I have not misunderstood things it will still be possible to bring a bike in as parts and pay the excise.

I would not walk away from the 1'500 USD deposit, get the bike smuggled across to Mae Sot and take it apart and drive the Mae Sariang road back to CM, I did that and was not stopped once.

After getting it to CM you can get the engine and frame numbers put onto the paperwork from importers and then excise it after that.

Besides; the vintage bike guys I speak to say that not a single one of their bikes has excise paid and the coppers/customs are not bothered as they recognise that it is a vintage bike for show.

Cheers,
Hassman

 

[Hoghead]

3 customs Brokers plus Mr. Grey Book fixer tells me that Customs being a law into themselves are seizing bikes and parts now even though this is not proclaimed into law yet.

I have not given up as of yet and the various fixers under the old system will find some, abiet more expensive, way
worst case I will ship it to Canada and either sell it or ride it once or twice a year

Floating it over the river on a raft is my fall back position, but not too keen on that

 

[KTMphil]

Talking with a friend of ours that brings bikes into Thailand and gets them legal, he thinks this new directive will have zero effect on his business & will not cause any problems for him.