Car maker Toyota has complained the clampdown on illegal passenger vans has hurt its van sales nationwide, according to the Transport Ministry.
Teerapong Rodprasert, vice minister for transport, said on Tuesday that representatives of Toyota Motors Thailand complained that the Land Transport Department's strict conditions on van sales, aimed against illegal unregistered passenger vans, had caused a significant reduction in nationwide sales of its vans - which had previously averaged 1,000 vehicles a month.
The company had been informed that strict regulations would remain in place as there were currently about 3,000 illegal passenger vans on the roads, compared with 6,000 legal ones, he said.
The drivers of illegal passenger vans registered them only as private vehicles, did not undergo police criminal record checks and did not have licences to drive public transport vehicles, Mr Teerapong said. Their vehicles also did not undergo the regular checks the legal passenger vans must pass.
"Around 400 Toyota dealers have been called to a meeting in Bangkok on July 12 to be informed about the regulations on the sale of private vans," he said.
The Land Transport Department's regulations issued in March last year require buyers who register vans capable of carrying many seated people as private vehicles to prove they need them for personal use, not to ply as public passenger vehicles.
Buyers must present records of personal income tax payments dating back two years, evidence showing a stable financial condition and the need for a large vehicle for personal use, detailed profiles of the van issued by manufacturers, and proof of access to a parking area of at least 35 square metres and a map showing its location. Transport officials will check to confirm they have a parking area and verify other information.