Motoring officials have issued new regulations that set clear standards for seating configurations and safety specifications of vans with up to 10 seats.
The Land Transport Department will be responsible for enforcing the rules to protect passengers and drivers of the increasingly popular vans, Wattana Pattharachon, deputy director-general of the department, said.
The vehicles are categorised as “special vans” that can seat up to 10 passengers.
The passenger seats can be individual, double or triple, measuring a minimum of 45cm long. The backs of the seats must be thickly cushioned and at least 50cm high with a headrest.
Mr Wattana said the seat backs in any row must be separated and positioned at an angle of between 95 and 100 degrees and able to recline to a pitch of at least 125 degrees.
The aisle must be wide enough for passengers to move around. There can only be one front passenger seat.
The passenger seats must be arranged in three rows, each with three seats. The space between rows must be at least 75cm wide. Each seat is to be equipped with a seat belt.
Mr Wattana said the specifications set comfort and safety for passengers. Vehicle manufacturers must strictly comply with the standards or face a fine of up to 50,000 baht.
Mr Wattana said requests have been made for vans with up to 10 seats to be used for public transport. He said of the 6,772 requests lodged with the department so far, only 702 have been processed and registered. Of these, 108 are in Bangkok.