From this month on, drivers with brand new cars and red licence plates should be aware of a tough new law concerning the registration of their vehicles.
Last week Sanit Promwong, the Department of Land Transport's (DLT), announced the tough measure, with a fine of up to 10,000 baht for those who fail to register a car within 30 days of receiving it from a seller.
The red plates are intended only to be used by new owners during the vehicle registration process. Once the registration is complete, motorists are required to switch to normal white plates. This used to be a time-consuming process, but now Mr Sanit claimed that it takes only one day.
Ploenpote Atthakor is Editorial Pages Editor, Bangkok Post.
Some Thais have illegally extended their use of the red plates to avoid paying road taxes, the DLT boss said.
While Mr Sanit did not specifically mention this, it's also a well-known fact that many drivers do not give up the special plates as they want other people on the roads to think their cars are brand new.
There are also some technical reasons behind some drivers sticking with the practice. Since the age of the car is calculated based on the registration date and not the day it hits the road, people who buy cars late in the year may choose to register it the following year to take a year off the vehicle's age. By doing so, they believe, rightly or wrongly, they can fetch a better price when they sell the vehicle.
But many drivers may not be aware of how regulations governing these red plates can make their lives complicated, or worse, land them in trouble.
Under the law, drivers who use cars with red plates have to seek permission from authorities if they want to use the vehicle at night. Cars with red plates cannot be driven out of the province or zone where the vehicle was temporarily registered to obtain the red plates. In the event they do, drivers must ask for permission each time they want to travel outside the specified area. Documents must be properly filled out, with the destination and the dates of travel. What a waste of time.
These cars are not allowed to use the expressways. Drivers of cars with red plates must be sure they have all car-related documents, a proper driving licence and ID cards, ready for checks at all times.
The authorities say they have to be tough as some bad guys like to use cars with these plates to commit crimes.
We cannot really say if the law, which appears to belong in the Flintstone age, is efficient in curbing crime. But what we know for sure is that it can allow abuse by some unscrupulous officials -- quite a few drivers would rather pay officers kickbacks as it costs less than the fines.
But the law or law enforcement is wrong in that it gives police officers free rein to stop any car with a red plate and examine the car and the driver's documents without the latter committing any traffic offence.
And most officers would love to follow the regulations strictly. Some may truly believe that any car with a red licence plate can be associated with crime, while others may have other motives.
A few months ago, one enthusiastic traffic officer almost lost his life when he stopped a car as it approached a checkpoint. He asked to see documents, and while he was examining them, the driver who was terrified of police action stamped her foot on the accelerator, dragging the poor officer along the road.
The driver confessed later that since she had missed a few deposits with her car leasing firm, she was fearful of police action. The injured officer said it was the red plate that made him decide to stop the car.
It was a matter of luck for both sides. For the officer, he was lucky not to get killed, while the driver was charged with reckless driving, instead of murdering a policeman on duty.
It's good to know that the department is coming to terms with reality as it is revising the law to scrap the red plates altogether. Yet, the process is stuck in the red-tape bureaucratic system.
Mr Sanit's initiative is noteworthy. It's time Thai police are freed from jobs imposed on them under obsolete laws that are irrelevant, and sometimes life-threatening.