Illegal vehicles impounded in Hua Hin

[dr dave soul monsta]

Hua Hin police impounded several illegal vehicles including a number of tuk-tuks and three wheelers. Many of these are often used illegally by foreign companies to tout their businesses. The image shows the impounded vehicles chained up in Hua hin police station.

[Big Boy]

Dr Dave,

Athough an interesting statement, what is the point that you are trying to make please?

[dr dave soul monsta]

Make sure your vehicle is legal

[STEVE G]

I’ve seen several of the tuk-tuks like those pictured being driven around Hua Hin by Falangs, is it possible to do that legally?

[buksida]

Evidently not it would seem ... that yellow one looks familiar, could it be impoundedcarrental.com ?

I wish they would impound all those bloody taxis that sit there all day occupying all the parking spaces.

[PJG]

Taxis normally pay the boys in Brown to be in the queque so no chance of them being impounded.
Would suspect the impounded vehicles have not paid their "taxes"!

[Nereus]

Make sure your vehicle is legal

As a matter of interest there was a quarter page ad in Wednesdays Bangkok Post advising of the Customs Dept seized car auction, to be held at the Customs Dept Klongtoey, Bangkok on 11th April.

I attended one of these auctions about 3 years ago, where they had several old cars siezed, including a 1938 Alvis, a 1936 Rolls Royce, several MG`s and a Mini Cooper. Most of the others were Japanese cars, many of them smuggled over the border from Malaysia. For anybody that has not been to a Thai auction, they are not quite conducted as in the west--to say the least!

[dr dave soul monsta]

Is anything the same a s the west, very little, Thats why we like it so much here

[Big Boy]

Make sure your vehicle is legal

Thanks Dr Dave

[dr dave soul monsta]

My pleasure BB !

I hope your car or Mo-cy is legal i don't wish to see it in chains outside HH police station

[Guess]

What the MIB told me was that the vehicles did have have a certificate of roadworhiness for Thailand. Like every other country certain specifications are required but these particular vehicles, which are not the same model as those used to carry passengers, dose not have it and are only imported for use in factory or military compounds to carry goods.

The other story about the classic cars being smuggled into Thailand from Malaysia is interesting. All imported cars in Malaysia and Singapore cost and arm and leg compared to western prices but there are still plenty of people with the money to spend. India is another good market of supply but not so many affluent people wishing to buy them. Some of the old British Raj cars actually end up in Hong Kong, Singapore and back home the UK. I find it difficult to believe that there is a market here unless Thailand is acting as a brokerage.

[Guess]

What the MIB told me was that the vehicles did not have have a certificate of roadworhiness for Thailand. Like every other country certain specifications are required but these particular vehicles, which are not the same model as those used to carry passengers, do not have it and are only imported for use in factory or military compounds to carry goods.

The other story about the classic cars being smuggled into Thailand from Malaysia is interesting. All imported cars in Malaysia and Singapore cost and arm and leg compared to western prices but there are still plenty of people with the money to spend. India is another good market of supply but not so many affluent people wishing to buy them. Some of the old British Raj cars actually end up in Hong Kong, Singapore and back home the UK. I find it difficult to believe that there is a market here unless Thailand is acting as a brokerage.

[dr dave soul monsta]

interesting as Malaysia comes in number 16 on world the crime stats for vehicle thefts just 3 points below the Netherlands , whereas Thailand is way down the figures at number 51 but as you say a brokerage point may well be the on the list with the ease of which a blind eye can be purchased,
I have been stopped and given a thorough check over at the customs point south of pranburi on the vespa's on more than one occasion and the officials suggesting the machine had been brought in illegally from Malaysia being made to wait about for hours on end for no apparent reason

[Terry]

In the past, I've spent two 18 month periods living and working in Kuala Lumpur.

Whilst there several of my co workers had their new company vehicles nicked.

1) Mitsubishi Storm - sold here as the Strada
2) Ford Escape
3) Honda CRV

We heard that they all ended up in Thailand and I am convinced there is a good business in brokerage done here. Amazes me though, how they get so many across the border.

No surprises though, when the Malaysian Protons were never touched

[Nereus]

The other story about the classic cars being smuggled into Thailand from Malaysia is interesting. All imported cars in Malaysia and Singapore cost and arm and leg compared to western prices but there are still plenty of people with the money to spend. India is another good market of supply but not so many affluent people wishing to buy them. Some of the old British Raj cars actually end up in Hong Kong, Singapore and back home the UK. I find it difficult to believe that there is a market here unless Thailand is acting as a brokerage.

I suppose that I should start a new thread for this, but to comment on your remark about there being a market here: do you mean classic cars, or smuggled cars? The Japanese cars are probably either brokered on to neighbouring countries, or scrapped for spare parts.
If you mean classic cars, then you may be surprised at the size of, or at least the money in, the local market. The Rolls Royce I mentioned had a reserve of 1.2 Million Baht on it, and it needed restoring.

If you are interested, take a look at the photos on the webboard of the link below. This is only one of several car clubs in Bangkok, and believe me, they have a world class collection hidden away.

http://www.thaiclassiccar.com/index2.html