DSI tells luxury car owners to keep valid documents ready
People who own or possess 488 luxury cars, whose domestic prices start at Bt4 million each - mostly senior police and military officers, businesspeople and politicians - are required to produce relevant documents and get their vehicles ready for inspectio
Most of the expensive high-performance cars are, surprisingly, equipped with alternative fuel systems such as liquefied petroleum gas or natural gas for vehicles – a bureaucratic loophole exploited by importers to avoid mandatory exhaust-fume inspections. This would have cost the owners or possessors more than Bt120,000 for each vehicle, so that those vehicles could be resold to buyers with minimal risk of being detected later by police or the registrars of vehicles.
DSI director-general Tharit Pengdit said inspection of documents would begin on June 17, and inspection of the vehicles the week after.
“Owners volunteering to have their cars checked can declare their intent to the DSI now, but those hesitant will be summoned by DSI agents to get their cars inspected, starting from June 24,” he added. Some 100 suspiciously registered vehicles in DSI custody, apprehended after a series of raids nationwide, will undergo inspections soon, he said.
On the DSI list, prominent owners or possessors include former National Police chief Sant Sarutanond, crocodil- farm owner Uthane Yangpraphakorn, former deputy House Speaker Apiwan Wiriyachai, renowned preacher monk Phra Khru Palad Sitthiwat, retired police general Khate Nimsomboon and Royal Irrigation Department director-general Lertwiroj Kowatthana.
