Laws should be more realistic, effective

Many of them ask me why I’m always on the opposite side when new rules and regulations are introduced to help develop the Thai automobile industry. 

Some cite articles that I’ve written against the first emission control laws and also the tinted-film law, that I went all out against on radio, television and in printed articles. Some of my friends even say that I look like the enemy of every government in Thailand. 

But I must say that I’m not against the introduction of any law – I am just expressing my point of view concerning the details of each law passed. In my opinion laws should be based on reality as much as possible, and they should be implemented and enforced seriously, not introduced just because it is the desire of politicians or government servants. 

For example, I agree with the government issuing a tinted-film law, but I don’t agree with the law that prohibits tinted film from being put on the front windscreen. Instead, a darkness level for the film should be designated so that it doesn’t affect visibility. And the reason that I want tinted films on the windshield is because of safety reasons rather than preventing heat. 

It is well-known that Thailand has a largest number of windshield shops. There is hardly a major road in Thailand without a windshield replacement shop, especially on roads that are under construction for long periods of time. 

For example, Thanarach Road, which is a 20km-plus road leading to Khao Yai, has more than 10 windshield shops. This shows the volume of damage for whatever reason, encouraging people to open windshield shops along the road. 

Seasoned drivers know that when the windshield breaks/cracks during a trip, the difficulty level in driving the vehicle rises significantly. If you keep driving, the glass may shatter when your vehicle passes through bumpy areas. And if you decide to stop the vehicle and totally remove the broken glass, you’ll find that it is not as easy as you think. This is not an easy task for non-mechanics, and even mechanics find it difficult if they don’t have the right tools. 

But if the front windshield has tinted film, it would be safer since the film will help hold the glass together when it cracks. 

Although the law prohibiting tinted film on the front windscreen was finally introduced, a very high number of vehicles in the country has tinted film on the windshield. 

As you can see, although the law has been passed and taken effect, not much importance has been given to enforcing it. You can also say that people are breaking the law because they want added safety. During Thaksin Shinawatra’s government, there was a number of cases around the country involving teenagers throwing stones as passing vehicles. This led to many people putting tinted film on the front windscreen. 

Or when I came out to show my disagreement with the hastily formulated emission law, I knew that most people had not been given enough information. I felt that if this law was passed, it would be another law that failed to be enforced. 

Actually, I did not disagree with the contents of the law. I felt that the time given for the public to learn and adjust is inadequate. 

The emission law has been around for more than 10 years now, but it is able to control only new vehicles from the factory. In reality, there is a large number of vehicles on the road that are producing higher emission levels than the law allows. These include imported luxury cars that go around the emission law. 

For exotic cars like Ferrari and Lamborghini, importers register the car by retrofitting them with an LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) system so they won’t be bound by the law. After registering the car, the LPG system is then removed and the cars are driven purely on gasoline. You can say that Thailand is the only country in the world with supercars running on retrofitted LPG! 

In rural areas, it has been found that pickup truck owners remove the catalytic converter and modify the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system in order to disengage it. 

Vehicles that were made before the law took effect also produce a much higher level of emission than allowed, but the owners are not arrested. Every year they just pay Bt300-Bt500 to have the vehicle inspected at private inspection centres around the country and have the registration extended. 

Heavy trucks and buses produce more emissions than small vehicles, and they have been used for decades (more than 20 years). Once the original engine wears out, it is replaced with a used engine. The worn-out chassis and bodywork can also be replaced with used parts. There are hundreds of thousands of vehicles like these running on the roads every day, but they are not governed by the emission law. 

These are two examples that show that I am not against the laws, but I want them to be more realistic so that the end result can be achieved. 

The government should not just simply adopt laws from other countries without considering the actual results and whether it can be enforced effectively.