The Thai Cabinet yesterday approved the Thai Transport Ministry's proposal to ban import and registration of second-hand vehicles. Four types of vehicles are targeted by the ban: motorcycles, sedans, pick-ups and vehicles that carry more than seven passengers.

The ban also aims to prevent or minimise the smuggling of parts used to assemble vehicles that cab then be sold as new.

The initiative is viewed as being beneficial to domestic auto-makers as well as for the sake of public safety because ministry officials say many illegally assembled vehicles, especially motorcycles with large engine sizes, were being used for street racing.

This basically means that if from today you have a so-called 'invoice bike' your motorcycle just became worthless... And we can expect extra police checks on fake or altered greenbooks (registration books) from now on.

The Thai government ban on the import and registration of second-hand motorcycles is a sad thing for the Thai motorcycle industry. I first would look that they motivate the local industry, but with a lot of companies including a few well known motorcycle shops making the main income from importing motorcycles the Thai motorcycle industry is taking a few steps back.

Also, it's very likely, the proposed ban on the import of second-hand motor vehicles is probably in violation with several trade agreements Thailand signed over the last few years. Will try to figure that out in a few weeks.

It's hard to understand how the ban will help public safety, and how they prevent street racing. From the moment the import and register ban comes in action every grey imported motorcycle without a license plate basically becomes only useful as a race bike.