In a move that is bound to anger the travelling public the communications ministry has done what amounts to a dangerous U-turn on safety.
Following a series of outrageous accidents involving minivans the authorities vowed to bring in larger microbuses and offer incentives for the minivan owners to change.
But they have now abandoned plans to offer a 200,000 baht payment as an incentive to switch to what was hailed as a safer option for the travelling public.
Without explanation as to why the plans were not happening the under secretary at the ministry said that minivan owners would need to form cooperatives to get favourable terms to buy new vehicles.
There was no other help available to make things safer for the public.
The cost of the microbuses is around 2 million baht. Somsak Hommuang said that minivan owners who changed would be able to get loan deals for three years.
Only after that, he said, they could expect to make a profit.
Some 100 inter city and inter-provincial vans that are more than ten years old are expected to be replaced by the first batch of the larger microbuses from October 1st.
Plans are in place to replace all minivans by October 2019.
Details of the size of microbuses were not given but prototypes in the media earlier indicated they would have around 21 seats.
(Source:-Thai Rath)