Independent car importers and distributors, known as grey-market operators, are calling for a cut in import tariffs to help shore up sales. Apart from customs duty, all imported vehicles are subject to a 30-50% excise tax based on CO2 emissions, a 10% interior tax and a 7% value-added tax. Grey-market dealers are legal but unauthorised and can undercut authorised dealers because of lower customs tax and operating expenses. The Industry Ministry also launched tighter controls to test imported cars before delivery to customers. The Customs Department raised CIF rates by 10-20% for imported vehicles, effective from last October.

Source: Bangkok Post August 23, 2016 23:37 UTC