Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit addressed allegations of a bribery scheme involving a "T" sticker, which allegedly allows trucks to transport goods from Laos into Thailand without a vehicle passport.
The claims were posted on Facebook by Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, deputy leader of the People's Party and its party-list MP.
The minister on Tuesday confirmed that he had instructed the director-general of the Department of Highways, along with other relevant authorities, to investigate the matter. He also strongly denied that any such practices had ever existed.
Additionally, Mr Suriya announced that checkpoints had been set up on key routes to monitor and enforce the law and ensure illegal trucks are caught.
On April 6, Mr Wiroj posted an image of the controversial "T" sticker, with the black uppercase letter in the centre of a black circle on a white background. He claimed that for a payment of 1,000 baht, lorry drivers could acquire a sticker and bypass the requirement for a vehicle passport.
"This sticker enables them to transport goods from Laos into Thailand without facing any border checks or inspections," he wrote.
"If 500 lorries are involved in this every day, it would amount to 182.5 million baht annually. This estimate does not even consider the significant security risks, such as the trafficking of stolen vehicles, illegal imports, tax-dodging goods, contraband, drugs and human trafficking," he said.
He also expressed concern that these lorries are bringing in cheap cassava from Laos via the Chong Mek border for ethanol production in Thailand.
"Shouldn't we be worried about the 300-million-baht interest subsidy scheme for the 2024/2025 cassava stockpiling project?" He argued. This scheme supports cassava mills and starch factories by aiming to lower excess supply in the market by purchasing 6 million tonnes of the crop.
He also highlighted the potential economic impact, suggesting that if the system were widespread, it could divert millions of baht annually.
