new car

[argoscrete]

Can anyone explain the need for red number plates on a new car, which then preclude driving out of Phuket (or any other Province) and between 6pm and 6am, please?

 

Only answer I can get is -  It the law! What is the logic?

[transam]

Number plates are issued when the vehicle is purchased by the guv...You have to wait for them to be manufactured. Whilst you wait the dealer gives you red plates that are registered to them. You pay a deposit for the red plates which is refunded when you return them..

 

The law states you must have there issued plates on your new ride within 30 days after  purchase or have a prob with the BiB...

[BEVUP]

I'll touch on it but others may know more or if I'm correct & Transam just beat me but I will add

1 - Yes red plates mean the vehicle isn't registered in your name yet due to making of plates (thats why some people had kept the red ones longer to make it look like the car was a year less than it is )

2 - I would think the plates also provide a restriction on insurance whilst waiting to swap them - Restricting to daylight hrs & Province

3 - You are able to leave the Province but must fill in the book they provided you with the red plates

PS - Apparently it is a 10,000 bht fine if they are not swapped in 30? or 60 days for you

Edited November 22, 2017 by BEVUP

[transam]

48 minutes ago, BEVUP said:

I'll touch on it but others may know more or if I'm correct & Transam just beat me but I will add

1 - Yes red plates mean the vehicle isn't registered in your name yet due to making of plates (thats why some people had kept the red ones longer to make it look like the car was a year less than it is )

2 - I would think the plates also provide a restriction on insurance whilst waiting to swap them - Restricting to daylight hrs & Province

3 - You are able to leave the Province but must fill in the book they provided you with the red plates

PS - Apparently it is a 10,000 bht fine if they are not swapped in 30? or 60 days for you

Yep, and if the 30 days are up you go to the transport office with all your paperwork have a Thai speaker in tow......Tell them NO PLATES and you do not want a prob with the BiB...They will give you a BiB waiver document and follow up the plate problem...

[fredob43]

I'm on my 3rd new car. All have had the red plates. First one took 3 months to get white ones. Never filled out any book and travelled out of province lots of times.

Have also used it many times at night. All I assume illegal. But I have never been stopped or fined.

 

N/B I have always carried the brown book not that makes any difference. 

Phuket could be a different thing as the BIB do like to have a lucky dip in your pocket given a chance.

 

[wirat69]

Slightly off topic.... but Prayuth has already announced that Red Plates are to be phased out.

[Deli]

Stupid rules with red plates.

In other countries you get a regular plate immediately at the motorization office.

When buying a new vehicle, usually the dealer takes care of this and you drive away everything set up.

[Cylon]

My question to the wife was, how can the car be insured on a temp dealers plate, when its not the cars registration. and it took 4 months ?? And we had to keep ringing them.

[irwinfc]

the red plates are just temporary plates. the restrictions though are indeed silly. almost defeats the purpose of allowing people to buy vehicles

[sammieuk1]

Its the no plates that confuse me .

[cnx355]

44 minutes ago, Cylon said:

My question to the wife was, how can the car be insured on a temp dealers plate, when its not the cars registration. and it took 4 months ?? And we had to keep ringing them.

When I bought my new Mazda, I had the insurance contract issued in my name and they used the truck serial number on the insurance contract. Everything was done by the dealership as the first year they paid the insurance. I got the plate number 2 or 3 month later.

 

A friend got a new Yamaha last year and the same thing happened, The scooter serial number was used on the insurance contract. I the plate section they wrote" 99" . Must be a code for them.When he had the plate number he requested the insurance to issue a new copy of the contract with the late number.

[exemplary21]

My understanding is that if you pay cash for your car then red plates are not required. You just drive with none until the plates come.

 

That's what we did, anyway...

[gandalf12]

21 hours ago, BEVUP said:

I'll touch on it but others may know more or if I'm correct & Transam just beat me but I will add

1 - Yes red plates mean the vehicle isn't registered in your name yet due to making of plates (thats why some people had kept the red ones longer to make it look like the car was a year less than it is )

2 - I would think the plates also provide a restriction on insurance whilst waiting to swap them - Restricting to daylight hrs & Province

3 - You are able to leave the Province but must fill in the book they provided you with the red plates

PS - Apparently it is a 10,000 bht fine if they are not swapped in 30? or 60 days for you

And most times you do not get the proper plate within 30 days. It is stupid to have to get temporary plates when the car showroom could make then while you wait.

[Kenegg]

12 hours ago, fredob43 said:

I'm on my 3rd new car. All have had the red plates. First one took 3 months to get white ones. Never filled out any book and travelled out of province lots of times.

Have also used it many times at night. All I assume illegal. But I have never been stopped or fined.

 

N/B I have always carried the brown book not that makes any difference. 

Phuket could be a different thing as the BIB do like to have a lucky dip in your pocket given a chance.

 

I had red plates for 3 months and got stopped at every police roadblock I encountered but filled in the brown book everytime so no fine...boring but had to be done...the red plates are trade plates belonging and registered to the company that sold the vehicle normal practice in Thailand...

[Kenegg]

5 minutes ago, exemplary21 said:

My understanding is that if you pay cash for your car then red plates are not required. You just drive with none until the plates come.

 

That's what we did, anyway...

I  paid cash but still had red plates and got stopped at every roadblock which was every day at the same place.. the cops must have known me haha.? 

[Baerboxer]

21 hours ago, transam said:

Number plates are issued when the vehicle is purchased by the guv...You have to wait for them to be manufactured. Whilst you wait the dealer gives you red plates that are registered to them. You pay a deposit for the red plates which is refunded when you return them..

 

The law states you must have there issued plates on your new ride within 30 days after  purchase or have a prob with the BiB...

 

Interesting, and I'm sure you no more than me about all things vehicles.

 

But on two cars purchased, with a few years in between, both from Honda my experience here was different. The red plates were used for nearly 12 months. On the second car we had to chase the dealer hard after the girl dealing with it left and no one picked up her work! In both cases they contacted us with some registration choices and then obtained the chosen one for us. Driving in Bangkok area, and Pathumthani never had any problem with the BiB. Never stopped or queried in any way. One of the security guys at the University was getting concerned about the red plates on the second car and said that we were cutting it fine, in his opinion. 

 

There are neighbors here with BMW's, Mercs and Porsche who have had red plates for considerable longer than we did. 

 

Just from our experience and observation seems another law and rules that aren't bothered with - unless some one wants to for some reason!

[BEVUP]

8 minutes ago, exemplary21 said:

My understanding is that if you pay cash for your car then red plates are not required. You just drive with none until the plates come.

 

That's what we did, anyway...

Wrong - Keneg just answered this as a Falang friend around the corner paid cash & still had them

[transam]

8 minutes ago, exemplary21 said:

My understanding is that if you pay cash for your car then red plates are not required. You just drive with none until the plates come.

 

That's what we did, anyway...

I paid cash and had red plates. You have 30 days to use them, after that it is a fine able offense..Would also suspect no plates will interest the BiB..

[transam]

3 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Interesting, and I'm sure you no more than me about all things vehicles.

 

But on two cars purchased, with a few years in between, both from Honda my experience here was different. The red plates were used for nearly 12 months. On the second car we had to chase the dealer hard after the girl dealing with it left and no one picked up her work! In both cases they contacted us with some registration choices and then obtained the chosen one for us. Driving in Bangkok area, and Pathumthani never had any problem with the BiB. Never stopped or queried in any way. One of the security guys at the University was getting concerned about the red plates on the second car and said that we were cutting it fine, in his opinion. 

 

There are neighbors here with BMW's, Mercs and Porsche who have had red plates for considerable longer than we did. 

 

Just from our experience and observation seems another law and rules that aren't bothered with - unless some one wants to for some reason!

The 30 day thing is fairly recent, perhaps to many hi-so's out there embracing the "new car" badge..

[HHTel]

One of the reasons given for the delay in the issuance of regular plates is that the dealer will hold onto the cash as long as he can before officially registering the car.  Prayut has recently stated that from next month (I think) the law will be vigorously enforced on cars carrying red plates longer than necessary.

If you go to the DLT yourself, registration and issue of plates takes no more than 2 or 3 days.  I've done it myself so know that to be true.   

[AlQaholic]

Some Thai keep the red plate for years just so that their car would seem new......

[fredob43]

53 minutes ago, Kenegg said:

I  paid cash but still had red plates and got stopped at every roadblock which was every day at the same place.. the cops must have known me haha.? 

I do see your point.

Little story.

My 1st lump I brought in Kamphaeng Phet that had BKK registered red plates.

2nd, brought out of province in Uthai Thani, U/T red plates

3rd K.P.Phet, again BKK red plates.

 

That meant even to go shopping I had to fill out the book everyday. Sorry not going to happen.

Think it all depends where you live Tourist resorts, BKK you will get done as the BiB will use every opportunity to get your monies.

Here even at road blocks (very few) I just get waved through.

 

Paying cash doesn't alter the fact that you wont get red plates. I paid cash for all my lumps still got red plates. Took 3 months to get the first white ones. 3 months of filling out the book everyday a big fat NO WAY.

 

[steve187]

3 hours ago, Cylon said:

My question to the wife was, how can the car be insured on a temp dealers plate, when its not the cars registration. and it took 4 months ?? And we had to keep ringing them.

the vehicle is insured under the chassis number, i was unlucky to have a small touch before the black numbered plates were issued, the insurance man just checked the chassis number against the insurance cert.

[exemplary21]

1 hour ago, transam said:

I paid cash and had red plates. You have 30 days to use them, after that it is a fine able offense..Would also suspect no plates will interest the BiB..

 

Yeah, fair enough. It's almost 10 years ago now and I can't remember how long we drove around naked. I do remember that that was the reason given though, that we paid we paid cash.

 

The missus just bought a new Vios, and it came with the permanent plates already on it I think. Brand new, not a demo... it's all a bit beyond my ken.

[midzo]

2 hours ago, exemplary21 said:

My understanding is that if you pay cash for your car then red plates are not required. You just drive with none until the plates come.

 

That's what we did, anyway...

I have bought three new vehicles for cash in Chiang Mai.

 

All came with red plates. 

 

Had new plates on two within a few weeks. 

 

One took nearly a year. DLT gave the plate to a dealer by mistake. Never got it back. DLT ordered new plates. Took five months. 

 

Then they lost it. Another five months.

 

I requested and received a letter of explanation from DLT, but never needed it. I’m always waved through police checkpoints. New and expensive vehicles, driven by an old Thai-speaking  farang wearing a seat belt seems to indicate way too much trouble for a shakedown. 

 

Your experiences may be quite different, of course.

[SunsetT]

Another question: I saw a car go by with only slow flashing very weak red headlights. Is this legal in Thailand?

 

[transam]

1 minute ago, SunsetT said:

Another question: I saw a car go by with only slow flashing very weak red headlights. Is this legal in Thailand?

 

No..

[PETERTHEEATER]

I think that the real reason for Red Plates has been missed. The plates add 40kph to the top speed of the car, more to Mercs and Beemers, and also throw a protective shield around the vehicle body enabling it to swerve from lane to lane with impunity proving to drivers of older vehicles that they are superior.

 

[Grumpy Duck]

6 hours ago, Cylon said:

My question to the wife was, how can the car be insured on a temp dealers plate, when its not the cars registration. and it took 4 months ?? And we had to keep ringing them.

Simple, the vehicle is insured using the VIN. Plates often change VIN not so easy, attempts to alter a VIN are easily noticed.

Often supplying a VIN when buying replacement parts makes it easier to get the right one. 

A VIN tells many things about a vehicle, when and where it was made, engine and transmissions equipped, even the vehicle original color is in the VIN. In the US insurance adjusters and police dealing with stolen vehicles usually carry a copy of the NATB, National Auto Theft Bulletin, which is used to translate everything contained in Vehicle ID Numbers for all motor vehicles. 

[HHTel]

3 hours ago, midzo said:

I have bought three new vehicles for cash in Chiang Mai.

 

All came with red plates. 

 

Had new plates on two within a few weeks. 

 

One took nearly a year. DLT gave the plate to a dealer by mistake. Never got it back. DLT ordered new plates. Took five months. 

 

Then they lost it. Another five months.

 

I requested and received a letter of explanation from DLT, but never needed it. I’m always waved through police checkpoints. New and expensive vehicles, driven by an old Thai-speaking  farang wearing a seat belt seems to indicate way too much trouble for a shakedown. 

 

Your experiences may be quite different, of course.

You sure it was the DLT fobbing you off.  The times I've had occasion to go there (usually to register or re-register a vehicle) I've always found them efficient. Manual but efficient.  As I've said previously, registering and applying for plates takes a couple of days, including the vehicle inspection and the issue of plates.  The plates have to come from BKK, I believe, so no time was ever wasted.