Buying a motorbike on Koh Phangan

[RickG16]

After far too long renting, more out of laziness, I've decided to buy a bike.

 

Seen one 2nd hand I want with green book. But what is the situation with road tax.. Do I need to worry about this? 

 

Cheers

[KhunBENQ]

32 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

Seen one 2nd hand I want with green book. But what is the situation with road tax.. Do I need to worry about this? 

The bike has a greenbook (properly registered)?

Look at the imprints in the greenbook and see whether they are up-to-date (last date entry "61" or "62"). Are they?

Or : what does the sticker show? Must be "2561" or "2562".

Exactly: expiry date not overdue. But as it is written in Thai script (month abbreviation) many foreigners can not read it.

How old is the motorbike?

 

 

[KhunBENQ]

If greenbook entries and sticker are up-to-date then no need to worry.

If expired, don't sign change of ownership and no money handover before previous owner has updated.

 

[Rc2702]

What bike you getting Rick? I reckon a scoopy would suit you to a T 

[RickG16]

33 minutes ago, Rc2702 said:

What bike you getting Rick? I reckon a scoopy would suit you to a T 

 

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

If greenbook entries and sticker are up-to-date then no need to worry.

If expired, don't sign change of ownership and no money handover before previous owner has updated.

 

Thanks for the reply. To confirm, by sticker you mean the tax sticker?

 

If I need to renew this during my ownership do I need a Thai driving licence?

[KhunBENQ]

19 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

Thanks for the reply. To confirm, by sticker you mean the tax sticker?

Yes, tax sticker.

 

Quote

If I need to renew this during my ownership do I need a Thai driving licence?

No you don't. You can also let a shop (testing station) having it done.

If the motorbike is older than 5 years you have to bring it to a testing station anyway.

 

BUT really: get a driving license!

 

[RickG16]

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Yes, tax sticker.

 

No you don't. You can also let a shop (testing station) having it done.

If the motorbike is older than 5 years you have to bring it to a testing station anyway.

 

BUT really: get a driving license!

 

Thanks... I have driving licence in the UK... Plus basic CBT 

 

So the tax sticker number must end in '61' or '62' to be up to date? And same with the green book entries?

[KhunBENQ]

1 minute ago, RickG16 said:

So the tax sticker number must end in '61' or '62' to be up to date? And same with the green book entries?

If it shows 2561, you need to read the day (digits) and the month (Thai script).

See here:

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/24711-abbreviated-thai-months-what-are-they/?do=findComment&comment=3906733

 

 

So the example pictures shows:

24  ม.ค.  2553 = 24 January 2010.

 

2561 BE = 2018 A.D.

2562 BE = 2019 A.D.

[RickG16]

59 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

If it shows 2561, you need to read the day (digits) and the month (Thai script).

See here:

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/24711-abbreviated-thai-months-what-are-they/?do=findComment&comment=3906733

 

 

So the example pictures shows:

24  ม.ค.  2553 = 24 January 2010.

 

2561 BE = 2018 A.D.

2562 BE = 2019 A.D.

Great thanks

[RickG16]

4 hours ago, Rc2702 said:

What bike you getting Rick? I reckon a scoopy would suit you to a T 

I'm not stupid enough to let a scouser know what my vehicle looks like. Don't want the wheels getting nicked ?

[Briggsy]

Road tax will cost 100 Baht per year. Not worth not paying it really.

In order to obtain road tax you will have to buy the compulsory government third party insurance. For a small bike this costs about 323 Baht per year.

If the bike is over 5 years old you will need an MOT (for UK posters) or Tor Ror Or. This will cost you annually around 100 Baht. For that they pretend to check your bike and give you a certificate.

You can usually get this all done in around an hour and a half. Quicker if you are lucky. Or you can pay somebody else to do all the running around for you. They may add an admin charge of 200 to 500 Baht.

 

Hope this helps.

[RickG16]

10 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Road tax will cost 100 Baht per year. Not worth not paying it really.

In order to obtain road tax you will have to buy the compulsory government third party insurance. For a small bike this costs about 323 Baht per year.

If the bike is over 5 years old you will need an MOT (for UK posters) or Tor Ror Or. This will cost you annually around 100 Baht. For that they pretend to check your bike and give you a certificate.

You can usually get this all done in around an hour and a half. Quicker if you are lucky. Or you can pay somebody else to do all the running around for you. They may add an admin charge of 200 to 500 Baht.

 

Hope this helps.

Thanks...  How do you know if a bike has the Thai MOT..  is this info in the green book? 

[johng]

42 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

Thanks...  How do you know if a bike has the Thai MOT..  is this info in the green book? 

only bikes older than 5 years need the "MOT"    if it has an upto date road tax sticker then it "passed" the MOT

the main criteria to pass seems to be that you can actually drive the bike to the testing station and it doesn't fall apart whilst there !!!...they may check the horn and brakes work, sometimes the lights and occasionally stick an emissions tester up the exhaust...cars are getting a little more strict.

 

 

The payment of road Tax is supposed to be updated/recorded at page 16

 

[RickG16]

Test driven a click. It feels fine but 50k on the clock. They are asking 10k with green book. Thoughts...

[cornishcarlos]

10 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

Test driven a click. It feels fine but 50k on the clock. They are asking 10k with green book. Thoughts...

 

That's cheap.... Test drive it up the steepest hill you can find, see if the belt slips at all !! There is a good one up to the view point bar there, I remember my missus had to get off and walk ?

Check the frame number matches that in the green book. If it's in the owners name and has tax paid up to date, go for it..

[RickG16]

1 hour ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

That's cheap.... Test drive it up the steepest hill you can find, see if the belt slips at all !! There is a good one up to the view point bar there, I remember my missus had to get off and walk ?

Check the frame number matches that in the green book. If it's in the owners name and has tax paid up to date, go for it..

Took this advice and in the end went for a newer bike which felt much stronger going up the hill. 17k for a Click with green book, 30k on the clock but just had a complete maintenance and feels good. Bear in mind its low season so a lot of damaged goods on the private market and not many options.

 

Should be able to sell it on for 15k no problem when I need to. Better than paying 10k for a bike which is hard to sell on.....

 

Also come to the conclusion that buying from a rental place or garage is better than from a private owner.. At least on an island anyway... Because (a) they aren't likely to disappear from the island and you know where to find them, and (b) they will have kept the bike in pretty good nick and made repairs when needed (I am not talking about a small rental place with a few bikes, I mean a big one with plenty of workers that is also trusted as a garage in its own right) 

[RickG16]

Update.... the bike I wanted had a '58' tax year. But I bought it anyway.

 

How do I now go about updating this? The guy in the garage was saying it would cost something like 3-4k... but going off info on here this can't be right?

 

Also, although I signed a form, nothing has been updated in the Green Book. Do I need to do this?

[jackdd]

17 hours ago, RickG16 said:

Update.... the bike I wanted had a '58' tax year. But I bought it anyway.

 

How do I now go about updating this? The guy in the garage was saying it would cost something like 3-4k... but going off info on here this can't be right?

 

Also, although I signed a form, nothing has been updated in the Green Book. Do I need to do this?

I was never personally in this situation, but i did read on this forum that if the tax has not been paid for 3 years the registration of the bike expires and you have to get a new green book and license plate.

Other than that you have to pay the unpaid taxes and a penalty.

 

So it might be that you have to take your motorcycle to the department of land and transportation at Koh Samui to get your registration right (according to Google there is none at Koh Phangan)

I would recommend you call them and ask what you have to do.

[cornishcarlos]

20 hours ago, RickG16 said:

Update.... the bike I wanted had a '58' tax year. But I bought it anyway.

 

How do I now go about updating this? The guy in the garage was saying it would cost something like 3-4k... but going off info on here this can't be right?

 

Also, although I signed a form, nothing has been updated in the Green Book. Do I need to do this?

 

So you didn't listen to the advice in this thread after-all...

I hope you don't come to regret that decision !!

The transfer should be done at DLT office, with the seller and buyer, if you don't want any issues...

[Rc2702]

Pretty sure a 58 tax year means you now have to pay about 500 baht per year on all tax years unpaid for to get tax upto date.

[RickG16]

4 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

So you didn't listen to the advice in this thread after-all...

I hope you don't come to regret that decision !!

The transfer should be done at DLT office, with the seller and buyer, if you don't want any issues...

Obviously I knew having an out of date tax disc was not good... but going off info much earlier in the thread I was under the impression it would cost  a few hundred baht to update... not need a new licence plate etc. There is a DLT office on the island so I will pay my 3.8k, makes sense in the long run.

 

Anyway where can I try your pasties mate? 

[cornishcarlos]

It shouldn't cost that much but go with the seller to DLT. Don't rely on the bike shop to do it...

Take someone who speaks Thai, if you don't..

[RickG16]

1 minute ago, cornishcarlos said:

It shouldn't cost that much but go with the seller to DLT. Don't rely on the bike shop to do it...

Take someone who speaks Thai, if you don't..

Just been to the DLT. 3.8k to get everything sorted. Can't see it being too much cheaper in Samui, and have to factor in 550 baht to get the boat there. 

[cornishcarlos]

1 minute ago, RickG16 said:

Just been to the DLT. 3.8k to get everything sorted. Can't see it being too much cheaper in Samui, and have to factor in 550 baht to get the boat there. 

 

There you go then... 

 

Pasties available by special order ?

[WonnabeBiker]

On 9/2/2018 at 1:08 PM, RickG16 said:

 

Thanks for the reply. To confirm, by sticker you mean the tax sticker?

 

If I need to renew this during my ownership do I need a Thai driving licence?

I mamanged to register a 115 cc bike with a WP, work permit and my European driving license.

 

[johng]

1 hour ago, WonnabeBiker said:

I mamanged to register a 115 cc bike with a WP, work permit and my European driving license.

 

You don't need a drivers licence to register a bike or car in your name.

 

On 9/2/2018 at 1:08 PM, RickG16 said:

 

Thanks for the reply. To confirm, by sticker you mean the tax sticker?

 

If I need to renew this during my ownership do I need a Thai driving licence?

To pay vehicle road tax  you don't need a licence..you don't even have to own the vehicle to pay road tax.