stop in pattaya driving a new car

[catman20]

driving in Pattaya in a new car on red plates at 8.30pm got stopped at road block. told i can not drive my car after 6pm on red plates how crazy is this. have to go to police station to pay fine tomorrow. you cant make this stuff up.

[janclaes47]

Nobody makes stuff up, it's the law for as long as i can recall

[Andrew Dwyer]

Yup, it’s actually a thing !!

[giddyup]

You usually get informed of this when you take the new car, so unless you never read the info.......

[Esso49]

And was the car also from Chonburi province or not ?

[Gudge]

It maybe the law but normaly it's not enforced, you see Thais driving around all the time even with cars or bikes that are anywhere up to a couple of years old. They do this to say they are somebody because they are driving a new vehicle so they are better than you, one rung up the ladder.

[richard_smith237]

4 minutes ago, giddyup said:

You usually get informed of this when you take the new car, so unless you never read the info.......

Or he simply wasn't informed... Although I know of this regulation, over the years when picking up a new car the dealership has never informed me that I can't drive out of province or in the hours of darkness on a red plate.

 

The rule is simply daft... but equally so, it shouldn't take more than a couple of weeks to get the white plates and with a Thai speaker / reader you can chose your own number off the DLT website and once awarded give the details to your dealer - this speeds things up a bit as the dealer is usually quite lazy in choosing getting your white place. 

 

Realistically, there is no reason why you can't have white plates the day you pick up your car, but  bureaucracy ensures the system can't operate that efficiently.

 

[giddyup]

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Or he simply wasn't informed... Although I know of this regulation, over the years when picking up a new car the dealership has never informed me that I can't drive out of province or in the hours of darkness on a red plate.

 

The rule is simply daft... but equally so, it shouldn't take more than a couple of weeks to get the white plates and with a Thai speaker / reader you can chose your own number off the DLT website and once awarded give the details to your dealer - this speeds things up a bit as the dealer is usually quite lazy in choosing getting your white place. 

 

Realistically, there is no reason why you can't have white plates the day you pick up your car, but  bureaucracy ensures the system can't operate that efficiently.

 

There was written info given to me when I took delivery of the car, including a log book to log journeys. I think this is common practice. Daft or not, it is what it is.

[Juan B Tong]

Yeah pretty amazing you have to go to the cop shop and didn't have to pay tea money on the spot.

[KhunBENQ]

22 minutes ago, Gudge said:

It maybe the law but normaly it's not enforced,

As so often.

These rules are ignored widely (or simply unknown) but at a checkpoint they are a good moneymaker.

Writing to the logbook for journeys outside the province.

When I had this red plate in 2011 I asked my Thai people about the rules.

Blank stare.

 

Edited September 8, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[hobz]

13 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

Nobody makes stuff up, it's the law for as long as i can recall

The law wasn't made up? It was handed down from God? No wonder God created the devil... It was out of stupidity.

[AhFarangJa]

I think it is to do with insurance also. When I picked up my Ranger in Surin and drove to Hua Hin had to write in the book. Got pulled and checked.....no ploblems. Then, we wrote our journey every day to take our Son to school only the date was in pencil, just changed it each day, otherwise the book would be full in a couple of weeks! Also correct, not allowed to drive after 6 p.m., though see lots around here doing it, but they are mainly Mercs, and Porsche....

[paahlman]

I told someone in here a year ago about this, but nobody believed me... Probably the hard way is the way... Well.. or just pay the fine and go to chiang mai or as far as you can.. Nobody really cares. You can tell police that the law is not in effect anymore, but they will not believe you until they are handed a white sign on their next new vehicle....

[RedQualia]

I would never tell anyone to remove their red plate. OTOH, I wasn't given a red plate for either of the new vehicles I purchased. I was told there just weren't any available when I bought a new truck back in 2010, so drove around for a couple of months with no plates at all. Never a problem. I wasn't given a red plate for my new motorcycle in 2016 either. I have no idea why. I did get stopped at a checkpoint once and was asked where my plate was. I replied that the bike was new and pulled a copy of the receipts, etc., from my wallet. A moment later and I was waved on my way. As the bike shop screwed up when submitting the paperwork for vehicle registration, it took 5-6 months for me to get a plate. Never any other issues with the police. Both of those vehicles were purchased in Chiang Mai. I can't say what would happen in any of the other provinces, although I did take both vehicles outside Chiang Mai province without plates a time or two. Remembering now as well that I once lost my plate in Bangkok. I reported it to the police and kept that report in my wallet. Rode the bike back to Chiang Mai, visiting with many policemen along the way as I usually do. No one ever asked where my plate was. Anyway, for whatever those details might be worth. Again, I wouldn't recommend anyone remove their plates, whatever their color...

 

[BoganInParasite]

The salesman was very clear to the wife on this in our case.

[Scotssing]

You were unlucky! It is the law but rare to be booked for it. I have even had a hire car with red plates. The biggest inconvenience would be having to go to the police station rather than pay the fine on the spot.

 

I have also had to press the dealers to get the car registered as they think I want to show off the red plates and one time they gave me a fake red plate without the red book. I politely but firmly insisted on the proper red plate which to be fair was produced the same afternoon.

 

Nevertheless everyone drives with red plates at all hours and between provinces: just count the no of red plated cars your see on the motorway next time you drive up to Bangkok.

 

Supposedly the government is trying to press for faster registration by the dealers

[Speedhump]

MG garage in Hua Hin never informed me of curfew on red plates (but several late night police roadblocks said nothing), and never informed me of need to record in car logbook if traveling outside of province with red plate. Also failed to provide me with white plate for 12 months after purchase despite my regular pressure, during which time I was liable for a large fine if police wanted to whack me. Nice car though. 

[rwill]

With red plates, no driving at night, You are not allowed to drive outside of the jungwat the plates are for (I think you can get permission to though), and you are not supposed to keep them for more than 30 days.

 

But we now how it works in Thailand.  Break the law, pay the fine if caught, keep doing the same.

[DiDiChok]

I rented a car with a red plate and they told me that if I went out of its registered Province or drove it at night, then I had to write down my destination in a kind of a log book for the vehicle that they gave me.  They said to do this in pencil so that it could be rubbed out, then the book wouldn't fill up so quickly.  They were very nervous about lending me the book and said that it would be a ฿5,000 fine if I lost it, which I didn't.

 

I drove the car to Nong Khai, across to Chiang Mai, down to Tak, all around Bangkok, down to Traat and finally back to Pattaya daytime and night time all without a problem.  Nobody ever said anything.  I got waved through all the road blocks.

 

I love Thailand, there are just so many rules to choose from that it's always easy to obey one law instead of another.  I used to worry because in Farangland you have to have a set of rules to live by and here, you really don't need or get all the hassle that involves.  Relax and enjoy life.  Maybe I have no problems because I look happy and smile at them.

[alien365]

If catman got in an accident at night would the insurance pay?

[ujayujay]

This is Thailand......

Edited September 8, 2018 by ujayujay

[ujayujay]

Its the actual Law, my Friend and your Dealer will replace the red Plate in reasonable time. The new regulation says, within 30 Days this have to happend.

When l bought my new Car 2 Years ago, l had to wait nearly 1 Year for the white Plates and meantimes l was driving whole Thailand, Day and Night without Problems.  

[Thingamabob]

Wake up man. It's the law whether you like it or not. Go and live somewhere else if you can't accept this.

[Pedrogaz]

I just bought a new car. We discussed all this about red plates, but I was left confused as to whether I am able to drive only in my town (amper), or whether I can drive in the province (changwat) without filling the book in. The girl told me only in the town and if I drive to the provincial town, I have to fill out the form. I do drive after 6pm but in our town policing is strictly a 9 to 5 thing, 5 days a week....cops are as rare as hens' teeth after dark. 

[sirineou]

1 hour ago, alien365 said:

If catman got in an accident at night would the insurance pay?

That is a very good question . If it is illegal to drive at night with red plates, and got into an accident, will insurance pay??

[cnx355]

Your car dealership should have informed you.  You also get a book that goes with the red plate. ( brown color )

 

If you go to another province you have to fill in the time of departure and arrival and date.

 

I drove  from Chiangmai to Pattaya with my red plate. At road blocs I showed the book and they were happy with that.

 

Never drove the car a night.

[cnx355]

1 hour ago, Pedrogaz said:

red I just bought a new car. We discussed all this about red plates, but I was left confused as to whether I am able to drive only in my town (amper), or whether I can drive in the province (changwat) without filling the book in. The girl told me only in the town and if I drive to the provincial town, I have to fill out the form. I do drive after 6pm but in our town policing is strictly a 9 to 5 thing, 5 days a week....cops are as rare as hens' teeth after dark. 

Maybe someone can correct me but you can drive in the province of the plate. If a Chiangmai red plate  ( changwat ) you can be in any city or district in Chiangmai province.  

Edited September 8, 2018 by cnx355
added infrmation

[The Deerhunter]

When we wanted a new white 4 door truck about 7 years ago, all the dealers in Chonburi had waiting lists and ditto Chacheongsao.   We borrowed a vehicle from someone in the family and did the rounds.   A whole day of it . Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Chevrolet, Mitzi, Isuzu, the lot.   We were in Chacheongsao Toyota just being told we had to wait a month when someone drove a new white 2.5 Litre Vigo 4 door with no plates on it and parked it right outside the room were in with the sales people.  I said "What about that one there?" and five minutes later (or so) it was ours.  We drove it straight from Chacheongsao to Chonburi and it took them nearly 6 months to get Chonburi white plates for us.  Various people in the family drove it everywhere at all hours of the day and night and only rarely ever was it in it's home province in all that time.   What a bunch of criminals we were!!!!  No one told me about this rule and it is a good thing as I would have been scared stiff driving it in another province.   Just did its 140,000km service yesterday at Toyota Baeng Saen.

[Jorgendk]

"You can not drive a new car with red plates after 6 pm."

Now I know why every one in Mukdahan, with a new car, drive it without number plates!

[digbeth]

You can demand to have white plate from the dealer on day one, cut the cheque for the price of the car and wave it around the dealer's nose and say delivery with white plates only. This could result in your brand new car sitting on the dealer's forecourt for sometime, but saves the headache of chasing up the white plates months later.

 

Or you can demand the 'registration kit' and take it to land transport department to register it yourself, done in half a day.

 

Only the keeping up with the jones type prefer the red plates to show of to their neighbour that they are in a brand new car.