How can I be 100% sure that a green Book is not fake for a motorcycle?

When you go to the DLT with the seller to do the transfer of ownership they will soon tell you if all is not in order.

 

Pay the seller when you receive the updated book.

 

How do they tell?

Can I tell when I look at the book?

7 minutes ago, bikerlou47 said:

How do they tell?

Can I tell when I look at the book?

When the book content does not agree with their master records.

 

Possibly if it's been altered, but if done well nope.

Master records..really in Thai Land..I am shocked.

Thank you very much

2 hours ago, jackdd said:

Take it to your local DLT and ask them if it matches what they have in their computer. and make sure the chassis and engine number matches your bike

1 hour ago, bikerlou47 said:

Master records..really in Thai Land

Central database both for vehicles as well as driving licenses.

 

A few years ago I lost my driving license I was told there was no way for them to verify that I had a Thai license and i would need to retest. 

All they need to do is type in your passport number linked to your driver license and they would find the record...

Real books will have a serial number on the front and on the pages inside. Probably real easy for the DLT to punch the number in and see what it is actually registered to.
 

As well, the pages feel a little bit thicker than normal paper and have watermarks.
They are also "bound" using a threaded stitch in the center (not glue or staples).

I haven't seen a "bent" book (or a "gray book") myself but I'd suspect that the quality of the forgery is probably easily noticed by people that deal with them everyday. It's not like the people making the fake books are master forgers nor would I suspect that they are being mass produced by an organized criminal element.

 

As such, the materials and the quality of the reproduction probably leaves a lot to be desired. My understanding is that they are mostly meant to pass a cursory inspection by people that aren't paying close attention to the little details or don't deal with the books that often (like insurance agents maybe).

If in doubt, get the serial number from the book cover and go to a local DLT office and ask if they can check the number. Might try using one of the "agents" that (usually) have a booth close to the DLT office. Some of them process the books when there are ownership changes and the annual road tax updates. If they can't check the number themselves, they most likely have a "connection" in the local DLT that can do it for them (maybe for a small fee).

Post #2 by Crossy is the answer.

 

But , I very much doubt that I could be bothered accompanying any buyer to the DLT , particularly if the potential buyer has beaten my price down or I was letting my bike go at a very competitive price.

Then I would just expect to complete a 'Power of Attorney Form' that allows the buyer to go to the DLT without me , and transfer the green book himself.

Ive bought about 20 bikes whilst living here , and only once was I accompanied by the seller , and theres been no issue with the green book. Having said that Ive taken a Thai with me during both purchase and transfer.

If I were you I'd simply ask someone I knew to let me see a green book they have ,  to see what it looks like , but I would always take a Thai along at purchase time to read all text properly.

Also ,  as you are probably aware , but it needs restating , that if you buy a Falang owned bike , the falang must be in country , and provide you with signed copies of their active visa , and Passport Id page. ( Maybe entry stamp as well ? ).

I am looking at some of my green books now , and none are stapled , so I concur with that observation.

Maybe someone can clear up how the Green book is related to the plate number.

I had a dealer tell me that my book was fake because the plate number is a number for a different size engine?

Can that be right..do they assign plate numbers to how big the engine is?

My body style number and engine number describe my bike exactly?

 

53 minutes ago, bikerlou47 said:

Maybe someone can clear up how the Green book is related to the plate number.

I had a dealer tell me that my book was fake because the plate number is a number for a different size engine?

Can that be right..do they assign plate numbers to how big the engine is?

My body style number and engine number describe my bike exactly?

 

I don't think that a motorbike license plate has anything to do with the engine size.

My small and my big bike license plates both look like:

XYY

XXXX

(X = number, Y = letter)

I had a dodgy book on a GSXR I owned. I never noticed until I went to sell it and the buyer (someone I knew) found that the chassis number had basically been 'tippexed' out and retyped into the book. 

 

The weird thing is, I had no issues buying it, no issues changing the plate from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and no issues selling it. I guess the DLT Officers were as unobservant as I had been. If you looked for it, it was blatantly obvious that it had been changed. 

 

Glad I never noticed until I sold it as it was a great bike that I had some brilliant trips on and all that time I was convinced it was 100% legal!