Do you need a yellow book to buy a car or bike in Thailand?

[doggie1955]

I just had a friend buy a truck and also a bike without a yellow book, can you do that 

here in Thailand. And he is only on a 90 day visa...

[Kwasaki]

Seems to me you have just answered your own question. ????

[NCC1701A]

28 minutes ago, doggie1955 said:

can you do that 

here in Thailand.

no yellow book required.

[jackdd]

50 minutes ago, doggie1955 said:

I just had a friend buy a truck and also a bike without a yellow book, can you do that 

here in Thailand. And he is only on a 90 day visa...

Your friend did this, so obviously that's possible. What's the purpose of this thread?

[KhaoYai]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

What's the purpose of this thread?

Maybe because his friend was on a Non O or similar and he's not? I was told I couldn't transfer a bike into my name on a METV but I did and had no problems.  It may depend on the office.

 

When I renewed my driving licence I was told I needed a 12 month visa - that was fine as I had one at the time. As with most officialdom in Thailand - different offices have different rules.

[malt25]

"Do you need a yellow book to buy a car or bike in Thailand?"  NO !

[Kinnock]

Normally you just need proof of address plus a Work Permit or a longer term visa - if buying cash.

 

 

[Peterw42]

Most DLTs you will have a choice of presenting a resident certificate "OR" a yellow book (if you have one), to transfer a vehicle.

Its not needed to transfer a vehicle, its just an option if you have one, otherwise its a Res Cert or letter from consulate etc.

[doggie1955]

Thank You!

 

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, Kinnock said:

Normally you just need proof of address plus a Work Permit or a longer term visa - if buying cash.

 

 

Correction, "Normally you just need proof of address or a Work Permit or housebook". Visa type and cash or finance have no bearing on car registration.

Edited December 7, 2019 by stevenl

[jackdd]

4 hours ago, Kinnock said:

Normally you just need proof of address plus a Work Permit or a longer term visa - if buying cash.

 

 

A work permit or long term visa is not required

[crazykopite]

Normally you would have to go to the IO and get a letter of address confirmation it used to cost 500 baht but since I have had my yellow book and ID card I always use that and have never had any problems.

[DJ54]

Bought a new bike asked if I could put in my name... dealer said no.

reason was to lazy... so down the road I went. 

[NanLaew]

In my experience, my yellow book was accepted for proof of residential address by the dealership setting up the finance. This was with Ford (Tisco finance) in Udon Thani.

 

Twice.

 

YMMV

Edited December 7, 2019 by NanLaew

[NanLaew]

9 hours ago, jackdd said:

14 hours ago, Kinnock said:

Normally you just need proof of address plus a Work Permit or a longer term visa - if buying cash.

 

 

A work permit or long term visa is not required

Logically a WP is only required for a financed package but I can imagine some dealerships, when confronted with a farang wanting an outright cash purchase, will insist on getting all the boxes checked because their boss or the owner of the dealership says it has to be so.

 

On my first car purchase, that particular Honda salesman and dealership were horrible to deal with so we ended up taking the path of least resistance and putting it in Mrs NL's name. Subsequently the sales lady at Ford had an attitude akin to the American car salesman's "Let's see what we can do to get YOU in YOUR car today shall we?" Done and dusted in 5 days with 3 of those waiting for the finance company to approve.

Edited December 7, 2019 by NanLaew

[NanLaew]

On 12/6/2019 at 10:19 PM, doggie1955 said:

I just had a friend buy a truck and also a bike without a yellow book, can you do that 

here in Thailand. And he is only on a 90 day visa...

Despite your friend being on a '90 day visa' (whatever that is), he may have been living in Thailand for some time and have some prior purchase history with whoever he bought the truck from? There's also the great unspoken intangible that maybe his girlfriend, boyfriend or some other Thai acquaintance 'knows somebody' at a dealership. The only thing that can be claimed with any degree of certainty, it was a cash purchase.

 

The chances of any foreigner on a short-stay visa such as a tourist visa or even a visa-exempt entry (it has been previously claimed as possible) just walking in to any dealership with cash and driving away is quite low. Doing it on finance would be impossible IMHO. Without the specifics, it's hard to say how the friend managed this but it certainly is not common or applicable all over Thailand.

 

YMMV

Edited December 7, 2019 by NanLaew

[Jaxxper]

Not required.

[richard_smith237]

A proof of address is required by the DLT for licensing and taxing the vehicle. 

 

It doesn't matter what visa you are on. It only matters that you can provide (accepted) proof of address in whatever form the DLT accepts

 

i.e.

 

- Affirmation of Residence letter from your Embassy (you'll need resident visa. i.e. Non-Imm)

- Proof of Address from Immigration (you will have needed to have processed a 90 day report)

- Yellow house book (a bit of a process to acquire - its been reported some DLT's do not accept this)

- Work Permit (questionable as newer Work Permits do not show the address)

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

On 12/6/2019 at 10:19 PM, doggie1955 said:

I just had a friend buy a truck and also a bike without a yellow book, can you do that 

here in Thailand. And he is only on a 90 day visa...

Despite your friend being on a '90 day visa' (whatever that is), he may have been living in Thailand for some time and have some prior purchase history with whoever he bought the truck from? There's also the great unspoken intangible that maybe his girlfriend, boyfriend or some other Thai acquaintance 'knows somebody' at a dealership. The only thing that can be claimed with any degree of certainty, it was a cash purchase.

 

The chances of any foreigner on a short-stay visa such as a tourist visa or even a visa-exempt entry (it has been previously claimed as possible) just walking in to any dealership with cash and driving away is quite low. Doing it on finance would be impossible IMHO. Without the specifics, it's hard to say how the friend managed this but it certainly is not common or applicable all over Thailand.

Agreed.... 

 

In the past, a handful of times I've purchased directly while on a Visa Exempt Entry, also on a Tourist Visa (and over the past 13 years on a Thai Elite Visa). 

 

The Visa is irrelevant as far as the dealership and DLT are concerned - they are only interested in Proof of Address.

A couple of dealerships told me I couldn't put the car in my own name unless I had a Work Permit - they were wrong. I had an Affirmation of Residence (required for DLT registration) this was accepted after they were pushed to dig and learn the process. 

 

The recent change is that some Embassies (i.e. British) no long issue Affirmation of Residence letters to those on Visa Exempt entries and Tourist Visas - a Residence Visa (i.e. non-Imm) is required (Elite is also accepted).

 

[The Theory]

On 12/6/2019 at 10:19 PM, doggie1955 said:

And he is only on a 90 day visa...

Legally need proof of address and I’m not sure if immigration issues any proof of address before 1st 90 day report. 

[KhaoYai]

19 hours ago, jackdd said:

long term visa is not required

You can't really say that with confidence Jack - every office applies its own rules and requirements. For example, when I got my first driving licences I had to have a long term visa, same when I renewed them.  Yet I've seen people in other areas report getting a driving licence on a tourist visa.

 

I was told that I would need the same to transfer my motorbike into my name but I did it on a METV and that was at the main provincial office (proof of residence required).  I think a lot also depends on your relationship with the staff - I know the staff at my local DLT office pretty well now - I replaced a lost driving licence with no documentation whatsoever - not only had I lost my licence, I also lost the police report that I knew I'd be asked for.  I also had no proof of residence on that occasion. However, a flash of a smile when I was asked for the report and I left 10 minutes later with 2 new driving licences.

 

I think you know as well as I do that it depends on the office and indeed, who you see there.

[NanLaew]

4 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

You can't really say that with confidence Jack - every office applies its own rules and requirements. For example, when I got my first driving licences I had to have a long term visa, same when I renewed them.  Yet I've seen people in other areas report getting a driving licence on a tourist visa.

 

I was told that I would need the same to transfer my motorbike into my name but I did it on a METV and that was at the main provincial office (proof of residence required).  I think a lot also depends on your relationship with the staff - I know the staff at my local DLT office pretty well now - I replaced a lost driving licence with no documentation whatsoever - not only had I lost my licence, I also lost the police report that I knew I'd be asked for.  I also had no proof of residence on that occasion. However, a flash of a smile when I was asked for the report and I left 10 minutes later with 2 new driving licences.

 

I think you know as well as I do that it depends on the office and indeed, who you see there.

Agreed. It is just another instance among many, many here in Thailand where Your Mileage May Vary.

 

Even if an identically qualified foreigner fronted up at the same office seeking the same service from the same desk jockey, there are no guarantees on an identical outcome.