Does anyone know whether you can buy a car for a 3rd person in Thailand as a surprise without their knowledge?

 

My experience is that generally you are there to pay the deposit, sign the paperwork, and then pay the remaining balance in due course (or on the day you agree to pay), as that has always been for myself (BMW), I am unsure of what can be done when its a surprise.

Would like to get the wife the new Merc Coupe, she's been eyeing up for about a year, but adverse to taking on debt, been a good year and thought i'd surprise her for her upcoming birthday, but would prefer it delivered and her walking out to it, opposed to being in the sales office for photos/mock etc for their marketing etc.

 

So ideally she would know nothing and it would just turn up one day, if i need to be named as main owner and she a second owner without knowledge and then remove myself when it arrives that's fine, so if anyone has done this (bought a surprise car like you can or used to back in EU) would appreciate some input.

 

Thanks.

Or you could arrange for the surprise at the dealer. Dealers love to make a big production out of things like this, with group photos, and special banners, and social media postings. The wife may enjoy that.

13 minutes ago, timendres said:

Or you could arrange for the surprise at the dealer. Dealers love to make a big production out of things like this, with group photos, and special banners, and social media postings. The wife may enjoy that.

 

Jenkins with a fair degree of clarity outlined his wish to avoid the circus show.

44 minutes ago, Jenkins9039 said:

opposed to being in the sales office for photos/mock etc for their marketing etc.

 

Op [Jenkins] - talk to the dealer, it should be workable. 

You can order the car, pay the deposit etc. When you take the delivery you can have the receipt made to either your name or your Wife’s (its fairly irrelevant at that point) - you can then drive the car away and take it home to surprise your wife. 

Or - ask someone at the dealership to ‘drive it to your house the following morning etc’ (that, of course depends on the dealership).

 

At this stage the car is not yet registered (it will have red plates), you can have the car registered in your Wife’s name a few weeks to a couple of months later (the dealership can take care of that - you will need a copy of your Wife’s ID).

 

 

 

 

Just now, richard_smith237 said:

Jenkins with a fair degree of clarity outlined his wish to avoid the circus show.

Wow. I spaced right over that. Thanks for pointing it out.

There is nothing like "main owner" and "second owner", a vehicle does have one owner. You can obviously not transfer a vehicle in another persons name without them knowing about it, at the very least you would need a power of attorney from her.

How is it important that it's registered in her name? Just register it in your name, and you can hand her over the keys in any way you want. But i guess if you talk with the dealer it should be possible that you buy the car, and they register it in her name later, they will take some time to register it anyway.

Send us all a pic of the 200 thai ladies lined up outside your door after car arrives and gossip gets out..

 

Hello Teerak.....Sabai dee mai?   You ok?   joop joop..  gin khao laew??

Does the BMW & Merc coup inclusion have any relevance to your question ? 

I am wondering if the OP is a stony broke bar stool inhabitant who has typed this thread with a big grin on his face.

Come in spinner.

Come on Jenkins! She'd look much hotter in a Ferrari!

7 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I am wondering if the OP is a stony broke bar stool inhabitant who has typed this thread with a big grin on his face.

Come in spinner.

On another unrelated forum a few years back, some guy was saying how he was going to buy a Merc coupe for 'the wife'. The following month, this had all been forgotten, as he mentioned his wife's old Fiesta. When I queried this, no response was forthcoming.

 

????

4 hours ago, malt25 said:

Does the BMW & Merc coup inclusion have any relevance to your question ? 

Only in triggering your jealousy... 

 

----

 

If the Op announced he has a car and is looking to buy a second car for his Wife, someone is bound to ask ‘which type of car?’ the Op has simply pre-empted questions: Additionally, Merc may be more forthcoming with delivery etc than say Ford or Mazda.

 

 

 

10 hours ago, timendres said:

Or you could arrange for the surprise at the dealer. Dealers love to make a big production out of things like this, with group photos, and special banners, and social media postings. The wife may enjoy that.

Trying to avoid that, as it gets beyond a joke.

Merc Coupe, she's been eyeing up for about a year

 

555

 

Jackpot. She did it. No more buying the daily 100 baht lottery ticket.

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Only in triggering your jealousy... 

 

----

 

If the Op announced he has a car and is looking to buy a second car for his Wife, someone is bound to ask ‘which type of car?’ the Op has simply pre-empted questions: Additionally, Merc may be more forthcoming with delivery etc than say Ford or Mazda.

 

 

 

Because dealers may do things things differently, i.e my BMW it was not registered in the system for a year, and after two years they've only just taken the plates back.

I've never bought from Mercedes (Thailand), and i have absolutely no clue the policies on buying as a surprise, and those that have bought for their kids (the norm) would know the process, of which it may be specific to the brand.

Just now, AlfHuy said:

Merc Coupe, she's been eyeing up for about a year

 

555

 

Jackpot. She did it. No more buying the daily 100 baht lottery ticket.

I don't think we've ever bought a lottery ticket, me or her since we've been married.

4 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Come on Jenkins! She'd look much hotter in a Ferrari!

Had a Ferrari in Dubai, no good here!

Have you seen how un-smooth the roads are? or the potholes? Ferraris, need pristine road conditions, unless every journey you wish to be doing a claim against the insurance for the front and wheels.

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Jenkins with a fair degree of clarity outlined his wish to avoid the circus show.

 

Op [Jenkins] - talk to the dealer, it should be workable. 

You can order the car, pay the deposit etc. When you take the delivery you can have the receipt made to either your name or your Wife’s (its fairly irrelevant at that point) - you can then drive the car away and take it home to surprise your wife. 

Or - ask someone at the dealership to ‘drive it to your house the following morning etc’ (that, of course depends on the dealership).

 

At this stage the car is not yet registered (it will have red plates), you can have the car registered in your Wife’s name a few weeks to a couple of months later (the dealership can take care of that - you will need a copy of your Wife’s ID).

 

 

 

 

Ok, so just the ID required, good, thanks.

10 hours ago, jackdd said:

There is nothing like "main owner" and "second owner", a vehicle does have one owner. You can obviously not transfer a vehicle in another persons name without them knowing about it, at the very least you would need a power of attorney from her.

How is it important that it's registered in her name? Just register it in your name, and you can hand her over the keys in any way you want. But i guess if you talk with the dealer it should be possible that you buy the car, and they register it in her name later, they will take some time to register it anyway.

When she comes to sell it, ideally the less owners, the less impact on her selling price.

Hence, ideally it would be direct into her name, or me/her and remove me.

I agree, the dealer doesn't registered immediately, as experienced that myself with BMW on the latest purchase (1yr to be entered into the system and red plate for 2yr)

9 hours ago, ChakaKhan said:

Send us all a pic of the 200 thai ladies lined up outside your door after car arrives and gossip gets out..

 

Hello Teerak.....Sabai dee mai?   You ok?   joop joop..  gin khao laew??

You do realise a merc is considered a middle class car in Thailand these days (office management).

I don't even get that attention in my car unless i'm going through the seedy streets of chalong's bar scene, and there its predominately ladyboys anyway ! lol

are you making this story up?

 

Red plate for 2years 555

Just now, AlfHuy said:

are you making this story up?

 

Red plate for 2years 555

No, it was posted back to them a week ago, and i receive the 5,000 THB deposit anytime soon back from them. 

Drove around with red plate for 1.5yrs and now have a number plate, BMW Bangkok if that makes any difference.

9 minutes ago, Jenkins9039 said:

Had a Ferrari in Dubai, no good here!

Have you seen how un-smooth the roads are? or the potholes? Ferraris, need pristine road conditions, unless every journey you wish to be doing a claim against the insurance for the front and wheels.

Oh, but think of the face to be gained!

1 minute ago, Jenkins9039 said:

No, it was posted back to them a week ago, and i receive the 5,000 THB deposit anytime soon back from them. 

Drove around with red plate for 1.5yrs and now have a number plate, BMW Bangkok if that makes any difference.

as far asI know, you will never get a red(dealer) plate for 18 months.

1 minute ago, PatOngo said:

Oh, but think of the face to be gained!

Think of the pain to be gained.

2 minutes ago, AlfHuy said:

as far asI know, you will never get a red(dealer) plate for 18 months.

Well, it was returned this month after two years, and i am awaiting my 5k back as we speak.

So re-adjust your expectations.

Do NOT get the colour wrong..................????

 

If me, I would take her out for a browse at a Merc dealer, for a bit of fun...

Then take on board her reactions etc, then come out with...

"OK, order that one in the colour of your choice"....????

 

The reaction, the photos, her flashing her posh handbag to the girlie staff will be..... PRICELESS.....????

2 minutes ago, Jenkins9039 said:

Well, it was returned this month after two years, and i am awaiting my 5k back as we speak.

So re-adjust your expectations.

have a read here f.ex.

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1336019/red-licence-plates-drive-us-to-distractionMerc Coupe, she's been eyeing up for about a year

You OP sound like a kind loving and considerate man.

Good luck with the purchase I am sure she will love it.

I certainly wish I could meet a woman with a heart like yours.

Not kidding..

Just give her the cash and let her buy what she wants,

you know she's worth it......

regards Worgeordie

1 minute ago, AlfHuy said:

have a read here f.ex.

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1336019/red-licence-plates-drive-us-to-distractionMerc Coupe, she's been eyeing up for about a year

Well, didn't seem to be to bothered with us.

Like i said above, bought car 2018, early, delivered within a month (bangkok to south), sat on car, till got the lucky numbers and then came off, 6 months ago, sat on the kitchen forgotten about, and they called for it late last month (over 2yrs) and it was posted back, now awaiting the deposit back.

Thats what happened, believe or not i don't give a toss.

But i will add i have motorbike in the garage that is 3y yrs old and still on a red plate.