Jump to content
You are not logged in ▶️ Click to sign-up or login ×

The Right Visa To Buy A Car

cliveuk

By cliveuk
in Thailand Motor Discussion

 Share

Recommended Posts

cliveuk Explorer Member

cliveuk

Posted
Posted

I am returning to Thailand via the sandbox in about 8 weeks time. I plan to enter on visa exempt (from the UK) then after my 45 days apply for a 90 day non-o (I have Thai children) with the hope to then get the year extension. My question is can I go ahead and buy a car being on a tourist visa or do I need the non-o first? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Popular Post
wprime Gold Member

wprime

Posted
  • Popular Post
Posted

You must be able to get a residence certificate in order to buy a car. If your embassy issues those, you're in luck, you can do it on any visa.

 

If your embassy doesn't, then it comes down to your local immigration office. Bangkok will only issue it if you've filed a 90 day report which rules out any shorter term visas. Chonburi will happily issue it on any visa as long as you or your landlord has done the TM30.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cliveuk Explorer Member

cliveuk

Posted
  • Author
Posted
3 hours ago, wprime said:

You must be able to get a residence certificate in order to buy a car. If your embassy issues those, you're in luck, you can do it on any visa.

 

If your embassy doesn't, then it comes down to your local immigration office. Bangkok will only issue it if you've filed a 90 day report which rules out any shorter term visas. Chonburi will happily issue it on any visa as long as you or your landlord has done the TM30.

Should have known it wouldn't be straight forward, TIT. Thanks for your help.

  • Like 1
  • Confused 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Popular Post
richard_smith237 Star Member

richard_smith237

Posted
  • Popular Post
Posted (edited)

Ownership of a vehicle can be with any visa. 

 

Proof of Address (Affirmation of Address) is required to register the vehicle in your name. 

 

 

Solution: Buy the car... and register it at a later date once you have your Non-Imm O Visa.

 

 

The dealership will probably want a proof of address, a smart person at a dealership will understand that you can get this at a later date and be fine with it. 

 

Also note: that when it comes to foreigners dealerships often do not know what can and cannot be done. Twice I’ve been told ‘cannot’ (without a work permit), after getting the sales person (who usually aren’t that bright) to get the manager these things can ironed out. Sometimes the manager may need a little ‘educating’ on what foreigners need to own a car. 

 

Additionally, you can tell them that you will register the vehicle yourself (which means they do not need to get involved with the registration process and have no need for your proof of address). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by richard_smith237
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tropposurfer Platinum Member

Tropposurfer

Posted
Posted

I have a 20 year Elite retirement visa, own a home (villa - yellow book), bought car without any issues form MB in Bangkok (finance -although didn't actually need to finance it if push came to shove) ex partner signed as guarantor. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Searunner Apprentice Member

Searunner

Posted
Posted

You can buy a used car with any visa but I think you need a work permit to buy a new car (don't ask me why). You used to be able to use the work permit in lieu of certificate of residency but as they no longer put your address in the work permit you can't do that anymore as I found out earlier this year. Depending on your Embassy, if you tell them you want a residency certificate to buy a car then they can word it accordingly (for a fee of course).

 

I started to go down the immigration certificate of residency route in Bangkok but after jumping through the usual hoops, the IO told me they would post it out to me and it would take 2-3 weeks. I caught my 300 THB "fee" just as it was about to disappear into her purse and told her not to bother. The dealer I was buying my car from wouldn't let me have the blue book without the residency certificate and I didn't want to wait 3 weeks for it.

  • Like 1
  • Sad 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
DefaultName Gold Member

DefaultName

Posted
Posted

Chonburi, 4 years back, came in on a 60-day tourist visa and bought a bike.  Didn't try to get it registered until I moved from a hotel to a condo and had an address that would last for a while, just ran on the dealers red plate until then.

 

Dealers are used to this sort of thing. 

 

If you're buying second hand though, please ignore this, I have no idea about that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
KhaoYai Platinum Member

KhaoYai

Posted
Posted (edited)

I don't think there is such a thing as a residence certificate - its a confirmation of address and most of us obtain them in letter form from our local immigration office. 'Certificate' implies some form of legal status and their would only be one format - obtained via an application process.

 

They are issued based on information provided by yourself and in many, if not most cases, there is no check on that at all - making it all just another waste of time created by Thai bureaucracy.

 

I have no doubt that every I.O .has its own rules and whims but all I had to do for my confirmation of address was show a 12 month visa, in my case a multi non o, a copy of a lease and my 'landlord's' details.  I don't actually have a lease and at that time, no usufruct either so I simply downloaded a free lease copy (in Thai & English) from the internet and completed it. I took that, copies of the registered house owner's tabien bahn and ID card to Korat Immigration and after making a 500 baht donation, walked away with my letter.

 

One thing to note: the confirmation given is specific to the purpose you state you want it for and that's written on it.  As I can't read Thai I had no idea and had to return to Korat to make another 'donation' in order to get a confirmation to open a bank account.

Edited by KhaoYai
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
WhiteBuffaloATM Gold Member

WhiteBuffaloATM

Posted
Posted

Need to seperate buying (a) new car from dealer,  (b) used car from dealer, (c) used car from private seller. My experience is limited to (c) in 2017. Needed Nothing then to Buy/ Re-Register Car in my foreigner name, except Contract (with Seller Name) Passport ( ID & Contract Match Only) & Thai DL ( with my reg. thai address).  No Visa,COR or Embassy. May have changed since then.

 

As DLT accept the easily obtained & instant Thai Imm. COR (and now also the Municipal Yellow Book) why are Dealers not accepting that ? So who wants ( and why) an Embassy Residency Affirmation ? Explanation Appreciated !

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
brianthainess Star Member

brianthainess

Posted
Posted
On 9/8/2021 at 8:48 PM, cliveuk said:

My question is can I go ahead and buy a car being on a tourist visa or do I need the non-o first? 

This is the only paperwork needed to buy a second hand car. Owning it is another ball game. you can still pay the road tax and insurance in the 'owners' name. As long as you have the book and undated transfer docs, you can register it at a later date. Note if it was a foreigner who owned it before their visa/extension must still be in date. Insurance in Thailand covers anyone who is driving it, to the best of my knowledge. 

2100561294_images(49).jpg.62dfaaf3f585f2dd45b5e3a60ffca85a.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
KhaoYai Platinum Member

KhaoYai

Posted
Posted (edited)
33 minutes ago, digger70 said:

Well if you think that way you shouldn't be in Thailand and/or relationship.

I'm not in Thailand and of course not all women do this but it is quite common. Some do it because they are simply 'farang milking', others may do it because of pressure from their family and others are simply reckless.  Whatever, it happens and those who pay for a car and register it in their wife's/girlfriends name thinking all is well, should be aware of it.

 

I speak from personal experience by the way. My ex wife put a car I paid for 'in the bank' - at the time I didn't even know it was possible. If I'd known, no way would it have gone in her name.  Fast forward a few years and a divorce later, she has no car and no money - for all I know she may even still owe the bank monry too.

Edited by KhaoYai
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
wprime Gold Member

wprime

Posted
Posted
On 9/9/2021 at 1:24 PM, MadMac said:

You could of course also drive around with a red number plate. The John Doe Ferraris do that. Saves you also a lot of tax.

The tax is a few hundred baht. They do it because they want to show off that their car is new.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
digger70 Platinum Member

digger70

Posted
Posted
21 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

I'm not in Thailand and of course not all women do this but it is quite common. Some do it because they are simply 'farang milking', others may do it because of pressure from their family and others are simply reckless.  Whatever, it happens and those who pay for a car and register it in their wife's/girlfriends name thinking all is well, should be aware of it.

 

I speak from personal experience by the way. My ex wife put a car I paid for 'in the bank' - at the time I didn't even know it was possible. If I'd known, no way would it have gone in her name.  Fast forward a few years and a divorce later, she has no car and no money - for all I know she may even still owe the bank monry too.

Sorry to hear that you have  been Done .

Well it's like they say ,One shouldn't invest /buy anymore than one can afford to lose /walk away from.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cliveuk Explorer Member

cliveuk

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks for all your replies. The general opinion seems to be that I can buy a second hand car for cash with no permanent address on a tourist visa but the dealer will be expecting to register it for me which he can't do if I don't have proof of address. So if I can persuade him that I will register it myself at a later date then that's OK and legal with no risk to my purchase...is that about it? I wont be putting it in my girlfriend/wifes name as I don't have one. I do however have full custardy of my six year old half Thai daughter. Some of you mentioned Thai drivers licence, again do I need that in this process as I don't have one yet?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
canthai55 Platinum Member

canthai55

Posted
Posted

How long have you been in Thailand ?

Your home country DL is only good for a set amount of time.

Many - if not most - insurance companies want you to have a Thai license when purchasing Thai motor vehicle insurance.

Get your DL first - then get the car. Then you covered if/when something happens

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cliveuk Explorer Member

cliveuk

Posted
  • Author
Posted
3 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

How long have you been in Thailand ?

Your home country DL is only good for a set amount of time.

Many - if not most - insurance companies want you to have a Thai license when purchasing Thai motor vehicle insurance.

Get your DL first - then get the car. Then you covered if/when something happens

Good advice thanks. Was there for several years before covid and just never got around to sorting a Thai DL. In the UK at the moment but returning later this year and planning to buy a car for myself so I guess I will need to take the Thai driving test.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LongTimeLurker Gold Member

LongTimeLurker

Posted
Posted
On 9/9/2021 at 2:42 PM, Searunner said:

You used to be able to use the work permit in lieu of certificate of residency but as they no longer put your address in the work permit you can't do that anymore

They never did put YOUR address in the WP, as you can easily move, they put the address of the company you work for.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.







×
×
  • Create New...