Red Plates

[Polar Bear]

Due to poor planning on my part I've had to hire a car at short notice. I need a somewhat specific type of car, and I was struggling to find anywhere that had one available, at least not at a price I was willing to pay. Eventually, I went back to an agency I've used before, who had already said no but with hesitation, and they said they did have a car but it still had red plates. They've agreed to rent it to me, but they were obviously somewhat reluctant.

From what I could understand, red plates means I shouldn't drive it after about 10pm, which is fine, but also that I have to tell someone (?) if I am leaving the province. (I need the car to drive from Bangkok to Pattaya.) I got the impression that this is kind of theoretical, and I wouldn't actually be expected to notify anyone, but maybe that's wishful thinking on my part. 

That was all I could get from the conversation. There will be an English speaker there when I pick the car up, so I can get more information then, but I was wondering if anyone here can tell me what this is all about?

[Will B Good]

Wife told me 6pm........and she is never wrong.

[Polar Bear]

Wives never are ???? I see lots of cars with red plates driving later than that though! Not that it matters for me because I'll be using it in the morning anyway. 

[Will B Good]

9 minutes ago, Polar Bear said:

Wives never are ???? I see lots of cars with red plates driving later than that though! 

True.

 

And I see old wrecks of cars with red plates??????

[richard_smith237]

The rules which get thrown around are: 

- Can't drive after dark

- Can’t drive into another province

 

I’ve done both, numerous times, never an issue - I’m not sure if its an actual law or something which police made up to extort money from ppl with red places (I’ve heard loads of made up rules by BiB). 

 

Ultimately, the BiB are so lazy I wouldn’t worry about it - as you wrote, there is a lot of ‘theatre’ regarding this stuff - IF a BiB does stop you, just tell him to issue you the ticket (on the spot fines are no longer an official thing unless its an official check-point with an onsite commissioned officer - additionally the Police are no longer permitted to confiscate your Driving licence - although they would probably try that !).

 

 

More importantly than any of that - Ensure you are fully insured to drive the car with red plates etc. 

 

 

 

[Polar Bear]

I was told the insurance will cover it. But will being out at night or in the wrong province invalidate the insurance? I didn't specifically ask about that.

 

For the license, I downloaded the app so I have the digital version of my Thai license. Someone suggested doing that to prevent them taking your actual license. Do you know if that actually works?

[sanuk711]

I have brought cars in BKK and I live in Issan---took about 2-3 months for the normal plate to come through----never any problem----but Thailand, different Ampures/police different rules etc.

[Andyfez]

You have a book in the car where you write your inter provincial routes.

If the police stop you they will ask to see it.

If it's not up to date (with your current route written in the book) you will be fined.

Always a pain these days cos you need to find the local police station to hand over the money.

[RafPinto]

19 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

The rules which get thrown around are: 

- Can't drive after dark

- Can’t drive into another province

 

I’ve done both, numerous times, never an issue - I’m not sure if its an actual law or something which police made up to extort money from ppl with red places (I’ve heard loads of made up rules by BiB). 

 

Ultimately, the BiB are so lazy I wouldn’t worry about it - as you wrote, there is a lot of ‘theatre’ regarding this stuff - IF a BiB does stop you, just tell him to issue you the ticket (on the spot fines are no longer an official thing unless its an official check-point with an onsite commissioned officer - additionally the Police are no longer permitted to confiscate your Driving licence - although they would probably try that !).

 

 

More importantly than any of that - Ensure you are fully insured to drive the car with red plates etc. 

 

 

 

I drove to Isaan. Was stopped a few times and they just checked my insurance and if I completed the book saying when I left and where I drive too.

Never any questions asked.

[josephbloggs]

As others have mentioned, not to be used after dark without permission.  Not to be taken out of the province it was registered without prior permission and the journeys written in the book.  Also not to be used on expressways.

Those are the rules, nobody (including the police) take any notice of them.  I have had several new cars in the years I've lived here, always drove them wherever I liked, whenever I liked, never stopped once.  If you drive at night you'll see tons of red plated cars, if you go on the expressway you'll see them, no one cares.

As others have mentioned maybe if you are stopped for something else (accident, traffic infringement) they may ask.  But no one will stop you specifically because you have red plates - at least that is my experience over 26 years of driving here.

[Gsxrnz]

Take the red plates off the car and drive sans plate.  That's the Thai solution to the problem.

[Polar Bear]

44 minutes ago, Andyfez said:

You have a book in the car where you write your inter provincial routes.

If the police stop you they will ask to see it.

If it's not up to date (with your current route written in the book) you will be fined.

Always a pain these days cos you need to find the local police station to hand over the money.

Could you explain what this involves? I get the car with the book in, and then I take it to a local police station (in Bangkok) and tell them I want to drive to Pattaya? Do I write that in the book and then they stamp it or something, or do they fill it all in? Is it just A-B route or do I have to specify the exact route and roads I plan to take? Do I do the whole thing in Bangkok, or do I have to go to a police station in Pattaya for the return journey? Is this just for inter-provincial journeys or am I supposed to do it for every local trip while I'm in Pattaya as well? How much does it cost?

Sorry for all the questions, but I'd rather do it properly if I can.

[Polar Bear]

12 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

...if you go on the expressway you'll see them, no one cares..

Does that mean I'm not supposed to drive on the expressway either?!

[fredob43]

15 minutes ago, Polar Bear said:

Does that mean I'm not supposed to drive on the expressway either?!

Your making a mountain out of a mole hill. Hire it and go where you like it's as simple as that. If you get a book with it to fill out you can do it in pencil or not bother. I have had 3 lots of red plates Never filled out any books. The last lot of R/P I got were from BKK and I live 350 km north of BKK. Was I stopped well NO. Did I fill out the book NO. Drove at night Yes. 

[rwill]

I was stopped at a checkpoint once out of province and they asked if I had the book but they never looked at it.

[Liverpool Lou]

21 hours ago, Polar Bear said:

For the license, I downloaded the app so I have the digital version of my Thai license.

Could you enlarge on that procedure?  What's the app, is it in English. etc.  Thanks.

[4MyEgo]

23 hours ago, Polar Bear said:

From what I could understand, red plates means I shouldn't drive it after about 10pm, which is fine, but also that I have to tell someone (?) if I am leaving the province. (I need the car to drive from Bangkok to Pattaya.)

As other have said, not after dark and not out of the province.

 

The above said, it's all about risk and whether your insurer would cover you, if they knew of the breach if you were in an accident or the car was stolen.

 

I did drive a car from Phuket many years ago with red plates all the way to Songkla, told the car hire place that I was going there, my pen rai he said, I was stopped twice at road blocks, 1st lot asked where the registration label was, I said don't know, and told him it was a hire car, he said open the glove box, I did, he reached into the window, grabbed it, stuck it on the window and saluted me away, not long after was stopped and fined 300 baht for driving the car out the province, I couldn't understand the guy, he was cranky and as I was a newbie to Thailand, I didn't push and paid the fine, only to later find out what transpired.

 

Have you thought of getting a van to take you from Bangkok, done that a couple of times for about 1,200 baht each way.

[Polar Bear]

It's called DLT QR LICENCE. My Play store is linked to the UK, which doesn't have it, so I had to download APKPure first (link from walailak below). The logo is a square with the top half yellow and the bottom half purple.

This is the link, but as I said I had to DL APKPure. I couldn't get it directly from the Play store  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=th.go.dlt.qrlicence&hl=en&gl=US 

It's not in English, but it was easy to setup. I may have had to use something like Lens to read it to set it up, I don't remember, but it definitely wasn't hard. Once it's setup, it has pictures, so you can pull the licence up without having to read anything.
 

 

On 6/22/2021 at 9:13 PM, walailak said:

Glad that I helped!! 

 

Try to download it as an apk app to bypass the google geo. 

 

Then you will be able to use it, as I have done the same for the

dlt smart licence thai app in order to have my digital Thai licence on the app on my phone when I forget my wallet at home. 

 

https://m.apkpure.com/mwa-onmobile/th.co.mwa_app

 

 

Good luck 

 

[Polar Bear]

3 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Have you thought of getting a van to take you from Bangkok, done that a couple of times for about 1,200 baht each way.

If it was just me, I would, but I have to take boxes of work stuff with me and then move it around when I am there. It would be a major hassle without a car. I guess I could get hire a multi-day driver instead, but it would be much easier to just drive. I'm also planning to take my dog, and that's a whole other problem with drivers here. I'm kicking myself for not organising it sooner, but I was expecting it to be canceled. 

[4MyEgo]

1 minute ago, Polar Bear said:

If it was just me, I would, but I have to take boxes of work stuff with me and then move it around when I am there. It would be a major hassle without a car. I guess I could get hire a multi-day driver instead, but it would be much easier to just drive. I'm also planning to take my dog, and that's a whole other problem with drivers here. I'm kicking myself for not organising it sooner, but I was expecting it to be canceled. 

Rock and a hard place.

 

Then you might just have to bite the bullet, drive carefully and get it over and done with, if stopped, play dumb, no understand, pay the fine and return the car.

[pattaya1234was]

From personal experience make sure you get the book which goes with the red plates. If you do not get the book the plates are fake as I discovered when I was stopped at the toll booth on the way into Bangkok. Then the problems begin!

 

[Chad3000]

Red plates indicate a new car and very possibly a new driver. 

 

My students told me that they stand for blood

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, Polar Bear said:

Does that mean I'm not supposed to drive on the expressway either?!

Correct but usually, it is only an issue if the police need a cup of tea.

[AhFarangJa]

From a personal experience quite a few years ago. I rented a car for three weeks from Bangkok, and drove to Surin. on the expressway just past Don Muang I was pulled over at the tollgate. Mr. Plod asked for the red book straight away, no licence etc, just the book. Not knowing anything about it the Wife rummaged in the glove box and pulled out a red book. When he opened it he smiled like a Cheshire cat, "No fill in, 5,000 Baht Fine." it was a good job his English was not good or he may have understood my reply. Anyway, he said I had to go to his district office to pay the fine, which happened to be across Bangkok, and I would surely lose a day doing it. We compromised on a backhander of 2,000 and away I went. Before we left I asked the Wife to ask what we need to do. He said just write in the book each time we went out every day, which is what we did. I have since learnt, when I bought my truck 5 years ago that all you do is fill it in each day in pencil. then the next day just rub out the date and enter the new one. I asked about after 6 p.m. and was told it was to do with insurance and driving at night. There was no restrictions on driving to different provinces. As a heads up we drove several times to Bangkok and back to Surin, at least half the time we were pulled at checkpoints and the book was checked, but it was always filled in for that day.

As a footnote, I distinctly remember a transport minister about four years ago state that in six months from his statement there will be no more red plates as the computer system was up and running that would process everything straight away.............they must be losing a small fortune in unpaid road tax.

[Polar Bear]

What's the advantage of changing the date in the book instead of just writing a new journey in? It sounds like it's only a few bits of information. Am I underestimating it?

 

 

[Peterphuket]

22 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

The rules which get thrown around are: 

- Can't drive after dark

- Can’t drive into another province

 

I’ve done both, numerous times, never an issue - I’m not sure if its an actual law or something which police made up to extort money from ppl with red places (I’ve heard loads of made up rules by BiB). 

 

Ultimately, the BiB are so lazy I wouldn’t worry about it - as you wrote, there is a lot of ‘theatre’ regarding this stuff - IF a BiB does stop you, just tell him to issue you the ticket (on the spot fines are no longer an official thing unless its an official check-point with an onsite commissioned officer - additionally the Police are no longer permitted to confiscate your Driving licence - although they would probably try that !).

 

 

More importantly than any of that - Ensure you are fully insured to drive the car with red plates etc. 

 

 

 

Yes I did that also only when they stop you they ask for a brown enveloppe....not empty.

[hotchilli]

23 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Wife told me 6pm........and she is never wrong.

I bet she told you, you were the first too... ????

[Will B Good]

24 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I bet she told you, you were the first too... ????

I think I was her biggest (only?) mistake

[walailak]

1 hour ago, Polar Bear said:

It's called DLT QR LICENCE. My Play store is linked to the UK, which doesn't have it, so I had to download APKPure first (link from walailak below). The logo is a square with the top half yellow and the bottom half purple.

This is the link, but as I said I had to DL APKPure. I couldn't get it directly from the Play store  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=th.go.dlt.qrlicence&hl=en&gl=US 

It's not in English, but it was easy to setup. I may have had to use something like Lens to read it to set it up, I don't remember, but it definitely wasn't hard. Once it's setup, it has pictures, so you can pull the licence up without having to read anything.
 

 

Yes, You are right. 

I used the apk way as my play store is in a different country see proof below ☺️????

Never had anyone stopping me to show it though ????

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, AhFarangJa said:

From a personal experience quite a few years ago. I rented a car for three weeks from Bangkok, and drove to Surin. on the expressway just past Don Muang I was pulled over at the tollgate. Mr. Plod asked for the red book straight away, no licence etc, just the book. Not knowing anything about it the Wife rummaged in the glove box and pulled out a red book. When he opened it he smiled like a Cheshire cat, "No fill in, 5,000 Baht Fine." it was a good job his English was not good or he may have understood my reply. Anyway, he said I had to go to his district office to pay the fine, which happened to be across Bangkok, and I would surely lose a day doing it. We compromised on a backhander of 2,000 and away I went.

They saw you coming, you were ripped off by a chancer....  a 5000 baht fine for red plates !!! - no chance. 

Police station across the city !!!...  he sold you on that one too !!!!

You should have just told him to write you a ticket - thats it. Don’t play their game.

 

1 hour ago, AhFarangJa said:

Before we left I asked the Wife to ask what we need to do. He said just write in the book each time we went out every day, which is what we did. I have since learnt, when I bought my truck 5 years ago that all you do is fill it in each day in pencil. then the next day just rub out the date and enter the new one. I asked about after 6 p.m. and was told it was to do with insurance and driving at night. There was no restrictions on driving to different provinces. As a heads up we drove several times to Bangkok and back to Surin, at least half the time we were pulled at checkpoints and the book was checked, but it was always filled in for that day.

Correct - thats what we used to do too - Fill in the Brown Book in pencil (we were never stopped though). 

 

1 hour ago, AhFarangJa said:

As a footnote, I distinctly remember a transport minister about four years ago state that in six months from his statement there will be no more red plates as the computer system was up and running that would process everything straight away.............they must be losing a small fortune in unpaid road tax.

That they did - like 99% of the announcements made by politicians in Thailand, they believe they can impact change and improvement with a mere announcements, nothing actually changes or happens. 

 

Thailand - the Hub of announcements.

Thailand - the Hub of scamming policemen.