Putting cars and bikes in an Expat name

[thejudgegiles]

As an expat here and just on a 45 day on arrival stamp... what documents do I need to get to put cars and bikes in my name?

 

I live in a condo and have done for years, I can supply 12 month contract evidence of my address etc etc 

 

Thanks so much for any info, and if anyone knows of reasonable rate agencies that provide this service, I may also be interested in that avenue too. 

 

 

(PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE only post if you have relevant and knowingly accurate and up to date information)

[eisfeld]

Certificate of Residence from Immigration. If you can get that with a visa exempt entry will depend on the office. And passport copies of course.

[Andyfez]

By the way how long is a certificate of residence valid for? I got one a while ago I want to use it shortly

[eisfeld]

All the ones I got in the past had 30 days validity.

[EvetsKram]

Every province makes their own rules. Mine won't allow a vehicle in your name without passport and ID card, no exception

[blackshadow]

4 hours ago, Andyfez said:

By the way how long is a certificate of residence valid for? I got one a while ago I want to use it shortly

a calendar month

[Ralf001]

3 hours ago, EvetsKram said:

Every province makes their own rules. Mine won't allow a vehicle in your name without passport and ID card, no exception

Which province ?

[Kalasin Jo]

 I needed a certificate of residence from local IO to buy and have registered in my name. Valid a calendar month although I did not appreciate that and had  to get a second one to complete the registration.

Following logically on.....

Do you also need a certificate of residency to sell a car registered in your ( foreigner) name?

Does it matter if you sell in a different province to the one where the car is registered with a certificate of residency in that province?

[marcusb]

Last month I needed Cert for registration, not purchasing.

For certificate I needed,  rental contract and house book and ID copies from landlord. A photo and 500 baht (yeah I know) and my retirement visa.  done in 4 hours. 

Selling Ive never needed a cert but buyer HAD to have copies of my valid Non B. 

 

 

Edit: never seen an issue selling out of province if buyer gets the correct paperwork from you. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by marcusb
cause

[eisfeld]

1 hour ago, Kalasin Jo said:

 I needed a certificate of residence from local IO to buy and have registered in my name. Valid a calendar month although I did not appreciate that and had  to get a second one to complete the registration.

Following logically on.....

Do you also need a certificate of residency to sell a car registered in your ( foreigner) name?

Does it matter if you sell in a different province to the one where the car is registered with a certificate of residency in that province?

You don't need a certificate of residence for selling something. It's the buyer that needs it in order to get it registered on his name and address. From my experience, the certificate has to be issued by the immigration office in the province where the buyer's address is. Or rather, immigration would only issue such a certificate for an address in their province.

[BritManToo]

24 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

You don't need a certificate of residence for selling something.

You do if you're in Chiang Mai!

[BritManToo]

17 hours ago, thejudgegiles said:

(PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE only post if you have relevant and knowingly accurate and up to date information)

We'd need to know where you are.

Every office has it's own rules.

[Kalasin Jo]

13 hours ago, eisfeld said:

You don't need a certificate of residence for selling something. It's the buyer that needs it in order to get it registered on his name and address. From my experience, the certificate has to be issued by the immigration office in the province where the buyer's address is. Or rather, immigration would only issue such a certificate for an address in their province.

Thanks. Makes sense. But then again sense is sometimes in short supply here!

[richard_smith237]

Answers: 

 

Taking ownership of vehicle: 

- Need *Proof of Address (3 options)

- Copy of ID (Passport Copy)

- Visa / Driving licence irrelevant as far as ownership

 

*ease of obtaining proof of address depends on a couple of factors: 

1) Certificate of Residence from Immigration

    - ease depends on location (immigration office)

    - In some provinces (i.e. Chiang Mai) obtaining a CoR from Immigration as simple as turning up and asking for it.

    - In other provinces (i.e. Bangkok Chaeng Wattana) you will not get a CoR unless you have filed a 90 day report.

 

2) Affirmation of Address from Embassy.

    - ease depends on nationality and visa type.

    - Some Embassies (i.e. US) issue an Affirmation of Address on any visa etc.

    - Other Embassies (i.e. UK) will only issue an Affirmation of Address to those on long term / resident visas and will not issue an Affirmation of Address letter if you are on a Tourist Visa or Visa exempt. 

 

3) Yellow Tabien Baan House Book.

    - Some DLT’s accept this (i.e. Bangkok), others don’t (i.e. Chonburi apparently).

    - Getting Yellow House Book can be lengthy process and involves a whole new thread.

 

4) Work Permit (only those which contain the address - some do, some don’t).

 

[richard_smith237]

Answers: 

 

Selling a vehicle: 

1) If you are present at the DLT with the new buyer

- Signed Copy of ID (Passport Copy / some will also ask for Visa copy)

- Blue or Green Book ‘signed over'

- Copy of Sale agreement.

 

2) If you are absent at the DLT (seller can go on their own)

- Signed Copy of ID (Passport Copy)

- Signed Copy of Visa and entry stamp (or exit stamp if overseas)

- Blue or Green Book ‘signed over'

- Vehicle Transfer form

- Power of Attorney (to transfer vehicle without your presence)

 

 

A vehicle can be sold without your presence (part two above - I’ve done this numerous times).

Affirmation / Certificate of Address is not required to sell your car as this is only for registration purposes.

 

Reportedly ’some’ DLT’s may ask for this, but thats because the officer doesn’t really know what they are doing. I’ve been in this situation before where a DLT officer has asked for my Proof of Address when selling a vehicle... I told them it wasn’t necessary for selling (only buying) they got their supervisor who agreed. 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

Answers: 

 

Buying / selling out of province: 

- The transaction (transfer of ownership at DLT) is carried out in the ‘original province of ownership’ (if seller is present etc)

- The vehicle can be re-registered at the ‘new province’ at a later date. 

 

OR.... 

- The Transaction (transfer of ownership at DLT) can be carried out at the new province, of the new owner IF all the documentation is present - as per part 2 of the above ’selling a vehicle’ post.

 

 

 

[Kalasin Jo]

On 11/3/2022 at 11:47 AM, richard_smith237 said:

Answers: 

 

 

Buying / selling out of province: 

- The transaction (transfer of ownership at DLT) is carried out in the ‘original province of ownership’ (if seller is present etc)

- The vehicle can be re-registered at the ‘new province’ at a later date. 

 

OR.... 

- The Transaction (transfer of ownership at DLT) can be carried out at the new province, of the new owner IF all the documentation is present - as per part 2 of the above ’selling a vehicle’ post.

 

 

 

Thank you for your 3 helpful posts. Wish I knew how to keep them handy! I've bought and sold here but always through dealers who produced all the necessary paperwork for me to sign and dealt with the DLT.   

My current car was previously registered in a different province and although the registration in my name, the new number plate and new tax certificate was dealt with in this province it seemed to take a very long time. The dealer was happy to release the car to me on payment which was about 3 weeks before I had to take the car to our DLT for verification the book related to the car. Engine and chassis numbers were checked. Then a few more days until everything was finalised. Presumably due to the existing out of province registration element. 

I was asked if I wanted registration in my name in this province. As it is my province of residence I said yes. If I'd said no I presumed the car would have been registered in my name in the province where it was already registered. But then I would have had to re register it here as both I and car reside here. Isn't that so?

[Ralf001]

5 hours ago, Kalasin Jo said:

 

I was asked if I wanted registration in my name in this province. As it is my province of residence I said yes. If I'd said no I presumed the car would have been registered in my name in the province where it was already registered. But then I would have had to re register it here as both I and car reside here. Isn't that so?

One of the documents required in the vehicle registration/transfer process is a residency certificate (or yellow book/work permit/etcetc).

 

how would the car get registered in another province without proof of address ?

 

I purchased a BKK plated vehicle, DLT in BKK removed previous owner name and added mine how ever that is only part of the transfer, that had to be completed in my home province which involved more paperwork and signatures..... took days but finally book was returned with new number plates.

 

All in all a very annoying time consuming process and in future I will not buy a vehicle from a different province unless a substantial discount is negotiated.

Edited November 5, 2022 by Ralf001

[PJ71]

8 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

All in all a very annoying time consuming process

This along with many other processes are unfortunately very time consuming and a lot of the time totally unnecessary.

[Kalasin Jo]

On 11/6/2022 at 1:00 PM, PJ71 said:

This along with many other processes are unfortunately very time consuming and a lot of the time totally unnecessary.

Yes. Unnecessary because vehicles must be registered and plated by DLT in the province where the purchaser lives. Which I now understand will involve a buyer first deregistering a vehicle previously owned and registered in a different province. This would be avoided with a national, centralised system even if processing is still done at provincial level. But then the number plate and tax payed sticker would not immediately by an external visual check tell anyone interested, especially the police carrying out roadside checks, whether vehicle and owner were local or a visitor. But this is not sufficient justification imho.

 

France used to have Departmental registration ( there is no annual road tax there) but went digital and national a few years ago. The police there seem to have no problem instantly accessing the full details with their mobile phones. In fact, at least before brexit may be not now, they could instantly call up full details of UK registered vehicles too.

 

But Thailand is not sufficiently advanced and joined up yet for that it seems. Keeps more people in jobs, sod the inconvenience to the consumer.