Thai police foil luxury car fake plate scam in Bangkok

[webfact]

A sophisticated scheme involving the use of counterfeit license plates on luxury vehicles has been thwarted by Thai highway police in a recent crackdown. A 41 year old woman was arrested for affixing a forged red license plate to a brand-new Bentley.

 

The incident, which took place along Bangkok’s outer ring road, has raised concerns about the ease with which fake registration plates can be procured and used to evade law enforcement and regulatory oversight.

 

The operation was led by Police Colonel Wanchana Tip-as, commander of the 8th division of the Highway Police, and his team, including Police Lieutenant Colonel Tataporn Lekhawatanapong, of Highway Police Station 2.

 

The suspect, identified only by Meesuk (last name withheld), was caught in the act on Kanchanaphisek Road. The arresting officers were patrolling the area when they spotted the white Bentley with a suspicious-looking temporary red plate, which displayed the number บ8888 Bangkok, reported KhaoSod.

 

On closer inspection, the plate was found to lack the watermark and nine-digit Arabic numeral code of the Department of Land Transport. This discovery led to Mee Suk’s immediate arrest. She admitted to purchasing the fake plate for 10,000 baht (US$ 277) from an acquaintance while awaiting the official white plates.

 

She claimed ignorance of the plate’s legality, stating that she had previously stored a red plate from another purchase. Despite her confession, the authorities proceeded to hand her over to the Lak Si Police Station for legal action.

In related news, Highway police apprehended a man driving a new Mercedes Benz with a red license plate after they discovered the plate was counterfeit. The driver, identified only as Wanchai, admitted to ordering the attractive number plate online.

The incident occurred today when Police Major General Phakaphon Suchon along with Pol. Lieut. Col. Kla Sombatphibun inspected the area under their jurisdiction. They spotted the suspicious vehicle, a white Mercedes Benz with the red plate number B-9999 Bangkok, along the Ban Phaeo-Phra Prathon route in the Don Yai Hom subdistrict, Nakhon Pathom province.

 

by Nattapong Westwood 

Picture courtesy of KhaoSod

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-02-29

 

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[ChrisY1]

Oh my...definately a misunderstanding.....I'm sure she'll sort it out.

[AustinRacing]

Idiots. Like wearing fake Nike to a Nike shop 

[transam]

4 minutes ago, AustinRacing said:

Idiots. Like wearing fake Nike to a Nike shop 

Yes, I have all the fake Nike gear, but our posh coloured number plate isn't........😘

[brianthainess]

Again? I thought this scam had already been "foiled". 

[OneZero]

Somebody educate me.  If these people legitimately own the car & are simply waiting for the legal plates to arrive, what is the incentive for them to spend money on forged red plates? 

[ukrules]

7 minutes ago, OneZero said:

Somebody educate me.  If these people legitimately own the car & are simply waiting for the legal plates to arrive, what is the incentive for them to spend money on forged red plates? 

 

Yeah, I find it really weird too. Fake plates were used in the past to avoid detection of stolen cars, not to brag about special '8888' lucky numbers which are obviously fake.

 

I think these people are more than a little dim

 

[Elkski]

Dont toy get temporary tags when you buy a car?  And i thought you had red plates for a month or something, restricting your driving to 1 province.   Educate me please.   I never understood the red plate, time, driving area restrictions that i heard about. 

[eisfeld]

7 minutes ago, Elkski said:

Dont toy get temporary tags when you buy a car?  And i thought you had red plates for a month or something, restricting your driving to 1 province.   Educate me please.   I never understood the red plate, time, driving area restrictions that i heard about. 

 

Red plate restrictions are supposed to be:

 

1. Max 30 days

2. Can't drive after sunset

3. Can't leave province

 

The last two can be circumvented by having a log book where each travel is entered and the DLT signs off on it.

 

 

All the above is in theory. In practice people don't care and enforcement is severely lacking.

[Elkski]

Oh i forgot about the after sunset rule.  

Why are there the last 2 rules? 

1 minute ago, eisfeld said:

 

Red plate restrictions are supposed to be:

 

1. Max 30 days

2. Can't drive after sunset

3. Can't leave province

 

The last two can be circumvented by having a log book where each travel is entered and the DLT signs off on it.

 

 

All the above is in theory. In practice people don't care and enforcement is severely lacking.

 

[ripstanley]

In 2012 our new car was driven without number plates for 6 months. Went through police checks up north. Never was stopped. 

 

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Wanchai, admitted to ordering the attractive number plate online

Crickey, what can't you buy online?

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

16 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

 

Red plate restrictions are supposed to be:

 

1. Max 30 days

2. Can't drive after sunset

3. Can't leave province

Yes, these are restrictions for legitimate red plates. 

 

Illegal red plates.... NO RESTRICTIONS 

 

Her RED plates were bought online, from a dodgy vendor. 

 

[eisfeld]

2 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Yes, these are restrictions for legitimate red plates. 

 

Illegal red plates.... NO RESTRICTIONS 

 

 

Of course there are restrictions: you can't drive with them at all.

[PETERTHEEATER]

59 minutes ago, OneZero said:

Somebody educate me.  If these people legitimately own the car & are simply waiting for the legal plates to arrive, what is the incentive for them to spend money on forged red plates? 

Posing.

[trainman34014]

I've never understood these 'Face' numberplates.   Neighbour had a new Car with red plates and kept them on for two years until he was finally stopped and told to get his white plates on, no fine, no other penalty.   When i asked him why he did it he told me that he wanted people to think he was driving new cars all the time.    Something mentally wrong with these people !

[SAFETY FIRST]

14 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

 

Of course there are restrictions: you can't drive with them at all.

Why are you commenting about legitimate, legal red plates, this posting is regarding illegal (FAKE) red plates.

 

Nothing to do with legal, DLT issued red plates. 

 

We all know the restrictions on DLT issued red plates. 

 

[JulesMad]

...she has a Bentley, money is NOT an issue... And what do people with money (and connections) do???

[eisfeld]

4 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Why are you commenting about legitimate red plates, this posting is regarding illegal (FAKE) red plates.

 

Nothing to do with legal, DLT issued red plates. 

 

We all know the restrictions on DLT issued red plates. 

 

 

Because another poster wanted to know more about the retrictions on red plates.

 

29 minutes ago, Elkski said:

Oh i forgot about the after sunset rule.  

Why are there the last 2 rules? 

 

 

I can only guess but the red plates' purpose is to restrict normal usage of the car while not yet fully registered. They are supposed to enable the transfer of the car between dealerships, service centers or between whatever places but not to be used as normal vehicles. The system has existed for a lot of years and there's no real other way to limit their usage. It's a compromise. They should just get rid of the whole red plate system and ensure that registration takes a couple hours tops in this digital age.

[digbeth]

prestige and keeping up with the Somchais, 

When Teslas Bangkok delivers new vehicle with normal white plates, some idiots would go and buy fake red plates to put them on, in case the neighbor might not notice that they bought a new car, or worse that they bought a second hand one

[SAFETY FIRST]

2 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

Because another poster wanted to know more about the retrictions on red plates.

Its always a good idea to quote conversations when replying, it saves time and confusion for other members

 

[eisfeld]

1 minute ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Its always a good idea to quote conversations when replying, it saves time and confusion for other members

 

 

I quoted everyone that I replied to.  Honestly, I'm confused by your posts. 🤔

[SAFETY FIRST]

14 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

 

I quoted everyone that I replied to.  Honestly, I'm confused by your posts. 🤔

Oops my bad, for some reason my page didn't reveal your entire posting. 😮

 

[The Old Bull]

Been here in Udon Thani three months haven't seen any cops. They are usually out harassing school kids for no helmets. The number of drivers turning right at traffic lights from the wrong lane and cutting in or going straight through from the left turning lane is starting to piss me off. I have even seen some old cars with no plates.The number of motor cycles with no tail light riding on a dark road is crazy people risking their life to save paying 10B for a light bulb. Time the cops got out and did their job.

[VocalNeal]

6 minutes ago, The Old Bull said:

They are usually out harassing school kids for no helmets.

 

Isn't that their job🤔

[The Old Bull]

14 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Isn't that their job🤔

Yes, but they are not doing it.

[worgeordie]

Some brave Police there, anyone who can afford a Bentley ,have

connections and influence , expect these lads will be moved to the South. 

 

 

regards worgeordie

[Graham8888]

2 hours ago, Elkski said:

Dont toy get temporary tags when you buy a car?  And i thought you had red plates for a month or something, restricting your driving to 1 province.   Educate me please.   I never understood the red plate, time, driving area restrictions that i heard about. 

Not if you haven’t paid the import taxes

[KannikaP]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

Yeah, I find it really weird too. Fake plates were used in the past to avoid detection of stolen cars, not to brag about special '8888' lucky numbers which are obviously fake.

 

I think these people are more than a little dim

 

Dim enough to have a brand new Bentley to drive!

[Elkski]

That she hadn't paid taxes yet was my original thought of why you would buy fake red plates but the article didn't mention that.   I also wondered why not buy fake white plates?  But i agree with some verification by posts here that some Thai  want everyone to know its a new car. 

In USA we get a paper plate ro tape in rear window.  Hardly visible through standard tinte on many vehicles.  Took like 6 weeks to get real plate in the mail.   

They also have dealer plates.   Seems loys of people working at car dealerships ger to use the cars or are doing test drive time on used ones.  I still dont understand the no night and only one province rule?  What if dealer is near a provincial line plus it gets dark so early there.  Oh yeah we bought a new car 3 weeks ago but cant drive it home to see mom.   Just starts the lawlessness and so everyone is a criminal so they have sympathy for real criminals.