New car, driving without plates

[richard_smith237]

19 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Better the sales person gets some commission rather than none, if I take my order to Honda or MG

MG offered me a promo 100,000bt discount if I buy this month, but the wife was not impressed with the car

 

Its ok though...  'cos 'Khun LA' will be your new best mate if you got an MG !!! 

[Georgealbert]

This is from the highway police.

 

My translation.

[digbeth]

On 5/12/2024 at 5:09 PM, richard_smith237 said:

-------

 

Resolution: 

Go to the DLT and get your own Plates...  This is something I have done with my last two motorcycles and last 3 cars. 

 

Its a fairly simple process and easily done by yourself.

 

Once you have the 'slip' from the DLT you take that back to your dealer who gets 'official' number plates made up and about a week later they should be ready to affix to your car (and you receive the Blue Book).

 

 

Is the slip for reserving your 'special' number

 

In my experience getting plate from the DLT is just turning up to the DLT with the paperwork and coming home with plate and blue/green book 

 

you just had to ask the dealer that you'll be registering yourself and they won't charge you the 3-500 baht registration service 

 

Getting your own plate at the DLT is simple, if you had the necessary paperwork (Registration Kit) from the dealer, which they don't have as the manufacturer won't release it to the dealer until they've been paid, hence  the delay

 

Some brands are strange like Kawasaki and Ducati that they never release the 'registration kit' for self registraton ever

[KhunBENQ]

On 5/12/2024 at 4:15 PM, EVENKEEL said:

I bought a new car 2 yrs ago. No red plates given, drove that way for months till plates came in. No problem. Drove through checkpoints, no problem.

That's a real life story.

I have the insurance policy and now a copy of the paid invoice.

Still don't feel too good doing distant travel.

May even go on my old car which is well maintained (just had 160 tkm service).

But not nice to have 700k dead capital in the garage?

 

On a phone call today it was estimated that the proper sign plates would take four weeks.

Again somewhat shady.

 

A mate had a "request for waiver" letter to "all officials" from Nissan.

The letter has the details about the purchase and registration being done by the dealer.

 

Edited May 14 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

3 hours ago, digbeth said:

Getting your own plate at the DLT is simple, if you had the necessary paperwork (Registration Kit) from the dealer, which they don't have as the manufacturer won't release it to the dealer until they've been paid, hence  the delay

That's interesting and in line with my suspicion. Better keep the money on their account than on mine or the manufacturer's account.

So saying I won't pay before the sign plates are ready will not work.

Where is the factory outlet

Edited May 14 by KhunBENQ

[digbeth]

27 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

So saying I won't pay before the sign plates are ready will not work.

 

Actually it does, you can make it condition of delivery that the car be delivered with plate, businesses and government department do this when buying cars,

 

and you won't accept the car or hand over the final cheque until the car is plated, what will happens is that your brand new car is ready, but sitting in the dealership garage until the day plate arrives,   vs you driving home with the brand new car today with no plate or red plate, knowing that consequence from police trouble is negligible 

 

I certainly went down the route of getting the registration kit to do it myself after chasing for plates from the dealer for months, 

[KhunBENQ]

Bumping my thread to round up.

I got the car/keys on May 12th, 2024 (new car, Toyota dealer, fully paid).

Red plates? -> No, you should have "ordered". ? Super service.

So driving off with the car and no plates.

I had a compulsory insurance (original insurance policy) with no name/plate number, just VIN.

Coverage with class 1 insurance? Unclear to me, found a copy of an insurance in the name of the dealer. Dealer assured me that the car is covered. I am not a great believer...

 

Driving about 1000 km "locally". One stop at a checkpoint. Showing driving license and waved on.

On July 17th driving to Pattaya (>500 km).

One checkpoint stop, lowering window, waved on (showing nothing).

Then about 20 km before Pattaya: stopped by highway police on motorway 7.

Asking why I have no plate.

Explaining the situation, showing the documents I had.

Friendly salute and waved on.

Back home and on August 1st (!) got plates, book and class 1 insurance in my name covering since May 12th.

So all the time the car was covered by class 1 insurance.

Car is registered in my name in Thai script from the yellow book/pink card.

The registration date is July 9th!

 

The timing will still remain a "mystery" to me.

E.g. why could the dealer not provide me immediately after July 9th?

 

Edited August 3 by KhunBENQ

[Dazinoz]

I bought my car when I arrived here 11 years ago. No plates but was told red plates in a few days and they did arrive. Was also told if I was to get a fine in those few days dealer would pay.

 

Also told the normal plates would be about 6 weeks. Went back in 6 weeks no plates. Kept going back to check, no plates. Finally at 6 months with no plates I said I was told 6 weeks now 6 months. sales person asked me who sold me the car and I told her. She said oh, she no longer works here and did some checking. The original salesperson had not filed the paperwork with DLT so was driving an unregistered car for 6 months.

 

I was never told about the not driving outside province or after whatever time at night nor about the log book. So was also illegal in those situations many times.

[rwill]

Not only should they have given you a red plate.  They also should have given you a book with it too.  You are required to fill the book out in advance when taking trips outside of your province.

[Dazinoz]

7 minutes ago, rwill said:

Not only should they have given you a red plate.  They also should have given you a book with it too.  You are required to fill the book out in advance when taking trips outside of your province.

I received the book but was never told what it was for. Lazy salesperson also considering she never filed paperwork with DLT.

[dlclark97]

On 5/12/2024 at 3:19 PM, prakhonchai nick said:

I am about to buy/order a new Toyota. Can arrange my own insurance rather than free insurance for 1 year and have been offered a 20,000bt discount.   Free film, free full tank of petrol, but what about a discount for full cash payment? Anyone been successful?

When Chevrolet was still selling in Thailand I bought a total (separate times) of 4 Colorado pickups with full cash payments.  The price was nicely negotiated on every one of them.  I still got the 1st years free insurance and the usual bed liner/floor mats/window tint add ons free.  Recently bought a Honda City Hatchback for my step-daughter and there was NO negotiating on price.  They even charged an extra 10K for their white color version.  Other friends have made recent purchases of other vehicle brands without any success negotiating the price.

Edited August 16 by dlclark97
Missing word

[dlclark97]

On 5/12/2024 at 12:16 PM, KhunBENQ said:

Picked up my new car at the Toyota dealer today, fully paid.

There is an insurance policy in my name and frame number of the vehicle.

But as usual the car is not yet registered at the DLT (signed a power of attorney for the dealer) and sign plates might take a while.

Dealer insured that there is no problem driving without plates and just show the insurance policy if stopped and advised against red plates.

 

From observation its clear that quite frequently `vehicles without plates are on the road.

But does anyone know written/unwritten rules about this?

The first vehicle I purchased in Thailand was a Chevrolet Colorado 4 door pickup.  It took 5 months to get rid of the red plates.  Technically you cannot drive the vehicle between dusk and dawn.  I was stopped and given a ticket for doing this shortly after dusk as I was between Chantaburi where I had been visiting, left later than expected on my way to my home in Rayong.  The traffic stop occurred in Kleang and they did not except my excuse.  Over the months I had 2 meetings with the Chevrolet management that unfortunately did not improve the delivery time of the white plates. 

[KhunBENQ]

So in total I came out "normally".
About 2 months to get my white plates and drove more than 1500 km without.

See my post above from August 3 to round up.

The good thing that I was driving with full insurance coverage all the time.

[willi2006]

On 5/13/2024 at 10:50 AM, JAS21 said:

I believe that white plates cannot be issued until the dealer has paid the tax on the car…he wants to hang on to that money as long as possible.

That's my knowledge too.

Tax office waits for the manufacturer to pay the tax before sending the papers for registration to the manufacturer.

Manufacturer waits for the dealer to pay the tax before paying to the tax office.
Both can take advantage by delaying at the expense of the buyer.
Having the papers you can register yourself in a couple of hours. I did it myself.

[willr]

On 5/12/2024 at 12:16 PM, KhunBENQ said:

Picked up my new car at the Toyota dealer today, fully paid.

There is an insurance policy in my name and frame number of the vehicle.

But as usual the car is not yet registered at the DLT (signed a power of attorney for the dealer) and sign plates might take a while.

Dealer insured that there is no problem driving without plates and just show the insurance policy if stopped and advised against red plates.

 

From observation its clear that quite frequently `vehicles without plates are on the road.

But does anyone know written/unwritten rules about this?

Register it yourself I did on the same day.

Leaving it to the dealer takes a long time.

The Dealer gets their vehicles on floor plan, and as such they have 90 days before they need to pay or pay interest on the car.

They use your money to make interest. 

I used to work for an Isuzu dealership and know how things work.

[cracker1]

On 5/12/2024 at 12:24 PM, transam said:

The law is, you must have red plates, you can use them for 30 days before having a problem with the BiB....

If me, I would go to the LTO and get a police waver notice in case you are pulled.

Let them know you were not given red plates...

You can not drive after dark or outside your province with red plates.

[Ralf001]

12 minutes ago, cracker1 said:

You can not drive after dark or outside your province with red plates.

nonesense.

[KhunBENQ]

18 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

nonesense.

Not nonsense but official rule.

Keeping a log book for driving outside the province etc.pp.

 

What happens in reality may be different as usual.

[Ralf001]

7 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Not nonsense but official rule.

Keeping a log book for driving outside the province etc.pp.

 

What happens in reality may be different as usual.

 

The official ruling is you get permission from the police to  drive after dark or out of province.

[Mattd]

On 5/14/2024 at 7:39 AM, digbeth said:

 

Is the slip for reserving your 'special' number

 

In my experience getting plate from the DLT is just turning up to the DLT with the paperwork and coming home with plate and blue/green book 

 

you just had to ask the dealer that you'll be registering yourself and they won't charge you the 3-500 baht registration service 

 

Getting your own plate at the DLT is simple, if you had the necessary paperwork (Registration Kit) from the dealer, which they don't have as the manufacturer won't release it to the dealer until they've been paid, hence  the delay

 

Some brands are strange like Kawasaki and Ducati that they never release the 'registration kit' for self registraton ever

This is correct, DLT issue the numbers, so if you are getting any number rather than a special one, then DLT can issue there and then so long as all the paperwork is in place.

Most of the delay from the dealer is to do with paying the money out to various entities.

[Irish star]

On 5/12/2024 at 1:29 PM, KhunLA said:

You'll be able to drive as fast & reckless as you want ... 

no tolls either 

[UWEB]

6 hours ago, cracker1 said:

You can not drive after dark or outside your province with red plates.

No problem at all.

[Rotweiler]

Seems a lot of people confuse what is actually legal with what is actually done.

 

Red plates are ONLY useable within the same Chiang Wat.  

Red plated cars CANNOT we driven at night.

 

Those are the actually law.

 

What is done is considerably different.

[Ralf001]

20 minutes ago, Rotweiler said:

Seems a lot of people confuse what is actually legal with what is actually done.

 

Red plates are ONLY useable within the same Chiang Wat.  

Red plated cars CANNOT we driven at night.

 

Those are the actually law.

 

What is done is considerably different.

 

err the law states if you want to drive out of province or at night, you get permision from your local police station.

[richard_smith237]

15 minutes ago, Rotweiler said:

Seems a lot of people confuse what is actually legal with what is actually done.

 

Red plates are ONLY useable within the same Chiang Wat.  

Red plated cars CANNOT we driven at night.

 

Those are the actually law.

 

What is done is considerably different.

 

What is understood and what is written into the law is often confused...

 

I've seen 'no law' (written) regarding red plates - I've never seen any form of official notification, but there has been plenty of 'word of mouth' information and thats all there seems to be. 

 

As I understand it: 

- Cars with a red plate can drive anywhere IF the brown book journey page is complete (no one ever does that).

 

What I've heard (word of mouth)

- Cars with a red plate cannot drive in the hours of darkness.

- Cars with a red plate cannot drive outside of the province of purchase.

 

I suspect these last two are simple money makers made up by the BiB and not official rules at all. 

 

 

What I actually do (I've had numerous new cars here).

- Drive where I want when I want (outside of province and at night) and never had an issue.

- I full out the Brown book (in pencil - just incase and carry that in the car but have never been stopped).

 

 

In short - we really do not need to overthink any of this. 

The red plates are dealer plates - theoretically, the dealer should be able to get white plates quickly, but they are slow. 

I go and and register the car at the DLT myself - give the dealer the slip of paper (registration slip) and the dealer gets the white plates (makes it a bit quicker - but I do this as I want to chose my own number).

 

[PJ71]

On 5/13/2024 at 11:33 AM, richard_smith237 said:

 

I think thats true...  but securing the finance takes a little time...  A cash sale can be 'immediate'.

 

Our previous car, I walked into the dealership in a Friday, saw the car I wanted, and said, I want that one...  ok we'll order it. 

No, I want that exact one....  When ?....  Now !....      Thats another customers.. OK, but I want that one or one exactly the same.... 

When?... Now !...      OK...     they went away and said they are still waiting for the 'rest of the deposit'...   

I picked up the car the following Monday...   There was otherwise a 6 month waiting list. 

 

 

 

 

My hero.