So here's the problem ... chap left his KTM motorbike in storage pre-covid, with all intentions of coming back to Thailand. Well age & life caught up and now he can't travel back from the USA to continue riding, and asked me if I could take ownership and sell it / ride it. So armed with the Green Book & his signed passport copy, off I went to the Chiang Mai DMV (Land Transport Office).

Turns out, as some of you may know, that if a vehicle has not been taxed for 3 years, it "drops off the system" and has to be re-registered ... something they explained can't be done without the original owner, in person. I argued with the lovely lady who appeared to be in charge, that as the owner could not travel, therefore we had a bit of a stalemate. What other options were available, I asked ?. .... she smiled and said "ride outside of the city, and don't hit anyone !"

But in all seriousness, how does one get such a situation resolved ?

• Can a dealer buy, then sell back to me ?

• Can it be sold to someone in another (more relaxed) province, then sold back to be ?

• Can palms be greased somewhere, noting that several offers I have had, just did not come to fruition in todays "no-more-corruption Thailand" 😁

Answers on a postcard, please.

Don't hold me to this but years ago someone sent a power of attorney form all filled up in Thai to the guy abroad and he signed and returned it - knowing his signature and his permission, you could try it yourself without sending...! (Shhhh...don't even mention it...).

Then the other problem will be his Thai visa stamp in his passport that is old and shows he's out of country, but some provinces apparently don't car much...! No idea which ones...

Ultimately the best is to take that signed power of attorney form and passport copy to an agent (dealer shop have or know of one), then see if he can help, and how much it cost..., most things can be done in LOS at the right price...

It's not easy or khoshar, but I think it has been done before - specially if Thai wife or girlfriend does it...😯😉

(P.S. I wouldn't ride it around, because if police stop you and want to be a pain, they take the bike away and you never see it again, as it is maybe can sell it under the price to some dealer/Thai person...)