Buying A Used Car From An Individual - What Do I Have To Do?

[sbathon]

Could someone please tell me how the whole process works. Is the insurance transferrred to the new owner? Do you have to notify the insurance company or do you wait until the current policy expires? What is this business about taxes? For what and who pays them? Is this the same as the registration?......... How do you know if the taxes have been paid? How does all this fit together?

[JonnyF]

When I did it, I took the car to the transport office in Phuket with the seller, they took the car into a type of workshop and checked the car over for about 20 minutes - noting the engine number, chassis number etc etc. Then we filled in the forms, paid the transfer fee (under 1000 baht), paid the seller, drove the car home and the next day went back to pick up the new registration document in my name.

I then went to the insurance company offices and transferred the insurance into my name, there was no fee for this transfer but again I had to pick up the new documents with my name on them the following day.

Best to get to the transport office as early as possible (10 minutes before it opened in my case) to avoid the rush.

Edited September 9, 2007 by JonnyF

[wushin]

Hello, I will do the same but don't have the immigration letter yet and going to buy the car in Pattaya and I'm living in Phuket.

Do I have to make some documents in Pattaya transport office, before to pay it? Can I drove the car and then make the paperwork in Phuket?

thanks

[LivinLOS]

You can do either.. Purchase it and get it in your name in Patts and then move it to changwat Phuket.. Or buy it, drive it here and do the transfer here and also change its changwat.

I would do option a in case there s any problem getting it in your name.. Long way to go back to collect a missing signature or passport copy !!

[wushin]

Ok, so the documents I have actually are

1) my passport with my visa for the moment I have only 28 days Tourist Stamp.

2) The land department document for the house I have in lease in Phuket

3) My International driving license.

So I will make the at my embassy the residential document and do I need something else?

Does I need to make a particular document with the seller to show to the transport department.

Can you tell me where to go in Pattaya?

Or is there any company there who can help me to do all the paperwork?

I've wrote to expatmotors but didn't get any answer recently.

Sorry but changwat what does it means?

Many question

Tanks

Edited September 28, 2007 by wushin

[LivinLOS]

Changwat = region / area / county etc... If its in Patts it probably has patts plates, if you bring it here it makes sense to change those to Phuket plates. You can of course have it on Patts plates but then (as I understand it) you have problems taxing it, or selling it, you have to move its changwat within a small time window of purchasing it I think. If its on BKK plates I think it can be taxed anywhere.

You might have an issue only being on a tourist visa.. I have managed this in the past but the rule says you must be a on a non imm to get it in your name, one reason I would try this in patts before its paid for.

You need to get a letter confirming your address either from immigration or embassy, Phuket town immigration are actually easy going on this so do it here its cheap and easy.

The seller needs different things depending on if its farang or Thai.. But ID card if thai, Passport and visa page and entry card if farang, and signatures on transfer document(s). Cant remember for sure but I think only the purchaser needs address proof (or tabien baan if Thai) and not the seller.

[konangrit]

I'm planning on buying a used car this weekend, but I'm not 100% sure what I need to do to transfer it to me, could somebody please explain? I assume I need a letter from my Embassy or Immigration confirming my address, which I don't have, but can easily get next week. Someone mentioned going to the transport office with the seller, is this necessary?I'll most likely buy it from a garage, not an individual, if that's important. Could I just buy a car this weekend and then register it on my own next week when everything is open? I live in Bangkok, what do I need to do to register it in my own name? Where do I need to go for this? I just have a Thai drivers license + non Imm O visa, is this plus a letter from immigration confirming my address sufficient?

Finally, I had a Thai website with lots of used cars for sale bookmarked, but my hard drive just packed in, so I've lost all of my bookmarks. Does anyone know the URLs for major Thai used car sites? I'm guessing that the site I used before was the biggest, or if not, one of the biggest in Thailand.

[Scalawag]

I'm planning on buying a used car this weekend, but I'm not 100% sure what I need to do to transfer it to me, could somebody please explain? I assume I need a letter from my Embassy or Immigration confirming my address, which I don't have, but can easily get next week. Someone mentioned going to the transport office with the seller, is this necessary?I'll most likely buy it from a garage, not an individual, if that's important. Could I just buy a car this weekend and then register it on my own next week when everything is open? I live in Bangkok, what do I need to do to register it in my own name? Where do I need to go for this? I just have a Thai drivers license + non Imm O visa, is this plus a letter from immigration confirming my address sufficient?

Finally, I had a Thai website with lots of used cars for sale bookmarked, but my hard drive just packed in, so I've lost all of my bookmarks. Does anyone know the URLs for major Thai used car sites? I'm guessing that the site I used before was the biggest, or if not, one of the biggest in Thailand.

I'd recommend you call ExPat Motors....I've bought two cars from them and have been satified..................

[LivinLOS]

If its being sold by a dealer, they will usually take care of everything for you..

[JUDAS]

I'm planning on buying a used car this weekend, but I'm not 100% sure what I need to do to transfer it to me, could somebody please explain? I assume I need a letter from my Embassy or Immigration confirming my address, which I don't have, but can easily get next week. Someone mentioned going to the transport office with the seller, is this necessary?I'll most likely buy it from a garage, not an individual, if that's important. Could I just buy a car this weekend and then register it on my own next week when everything is open? I live in Bangkok, what do I need to do to register it in my own name? Where do I need to go for this? I just have a Thai drivers license + non Imm O visa, is this plus a letter from immigration confirming my address sufficient?

Finally, I had a Thai website with lots of used cars for sale bookmarked, but my hard drive just packed in, so I've lost all of my bookmarks. Does anyone know the URLs for major Thai used car sites? I'm guessing that the site I used before was the biggest, or if not, one of the biggest in Thailand.

http://www.one2car.com/ this is the best site I've found to date. cheers