New Car...

[tuky]

Our "new" car is about 5 months old now and we still have not been issued with our correct rego plates.

I believe that the red plates have a lot of restrictions with them, ie you have to stay in the province stated on the plate, cannot drive after 6pm etc.

Funnily enough we bought our car in Chon Buri and were given Krung Thep plates, the dealer knew full well where we are from (not BKK) but it was all they had available.

Luckily the only time we have been stopped by the police was whilst we were in BKK, my wife and I do not know BKK at all but we needed to visit the embassy, so we were driving fairly slowly while we worked out how to get back on the motorway when the cops got us. My wife and the policeman had quite a fight and he took her away to his little booth, I was a little worried about this as they were arguing too rapidly for me to understand what was being said. I stayed in the car to look after our daughter in her car seat. It turned out they were fighting over 100 baht, she only wanted to give him 100 but he wanted 200 baht.

Anyway, I was under the impression that 3 months was the usual period to wait before being issued permanent license plates, has anyone waited 5 months + before?

What I am curious about is why the "Red Plate" system at all? seems rather silly.

What are your thoughts?

[BlueTa]

Anyway, I was under the impression that 3 months was the usual period to wait before being issued permanent license plates, has anyone waited 5 months + before?

3 months is long.

5 months is unheard of.

Did you do something to them, Tukyleith... ?

[Jeff1]

Could you please explain the red plates . What are they for ? What do they mean ?

Sorry for the dumb question but I plan to buy my first car in Thailand very soon .

Thanks,

Jeff

[tuky]

Thats basically my question too Jeff.

From what I know through experience is that when you buy a new car your given red plates as a temporary stop gap until the correct plates are ready. It seems that when you buy a car and you get it registered the process of making it a permanent registration starts then, not before. You end up in a back log of cars waiting for the permanent plate/rego.

Until this happens you are given a restricted "red plate" so you can use your vehicle in limited circumstances.

I don't know anymore about it but perhaps other members do.

[Totster]

Found this..... might help..

http://www.phuketgazette.net/issuesanswers/

totster

[tuky]

Thanks Totster good info...

Who else has been through this? my wife seems to be waiting for the people to get in touch with her...will it eventually happen or do I need to become proactive and this and do it myself?

(I didn't settle in LoS to become proactive )

[Ajarn]

When I bought my new car last year, they (Isuzu) gave me the option of running with no plates, or with red plates. They told me this red plate is registered to them, and along with the plate, I got some type of registration booklet that went along with the plates...

The comment on the website that said the plates can't be traced isn't true, it seems to me...

Never had any problems. Even drove to Bkk on them where I paid a small fine for a traffic infraction, but the cop never mentioned my red plates...

It took three weeks to get my regular plates and registration finished...

[Jeff1]

Thanks Totster and everyone else . Good info . I wonder how that affects insurance on the car if it is not legally registered . I would get that taken care of right away if I was you Tulyleith . Good luck and please keep us posted .

[tuky]

Thanks Totster and everyone else . Good info . I wonder how that affects insurance on the car if it is not legally registered

Anyone have any info on this? it is a great point Jeff...thanks

[Totster]

Thanks Totster and everyone else . Good info . I wonder how that affects insurance on the car if it is not legally registered

Anyone have any info on this? it is a great point Jeff...thanks

Wouldn't it be worth checking the small print on the insurance documents...?

totster

[george]

It can take more than six months to get the red plate replaced. The red plate is issued together with a temporary book. If you travel outside the designated Changwat, just make a note in the book, and sign it, before entering a neighboring Changwat.

No problems. Not allowed to drive at all 6pm - 6am with a red plate though.

[tuky]

It can take more than six months to get the red plat replaced. The red plate is issued together with a temporary book. If you travel outsaide the designated Changwat, just make a note in the book, and sign it, before entering a neighboring Changwat.

No problems. Not allowerd to drive at all 6pm - 6am with a red plate though.

Funnily enough, we have broken all the rules...we are not in Krung Thep, we drive after 6pm etc. However as I stated earlier the only time we have been stopped by police was while we were in Krung Thep... TiT

[Axel]

Have a look in here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...d+licence+plate

which also has the link to Phuket Gazette etc. mentioned by Totster abvove

http://phuketgazette.com/issuesanswers/details.asp?id=13

[alanw]

I asked a Thai work colleague about this. His comments were:

- Yes, there are so many red plates, and they change hands so many times, that it's probably true that many could not be traced. Another comment on this was that many dealers use fake red plates.

- In most provinces (especially Bkk and Chonburi), car dealers are selling cars as fast as they can be manufactured, and many brands have a several months waiting list. It's currently estimated that 800 (yes 800) new cars hit the streets every day in Bkk. Therefore it is taking many months for the authorities to prepare the final white plates.

[Felt 35]

[/b]tukyleith

Should not take more than 3-4 weeks. It’s probably the transport office at the location you bought the car that is slow with the documentation provided when you bought the car. Check that they have all the documentation needed for registration.

[Axel]

For me it is a layman's way to check how the economy is going.

After the '97-crash you saw hardly any red plates as people did not buy new cars.

[Ben Dover]

If you have red plates check they have a small emboss in the bottom right hand corner, if not they are fake

I had these on mine until the white ones were issued, 3 months, I only ever had a problem when I went out of Chonburi and was stopped on the expressway in BKK, I thought the boy in brown was joking so I called Isuzu chonburi while he was there and they simply said yes fakes!! 2000 baht if you want real ones..

Paid my fine and went on my way, think it was the end of the month.

[p_brownstone]

Lots of Thais like to keep the Red Plates as long as possible - to show off to all and sundry that they have a "new" car.

[Thetyim]

I have bought 4 new trucks here.

I have always got the white plates in under four weeks.

My insurance company (AIG) definately keeps me under cover whilst on red plates.

A deposit of 2K baht is charged for the genuine red plates.

My guess is either your paperwork has been lost or the plates are sitting at the dealers waiting for you to collect them because no-one wants to pay the EMS to send them to you.

[Halo]

Tukylieth I buy cars all the time, I have recently bought a 13month old pick up with red plates still attached. Re registered it without a problem. Give the dealer some stick you should have it sorted within 3 months really. Correct about the restrictions though.

The red plate is a curtousy trade plate, if you lose them or they are stolen find out the replacement cost, you will need to lie down.

[Heng]

Sometimes the wait for your actual plates is even longer if you request a personalized plate. It could be several months to a year if choose numbers that are in demand. If you want AA 111 but it's already been taken, you have to wait until enough cars are registered to where it is AB 111 and perhaps even longer.