next week i take delivery of a new vehicle and it will have red plates for the first few weeks.

some thais have told me that a vehicle on red plates cannot be driven out of the province that the car was bought in and it is also illegal to drive after dark on red plates .

i see many red plated cars out at night and being used out of province.

i had never heard of these conditions before , is there any truth in them , are they old rules that may or may not be enforced depending on the whim of the police and their need at the time to extract fines ?

Yes, no driving ay night, and only in your cangwat...

But, TiT, na'?

I've broken all the rules many times and nothing happened.

Still, if you violate the rules, you're giving all your power to the cops to ###### with you... How lucky do you feel?

BTW, red plates are not a requirement, but most folks take them so as to be easily indentified as a New Car Owner... TiT, again

some thais have told me that a vehicle on red plates cannot be driven out of the province that the car was bought in and it is also illegal to drive after dark on red plates .

this are the people who do not use the lights at night on the bike, because they use too much battery!

i see many red plated cars out at night and being used out of province.

I bought my last car in Surin, red plates from BKK!!

depending on the whim of the police and their need at the time to extract fines ?

that has nothing to do with plates, some times they need a (few) beer(s) and the money for has to come somewhere from!

don't worry, you are fine with your plates, - and about police extracting money when I havn't done anything wrong?? I see it as compensation for the many times they did not catch me!!

Those restrictions are real and be sure you have a real red plate also as the sellers often do not have enough and provide a false plate to save money (usually can see as no raised seal) and you may have added troubles with police if they spot it.

Driving only permitted between 6.00am - 6.00pm and only within the province of the plates.

No big deal if you are stopped, 100-200 baht to the police

A few Thai companies keep all of their vehicles on red plates for the life of the vehicle to try and limit the amount a driver uses a vehicle for personal use.

As Ajarn said TIT

don't worry, you are fine with your plates, - and about police extracting money when I havn't done anything wrong?? I see it as compensation for the many times they did not catch me!! 

sounds about right.

thanks for the replies and information , its amazing that such restrictions on a new vehicle are still on the statute books.

don't worry, you are fine with your plates, - and about police extracting money when I havn't done anything wrong?? I see it as compensation for the many times they did not catch me!! 

sounds about right.

thanks for the replies and information , its amazing that such restrictions on a new vehicle are still on the statute books.

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It gives you time to learn how to drive.

The "red plate" BS. Why cant the department of supplying "white plates" get their act together and issue your permanent plates on the day that you pick up your new car?

I have lived in other 3rd world countries and bought new cars. On the day of pickup the dealer visits the registry with the paperwork and the fee. Then by the time I pick up my new car it has already got it s nice shiny new plates.

Why cant the department of supplying "white plates" get their act together and issue your permanent plates on the day that you pick up your new car?

probably because the chief under secretary at the department of red plates married the daughter of the minister of white plates and it wouldn't be in their interests to streamline the procedure.

could lead to problems at home.

Bought my Vigo one month ago in Phuket and am still on red plates and driving in ChiangMai now. I've encountered no problems, but ....

insisted the dealer in Phuket give me real red plates -- refundable deposit of 2,000 Baht required for this -- done.

With these plates driving out of province is allowed BUT no driving alowed after 6:00 PM.

I have generally followed this Dealer (and others') advice -- esp. when I heard that if you get on the wrong side of a particularly vicious cop, and you are driving after 6:00 PM, you could be not only paying some heavy fines, but could also have your car impounded indefinitely.

Hey, I don't need this kind of BS, so I'm following the rules.

New plates expected to arrive within 2 weeks. That's another big IF.

Why cant the department of supplying "white plates" get their act together and issue your permanent plates on the day that you pick up your new car?

probably because the chief under secretary at the department of red plates married the daughter of the minister of white plates and it wouldn't be in their interests to streamline the procedure.

could lead to problems at home.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that such a scenario might be considered one of the 'norms' here.

About 2 years ago on weekender to Bang Saen we travelled down in wifes mate new Missi-bitch Grandis (with all the attachments,big wheels etc)and stopped at the old Chonburi market (thai women-shop-same-same..mai co jai)

Abot 2 hours later..not too long dear...we were back in the motor and sure enough soon realised that some sod had nicked the spare tyre.

This was in the middle of the day (about 2-00pm)

Apparantly its a lot to do with the red plates identifying it as a new car and the owner not having time to pick up an old 2nd hand spare to stick under the back..........

If you request a custom plate, you sometimes takes 6 months or more before you number becomes available. (it's not just whatever department making the plates at a slow rate)

was told by toyota today that they can get me a white plate within 10 days.

Last year at Songkran I drove a new red-plated car through 4 provinces... from Chonburi to Korat. I was stopped by police at roadblocks 4 times on the way up (once for a breathalyser), and 6 times on the way back. Only once was I questioned about the number plates. As I had all the necessary paperwork and insurance documents in the car, the police paid them a cursory inspection then let me go.

May be it was because it was that time of year... when Thai people all go home to visit their families?

And my car was not the only red-plated vehicle on the road that was out of province of registration.

Just as an aside, no fines on the way up, fine every time on the way back. Guess the police had spent all their salaries during Sonkran huh?

I bought my last car in Surin, red plates from BKK!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well tough.

You just have to go and live in Bangkok for 3 months until the real plates

are issued.

A few years back I saw a red plate car climbing the hill to the Casino at Ghenting,

outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

don't worry too much 100baht would solve any trouble you might run in