New Bike Purchase - Requirements And Expectations?

[Genericnic]

Hi all

I'm relocating to Thailand in February 2011 and am doing some advanced planning. Never a bad thing, eh? I'll be living in Chiang Mai for at least the first year while I learn to speak Thai.

I've looked around through the various threads and haven't found anything that gives me a clear answer to the following questions:

1. If I go to a dealer to buy a new bike (I'm thinking of a Yamaha Nouvo Elegance 135cc or something similar, though that isn't set in stone), other than money and my passport (you need your passport to even take a dump, don't you? ), what am I required to have to make the purchase? By required, I mean legally required as opposed to what a particular dealer will let me get away with.

2. When I buy the bike, what should I expect to receive with the bike as part of the purchase price? Bill of sale? License plates? Registration (green book?)

3. From what I've read, it looks like you buy insurance from the dealer. Is that correct or am I reading the posts incorrectly? If you do, is that part of the purchase price or is it an add-on?

4. Finally, is there anything that I, as the owner, would have to do to make the bike legal, such as notifying the authorities, etc.?

If I have missed a prior thread that you think answers one or more of the questions, feel free to direct me there.

Many thanks

David

[billzant]

1. If I go to a dealer to buy a new bike (I'm thinking of a Yamaha Nouvo Elegance 135cc or something similar, though that isn't set in stone), other than money and my passport (you need your passport to even take a dump, don't you? ), what am I required to have to make the purchase? By required, I mean legally required as opposed to what a particular dealer will let me get away with

When I first bought my second-hand bike I had to buy it in the name of a Thai friend. After living in Thailand for 3 months I was legally able to transfer the bike in my name - I required a proof of residence letter from Immigration. Hire for 3 months then buy? Checkout wht happens in Chiang Mai, practises are different throughout the country.

2. When I buy the bike, what should I expect to receive with the bike as part of the purchase price? Bill of sale? License plates? Registration (green book?)

The Thai friend took me to the dealer who handled everything including insurance, and it came through in drips and drabs.

I have since bought a secod bike, and again the dealer handed everything.

[JusMe]

Money, passport with appropriate visa - apparently some land transportation departments will not accept tourist visas, so have something longer - plus certificate of residence or letter from your embassy attesting to your address in Thailand.

The dealer will handle most things for you, as he did for me (mine's a Nouvo Elegance purchased last September in Bangkok) He organised the insurance, which was an added price to the purchase, plus plates, and green book. You can get insurance on your own, but it's much easier just letting the dealer handle it all. Two years with a diminishing amount for theft or write-off.

Mine took a bit extra time as I had to run around for a copy of my house purchase (address) document. But we managed communication easily by email, and he organized sending the bike to me by Thai Postal Service.

The dealer will organize, as I mentioned, the registration. Mine's registered in Bangkok even though I'm living in Rayong. I've been told there's no problem with that, and might either leave it or next year, when the tax comes due on it, see about changing the bike's provincial rego. My motorbike driver's licence is for here in Rayong. Pretty good people at our land transportation department - busy and crowded, but they helped me out a lot.

[Genericnic]

Thanks billzant and JusMe. Very helpful information.

David

[MJo]

You wanted to know what you legally need to register the bike in your name (get green book in your name), so here it goes.

1. Passport

2. Non-immigrant visa (B, O, or ED are most common)

3. Proof of address (work permit, letter from your embassy, letter from immigration are your options)

Some LTD offices might register with tourist visa or with no visa but above is what the law says.

Insurance is fairly cheap and highly recommended to take full coverage, best you can get. You might get it cheaper elsewhere but to save the hassle your better off taking the first year or so from the dealer. You might be able to bargain a bit and maybe get something included in the price.

Once you get the bike you need to pay your road tax every year as well as renew your insurance. So once you get your green book from the dealer ask them to translate from your book to know when your next year taxes are due. Again, cost is peanuts but has to be done to keep you legit.

Next thing to take care of is local driving licence, i would get international DL from your home country before you move. It's valid up to 3 months after you arrive. After that you can get local DL with the same doc's as listed above + health cert from local doctor. You just convert your international DL to Thai one. If you dont have bike licence in your home country then you need to take the local written and practical test which is easy but takes a day to do.

Also note that in Thailand DL is separate for bike and car, so if you have both in your home country and in your internation DL then you get two Thai DL's. One for car and one for bike.

Good luck.

[Genericnic]

You wanted to know what you legally need to register the bike in your name (get green book in your name), so here it goes.

1. Passport

2. Non-immigrant visa (B, O, or ED are most common)

3. Proof of address (work permit, letter from your embassy, letter from immigration are your options)

Some LTD offices might register with tourist visa or with no visa but above is what the law says.

Insurance is fairly cheap and highly recommended to take full coverage, best you can get. You might get it cheaper elsewhere but to save the hassle your better off taking the first year or so from the dealer. You might be able to bargain a bit and maybe get something included in the price.

Once you get the bike you need to pay your road tax every year as well as renew your insurance. So once you get your green book from the dealer ask them to translate from your book to know when your next year taxes are due. Again, cost is peanuts but has to be done to keep you legit.

Next thing to take care of is local driving licence, i would get international DL from your home country before you move. It's valid up to 3 months after you arrive. After that you can get local DL with the same doc's as listed above + health cert from local doctor. You just convert your international DL to Thai one. If you dont have bike licence in your home country then you need to take the local written and practical test which is easy but takes a day to do.

Also note that in Thailand DL is separate for bike and car, so if you have both in your home country and in your internation DL then you get two Thai DL's. One for car and one for bike.

Good luck.

Hi MJo and thanks for the detailed information.

I'll be arriving with an international driver's license carrying a motorcycle endorsement so getting the Thai licenses should be fairly easy. Most likely, I'll do that before I buy the bike.

Glad you mentioned the road tax. I'm not sure I would have thought of that. I wonder if it similar to the annual registration we have to do here where you pay a fee and they give you a new sticker for your license plate to show that you have paid it?

Getting the first year insurance from the dealer seems to be the consensus so I'll probably do that.

I've heard various things where to get the proof of address. Other than the time factor, is there any benefit in getting done through the embassy rather than from immigration?

Thanks again.

David