Titling A Bike In Thailand

[Gonsalviz]

I am buying an HD Road King from the HD Dealer in BKK. I have already made the down payment and am waiting until August to pick it up.

Do I have to have a Thai Driving license and an "O" visa?

I am married to a Thai. I don't mind registering it in her name but I may want to cross borders without her.

I am not currently living in Thailand but I can get an "O" visa easy by going to Laos. Where I am located it would be impossible for me to have one on arrival.

Anyone know these things?

[Gonsalviz]

Nobody?

[ttakata]

I have no idea regarding the visa, I have an Ed visa, but cops never ask or care about my passport. Although I have a copy of my PP and greenbook on the bike, when I pull out my Thai license the BKK cops know I live here permanently and never ask for more info. Just having a Harley will get you pulled over since they know you have money so I recommend you get a Thai DL. Enjoy the bike soon!

[ttakata]

Oh yeah in regards to titling it, I would think the dealer would know and handle all the paperwork for you. You can do a search for title transfers and buying new bikes and maybe find out more with the visa.

[William Osborne]

you need a letter from emigration saying you reside here for the title transfer... don't need a thai license or o visa

[JohnLeech]

Immigration, I think!

You can usually get a Thai driving licence on a tourist visa, but not a "visa on arrival", but it does depend (inevitably) on the office. Usually when you renew the licence you will only be allowed to renew it for one year on a tourist visa, while you can get 5 years on a non-imm.

I may have misunderstood your post, as your down payment may be a deposit prior to paying the balance in full, but if the bike is not in your name and it is on finance you may find it difficult (very difficult) taking it out of the country.

[troehr]

There are several problems you might run into. A visa on arrival is not good enough usually for buying a bike or getting a license. However this is Thailand and many things get done anyway. Getting a type O visa in Laos is not as easy as it used to be either. They are not really issuing them anymore, even though they can. It has to do with the amount of visa fraud lately. Taking a bike out of Thailand and into other countries opens a whole new area of problems. Having the bike in your name, with the proper paperwork and visa will probably make this much easier.

T

[katabeachbum]

There are several problems you might run into. A visa on arrival is not good enough usually for buying a bike or getting a license. However this is Thailand and many things get done anyway. Getting a type O visa in Laos is not as easy as it used to be either. They are not really issuing them anymore, even though they can. It has to do with the amount of visa fraud lately. Taking a bike out of Thailand and into other countries opens a whole new area of problems. Having the bike in your name, with the proper paperwork and visa will probably make this much easier.

T

no problem in BKK to title/reg bike on entrystamp or any kind of visa/permit to stay.

bike should be in your name to easily cross borders

[thaicbr]

Gonsa. You don't say what nationality you are. But If British you could send your passport to the Hull consul and get a tourist or Imm 'B' visa. If you are in the places i think you are then maybe you can nip over the border to Kuwait or Pakistan and go to the Thai consul there.

But for sure HD should know exactly what you require.

[JohnLeech]

Gonsa. You don't say what nationality you are. But If British you could send your passport to the Hull consul and get a tourist or Imm 'B' visa.

Only if you are in the UK! Although they may give you the visa even if a check of the passport shows that you are out of the country, and although you could have it mailed to a friend's address in the UK (they will not mail overseas as visas are only issued to those in the UK when applying), technically the visa is not valid if you are not in the UK when it is issued.

[LivinLOS]

Gonsa. You don't say what nationality you are. But If British you could send your passport to the Hull consul and get a tourist or Imm 'B' visa.

Only if you are in the UK! Although they may give you the visa even if a check of the passport shows that you are out of the country, and although you could have it mailed to a friend's address in the UK (they will not mail overseas as visas are only issued to those in the UK when applying), technically the visa is not valid if you are not in the UK when it is issued.

Its perfectly legal to apply for a Thai visa in hull from anywhere in the world except Thailand.. Hull confirm this and are happy to process it, they even used to post them back overseas but some cheap buggers ruined it by not paying for courier, lost passports and it made a real complex issue.

For years I just went on holiday, posted them one of my passports while I wasnt in Thailand, and get it mailed back via family in the UK, Hull were informed every time I was out of the UK.

[Gonsalviz]

Thanks for the help. I got some good info.

If only I could get the dealer to reply to my e mails.