Buying Bike With Invoice But No Green Book

[Smithson]

I'm looking at dirt bike that has an invoice but no green book. I won't be taking it on main roads so am not worried about registration, however I'm concerned about whether the invoice is genuine and what is needed for a transfer of sale (standard Thai sale agreement?). Any pitfalls or suggestions how to proceed? Thanks.

[SamuiHomemadeFood]

Before getting into pies and pasties I was into bikes. Without a book you are just buying a bike. You give the guy the money and he gives you the bike. If you want then get a copy of his ID and get him to sign it. Other than that nothing is needed. If you are just using the bike off road you shouldn't have any problems. Your only problem is without a book you do not know what you are buying. It could be stolen or the import papers could be forged etc. One option is to pay a local friendly BIB to go with you to check it out. Up to you though as they say here. Good luck

[Richard-BKK]

You need to check if all import taxes are paid for the motorcycle, for the Thai revenue department, it doesn't matter if you're on the road or on private land with the motorcycle – if they have the idea that the import taxes are not fully paid they come to confiscate the bike.

Edited June 15, 2010 by Richard-BKK

[shark4thailand]

You need to check if all import taxes are paid for the motorcycle, for the Thai revenue department, it doesn't matter if you're on the road or on private land with the motorcycle – if they have the idea that the import taxes are not fully paid they come to confiscate the bike.

Dear All,

Would you buy a vehicule without document in your own country ? i don't think so

it is the same story here.

If the bike does not have the proper document, there is a big chance that it has been stolen, or imported illegaly in Thailand.so you will be in trouble.

The size of the road does not matter, if the bike is illegal, you cannot ride it on any road in Thailand.

Try to look for a bike with proper document, then you will sleep better.

Don't even buy a bike in shop if the bike is not registered, there is a big chance that you will never see the document,and that the police will impound the bike.

if you look around bike forum in thailand, you will see dozens of guys who bought bike without document and now they don't know what to do with it.

best regards

Sylvain /shark

[LivinLOS]

Dear All,

Would you buy a vehicule without document in your own country ? i don't think so

it is the same story here.

Erm dirt bikes ?? of course..

I must have had 10 or more dirtbikes in my teens, not one of them had any papers at all..

Thats just how it is 'in my own country' papers are for road going vehicles.. Off road bikes second hand didnt have any.

[katabeachbum]

Dear All,

Would you buy a vehicule without document in your own country ? i don't think so

it is the same story here.

Erm dirt bikes ?? of course..

I must have had 10 or more dirtbikes in my teens, not one of them had any papers at all..

Thats just how it is 'in my own country' papers are for road going vehicles.. Off road bikes second hand didnt have any.

Thai customs still want to see duties payed, so no genuine importdocs, expect it to be confisacted at some point, even offroad or just in a works shop or in "owners" carport

[LivinLOS]

Dear All,

Would you buy a vehicule without document in your own country ? i don't think so

it is the same story here.

Erm dirt bikes ?? of course..

I must have had 10 or more dirtbikes in my teens, not one of them had any papers at all..

Thats just how it is 'in my own country' papers are for road going vehicles.. Off road bikes second hand didnt have any.

Thai customs still want to see duties payed, so no genuine importdocs, expect it to be confisacted at some point, even offroad or just in a works shop or in "owners" carport

Oh I totally agree.. I was responding to the 'would you do that at home' erm yeah I would, because we dont have such paranoia about import taxes and a system that works on controlling them.

[Richard-BKK]

For a dirt bike the whole paperwork is much more complicated, if all import taxes are paid for a road bike you just can look on page 18 of your greenbook and you know all. But a dirt-bike, most of the time, doesn't come with greenbooks - so paperwork is often a small Tax Receipt from the Thai Revenue Department.

And the tax receipts are not printed on the best of paper and plasticizing them makes them invalid... One of the main reasons I sold my dedicated dirt-bike and went for a Honda CRF450X...(with legal greenbook and tax completely paid)

[monster25]

If you have the import papers and the bike wasnt stolen its only a matter of money and you can get a book.

I paid a thai shop 80K to make a book on one of my bikes and didnt have a problem.

With a dirt bike if you had the import papers and the excise tax paid they wont be legaly able to take it from you.

To get the excise tax paid take your import papers and a stensil of your frame and engine number, take pictures of your bike from each side and back and front. Take it to what ever they call there motor office and they will look the price up in their book, pay them and you are done,

I paid about 18,000 baht to do my suzuki 1000 sport bike

Edited June 15, 2010 by monster25

[Richard-BKK]

If you have the import papers and the bike wasnt stolen its only a matter of money and you can get a book.

I paid a thai shop 80K to make a book on one of my bikes and didnt have a problem.

With a dirt bike if you had the import papers and the excise tax paid they wont be legaly able to take it from you.

To get the excise tax paid take your import papers and a stensil of your frame and engine number, take pictures of your bike from each side and back and front. Take it to what ever they call there motor office and they will look the price up in their book, pay them and you are done,

I paid about 18,000 baht to do my suzuki 1000 sport bike

Greenbook for a dirt-bike is currently impossible, the reasons - most dirt-bikes do not have lights, second and most important dirt-bikes do not pass the Thai exhaust emission rules....

[mixed]

Thanks for the helpful info. I now have a copies of several documents, mostly in Thai. How can I tell which is the invoice and which one would be for import (excise) tax?

Should the present owner's name appear on any of the documents? I'm a little concerned that somebody may turn up a few days after I buy it claiming to be the owner.

[monster25]

If you have the import papers and the bike wasnt stolen its only a matter of money and you can get a book.

I paid a thai shop 80K to make a book on one of my bikes and didnt have a problem.

With a dirt bike if you had the import papers and the excise tax paid they wont be legaly able to take it from you.

To get the excise tax paid take your import papers and a stensil of your frame and engine number, take pictures of your bike from each side and back and front. Take it to what ever they call there motor office and they will look the price up in their book, pay them and you are done,

I paid about 18,000 baht to do my suzuki 1000 sport bike

Greenbook for a dirt-bike is currently impossible, the reasons - most dirt-bikes do not have lights, second and most important dirt-bikes do not pass the Thai exhaust emission rules....

Lots of dirt bikes have books.

All he needs is the excise tax to be done if he has the import papers

[katabeachbum]

If you have the import papers and the bike wasnt stolen its only a matter of money and you can get a book.

I paid a thai shop 80K to make a book on one of my bikes and didnt have a problem.

With a dirt bike if you had the import papers and the excise tax paid they wont be legaly able to take it from you.

To get the excise tax paid take your import papers and a stensil of your frame and engine number, take pictures of your bike from each side and back and front. Take it to what ever they call there motor office and they will look the price up in their book, pay them and you are done,

I paid about 18,000 baht to do my suzuki 1000 sport bike

Greenbook for a dirt-bike is currently impossible, the reasons - most dirt-bikes do not have lights, second and most important dirt-bikes do not pass the Thai exhaust emission rules....

Lots of dirt bikes have books.

All he needs is the excise tax to be done if he has the import papers

and a 80k emission -test.

all new bikes in LOS now qualify or is better than California emission. If the bike is not Calif spec, it needs to be moded to pass

[nikster]

Just be aware that the bike is worth much, much less without book, that's all.

A dirt bike for the backroads for 20k, yeah why not, my neighbor just got a little 2 stroke beasty like this. No one will check you if you just ride around the dirt tracks. Just don't take it on the road, and don't believe anyone who tells you that "they can get you a green book in a month". That's never going to happen. Lots of bikes are sold with this promise, and it's rarely kept. Because fudged green books, apart from the obvious problems, are actually pretty hard to come by.

[monster25]

If you have the import papers and the bike wasnt stolen its only a matter of money and you can get a book.

I paid a thai shop 80K to make a book on one of my bikes and didnt have a problem.

With a dirt bike if you had the import papers and the excise tax paid they wont be legaly able to take it from you.

To get the excise tax paid take your import papers and a stensil of your frame and engine number, take pictures of your bike from each side and back and front. Take it to what ever they call there motor office and they will look the price up in their book, pay them and you are done,

I paid about 18,000 baht to do my suzuki 1000 sport bike

Greenbook for a dirt-bike is currently impossible, the reasons - most dirt-bikes do not have lights, second and most important dirt-bikes do not pass the Thai exhaust emission rules....

Lots of dirt bikes have books.

All he needs is the excise tax to be done if he has the import papers

and a 80k emission -test.

all new bikes in LOS now qualify or is better than California emission. If the bike is not Calif spec, it needs to be moded to pass

There is no 80K emission tests, yes there is a emission test.

I have a mate that had his own bike shop. he tells me if you do all the running around the book is around 56K the rest you are paying is kick backs or just getting over charged. If you allready have the excise tax paid that should reduce the cost of the book by 10 to 20K depending on the bike.

[LivinLOS]

There is no 80K emission tests, yes there is a emission test.

I have a mate that had his own bike shop. he tells me if you do all the running around the book is around 56K the rest you are paying is kick backs or just getting over charged. If you allready have the excise tax paid that should reduce the cost of the book by 10 to 20K depending on the bike.

28k for the test IIRC.. But if you dont have it 'paid for' it wont pass. So budget some bribe money too.

56k might cover a 250 - 400.. But not a 1000c costs alone on that get up to 80k.. A few bribes and grease and there you go.

[monster25]

There is no 80K emission tests, yes there is a emission test.

I have a mate that had his own bike shop. he tells me if you do all the running around the book is around 56K the rest you are paying is kick backs or just getting over charged. If you allready have the excise tax paid that should reduce the cost of the book by 10 to 20K depending on the bike.

28k for the test IIRC.. But if you dont have it 'paid for' it wont pass. So budget some bribe money too.

56k might cover a 250 - 400.. But not a 1000c costs alone on that get up to 80k.. A few bribes and grease and there you go.

Yes I paid 80K to book a shadow 1100

What I am tring to say is if you have all ready paid the excise tax it will not have to be paid when you make the book as this tax is normaly added into the book cost

And 56k was doing the leg work yourself and cutting out the shop so one less person taking a cut

Edited June 16, 2010 by monster25

[katabeachbum]

There is no 80K emission tests, yes there is a emission test.

I have a mate that had his own bike shop. he tells me if you do all the running around the book is around 56K the rest you are paying is kick backs or just getting over charged. If you allready have the excise tax paid that should reduce the cost of the book by 10 to 20K depending on the bike.

28k for the test IIRC.. But if you dont have it 'paid for' it wont pass. So budget some bribe money too.

56k might cover a 250 - 400.. But not a 1000c costs alone on that get up to 80k.. A few bribes and grease and there you go.

Yes I paid 80K to book a shadow 1100

What I am tring to say is if you have all ready paid the excise tax it will not have to be paid when you make the book as this tax is normaly added into the book cost

And 56k was doing the leg work yourself and cutting out the shop so one less person taking a cut

sorry, bad wording

80k to get semi-legal book including emisiontest. 80k is much for a dirt bike. I say semi-legal, cause bike must be moded to pass emision, and then mods removed again, so emision will fail on next test.

Of course no 2-strokes will pass LOS emission test

[thaicbr]

so emision will fail on next test.

But as there is never a next test thats no problem. I've been to 4 transport offices so far and all have the equipment but none use it.

[katabeachbum]

so emision will fail on next test.

But as there is never a next test thats no problem. I've been to 4 transport offices so far and all have the equipment but none use it.

cause they are lazy, and dont need to enter test results into computer before transfer or approval. So far its random, soon its routine. I just bought one more Ninja 650R secondhand, and on transfer here in Phuket they even take pictures of every big bike being transfered, and enter mods, pictures etc into computer and make a note in books page 18. Glad I didnt take the chance to have it inspected with Arrow can. Would have failed or payed

They also search Internet for ads for this bike and similar bikes before accepting transfer.

Edited June 17, 2010 by katabeachbum