New Laws For Red Plates Introduced

[Farma]

<snip>

The reason you can't drive with red plates after dark is as obvious as the nose on your face.......... Can I ask why on earth did you let the dealer away with it?......don't have to be able to speak Thai to go to you local cop station and complain about the dealer who was legally bound to supply the plates within the given period.

I previously posted this 29 feb 08.

I found this September 28, 2002 reply to a question on red plates in the Phuket Gazette issues/answers page. There may have been changes to the law since then.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/issuesanswers...ails.asp?id=391

“New cars are issued with red plates and are allowed to be driven only between sunrise and sunset because none of the registration information for that car has been registered with the government yet.

You are allowed to drive your car at night only when it has been issued white license plates.

If you see new cars with red plates being driven around at night unchecked, it is because we are being lenient; it is not a right. However, if you travel in other provinces, you will pass many police checkpoints where officers may not be so lenient.

The Phuket Provincial Transportation Office (PPTO) can issue white plates for cars in less than two hours. However, the delay comes from the dealer in providing all the correct details and documents to register the car.

That said, if you would like to drive your car at night or in another province, you can contact the dealership that sold you the car and have the dealer apply to the Chief of the PPTO on your behalf for permission to do so.

Please note that you will need to provide specific details of where and when you want to drive the car.

If the Chief of the PPTO grants you permission, he will sign in the car registration book both his permission and how long his permission will stand.

For more information, please contact Pathai Puchadapirom, Chief Registrar of the PPTO. Tel: 076-211019 ext 22.”

Saturday, September 28, 2002 Terayout Prasertphol, Technical Officer, Phuket Provincial Transportation Office."

[Bobr]

Actually Thais are very proud if they can afford a brand new vehicle and they love to how it keeping their red license plate as long as they possibly can, we know a thai BMW Series 3 owner who accepts to pay 'fines' as long as possible, he doesn't want to change for a white license plate, its over a year now and he still proudly presents his 'brandnew' car

Man someone help me, I got a ticket everytime I drove my new toyoto with the red plates. It took for ever to get the new white ones (at least 2 1/2 months or more) We did a lot of travelling and never stopped before dark. I just can't understand why you cannot drive at night with red plates. My girl friend could not explain it to me and the dealer did not speak english so had a problem. Every policeman I ran into looked at those plates if it was after 6PM and either a bribe or ticket was given. If they change it again how do you get those dealer type to get off their keawsters and get the tags for you. I plan to purchase a new truck soon and will go throught this again.

The red plates really are "show off" plates and some people really do leave them on as long as they can. It's also rare to see an extremely expensive car here (Porsche, Bentley, Ferrari etc) that does not have a red plate on it. Some of the gray market motorcycles are ridden with red plates permanently. This law makes sense, and is nothing to be upset about. That said, there will undoubtedly be problems with innocent people being cited/fined while the show offs and idiots who need a law such as this to prompt them to put a proper plate on their vehicle got off free.

I was also stopped several times during the month my car had red plates, 3 times on one trip between Sukhothai and Pattaya. Every time, the police let me go without a fine or ticket when I showed them the purchase paperwork and that it was only a few weeks old.

Edited July 27, 2010 by Bobr

[taichiplanet]

The Thai link given by the OP is to the sanook website. No offense but without proof i believe what is said on that website about as much as what people say on this one! Can someone give the link to the DLT that states these new rules in Thai please. If you have an english translation that would be nice too!

Here is a link from 2 years ago, although it mentions that white plates can be issued in one day it doesn't mention about a limit of use for 1mth/3,000 kms.

http://www.dlt.go.th/th/attachments/2551/329_152-2551.pdf

I find it hard to believe that they can issue in one day. It took me 2 weeks to transfer a bike from another province. I bought a new bike a couple of weeks ago and the dealer is saying 3 months; which is a bit of a joke. 2-4 weeks seems to be 'normal' to get the white plate, for bikes anyway.

[snowflake]

I have changed cars a few times over the last years, usually I keep my 666 plate on the car, when I take that off I have to go to the transport department... They check the car and I am out of there within 1 hour with new plates on the car... I did that with the Triton, the Yaris, The Jazz is comming soon...

The blame for the slow process have to be put on the dealers, they can be very very slow...

I bought my 2 door vigo in october, I got my plate at the end of february... I had no plates for that time... Not sure what would happen if there was an accident or something, but I guess Toyta would have to be creative then...

BUT

There are some Thai's out there that I know who has had their cars for 1 or 2 years, still driving with their red plates... (they do have their 9999 plate then)... They should be fined...

1 month is not always enough time for dealers (don't understand why but...) and it should not be limited to Km... as you drive from Had Yai to Bangers twice and you are over.. 2 months should be given, that is enough time for everyone, after that, if the company is not ready, they should hand you a letter or something stating that it is not ready and the police could go and pick up the fine at the dealer (the BIB's would like that)...

[snowflake]

Hey, that 666 is not on the VIGO... so it might be the fact that I need that number on there to avoid playing bumper car all the time!!!

[Bobr]

We used to have a Highway 666 in America, it ran from Western New Mexico up into Colorado. The religious kooks actually forced through a change in the number of this highway because of the devil thing. Incredibly stupid, especially when you have last years map. Sorry for the subject deviation, but I thought the comment was worthwhile.

[katabeachbum]

Most dealers have a interest free credit from supplier/manufactorer/importer, 1-6 months. Until invoice is payed, vehicle can not be registered.

In addition dealer must invoice vehicle to customer, which implicates VAT to be payed by dealer to excise.

Road tax must be payed.

When the 3 above are completed, dealer can easily obtain white plates and book same day as presented docs to LTD. Inspection is not needed for new homoleg vehicles.

Some dealers delay this as long as possible, and keep customers/financecompanies cash and suppliers interest free credit. Makes the wheels go around.

So far redplates have been max 90 days, and max 1000 baht fine. Now its gonna hurt

[Briggsy]

I've been waiting 6 weeks which by the sounds of it is not that long. The woman in the small branch of the dealership is totally unhelpful.

Is there anything I can do to speed things along? For example, phoning the Head Office of the dealership or contacting the Land Transport Department. Is it just a case of waiting?

I have no log book either. Should I have one of these as I am talking about a motorbike?

[transam]

I've been waiting 6 weeks which by the sounds of it is not that long. The woman in the small branch of the dealership is totally unhelpful.

Is there anything I can do to speed things along? For example, phoning the Head Office of the dealership or contacting the Land Transport Department. Is it just a case of waiting?

I have no log book either. Should I have one of these as I am talking about a motorbike?

As long as you have the official paper with stamp saying up to 60 days for plate manufacture for the BiB your OK, BUT we waited ages to find ours to find they were on a shelf at the licensing office. They didn't phone, so you could go to the office to see if they have the plate.

[Briggsy]

So, just as an experiment, I visited

i) the local Land Transport Office. They listened. They expressed surprise that I had already waited 6 weeks saying that was too long to wait for a motorcycle registration. Then they had a little conference. Their advice was I should contact the police and take a policeman down to the dealership. (I won't be doing this).

ii) the Head Office of the Dealership. They listened. They assured me that all new motorcycle registrations take 3 months. I reminded them of the new law. They said the police fully understand that new registrations take 3 months and I had no need to worry. (The implication being the law would not be enforced).

So there you have it, the Land Transport Office claims 6 weeks is "way too long" while the dealer claims 3 months is "the minimum". One would have to be drawn to the conclusion that the dealership is enjoying a 3-month interest-free loan. There may be more to it than this but clearly the 2 statements appear to contradict each other.

[katabeachbum]

So, just as an experiment, I visited

i) the local Land Transport Office. They listened. They expressed surprise that I had already waited 6 weeks saying that was too long to wait for a motorcycle registration. Then they had a little conference. Their advice was I should contact the police and take a policeman down to the dealership. (I won't be doing this).

ii) the Head Office of the Dealership. They listened. They assured me that all new motorcycle registrations take 3 months. I reminded them of the new law. They said the police fully understand that new registrations take 3 months and I had no need to worry. (The implication being the law would not be enforced).

So there you have it, the Land Transport Office claims 6 weeks is "way too long" while the dealer claims 3 months is "the minimum". One would have to be drawn to the conclusion that the dealership is enjoying a 3-month interest-free loan. There may be more to it than this but clearly the 2 statements appear to contradict each other.

all new registration take a few hours, but most dealers deliver applications one day, and pick up next day. I have done some myself, and its never been more than one hour.

what takes time is to pay supplier/maker/importer for bike while its on interest free credit, issue sales invoice by dealer (taxes/vat to be payed), and pay road tax.

previously it was 90 days, and a policeofficer needed after that, now its 30 days, higher fines, and policeofficer needed. Usually a call from Police is sufficient to speed things up

[Malice in Wonderland]

On Samui there is a Mercedes E-Class (W124 shape, 1985-1996) that is STILL on red plates !! Surely a record ?

[LeCharivari]

........all new registration take a few hours, but most dealers deliver applications one day, and pick up next day. I have done some myself, and its never been more than one hour..........

You must have a very co-operative and efficient LTD in Phuket.

In Chonburi it takes one week to make a simple change to the original registration book, changing the registration from an original Chonburi plate to a private Chonburi plate, and two to three weeks to register a new vehicle - and those are the official times, after all the correct paperwork has been presented approved by Bangkok, taxes paid, etc.

"one hour" ? Not in this province!

[katabeachbum]

........all new registration take a few hours, but most dealers deliver applications one day, and pick up next day. I have done some myself, and its never been more than one hour..........

You must have a very co-operative and efficient LTD in Phuket.

In Chonburi it takes one week to make a simple change to the original registration book, changing the registration from an original Chonburi plate to a private Chonburi plate, and two to three weeks to register a new vehicle - and those are the official times, after all the correct paperwork has been presented approved by Bangkok, taxes paid, etc.

"one hour" ? Not in this province!

glad something is more efficient in Phuket

usually they want you to come back after 2 days to pick up transfer of secondhand ownership, or change of number on plate within Province, but if you need it asap, they do this in an hour too

Transfer from another province including new Phuket numberplate takes 7 days though, probably cause thats how long it takes to send docs from the other Province

All these DLT effeciency and rules applied depends on the boss.

Phuket also now allows drivers lisence on any kind of visa

[mdechgan]

In fact new plates only take one day to receive them. All you have to do is go by yourself. The finance company and dealers are the ones that take forever.

[katabeachbum]

In fact new plates only take one day to receive them. All you have to do is go by yourself. The finance company and dealers are the ones that take forever.

yeah, I v done it only twice myself, both times it took couple of months to get docs from finance and dealer, and an hour to get book and plate

new law requires max 30 days, so dealers and finance really need to start working

its a co op. dealer dont want to pay supplier before interest free credit expires, cause when payed also taxes must be payed. finance dont want to pay dealer before invoice issued. both make money on being slow

[thaicbr]

AS far as i understand it... The dealer can not get the plates until they get some documents from the manufacturer... The problem occurs when the dealer is selling stock that is not fully paid for therefore they haven't got the paperwork until it is fully paid... many dealers will take as long as possible to pay the manufacturer so keeping the money in their own accounts..

That is the problem

(well that's what i was told anyway)