How To Transfer Vehicle Ownership & Registration?

[iang]

Can any member help please? I am looking at buying an old 'classic' car in Bangkok, as a private sale, to continue the hobby I used to have in a previous life.

What paperwork do I need to get the present owner to hand over & sign to effectively and legally transfer the ownership? If so, is there any paperwork I need to prepare in advance? When I bought a new car in Chiang Mai, the dealer did everything, so I have no 'hands on' experience.

The second part of the problem is that I live in Chiang Mai and the vehicle is registered in Bangkok & of course has Bangkok registration plates. How do I go about changing the registration from Bangkok to Chiang Mai & getting new Chiang Mai plates? Is this easily possible and what do I have to do, what paperwork is needed, where do I have to go and who & how much do I have to pay?

I would be most grateful for any insight & information any member can give, before I hand over the money!

[chaiyapoon]

Not that easy but can be done just likely will take time.

Don't hand over all the money until vehicle is successfully in your name.

This ensures the sellers co-operation as they will be needed at the local license office,when transfer is done and your name is added to the book.Tell them you will be moving the vehicle out of the province.The vehicle will then be inspected to check the details match the book.Paperwork will be completed and once the fees are paid should be ok.Will involve several hours and filling out forms and moving windows and a lot of waiting and best to have thai speaker with you.Everthing is still done longhand in ledgers etc.Is the car still on the road ie not for restoration?One of my mates got caught for sixteen years back tax on an old motorcycle.

Then you will at some point have to present the vehicle at your local office and have it inspected again!! they will check with the previous office and once they are happy will issue new plates after taking back the old ones.May be a delay waiting reply from first office so you may have to come back.Also make sure you have enough tools to change the plates.Include something sharp to make two holes in the thin alloy new plates.

[terdsak_12]

Not many people wil allow you to transfer the title into your name , and then pay for the car, just make sure you've got the correct transfer documents, you'll need: Blue registration/title document on the car, I.D card/House papers copy from the registered owner, and all the relevent transfer forms signed.

Easy process really.

It takes 15 days for notification from one transport dept to arrive from another, i.e. so you can change your plate.

[iang]

Thank you to both Chaiyapoon & Terdsak 12 foryour valuable input.

Sounds to be a messy / time consuming procedure, but quite possible! I agree though that I think it'd be pretty hard to get the owner to transfer the vehicle to my name without full payment! I wouldn't do it, so I guess one shouldn't expect the other guy to either!

Is it necessary that the current owner and I go together to the local motor vehicles office to do this paperwork? That may well be the solution?

Chaiyapoon - as far as I am aware, the vehicle is currently on the road, therefore there shouldn't be any back taxes payable (I hope!).

Tersak 12 - you say to get "all the relevent transfer forms signed". What are "all the relevent transfer forms"? I know of the 'Department of Land Transport Transfer (of ownership) Request' form. Is this the only one? Will they accept a photocopy of the original form which has been duly completed and signed or must it be an original form?

[COBBER]

Hi iang, Probably a good idea to take the previous owner to The Dept. of Transport when you do the paperwork if you can.

Also dont forget you will need a Certificate Of Residence from Immigration or your Embassy.

With the transfer of plates fron BKK to CM to be strictly legal you should do this but there are a lot that dont and this does not seem to be a big problem.