Bike Ownership Once Visa Runs Out

[thaieagle67]

I own 2 bikes and stay in Thailand on a Married O Visa. Does anyone know if you can continue to tax and insure a bike without a valid visa?

[thaieagle67]

Maybe i should be more specific. My work schedule means that i don't really need a yearly visa, as i am in and out of the country very regular throughout a year, so was thinking of just reverting back to a tourist visa, each time i came in. So with this further info, is it still possible to own and run a bike legally?

[guzzi850m2]

I am pretty sure you can, hell in Pattaya you can even buy a vehicle on a 3 month tourist visa.

When you do the yearly tax and insurance they will only be interested in the green book and not care about your visa (as long as you don't overstay).

[wana]

i bought a 2nd hand bike yesterday and done the owner changing stuff at jatujak land transport office in about 1 hour

with the previous owner

they wanted a copy of :

ID card from thai previous owner signed by him

green book

passport and visa of new owner signed by me

work permit or a proof of address from embassy (total money racket 840 thb for a piece of paper )

sales tax paid on the sale price @ 50 or 100 thb per every 10,000thb of sale value ) + administation fee

after the bike was checked by the mechanics ...(they checked frame number against engine number etc ,even checked to make sure our brake lights and indicators were all working )

the sale was allowed to commence ...

not sure what would happen if my visa was expired though ,probably nothing 500 thb couldnt fix .......TIT

Edited September 3, 2011 by wana

[guzzi850m2]

When I recently sold my HD they also wanted proof of address from immigration (for me), not embassy but I guess is, that this all change from province to province.

To get residence certificate in Pattaya, you need either a rental contract from the person you rent condo/house from, or copy of house book.

[thaicbr]

just get your local insurance office or test place (yellow gear cog on blue sign) to do it for you.. so much easier for about 100b extra

[ScubaBuddha]

Basically what wana said above is correct, but I'll add some to it.

Not only do you not need a current visa to tax, you don't even need to be the person in the book. LTD just wants the money. (And to see the book). Lots of people leave the book in the previous owners name and just tax it every year, especially if there is some obstacle preventing them from in changing name. Perfectly legal.

When selling the bike, you do, however, need to show you are legally able to be in Thailand (even if you physically aren't) when you change the name from yours to a new buyer. By this I mean if you aren't present for the transfer, as long as the new buyer has the title transfer form signed by you, power of attorney form signed by you, and a signed copy of your passport with current visa or visa exempt stamp even if you have already left the country, the new buyer can transfer the bike to their name. (As mentioned buyer needs WP or letter of residency obtainable at immigration with your rental contract. 200B was the price last time I did this at immigration. 800B is a scam. A copy of tabian baan with note from landlord works too) Having said that, many have reported this not being an issue. I had a problem getting a bike in my name once because the farang seller had left the country and the copy of the visa of which I had a signed copy was expired. After some pleading the finally said no problem, but maybe that was because they new there were bigger problems which would prevent me from changing the name, like showing 1 cyl. when it was 4, or having miss-matched engine and frame numbers.

[thaieagle67]

Thanks for the reply's guys. It looks like i have everything covered. I am looking to sell one of the bikes, so i now know what is required for that as well, so 2 birds with one stone. Cheers

[LeCharivari]

....When you do the yearly tax and insurance they will only be interested in the green book and not care about your visa (as long as you don't overstay).

No reason why they should care or know about any overstay - as has been pointed out, anyone with the green book can renew the tax and insurance.

...When selling the bike, you do, however, need to show you are legally able to be in Thailand (even if you physically aren't) when you change the name from yours to a new buyer. By this I mean if you aren't present for the transfer, as long as the new buyer has the title transfer form signed by you, power of attorney form signed by you, and a signed copy of your passport with current visa or visa exempt stamp even if you have already left the country, the new buyer can transfer the bike to their name. ...I had a problem getting a bike in my name once because the farang seller had left the country and the copy of the visa of which I had a signed copy was expired.

If someone has a "visa exempt stamp" (often known as a visa on arrival) and they have "already left the country" their visa/exemption/permission to stay was cancelled when they left.

Phuket appears to operate its own set of rules as this may be a problem/requirement there, but a valid visa for the seller is not a DLT requirement elsewhere; as long as the other paperwork you listed is signed and in date (including the seller's passport, but not their visa) the transfer can be made .

[wana]

....When you do the yearly tax and insurance they will only be interested in the green book and not care about your visa (as long as you don't overstay).

"No reason why they should care or know about any overstay" - as has been pointed out, anyone with the green book can renew the tax and insurance.

i would be rather nervous doing anything in a government building if i was in thailand illegaly on a overstayed visa ,99% chance they wont know or care

but its still a crime and its still taken seriously by the immigration police ,just ask any of the hundreds or is it thousands of farangs who are in the

IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTRE for a couple of months awaiting to be deported

i would get a thai friend or pay a third party company to go in and re-new it to save the worry if my visa was expired

[katabeachbum]

....When you do the yearly tax and insurance they will only be interested in the green book and not care about your visa (as long as you don't overstay).

No reason why they should care or know about any overstay - as has been pointed out, anyone with the green book can renew the tax and insurance.

...When selling the bike, you do, however, need to show you are legally able to be in Thailand (even if you physically aren't) when you change the name from yours to a new buyer. By this I mean if you aren't present for the transfer, as long as the new buyer has the title transfer form signed by you, power of attorney form signed by you, and a signed copy of your passport with current visa or visa exempt stamp even if you have already left the country, the new buyer can transfer the bike to their name. ...I had a problem getting a bike in my name once because the farang seller had left the country and the copy of the visa of which I had a signed copy was expired.

If someone has a "visa exempt stamp" (often known as a visa on arrival) and they have "already left the country" their visa/exemption/permission to stay was cancelled when they left.

Phuket appears to operate its own set of rules as this may be a problem/requirement there, but a valid visa for the seller is not a DLT requirement elsewhere; as long as the other paperwork you listed is signed and in date (including the seller's passport, but not their visa) the transfer can be made .

the reg book is not required to pay tax and get sticker, a copy or print from CAR1Q is sufficient. Anyone can do it, with one of these three in hand, so to OP, no problem.

Several DLT require farang sellers valid permit to stay to accept transfer, and all DLT tend to change requirements as new head ponchos are appointed, like new PM just has done.

A few DLT have required certificate of residence from farang sellers, and a few require to see original passport from buyer to compare with copies