New Phuket License Plates Set For B25mn Auction

[webfact]

New Phuket license plates set for B25mn auction

Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- The annual auction of special-edition Phuket license plates this year is hoped to raise 25 million baht for the national Road Safety Fund.

Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) chief Teerayut Prasertpol yesterday announced that 301 license plates will go under the hammer at The Metropole hotel in Phuket Town on April 28-29, starting at 9am.

“A total of 301 license plates with the Thai characters Gor Bor will be up for auction. The money raised from the auction will to the Road Safety Fund,” he said.

The Road Safety Fund conducts road-safety campaigns and provides assistance to road-accident victims.

Last year’s auction of Gor Nor license plates went well, with 576 people taking part, said Mr Teerayut.

“The most popular license plate [last year] was 9999, and it sold at the highest bid of 1.4 million baht, followed by license plate 8888 at a one million baht. The auction last year raised a total of 23,504,500 baht,” he added.

Mr Teerayut said many people had already registered for the auction this year, especially for license plates that have three or four repeating digits.

“About 60 people have already placed reserve bids for license plate numbers like these. We expect more people will bid on the day,” he said.

To take part in the auction, people can register at the PLTO in Phuket Town between 8:30am and 4pm, Monday to Friday, until April 27, or at the The Metropole hotel on the auction days April 28-29.

For more information, call the Car Registration Section at the PLTO at 076-211019, 076-214929, 080-6922557 or 086-4780898.

Source: http://www.facebook....uketGazette.net

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-04-04

[Rionoir]

I would've thought 555 would be the most popular... what's so special about 9999?

Can't believe people would pay this much for a license plate either, are they on crack? I mean I know Thai people can be extremely vain, but... 1.4 million baht for a license plate? I know they're not paying that just to donate to the Road Safety Fund. Crazies.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Rionoir

[laurentbkk]

Road safety Fund ? they have that in Thailand ?

[KhunVee]

I would've thought 555 would be the most popular... what's so special about 9999?

Can't believe people would pay this much for a license plate either, are they on crack? I mean I know Thai people can be extremely vain, but... 1.4 million baht for a license plate? I know they're not paying that just to donate to the Road Safety Fund. Crazies.

The number 9 is considered the most lucky number for Thai people.

And as the highest serie of numbers on a license plate are 4 digits,.... 4 x 9 = the most desired one.

thus 2 reasons,.....

1. Very lucky number on your car.

2. Show off BIG TIME with a very expensive license plate as everybody knows that you ain't got it cheap.

But let's say that reason number 2 is probably their highest priority,.... having the lucky number on your car is just the bonus here.

Edited April 4, 2012 by KhunVee

[Rionoir]

Thanks for the explanation KhunVee! Never heard that about the number 9 in all my time here. But I agree that number 2 is probably the top reason. They probably will even attach their receipt to the license plate so everyone knows. =P

[steelepulse]

Many Asian countries auction off license plate numbers.