Buying A Used Car

[Larryst]

I put money down on a used car and I told the thai guy I would pay the balance in one week. What paperwork do I have to get or do? So it can be registering to me. I live in a northern district province. Do I have to do with anything with immigration, or just do the paperwork in the province?

Thanks for any help with this.

[chanchao]

You need a statement from Immigration stating where you live. Easy to get. And you need to be on a non-immigrant visa.

If any of this proves a challenge then transfer it to a friends name first; you do want to make sure that it CAN be transferred.

Best to check these things before paying deposits. Is the seller taking care of changing ownership?

[Larryst]

You need a statement from Immigration stating where you live. Easy to get. And you need to be on a non-immigrant visa.

If any of this proves a challenge then transfer it to a friends name first; you do want to make sure that it CAN be transferred.

Best to check these things before paying deposits. Is the seller taking care of changing ownership?

I'll be in Pattaya on the 7th and get the statement from immigration. I also have to renew my retirement visa at the same time. The thai guy that is selling the car, said he would pay for the transfer and insurance.

Thanks for the help.

Edited February 4, 2006 by Larryst

[Sheryl]

He needs to give you a form stating the sale (don't know what it's called in Thai) plus the tabien rod.

The last car I bought was registered in a different province and for some reason that complicates matters, someone had to travel to where it waqs registered to get it re-registered in my province (seller did this; I paid a little extra for his time and travel).

One word of caution though, for those (like me) who live in a province with few foreigners, the motor vehicle dept may not know the procedure and may insist you have to have your name in a tabien ban, which of course foreigners aren't allowed to have. In my case I was sent from official to official and no one knew what to do in the absence of a tabien ban, finally someone was found who said I just needed proof of residence, which is what immigration will supply but again in my case, I don't live near an immigration office (none in my province). Finally found a civil servant willing to actually look up the regs, and it turned out that in provinces without an immigration bureau the ampur could issue the letter, which is what I (not without initial diffiuclty at the ampur) finally did.

The above problems not likely to occur in any area with sizable foriegn population. But for those way out in the sticks, it's good to know the drill as you may have to teach it to them.

[ajahnlau]

You can also get a letter conf. res. from local police. Have used it for veh. reg. and drivers lic.