A friend of mine is selling a motorcycle but has already returned to France and his Thai Visa has since expired. The man who is trying to purchase the motorcycle was able to obtain all of the necessary paperwork for the transaction before my friend left to France, but he is being told that because my French friend's Thai Visa has since expired it cannot be done. Surley this cannot be true. Has anyone else had something like this come up?

Likely True.

Nowadays the foreign seller also needs the residence paper from immigration to allow the transfer of the bike, and I doubt such paper isvalid after the expiry date of his visa.

The new owner can extend the tax and gov. insurance and keep driving it, and hope the previous owner someday returns. If not he'll not be able to sell the bike...

Sent from my GT-I9001 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

And if he never comes back to Thailand, then what? Is the motorcycle just in some kind of perpetual limbo? There must be a solution, this can't be the only time this has happend.

dont know, but i had the same issue and the transfer went through no problem

"If not he'll not be able to sell the bike..."

If nothing else, he could sell the bike and the new owner would be in the same situation as he's in.

It should be possible to do by the present owner giving full power of attorney to someone else that is in Thailand. There is no legal requirement to be in Thailand for that. Even the land department accepts it for land transactions.

The Dept of Land Transportation is well known for this kind of inflexibility. Surprisingly they can suddenly be made to be quite flexible if "treated" the right way.

I'm sure some money will fix that in a few minutes.-

I am in the same situation with my motorbike.

Go to motorcycle shop or agent, instead of doing yourself. It will cost you some tea money but can be done. I had similar problem cost me 6000 baht, but mine was a 600cc chopper. If its only a scooter you may as well leave in previous owners name and just keep using. No problems to carry on taxing it.

A power of attorney would work. If done outside Thailand it would have be translated to Thai and certified by a Thai embassy or consulate.

It would be best if power of attorney was given to a Thai. For a farang to do it might get complicated because of certificate of residence and etc.

Likely True. Nowadays the foreign seller also needs the residence paper from immigration to allow the transfer of the bike, and I doubt such paper isvalid after the expiry date of his visa. The new owner can extend the tax and gov. insurance and keep driving it, and hope the previous owner someday returns. If not he'll not be able to sell the bike... Sent from my GT-I9001 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I do not understand the problems with buying or selling a motorcycle. About a year ago i bought a motorcycle from a farang (ownership was in his wife's name). When I bought it, they simply filled in the transfer within the green book & I took this along to the Buriram registration place. No problem. I did not have to have anything except my drivers licence & probably my passport & was given a new set of plates at the same time.

It happened that I did not keep the bike as it did not suit me so I sold it to another farang the same way. He picked it up with the green book & I did not hear from him again. Too easy!

Different offices means different rules or the enforcement of the rules.

Moved to "Bikes in Thailand" forum.

Had a similar problem when I bought mine. Was easy solved by filling out another form (sorry dont know number or name) that absolved the transport dept from blame if the old owner was ever to return or complain. Then got new green book with name in it .

Ok- thanks guys. They did leave me the power of attorney, so I guess I can just put it through as if he was me

When I transferred a bike to my name from another foreigner they were quite serious about the the previous owner's VALID visa.

When I transferred a bike to my name from another foreigner they were quite serious about the the previous owner's VALID visa.

True a VALID NON immigrant visa is a must to buy or sell a bike. My friend once tried to give a Land officer 10,000 baht so that he could sell his car when on a tourist visa. It was declined. Now 7 years later he waits for his pension visa in order to be able to sell it...

According to the rules, generally applied, a valid visa is REQUIRED.

A power of attorney, as suggested might work, but then might be more costly and complicated than asking the previous owner in France to get a cheap visa, one or 2 month visa, and mail a copy to the buyer in Thailand. This copy of the visa must carry the signature of the seller, with BLUE INK pen. The buyer beforehand must mail to France the transfer form from the motor registration office, with an 'X' where the seller must also sign in blue ink. Mail everything back to Thailand, copy of passport, copy of new visa, and tansfer registration form. All these documents must carry the blue ink signature of the seller.

This will be processed without problem.

Regarding the current invalid visa, one must be lucky enough to be in a part of Thailand where the rules are even more flexible, and process the transfer. Paying a big motorbike dealer to process the tansfer might work...might. As Ubonjoe indicates, different locations. different rules.

And if he never comes back to Thailand, then what? Is the motorcycle just in some kind of perpetual limbo? There must be a solution, this can't be the only time this has happend.

Well, my Thai GF. Is a widow and her bike. Was in his name and because she did not change it to her name, it can no longer be registered, Only in Thailand, ha ha ha.

According to the rules, generally applied, a valid visa is REQUIRED.

A power of attorney, as suggested might work, but then might be more costly and complicated than asking the previous owner in France to get a cheap visa, one or 2 month visa, and mail a copy to the buyer in Thailand. This copy of the visa must carry the signature of the seller, with BLUE INK pen. The buyer beforehand must mail to France the transfer form from the motor registration office, with an 'X' where the seller must also sign in blue ink. Mail everything back to Thailand, copy of passport, copy of new visa, and tansfer registration form. All these documents must carry the blue ink signature of the seller.

This will be processed without problem.

Regarding the current invalid visa, one must be lucky enough to be in a part of Thailand where the rules are even more flexible, and process the transfer. Paying a big motorbike dealer to process the tansfer might work...might. As Ubonjoe indicates, different locations. different rules.

Just one addition to my post.

I would think that faxing the ownership transfer form available at the motor registration office would work out ok. Or maybe it is available online for printing. (Worth checking by a thai person. No english version).

But this form must bear the blue ink signature....

you just got yourself a free bike

When I transferred a bike to my name from another foreigner they were quite serious about the the previous owner's VALID visa.

True a VALID NON immigrant visa is a must to buy or sell a bike. My friend once tried to give a Land officer 10,000 baht so that he could sell his car when on a tourist visa. It was declined. Now 7 years later he waits for his pension visa in order to be able to sell it...

PENSION VISA..??