How to buy a car in Thailand?

[outoff2014]

I want to buy a used car (under my name) from private or from dealer in thailand. Not yet have any experience about it.

About my paperwork. A International driver licence will be enough? Me and my thai wife we not yet have house or condo in thailand and i also not yet have Visa for thailand, it´s a problem for buy a car?

About paperwork from seller/dealer. What exact he need to show me? And how can i know that his paperwork about the car is valid and not a fake?

And how to buy? Just do a contract of sale…move the money… finish? Or we need to go to any government office?

If i buy a car from private or dealer i still have to pay for government tax for the car?

How to do with the insurance after buy?

I am sorry, you see, i don´t have any experience about it. Hope you can help.

cheers

clark

[IMHO]

All cars in Thailand come with a blue book called a Tabien Rot. This book is the official document stating who owns the car, and it's impossible to transfer ownership without it. It's also what's held by finance companies while the car is encumbered, and where any limitations of transfer are noted (e.g. cars purchased under the new car buyer's scheme which prohibits transfer for 5 years).

The bottom line is, you pay once you have verified the book in question is indeed for the car you are buying, and only once it has your name in it (which means you and the seller visiting the department of land transport together).

As for paperwork, what you need is your official ID (passport) and official confirmation of your place of residence (which in the case of foreigners means an address declaration prepared by Immigration or your Embassy).

No driver's license is needed to buy a car, only to drive it.

There will be some stamp duties to pay when transferring - if buying from a dealer they should pay 100% of this, if buying from a private seller, it's usually split 50/50 between buyer and seller - unless you negotiate them to pay it all.

If the car was originally purchased under the new car buyer's program, the tax rebate will need to be paid back to the excise tax dept before it can be transferred into your name, which could be anywhere from 12,000 to 100,000 Baht. And if this is the case, you can expect it take take several days or even weeks for the excise dept. to clear the transfer of ownership restriction in the Tabien Rot.

[kimbathewhitelion]

The easiest answer is....just buy it in your wife's name.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[wilcopops]

Visa - can someone throw light on that? I'm sure "O" and "B" aren't a problem, but what about tourists visas?

I bought a car off a dealer ad they handled all the paperwork, I just tagged along to the local DOT.

[IMHO]

DLT should not care about your visa status when buying a car - all they need to know is your identity and address of residence (they only care about visa when getting a license, as the license becomes an official ID document).

According to previous posts here though, some Immigration officers require a long-stay visa before they will issue the residence declaration, other's won't.. If that's the case, a declaration from your embassy should do.

One more note for the OP: One thing you do need to look out for is loan shark lien's on the car - often these loan sharks do not retain the Tabien Rot (because often it's already being held by another finance co.), however they do have legal right to repossess if the borrower is delinquent. In these cases, they can take back the car even though it's now in your name, and it will be up to you to chase the previous owner to recover your losses....

Unfortunately, there's really no way you can be 100% sure of this if buying privately, and even buying from a tent doesn't give you an rock-solid guarantee either.

[Ace of Pop]

The easiest answer is....just buy it in your wife's name.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

The Action of a Complete Idiot.

[kimbathewhitelion]

The easiest answer is....just buy it in your wife's name.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

The Action of a Complete Idiot.

The action of simplicity, considering the wife is actually a wife, not a rental. Otherwise he'd need to get the landlord to sign papers verifying residency.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[wilcopops]

I took an independent Thai mechanic to check out my last second-hand car..... I was slightly concerned that he spent a fair bit of time talking to the salesman rather than looking at the car, but in the end he gave me a pretty good rundown on the vehicle once away from the place. the payment? Nothing, he refused anything! I gave him a bottle of Whisky after I'd bought the car.

as the vehicle was only about 18 months old, i also had another 18 months of manufacturer's warranty to run and the local dealer reassured me that they would honour any warranty work on the car.

[Ace of Pop]

oz893, on 13 Mar 2014 - 13:10, said:

Ace of Pop, on 13 Mar 2014 - 10:16, said:

oz893, on 13 Mar 2014 - 06:43, said:

The easiest answer is....just buy it in your wife's name.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

The Action of a Complete Idiot.

The action of simplicity, considering the wife is actually a wife, not a rental. Otherwise he'd need to get the landlord to sign papers verifying residency.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

More rubbish,the Landlord wont dump You.

[kimbathewhitelion]

oz893, on 13 Mar 2014 - 13:10, said:

Ace of Pop, on 13 Mar 2014 - 10:16, said:

oz893, on 13 Mar 2014 - 06:43, said:

The easiest answer is....just buy it in your wife's name.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

The Action of a Complete Idiot.

The action of simplicity, considering the wife is actually a wife, not a rental. Otherwise he'd need to get the landlord to sign papers verifying residency.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

More rubbish,the Landlord wont dump You.

You didn't even read into it, how dense are you? The papers are about "residency verification" qualifying any foreigner to purchase a vehicle in their name (certain countries excluded of course). It's like a pez toy with some people, push a button & they talk; leave it alone & they are who they are...leaving the rest of mankind happy.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Ace of Pop]

Your Bags are on the Step.!!..Oldest trick in the Book.Very silly way to go.

[outoff2014]

Thanks to all.

To be sure that i do understand it on the right way:

All about cars need to have a „Tabien Rot“. There i can see the name oft he owner. So the owner have to show me the „Tabien Rot“ and his „ID card“

After that me and the owner we will go to the Department of Land and Transport for move the name in the „Tabien Rot“. No contract of sale need.

For sale, i only need my Passport and a Residency verification (about my home address in Europe) from my Embassy in Bangkok.

Still question about this Residency verification. Is that really necessary, Passport would not be required?

Loan sharks who do not retain the Tabien Rot?? That´s really heavy. No any way to know about this?

Cheers

clark

[vtjforyou]

The easiest answer is....just buy it in your wife's name.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Ridiculous.

This is the only thing he can buy and should buy in his own name !

[bkkjames]

The easiest answer is....just buy it in your wife's name.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Ridiculous.

This is the only thing he can buy and should buy in his own name !

If you are paying cash, agree, if you are financing it, keep it in the wife's name ... less likely to have an accident (you) until it's paid off.

[IMHO]

Thanks to all.

To be sure that i do understand it on the right way:

All about cars need to have a „Tabien Rot“. There i can see the name oft he owner. So the owner have to show me the „Tabien Rot“ and his „ID card“

After that me and the owner we will go to the Department of Land and Transport for move the name in the „Tabien Rot“. No contract of sale need.

For sale, i only need my Passport and a Residency verification (about my home address in Europe) from my Embassy in Bangkok.

Still question about this Residency verification. Is that really necessary, Passport would not be required?

Loan sharks who do not retain the Tabien Rot?? That´s really heavy. No any way to know about this?

Cheers

clark

There are transfer forms that need to be filled out, and they will also have the sale value, and buyers/sellers signatures - no separate contract of sale needed.

Passport is required, as is residency verification letter - no transfer will happen without these. The car's registered address *must* be a Thai one - it cannot be your home in EU.

As noted with loan sharks, the Tabien Rot could have already been held by a finance co - so all they can hold is a set of keys - which is all they really need... These guys operate independently, so there's no register of encumbered assets these guys control, and simply no way to check.

One more thing to consider - make sure the car wasn't a BKK flood survivor...

[edwardandtubs]

The thing about loan sharks seems a bit far fetched. Are you sure it's not an urban myth?

[IMHO]

The thing about loan sharks seems a bit far fetched. Are you sure it's not an urban myth?

Positive.

[edwardandtubs]

The thing about loan sharks seems a bit far fetched. Are you sure it's not an urban myth?

Positive.

And there's no way of checking for encumbrances? If that's the case who would be daft enough to buy a used car in Thailand when there's a possibility someone could repossess it the next day?

[Ace of Pop]

The thing about loan sharks seems a bit far fetched. Are you sure it's not an urban myth?

Positive.

And there's no way of checking for encumbrances? If that's the case who would be daft enough to buy a used car in Thailand when there's a possibility someone could repossess it the next day?

The same ones who have paid Sin Sod.

[IMHO]

The thing about loan sharks seems a bit far fetched. Are you sure it's not an urban myth?

Positive.

And there's no way of checking for encumbrances? If that's the case who would be daft enough to buy a used car in Thailand when there's a possibility someone could repossess it the next day?

I already answered this question.

[edwardandtubs]

The thing about loan sharks seems a bit far fetched. Are you sure it's not an urban myth?

Positive.

And there's no way of checking for encumbrances? If that's the case who would be daft enough to buy a used car in Thailand when there's a possibility someone could repossess it the next day?

I already answered this question.

You didn't answer it very clearly. On the one hand you seem to be saying the Tabien Rot contains all the information you need on encumbrances and on the other hand you're saying there's no way to check for encumbrances.

[inzman]

Easiest to buy in the wife's name, in case of divorce it's always going to be 50/50 no matter who's name it's in. Get it, no extra risk.

[outoff2014]

Thanks to all.

To be sure that i do understand it on the right way:

All about cars need to have a „Tabien Rot“. There i can see the name oft he owner. So the owner have to show me the „Tabien Rot“ and his „ID card“

After that me and the owner we will go to the Department of Land and Transport for move the name in the „Tabien Rot“. No contract of sale need.

For sale, i only need my Passport and a Residency verification (about my home address in Europe) from my Embassy in Bangkok.

Still question about this Residency verification. Is that really necessary, Passport would not be required?

Loan sharks who do not retain the Tabien Rot?? That´s really heavy. No any way to know about this?

Cheers

clark

There are transfer forms that need to be filled out, and they will also have the sale value, and buyers/sellers signatures - no separate contract of sale needed.

Passport is required, as is residency verification letter - no transfer will happen without these. The car's registered address *must* be a Thai one - it cannot be your home in EU.

As noted with loan sharks, the Tabien Rot could have already been held by a finance co - so all they can hold is a set of keys - which is all they really need... These guys operate independently, so there's no register of encumbered assets these guys control, and simply no way to check.

One more thing to consider - make sure the car wasn't a BKK flood survivor...

If i don´t have a address in thailand, also mean can´t buy car under my name? That´s bad.

So, first of all i have to buy a house for my wife and apply a yellow tabien ban which contain my name. After that i could buy a car….right? So, for buy i need my Passport and that yelow tabien ban, should be enough, no need to go my Embassy than?

That Transfer Form, where i will find it?

Buy from Private or buy from Dealer, no matter i have to go to the department of land and transport…right? Or the Dealer will manage everything?

About that loan sharks, it sounds really bad. I think the most secure way will be buy from Dealer than?

cheers

clark

[IMHO]

Thanks to all.

To be sure that i do understand it on the right way:

All about cars need to have a „Tabien Rot“. There i can see the name oft he owner. So the owner have to show me the „Tabien Rot“ and his „ID card“

After that me and the owner we will go to the Department of Land and Transport for move the name in the „Tabien Rot“. No contract of sale need.

For sale, i only need my Passport and a Residency verification (about my home address in Europe) from my Embassy in Bangkok.

Still question about this Residency verification. Is that really necessary, Passport would not be required?

Loan sharks who do not retain the Tabien Rot?? That´s really heavy. No any way to know about this?

Cheers

clark

There are transfer forms that need to be filled out, and they will also have the sale value, and buyers/sellers signatures - no separate contract of sale needed.

Passport is required, as is residency verification letter - no transfer will happen without these. The car's registered address *must* be a Thai one - it cannot be your home in EU.

As noted with loan sharks, the Tabien Rot could have already been held by a finance co - so all they can hold is a set of keys - which is all they really need... These guys operate independently, so there's no register of encumbered assets these guys control, and simply no way to check.

One more thing to consider - make sure the car wasn't a BKK flood survivor...

If i don´t have a address in thailand, also mean can´t buy car under my name? That´s bad.

So, first of all i have to buy a house for my wife and apply a yellow tabien ban which contain my name. After that i could buy a car….right? So, for buy i need my Passport and that yelow tabien ban, should be enough, no need to go my Embassy than?

That Transfer Form, where i will find it?

Buy from Private or buy from Dealer, no matter i have to go to the department of land and transport…right? Or the Dealer will manage everything?

About that loan sharks, it sounds really bad. I think the most secure way will be buy from Dealer than?

cheers

clark

The address doesn't have to be a house *you* own LOL. It can be your wife's parents address, or a little crappy hong pak you rent for 1000 Baht/mth.. it just has to be the address you're currently registered at with immigration... They probably won't give you a letter if the address is a hotel though.

The seller can do all the paperwork and standing in queue at the DLT.. However, you should not hand over money until you have the Tabien Rot in your hands, and with your name in it.

Buying from a dealer is safer - logically, they've had the car for a while now, so the sharks would have tried to find it already. Also, you will have better chance suing them for losses

[outoff2014]

Thanks to all.

To be sure that i do understand it on the right way:

All about cars need to have a „Tabien Rot“. There i can see the name oft he owner. So the owner have to show me the „Tabien Rot“ and his „ID card“

After that me and the owner we will go to the Department of Land and Transport for move the name in the „Tabien Rot“. No contract of sale need.

For sale, i only need my Passport and a Residency verification (about my home address in Europe) from my Embassy in Bangkok.

Still question about this Residency verification. Is that really necessary, Passport would not be required?

Loan sharks who do not retain the Tabien Rot?? That´s really heavy. No any way to know about this?

Cheers

clark

There are transfer forms that need to be filled out, and they will also have the sale value, and buyers/sellers signatures - no separate contract of sale needed.

Passport is required, as is residency verification letter - no transfer will happen without these. The car's registered address *must* be a Thai one - it cannot be your home in EU.

As noted with loan sharks, the Tabien Rot could have already been held by a finance co - so all they can hold is a set of keys - which is all they really need... These guys operate independently, so there's no register of encumbered assets these guys control, and simply no way to check.

One more thing to consider - make sure the car wasn't a BKK flood survivor...

If i don´t have a address in thailand, also mean can´t buy car under my name? That´s bad.

So, first of all i have to buy a house for my wife and apply a yellow tabien ban which contain my name. After that i could buy a car….right? So, for buy i need my Passport and that yelow tabien ban, should be enough, no need to go my Embassy than?

That Transfer Form, where i will find it?

Buy from Private or buy from Dealer, no matter i have to go to the department of land and transport…right? Or the Dealer will manage everything?

About that loan sharks, it sounds really bad. I think the most secure way will be buy from Dealer than?

cheers

clark

The address doesn't have to be a house *you* own LOL. It can be your wife's parents address, or a little crappy hong pak you rent for 1000 Baht/mth.. it just has to be the address you're currently registered at with immigration... They probably won't give you a letter if the address is a hotel though.

The seller can do all the paperwork and standing in queue at the DLT.. However, you should not hand over money until you have the Tabien Rot in your hands, and with your name in it.

Buying from a dealer is safer - logically, they've had the car for a while now, so the sharks would have tried to find it already. Also, you will have better chance suing them for losses

My registered Address in Thailand also could be inside the yellow tabien ban. That´s what i meant. So it should be ok to show my passort and also the yellow tabien ban who contain my Name and resident address in Thailand to the DLT. No need to go to the Embassy?

cheers

clark

[stevenl]

There are transfer forms that need to be filled out, and they will also have the sale value, and buyers/sellers signatures - no separate contract of sale needed.

Passport is required, as is residency verification letter - no transfer will happen without these. The car's registered address *must* be a Thai one - it cannot be your home in EU.

As noted with loan sharks, the Tabien Rot could have already been held by a finance co - so all they can hold is a set of keys - which is all they really need... These guys operate independently, so there's no register of encumbered assets these guys control, and simply no way to check.

One more thing to consider - make sure the car wasn't a BKK flood survivor...

If i don´t have a address in thailand, also mean can´t buy car under my name? That´s bad.

So, first of all i have to buy a house for my wife and apply a yellow tabien ban which contain my name. After that i could buy a car….right? So, for buy i need my Passport and that yelow tabien ban, should be enough, no need to go my Embassy than?

That Transfer Form, where i will find it?

Buy from Private or buy from Dealer, no matter i have to go to the department of land and transport…right? Or the Dealer will manage everything?

About that loan sharks, it sounds really bad. I think the most secure way will be buy from Dealer than?

cheers

clark

The address doesn't have to be a house *you* own LOL. It can be your wife's parents address, or a little crappy hong pak you rent for 1000 Baht/mth.. it just has to be the address you're currently registered at with immigration... They probably won't give you a letter if the address is a hotel though.

The seller can do all the paperwork and standing in queue at the DLT.. However, you should not hand over money until you have the Tabien Rot in your hands, and with your name in it.

Buying from a dealer is safer - logically, they've had the car for a while now, so the sharks would have tried to find it already. Also, you will have better chance suing them for losses

My registered Address in Thailand also could be inside the yellow tabien ban. That´s what i meant. So it should be ok to show my passort and also the yellow tabien ban who contain my Name and resident address in Thailand to the DLT. No need to go to the Embassy?

cheers

clark

If you have a yellow housebook you have an address in Thailand, and have proof of that. That is all that is required.

[outoff2014]

Thank you, it help.

[edwardandtubs]

If you have a work permit do you still need the letter from immigration or could you just use the employer's address (same one as on the driving licence)?

[stevenl]

If you have a work permit do you still need the letter from immigration or could you just use the employer's address (same one as on the driving licence)?

You need either residence certificate or yellow housebook or workpermit.

[Ace of Pop]

Stevenl.absolute Cobblers.If You have the Financial Clout, Valid Visa and booked into a Reputable Hotel.You need nothing more.They even accept Am Ex. Been there done it.