Is it possible for farang on a long-stay retirement visa to purchase and register and insure a car ?

Yes it is possible and has been done by many.

You first would need to get a certificate of residence from immigration in order to register it.

Yes it is possible and has been done by many.

You first would need to get a certificate of residence from immigration in order to register it.

or pay an outrageous amount to your embassy to get a residency certificate from them

I own a condo, and I have a tabian ban, as well as a title deed. won't that be good enough to prove my residence ?

I own a condo, and I have a tabian ban, as well as a title deed. won't that be good enough to prove my residence ?

No, if you have a Yellow Book yes. What you have just shows what you own in Thailand, not where you reside

You can normally get a certificate of residence from immigration without a problem. But at some offices that will depend upon what you have. Do you have a visa entry or an extension of stay you obtained from immigration?

I hope to have a long-stay non immigrant O-A when I attempt to buy a car

I'll be using the pattaya immigration office

Yes, you can. If you have prove of monthly income and use at least 50% down to buy it, some companies will also finance the car for you. AEON may be one of those

I hope to have a long-stay non immigrant O-A when I attempt to buy a car

So you have not yet applied for the OA visa at an embassy or official Thai consulate in your home country.

Getting a certificate of residence from Pattaya is easier than many offices. They even do them for tourist visa entries.

I'll be happily making my last monthly payment on a Mazda 2 at Thanachart Bank this month. I have a retirement visa. Can't remember what I did exactly for the residency permit. I think the condo management where I rent gave me a statement and I took it to Phuket immigration to get it.