Tax sticker not visible on windshield

[mortenaa]

Hi,

I don't like to put any stickers on my windshield, and I was informed that the law was changed a few years ago, so the sticker doesn't have to visible any longer, as the information is available through the online system, which I guess the police can check.. if they want or need to.

Anyway, I was stopped by the police in Samui.. They complained about the sticker, which I informed them about the change in law. They got pretty upset about me trying to inform THEM, the POLICE, about the law, so I was brought into a yard next door for further questioning. Unfortunately I didn't bring my blue book or tax sticker in the car, so the issue escalated. Luckily my assistant in Bangkok could send a copy. Still I was fined. I paid my fine ... 300 Baht. It came to my attention later on, that I was indeed NOT fined for not having a tax sticker, but rather not having a valid DL, which I do have. So I was pretty irritated..

Anyway, for the next time, I would like to have a copy of the current law stating that its not necessary to put sticker on the windshield.. Anybody knows?

[keemapoot]

If you are referring to your annual road tax sticker, this is checked often at the cop stops I see them looking intently to see if my sticker is up to date, and in fact on my wife's car, she was recently stopped because she asked me to put it on, and I forgot and put it in the glove box. She was stopped, got a lecture from the cop, and almost got a ticket, though she found it and placed it correctly in front of the officer.

I'm not sure where you're getting this info.

[dutchisaan]

Can you give a link to this law?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[maprao]

Why make yourself irritated. Just put the sticker in the window

[Tywais]

The road tax sticker has to be on the windscreen. The law that was changed a few years ago was it was no longer required to put your Por Lor Bor, compulsory insurance sticker, on the windscreen. Actually you never get the insurance sticker anymore and just keep the receipt in the car.

One time many years ago I got stopped as I had the road tax sticker in the top middle of the wind screen as years ago that was where everyone seemed to put them including when I bought my car 2nd hand. He just cautioned me to move it to the side and let me continue on. Actually, now that I think of it, he stopped me because he thought I didn't have a tax sticker.

[NE1]

I think the motor bike tax stickers can be out of sight , as long as they can be produced on the spot.

Edited September 8, 2014 by NE1

[giddyup]

A quick walk around a Big C car park the other day saw at least 25% of the cars without stickers on the windscreen and also a large percentage without number plates. I'd say there was a huge percentage of untaxed cars on the roads in Thailand, which also means uninsured cars, not even the personal accident insurance.

[mortenaa]

I am talking about the annual road tax sticker (ต่อทะเบียน).

My assistant informed me that is not needed to put it anymore, and I haven't been bothered putting it for several years. I passed a gazzilion checkpoints.. No problems, before I got to Samui..

[mortenaa]

Can you give a link to this law?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Well, that's what I am looking for as well..

[Tywais]

Can you give a link to this law?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Well, that's what I am looking for as well..

Good luck with these Thai law docs below, but at the bottom they state tax sticker must be affixed to the windscreen. That has been the law for the 20+ years I have been here and you have basically been flaunting it.

http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2554/E/044/52.PDF

http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2554/A/045/6.PDF

[giddyup]

Why wouldn't you have to display it? The whole idea is to show (the police) that you've paid your tax and insurance.

[giddyup]

I am talking about the annual road tax sticker (ต่อทะเบียน).

My assistant informed me that is not needed to put it anymore, and I haven't been bothered putting it for several years. I passed a gazzilion checkpoints.. No problems, before I got to Samui..

Why would you choose not to display it? It sits in the bottom left hand corner of the windscreen, so hardly restricts visibility.

[hansnl]

The road tax sticker has to be on the windscreen. The law that was changed a few years ago was it was no longer required to put your Por Lor Bor, compulsory insurance sticker, on the windscreen. Actually you never get the insurance sticker anymore and just keep the receipt in the car.

One time many years ago I got stopped as I had the road tax sticker in the top middle of the wind screen as years ago that was where everyone seemed to put them including when I bought my car 2nd hand. He just cautioned me to move it to the side and let me continue on. Actually, now that I think of it, he stopped me because he thought I didn't have a tax sticker.

I was informed by someone who should know becasue of his function that the tax sicker should be visible from the outside.

Ergo, if it is on the windscreen in the middle it is not easy to read.

If it is on the right or left side of the windscreen it would be easily readable.

That said, no need to stick it on the windscreen.

There are holders for the tax sticker you can put somewhere near the right hand or left hand corner, up or down.

As long as the tax sticker can be easlity read, there is no problem.

Edited September 8, 2014 by hansnl

[mortenaa]

Why wouldn't you have to display it? The whole idea is to show (the police) that you've paid your tax and insurance.

I can just pass on the information I got. They said it was no point any longer, as it was in the new online system, which a check by the police they would show the current status. I will further investigate this, as I will have to extend by road tax within this week.

[mortenaa]

Why would you choose not to display it? It sits in the bottom left hand corner of the windscreen, so hardly restricts visibility.

I prefer a clean look to my car, with no stickers, decals or whatever.

[Tywais]

Why wouldn't you have to display it? The whole idea is to show (the police) that you've paid your tax and insurance.

I can just pass on the information I got. They said it was no point any longer, as it was in the new online system, which a check by the police they would show the current status. I will further investigate this, as I will have to extend by road tax within this week.

I suspect there was a misunderstanding and it is the compulsory insurance sticker which is no longer needed to display. As for the 'online' system, are the traffic police going to be carrying around a computer to check at road stops? Even in the US I had an annual sticker that had to be affixed to the license plate to prove tax payment.

[giddyup]

Why would you choose not to display it? It sits in the bottom left hand corner of the windscreen, so hardly restricts visibility.

I prefer a clean look to my car, with no stickers, decals or whatever.

Oh please, a small sticker tucked away in the corner of a windscreen is hardly going to detract from the look of whatever car you drive. I mean it's a pity that we have to display those ugly number plates!

Edited September 8, 2014 by giddyup

[giddyup]

Why wouldn't you have to display it? The whole idea is to show (the police) that you've paid your tax and insurance.

I can just pass on the information I got. They said it was no point any longer, as it was in the new online system, which a check by the police they would show the current status. I will further investigate this, as I will have to extend by road tax within this week.

I suspect there was a misunderstanding and it is the compulsory insurance sticker which is no longer needed to display. As for the 'online' system, are the traffic police going to be carrying around a computer to check at road stops? Even in the US I had an annual sticker that had to be affixed to the license plate to prove tax payment.

You have to display the tax sticker in Australia as well.

[WarpSpeed]

Why wouldn't you have to display it? The whole idea is to show (the police) that you've paid your tax and insurance.

I can just pass on the information I got. They said it was no point any longer, as it was in the new online system, which a check by the police they would show the current status. I will further investigate this, as I will have to extend by road tax within this week.

They don't want to have to STOP someone/everyone and check computers, they want to see it openly as you pass by and then if they need to verify then they can check online, Christ! can you imagine how long the queue would be for check points if they had to stop & check the computer for EVERY car that passed through? Just put the sticker on the windshield and pick another really important battle to fight... Jeeez is there nothing of real importance going on in the lives of expats there that something so mundane becomes a point to argue when there is such an easy solution? Must be nice to have such trivial problems to deal with in one's life. Your Thai friend was obviously wrong and female too so you should have done your own research before and not left it up to someone else IMO.

Edited September 8, 2014 by WarpSpeed

[Langsuan Man]

Post number 5 is the correct answer provided by Tywais

Anything else is just pure conjecture

[NE1]

I have read somewhere that the UK is doing away with the tax sticker.

[tx22cb]

Why would you choose not to display it? It sits in the bottom left hand corner of the windscreen, so hardly restricts visibility.

I prefer a clean look to my car, with no stickers, decals or whatever.

Oh please, a small sticker tucked away in the corner of a windscreen is hardly going to detract from the look of whatever car you drive. I mean it's a pity that we have to display those ugly number plates!

Well, perhaps OP has a Ferrari and does not want to compromise the aesthetics?

[mortenaa]

I suspect there was a misunderstanding and it is the compulsory insurance sticker which is no longer needed to display. As for the 'online' system, are the traffic police going to be carrying around a computer to check at road stops? Even in the US I had an annual sticker that had to be affixed to the license plate to prove tax payment.

You might be correct. My assistant sent me some link in Thai, which declared that you didn't have to put them. However the links you sent had a sentence which said you have to. I will go and extend this week, and will ask them myself...

[mortenaa]

Well, perhaps OP has a Ferrari and does not want to compromise the aesthetics?

I dont have a Ferrari, but you are correct, I don't want to compromise the aesthetics ..

[mortenaa]

They don't want to have to STOP someone/everyone and check computers, they want to see it openly as you pass by and then if they need to verify then they can check online, Christ! can you imagine how long the queue would be for check points if they had to stop & check the computer for EVERY car that passed through? Just put the sticker on the windshield and pick another really important battle to fight... Jeeez is there nothing of real importance going on in the lives of expats there that something so mundane becomes a point to argue when there is such an easy solution? Must be nice to have such trivial problems to deal with in one's life. Your Thai friend was obviously wrong and female too so you should have done your own research before and not left it up to someone else IMO.

In my home country, its all automatic. You pass a camera that scans your cars license plate, and check your records. We have the same system for toll booths. If you don't have the "Easy-pass" chip, they will just send you a bill in the mail, based on your license plate.

I agree, It may not seem important for most people, but I just love to have a clean windscreen with no stickers from tax, insurance, condo-buildings, office buildings or whatever stickers people put on

[Neeranam]

What about if you have tinted windows?

Are they illegal?

[Tywais]

I agree, It may not seem important for most people, but I just love to have a clean windscreen with no stickers from tax, insurance, condo-buildings, office buildings or whatever stickers people put on

I'm not that keen on them myself and took a while to get used to them as I always had a clean screen back home but I have 4 of them on my screen, 3 of them are area access passes. 1 for access to the Wing 41 airbase in Chiang Mai, 1 for access to the university where I work and just recently, my moo bahn required one but thankfully it is pretty tiny in comparison.

[noendtoit]

The road tax sticker has to be on the windscreen. The law that was changed a few years ago was it was no longer required to put your Por Lor Bor, compulsory insurance sticker, on the windscreen. Actually you never get the insurance sticker anymore and just keep the receipt in the car.

One time many years ago I got stopped as I had the road tax sticker in the top middle of the wind screen as years ago that was where everyone seemed to put them including when I bought my car 2nd hand. He just cautioned me to move it to the side and let me continue on. Actually, now that I think of it, he stopped me because he thought I didn't have a tax sticker.

I haven't had the sticker visible on my motorcycle (I keep it under the seat) for over 5 years and 70,000 km. I have been through many, many road checks and nobody has ever said a thing about the sticker, never asked to see it.

[harrry]

Why wouldn't you have to display it? The whole idea is to show (the police) that you've paid your tax and insurance.

I can just pass on the information I got. They said it was no point any longer, as it was in the new online system, which a check by the police they would show the current status. I will further investigate this, as I will have to extend by road tax within this week.

I suspect there was a misunderstanding and it is the compulsory insurance sticker which is no longer needed to display. As for the 'online' system, are the traffic police going to be carrying around a computer to check at road stops? Even in the US I had an annual sticker that had to be affixed to the license plate to prove tax payment.

You have to display the tax sticker in Australia as well.

That has just changed in a couple of Australian States but it has not as far as I know here. All Australian police vehickes are equiped with online computers to check and some have direct automatic number plate scanning to check all vehicles they see. Here the sticker must be shown. However as the insurance is now needed to be recorded in the licence system before a tax sticker can be issued there is now no longer a need to put the separate sticker from your insurance company on the screen.

[bluemoon58]

That damn rear view mirror is going to have to go! Ugly looking thing! And those horrible, horrible seat belts, well....