Driving / Car Insurance in Thailand

[Greg Nixon]

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You forget where you are? This is Thailand!!! (T.I.T.). My Ex-wife wanted to do the same thing. Her sister ended up doing it. their father never drove a car. they bought him a standard transmission. He paid for a driver's licence under the table, (5,000 baht) ,. . . no test! scary drivnig with him. He'd pull onto the highway and then stall the truck trying to find second gear! I was elected driver when we went anywhere!

Bottom line is, .... I paid for many things to make their lives better, .... from a washing machine for her mom, tools for her dad, bicycle for her little brother, a place to live for her older sister, dental work for a cousin, nursing school tuition for another cousin, baby thiungs for an aunt and uncle, ..... not to mention the things that actually put me in the poor house, .. building a huge house and store on family land!

Once you start giving, they will keep asking! They love your money, not you. As soon as my money was spent, she cheated on me and ran off with another guy. Her mother kept everything of mine and would not let me get anything. If she leaves you because you not give the money for the truck, consider yourself lucky you avoided the trap I fell into!

She was probably younger / more attractive as you just needing money. You got a doll she got money. I don't understand guys that give into everything.

the first thing I said to my new Thai wife is No you need less not more. That was before involuntarily paid for a refrigerator, a microwave, a new kitchen, painted her two houses. I made all her payments. i bought a TV. I bought a stove. I bought a couch. i bought a new mattress. All voluntarily and I enjoy the luxuries as much if not more than her and her child.

But I did not buy a new house for 3 Million Baht. She already owned two small houses side by side which I have consolidated and she owns land in Sakhonakon and Nong Sung. She has enough and she is very satisfied now and ensures I am very happy.

[SantiSuk]

A lot of people ' learn ' to drive a car on their own or with a friend. There are schools of motoring but very few and far. My sister-in-law bought a new Yaris under the government's ' first car ' scheme. She had never driven before. For the most, she taught herself. It was a laugh a day seeing her burning up the tarmac doing 20kph everywhere. She now has a driving license passing the test on her second attempt and continues to drive everywhere ' Thai style '. How she hasn't yet caused an accident is a miracle.

From the first paragraph, this shows you can buy a new car with no driving license.

All NEW vehicles purchased in Thailand come with ( at least ) one year's first class insurance. Plus when the vehicle is taxed one automatically pays the

por a bor third party insurance which is a charge imposed by the government.

Unlike the UK, you do not get a road tax due notification, so if the tax runs out, so does the third party insurance. The first class insurance companies do send out annual reminders but it is up to the vehicle owner ( or whoever has any money ) to renew it.

Personally, if I were you, I'd sit back and think about who would end up paying for the vehicle should it be written off with no insurance. A mirror should give you the answer.

As a simple example of first vehicle ownership/driving I can relate to you a true tale. My wife's ' second ' mum and her lifelong ' cousins ' bought an old Toyota pickup for their dad who had never owned a vehicle before. He has a tractor so has some clue how to handle a vehicle. After the first week, he had a lot to drink -- like any other day -- and took the pickup for a spin to show it off to anyone who was about. He rolled it into a field and wrote it off. I might add he almost wrote himself off too and two years later is still unable to function as before. Lesson learnt. No insurance. No driving license. No pickup and no money save the value of the scrap it sold for.

Important to note that the 'free' insurance that 'comes with' any new vehicle purchase is not free and is optional. They only offer it (usually as a separately itemised charge on the invoice) as a marketing ploy for their captive insurance company. You are free to decline it and the salesman should knock it off the price - if he doesn't just tell him you'll walk.

Government insurance will also often/always? (not sure which) come along with that initial approach to insuring you and capturing you. Again you can reject it along with the primary first class insurance. There is no reason to reject it as the cost is fixed whether you buy it from the car dealer's insurer, from your own primary first class insurer or from the Motor Tax Office directly when you purchase the tax.

Once on the treadmill of paying the manufacturer's captive insurer then yes you will automatically be offered a renewal and you will automatically be offered government insurance. You only need to go to the Tax Office to pay for Tax. You do not of course automatically have to pay anything just because it is offered. Indeed, although there may be some merits in taking the easy option and taking what is offered when first purchasing a new vehicle, I would encourage anyone to shop around in year 2 for primary insurance. People have different perspectives to the risks they are willing to accept and the premium will vary according to the level of cover you require.

Don't do what I did and in the absence of understanding/research by myself and reliance on my wife (who had even less understanding of motor insurance) take you car to one of those insurance fixers who hover around the Tax Office just to buy Road Tax (because you have already sorted out primary insurance). Once I became aware of insurance matters I realised that I had been paying the Government tax twice for each of the first 2 years - once to the manufacturer's 'automatic' (not) insurer and once to the local fixer. I also found that if you asked the insurance fixers close to the Tax Office for an alternative quote to the manufacturers it was a waste of space as they refused to give a no claims discount for lack of claims in previous years.

[Thaiready]

Plenty of used pickups for way under 100,000 bhat......don't be a fool and borrow money to purchase one.

[axact]

The FIL seems to have managed his whole life without a vehicle why would he need one now except for status.

You will actually be burdening this family with extra costs associated with running a vehicle unless you are fool enough to keep paying for everything.

You cant blame the family, if the farang is stupid enough to spend on someones elses family why not take him for all you can, once drained the daughter can always trade you in for a new model, plenty of fish in the sea.

[Pii Kate]

TIT. Yes you can buy insurance but without a license will the insurance pay up if there is an accident? A few days back someone wrote in about his wife being in an accident with 12 and 13 year old girls on a motorbike. They caused the accident. They were badly hurt and her insurance did not pay up.

[Pii Kate]

Problem Solved, cheap, no insurance required, does not mater if he can drive or not he will blend in nicely, traffic rules do not apply , 4 wheel drive capability, plenty of room for the family, air con & power steering optional, motor capable of running all farm equipment attachments.

http://www.google.com.ph/search?q=thai+trucks&biw=1146&bih=620&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=K5sbVLuWNpW58gXfpoKYDQ&ved=0CCoQsAQ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=aXBIDdfitlNBzM%253A%3BT8CNGimnSDuiRM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimage.blogfree.net%252F8%252F3%252F3%252F9%252F4%252F0%252F1395311845.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Feuro-truck-simulator.blogfree.net%252F%253Ft%253D4324040%3B480%3B360

Add gas, oil changes, tune ups, brakes, tires, general care of truck and soon it will be rotting in the front yard and be used as a garbage dump. Insurance is the least of your concerns.

[Pattaya Lous]

No Licence! No Valid Insurance - very simple

If he drives the vehicle has an accident and kills somebody on your conscience be it and you will be paying the bills.

Think? how would you feel if a member of your family was killed or severely injured by an uninsured driver?

or could this be another way of the Thai family getting a bit more money out of you?

[Kabula]

Warning....

I lived with a Thai woman for 4 years and most everything I bought for her and family was sold without telling me!

I can't answer your question, but I see a HUGE red flag.

Good luck.

Remember, when the Principal is gone/depleted, income generation from said principal and a possible credit rating is gone as well.

[KamalaRider]

There's a number of reasons why you shouldn't step in and buy a car on credit for your father-in-law.

I'm going to give you two reasons.

1. The person vouching for the car is the one they will try to hunt down if the car is totalled, burned down or stolen, if the person owning the car don't have any means to cash up for the loan.

Most insurance companies don't pay out more than 80% of the cars value if it happens if the driver indeed have a license anyway.

2. Right you are about a driver without a license won't be able to claim anything if something happens but most importantly, in case of an accident, he will have to pay the other parties involved in the accident with cash from his own pocket, which might be you. What if an accident occur and there's a person killed, that could be from 200 000 up to millions to be payed out.

Best of luck with your wife about your decision!

p.s. It's all about face, isn't it.

[Don Aleman]

Geezus crist newbie just say...... NO ! If she persists ,buy her a big piece of luggage.

[jimbeam1]

If it's her money, then let her buy it for him and learn the hard way.

If it your's, don't be a fool.

And this is really the only answer that you need.

jb1

[Scouse123]

Hi,

Jusr bought a car. This car is registered in my Thai partners name.

She has a full valid driving licence and it was asked for by the company selling the vehicle.

Also, they insisted on life insurance to cover the payments for any unforeseen accident. Free class one insurance for one year.

As you are living abroad I would not receommend you buy this vehicle. He has no driving licence nor experience.

These people up in the farming communities never take responsibility for their actions rather believing in fate.

When a car accident does occur, although many Thais do indeed drive with no insurance, the full force of the law will come down on the guilty party.

He will obviously have no money if it's his fault and so she will then expect you to pay again to clear the problem. If a death is involved, it can be a big claim.

Say NO.

[stevenl]

Last time I checked which was about 5 years ago you can drive for 3 months on a foreign license then you need either an International or Thai car license, the latter seemed the easier option which was valid for one year the first time and five years the second time onward. But maybe the rules have changed. Certainly if I was driving I would make sure I was legal it is not just the financial damage but presumably if you hurt someone and you do not have a valid license it might be a criminal offence and therefore jail.

Not completely correct.

You can drive for 3 months with a valid home license, with or without IDP (not required by law with a few provisions), after that a Thai DL is required.

[personchester]

No problem, no need to worry, the Thai public are massive car owners with results in heavy road traffics, 75 % of Thai car owners have no full insurance policy they only have the requested Pola Bor insurance, and it is generally assumed that 40% of the Thai drivers do not have the registered driving license, and her father would / could drive the car in the same way.

If your wife has a driving licence she can buy the car for her father in her own name in order to get the free one year car insurance, but it does not always happen because it depends on the car showroom sales team.

[JIMMY56]

BE VERY CAREFUL MATE SHE CAN'T DRIVE, HE CAN'T DRIVE, SOMEONE IN THE FAMILY IS GOING TO TEACH HIM, I'LL BET THEY CAN'T DRIVE EITHER

ITS A LOT OF MONEY FOR A CAR, ESPECIALLY A NEW ONE FOR SOMEONE THAT CANT DRIVE

INSURANCE IS NEVER FREE, IT IS BUILT IN WITH THE PURCHASE OF A NEW CAR,

AND I BELIEVE THAT THE CAR IS INSURED AND NOT THE OWNER, ( WOULD LIKE TO HEAR COMMENTS ON THAT LAST REMARK)

I BOUGHT A NEW TOYOTA, THROUGH A SISTER OF MY MATES WIFE, THE CAR IS IN HER NAME, I HAD AN ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING, TOOK IT TO TOYOTA, FIXED IT, NO PROBLEM, NO NAMES WAS ASKED, THEY ONLY LOOKED AT THE INSURANCE PAPERS, IT DID'NT MATTER WHO WAS DRIVING

[mango66]

gentleman !

you have forgoton to add the following questions :

1.) Should ( and it would be better ) you pay him for a full time ( 24h) driver

2.) Should I not buy a full concrete garage for the new car, to protect against weather and thiefs

3.) Should you not buy a complete service package - full insurance CDW,PI,Th,

as well as unlimited supply of usables like petrol, minibar a. s. on;

4.) And what with his sons, they propably would be just happy to get for the beginning a 2nd hand car

5.) And what his wife will do, if he out with the car and she needs urgent to go for the beauty saloon

with a motorcy ??

( it would be a shame, you give the father a car and the mother in law just a motorcy !! )

[MonkeyLoo]

I see this kind of crap every day here in Thailand.

If you give, your wife, and her family will just take, and then take more.

The saying comes to mind "give a man a fish, he can eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and he can eat for the rest of his life" or something similar.

Im all for helping people to help themselves.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited September 19, 2014 by MonkeyLoo

[Evolare]

I would never buy or give a car to someone who doesn't have a drivers license. Insurance will be void and if he is stopped by police they take the car and he can end up in jail. If police know his daughters farang husband bought it for him. Vet they will ask for a handout 30-50.000 would not be unexpected if they have taken him to the police house. If she want her dad to have some means of transportation and that can load buy him a flatbed motorcycle and some sunblock.

[atyclb]

If your wife sticks to the plan, I recommend to consider a new wife

save money, rather than getting a new wife after the current one is gone, just co-habitate with a tv forum member as that might possibly be more intellectually stimulating (believe it or not) than the apparent cognitive abilities of the current.

one other thought; if the father damages something or someone and doesnt have a license might it be possible for the damaged/injured parties to go after assets that you/wife have an interest in ???

Edited September 19, 2014 by atyclb

[mango66]

when my wife asked for that, as they would use the car also for business to make income,

so they would be live on future of their own money,

I paid the 1st dow payment - i think it was a 75.000,- for the cheapest available new pickup,

and I said, the other installments they pay from the income of the business

which they will get now with the car;

( result: my wife paid for the next 4 years the installments and asked me from time

to time to help her with depth payments on the loss of the buisness ;

This is Thai buisness;

Good luck with the new car !!

[Doc46]

Up to you if you want to buy a car/ute if you have the spare cash,,,,Just stipulate on a legal document that no one can drive the darn thing without an driving license and a comprehensive car insurance,,,, than you cover your butt.

[Evolare]

You have to consider if you buy a car for a person without a driver's license and he cause an accident that that hurt or kill someone. Then it's all your fault because you enabled him. Just don't do it even before you even consider buying a car or any kind of vehicle for him teach him how to drive and put him in traffic school period. it's a 3 day course and Thai regulations for drivers licenses has gotten more difficult than before as regulations got harder but is still much easier than in europe or us. If he can't pass the course and get the license he has no place behind the steering wheel in the first place. I taught my fiancee, sister in law and mother in law how to drive and get drivers license. I never bought them a car however but they are free to use either of my cars if I don't need it and if they can cover damages if they cause it that is not covered by insurance. If I'm away and they want to use my cars they have to follow serviceplan and keep the car clean. People grow with responsibilities and don't live on handouts. Help people to help themselves but don't be stupid to please your wifes ego just to make her dad get a little face in front of his peers.

[georgemandm]

Hi I just brought my new truck in my name and I can help you if you like , you buy a new truck here you will get one year and I mean one year free ins not 3 years, no one here give you 3 years ins on a new truck or car be you thai or a wester .

My thai tells me you can buy a car here with no license and you will get ins but if you have a stack the ins will not pay because no license , you see here when you buy the new car , new truck you get free ins with the truck or car .

When I brought my truck the man ask do you have a license and I said yes but he did not look at it so I think yes you can buy it but if you drive out of the car yard and stack the car you are up for paying all the cost because no license .

The test for the license is not hard and the driving test is in a car park what a joke it is here and Thais are very , very bad drives I have been driving back home in Australia for 40 years and I am a truck drive as well and back home the driver can be bad to but here they are a &lt;deleted&gt;?cking joke in all my 40 years of driving and I would have drive around the world in km one or two times that is a lot of km and I can say from time on the road Thais are a joke when it comes to driving .

Your wife says he's friend will teach him but he's friend would be sh?t drive like all the other Thais here , hop that helps you .

[DieterWiehe]

Buy him a Kubota , so he gets used to Driving

[MonkeyLoo]

Dont buy the family anything mate, they will bleed you dry.

Educate and enable them but never just give. Thats my opinion.

My wifes family call me cheap charlie, but thats ok with me. Ive worked hard for what i have and know the value.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited September 19, 2014 by MonkeyLoo

[mango66]

"Get training wheels.In other words start him off in an old reliable vehicle.Insurance also.After he's graduated then A 3-5 year old car til he passes that test.Tell the little lady no exceptions. "

A great idea, and my first thought. Unfortunately with a rich daughter and her foreigner son in law there will be no status in a second-hand car. Wife will not go for this I am sure.

You are right !

An old used car - and daughter is " married " with an engaged husband ;

this is not a decent status for the Thai father !!

I got 100 excuses why not to buy a used car,

even they brought me to a 2nd hand dealer,

propably the dyrtiest one they could find, ( this i find later on )

so that i finally agreed to support for a new one, not 750.000,-

that time it was 450.000, - 75.000,- first installment which I covered,

the rest i told they pay from business which they will do with the car

( for example to sell the fish on the market , which they sought to

grow in the gardens pool with 5m2, garden not big enough to keep pigs :-)) ;

BUT - as Thai, my wife had than to pay the 4 year installmenst from her pocket,

for trials - do you want your child or father death by exident in rain as reason of bad trials ?

Ok guy, your family will be different ,

you sure ?

why than they ask you for the car ?

[FiestyFarang]

If you are so flush with cash can you buy me a car, I have a license.

[stevenl]

You have to consider if you buy a car for a person without a driver's license and he cause an accident that that hurt or kill someone. Then it's all your fault because you enabled him. Just don't do it even before you even consider buying a car or any kind of vehicle for him teach him how to drive and put him in traffic school period. it's a 3 day course and Thai regulations for drivers licenses has gotten more difficult than before as regulations got harder but is still much easier than in europe or us. If he can't pass the course and get the license he has no place behind the steering wheel in the first place. I taught my fiancee, sister in law and mother in law how to drive and get drivers license. I never bought them a car however but they are free to use either of my cars if I don't need it and if they can cover damages if they cause it that is not covered by insurance. If I'm away and they want to use my cars they have to follow serviceplan and keep the car clean. People grow with responsibilities and don't live on handouts. Help people to help themselves but don't be stupid to please your wifes ego just to make her dad get a little face in front of his peers.

Sorry, but this is simply not true.

The driver is responsible, not the car owner.

[johnson36]

The Question to ask your wife is, does her father actually need a car ? or is it just for show for the neighbours ? " my wife wanted to do the same for her father a couple of years ago, I put my foot down and said no, as he had no use for one. In the end we bought him a second hand skylab for 30,000 baht (£600)

[Neeranam]

Any car insurance is invalid if the driver does not possess a valid drivers licence for the vehicle concerned.

Not always true. Not all insurance companies ask for a copy of your license, even if you are involved in an accident.

Edited September 19, 2014 by Neeranam