Hi Folks -

I am leaving Thailand on Tuesday Oct. 7 (a week from tomorow - eek!), after being here for a year. I have already sold - or rather agreed to sell - my motorbike to someone, with the understanding that I would keep the bike till next Friday, when we would go to the Department of Land Transportation and formalize the deal - and I would turn the bike over to him. As the days count down, it is becoming clear that it would be better for me if I could keep it till the following Monday, as I will need the bike that weekend to take care of numerous last-second tasks.

But here's the thing - when I bought this motorbike in Krabi last November, from a Swedish/Thai couple, it turned out to be a complicated, multi-stage process that wound up taking two days and two separate trips from Ao Nang to complete. The Dept. of Land Transportation there told me I would need to go to immigration with the lease agreement from my landlord to obtain an official document that verified that I had an official Thai residence (they had already seen my Non-Immigrant B visa). I had a hand-written rental receipt on a sheet from one of those receipt pads you can buy anywhere - not good enough. I had to go through the realtor who rented me the house and get an official Lease Agreement, which finally got me the required proof of residence form to take to the Dept. of Land Management.

I have heard informally that the process is much simper and more streamlined here in Chiang Mai - I have the Green Book in my name, and the tax, license and insurance were all renewed in April. If it's true that it should be a quicker, simpler process to transfer title to the bike here, then I will wait till Monday. Otherwise I will initiate the process on Friday, to allow for any glitches. The buyer was very nice and flexible in agreeing to wait to take ownership of the bike on my departure, as we shook on the deal a few weeks ago. But naturally, no money will - or should - change hands till the bike is officially his.

I will probably go to the Dept. today or tomorrow, or call them - but anyone with experience with this type of transaction in Chiang Mai who can share their experience or offer advice, would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help........

Its pretty much the same here. You and they will need proof of address (Yellow/Blue book, Work Permit, or Residence Certificate). If you have everything, your part is finished in just a few minutes. The buyer will have to return the next day to get the updated greenbook.

Def best to go or call first to confirm everything. You're prob better off meeting on friday and just renting another bike for the weekend.

Maybe the OP should have taken a deposit to confirm the agreement and hope that the proposed buyer does not Welch on the deal at the last minute.

To sell motorbike in CM,you need only the copies of your passport/visa....but I'm not sure of the buyer,if not Thai.Is it a scooter,or a big bike?

Why not sell it early and rent a bike for a few days, not exactly expensive and will save you any issues - the buyer turning around and renegotiating the deal for example.

Off topic post removed.

Almost all the deals I've been involved with were informally conducted.

If the papers and insurance are in order, no one seems to care who actually owns the thing.

The only drawback to this "streamlined" approach is that you can't take the bike out of the country when someone else's name is in the green book.