Motor cycle , green book vrs invoice

[BB1955]

Im looking now to purchase a motorcycle , here in Chiangmai . Can someone explain what the point of an invoice is , what can be done with a bike which you have an invoice . Can it be tagged and run on the roads legal ? This has really been an experience of course even the ones tryingto sell bikes with no book and no invoice say oh just ride it no one cares ...

[eyecatcher]

An invoice is only a record of what has been paid. Its for yous and the vendors accounting purposes only.

certainly nothing legal about it.

if you have no need for an invoice you can burn it.

Green book; thats all that matters so if you dont have it, you are not legal.

[DLock]

I have a couple of older bikes that I don't have the green book for and I ride around the mountains, but never into town. Never had a problem.

But I would never ride a bike into town with our book and registration. Not worth the hassle.

Anyone trying to pass an invoice of as somehow legal and that "no one cares" is basically trying to scam you.

...but if you do but a bike with no book for around village area or away from city, it's worth very little compared to a bike with a book, so negotiate appropriately.

[LivinLOS]

An invoice is only a record of what has been paid. Its for yous and the vendors accounting purposes only.

certainly nothing legal about it.

if you have no need for an invoice you can burn it.

Green book; thats all that matters so if you dont have it, you are not legal.

Thats not correct.. 'invoice' bikes are bikes who have been imported and import tax was paid on the invoice at the time of import.

Theres 2 grades also.. Import tax (whole or more usually parts) and secondly excise. You can also get government insurance based on the frame number but not road tax.

Up here in the north they used to tolerate unplated bikes with invoice, merely paying the odd couple hundred baht fines.. About 5 years ago there was a big drive to pay excise tax on all these, with the assurance that if you had excise the bike couldnt be confiscated (lie).. At the time it was cheap and easy to process as a kind of amnesty period. These days paying excise is very difficult and at a much higher percentage of the bikes value.

Until 2 or 3 years ago you could, if you had the correct import invoice paperwork, get a green book legally.. The ballpark costs for this was 80 - 120 depending on engine size and contacts etc. So only economic on good condition high value bikes. There are also 'other ways' of getting books aka 'grey book' which come from a donor bike.

The gradual clampdown has increased.. Riding around on a non plated bike is all well and good until you run into a road block or have an accident. Then the big bills can start coming. Yes it can work in the country, and yes you always get someone saying "hey we ride around here in nakhon nowhere just fine, the police dont mind" but try it in bangkok or phuket and see how 'legal' it is riding with only invoice..

I have 2 invoice bikes here, one for track only, the other a real dirtbike, the invoice is VERY important and effects sale value, especially if its excise.. Plus theres a temp imported Khmer registered KTM, and a selection of plated machines some legit some grey. Before the main dealer machines arrived all the big bike plates were in shades of grey and loads of farangs who dont research got caught out buying expensive bikes with a recycled honda wave book in them.

In short, if you dont know what your looking at, get a bike with a legit book sold to the Thai market not grey imported.

Edited March 8, 2015 by LivinLOS