Hello. I have a friend that just move from  USA        is buying an used car. He lives in Chiang Mai, he is buying the car in Chiang Rai. He holds an USA Driver License, no Thai driver license yet.

What personal documentation he will need to register the car in Chiang Mai?...Will he need to get a Thai driver license first? Can him to drive the car to Chiang Mai with just the car selling documents, his USA Driver Licence and his Passport?

The car is 11 years old, licensed, everything in order, and paid in cash. Will be necessary to do something with the car before registration? Can he get class 1 insurance with an USA driver license?

I live in Chiang Rai. Do you know somebody or a service office that can help him in Chiang Mai?

Thank you very much for your help.

I Live in Chiang Mai and registered my second hand car earlier this year. I needed a Residents certificate from Immigration, the car's blue book and copy of Passport. You then take the car to the local ministry centre near the airport where they check the VIN Number and then you apply for the change of ownership. All done in the same complex.

Owning a car does not automatically implicate the ability to drive it. Hence the driving license is a different ball game he wants to attend to in Chiang Rai. 
The car is best registered in Chiang Rai where you friend lives; the paperwork as listed above is correct and complete. Go there in the afternoon as mornings are usually crowded; there is a minimal transfer fee and a tax of a few thousand Baht to be paid - depending on the value of the car which will be assessed by the officers at the DMV. 

3 hours ago, DGS1244 said:

I Live in Chiang Mai and registered my second hand car earlier this year. I needed a Residents certificate from Immigration, the car's blue book and copy of Passport. You then take the car to the local ministry centre near the airport where they check the VIN Number and then you apply for the change of ownership. All done in the same complex.

It says that his friend lives in Chiang MAI, hence my advice.

My understanding is that you cannot get first class insurance if the car is more than ten years old......somebody correct if I am wrong.

As far as insurance is concerned, fist class insurance is not usually available for a car that old, so he needs to discuss his needs with an insurance company. If the car is taxed up to date, the I assume it will have minimum government insurance etc.

 

he can drive the car back to Chang Mai with his USA license and passport etc, but if planning to stay long term he will need a thai license etc. I would suggest getting a thai license asap. Its quite easy etc and as long as he has USA license, he does not need to take a driving test, just do the reaction and coulour blind test etc.

 

as for registering the car, he will need Residents certificate, copy of passport, copy of sellers  thai ID, assuming seller is Thai, ( if buying from a foreigner he will need a copy of their passport and a residents certificate for them as well.) 

I understand from a friend who recently went to the Immigration office in Chiang Mai that they will not always issue the residents certificate the same day so maybe worth checking

In relation to the Ministry Centre near the airport suggest that you don't leave it until too late in the day as we went recently for the purpose of having an engine number changed and the queue was so long we would never have been processed that day

Fortunately we have a local office here in Fang where it was not a problem

15 hours ago, Mansell said:

My understanding is that you cannot get first class insurance if the car is more than ten years old......somebody correct if I am wrong.

AA Insurance Brokers (the sponsor here) can offer 1st Class for most cars over 10 years old