Guest Posted May 18, 2003 Report Share Posted May 18, 2003 I might add my two satangs worth too :: To obtain a Thai drivers licence, the easiest way is to use your own licence, this way you dont need to do any tests etc other than eye test from memory. You need non immigrant visa, passport photos, medical certificate, and I dont remember if you need a letter from your embassy stating your residential address, but I think you do. International licences are good for only 3 months at a time, fine if you are on a multiple entry visa, useless if you crash a car and are driving on the international one more than 90 days at one time. Your UK licence is useless without a valid UK international licence, thats the law everywhere including here, and a hire car company will deny your insurance if you dont have one and have an accident. Bikes are always a target here, I have been riding daily for 3 years, used to get pulled over but not for the last 12 months. When I am I sit them out usually. I will not hand over my licence as I know the road rules enough to know they are bluffing me. If of course I have done something deliberately wrong, I will try to avoid them at all costs, some people I know pull over and pass them, then ride off soon as they have cleared the cops. I do not condone any of this of course but to each his own :: If you want Thai licence for both cars and bikes you need two licences. one for cars, one for bikes... kao san international licences are quite handy, if the cop refuses to play along, give him one of these 100 baht specials, and off you go, cheaper than wasting a day trying to find the station to pay 400 baht to get it back. Buying vehicles here, I havent bothered with cars so wont go there, big bikes are brought in from Japan, usually with the forks and rear ends removed, most are stolen, registration is not technically legal but does get done. Good example of shonkiness (such a word?) would be the Honda VTR1000. The rear swingarm assembly is an integral part of the engine mounts and should be proffesionally fitted, how many running round here were removed before crating and just bolted back on down at the docks off Rama 3 before being shipped off to a shop?? Servicing? amusing... noone here really knows how to properly service these bikes, they dont know what a torque wrench is, and most tool boxes consist of a comprehensive set of hammers and a couple of screwdrivers. I have had my lower fairing cracked during a simple oil change at Red Baron! Enough digression.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovineye Posted May 18, 2003 Report Share Posted May 18, 2003 How does auto insurance work in LOS? I have quizzed my GF about this, but is still a mystery. She bought a new car, paid cash, and said the dealer paid the insurance for the first year. After that she said she pays the post office. I interpret this to mean she pays the bill at the post office, not to them. She said I am not covered when driving her car (but she makes me drive everywhere anyway). Is there insurance I can get to drive her car when there on holiday? Any other insight on car insurance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whosyourdaddy Posted May 18, 2003 Report Share Posted May 18, 2003 Yes most bills can be paid at the post office. I am sure you could contact the insurance company and get added on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 19, 2003 Report Share Posted May 19, 2003 All, I have bought a new car this weekend (in Thailand) and I have been told for the financing aspect and the car registration aspect I must produce a work permit. This has been stated at Mitusbishi, Honda and Toyota dealerships. Additionally, I have been told you require your work permit to get a Thai drivers licence as well? Is this correct? Sanukboot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene1944 Posted May 19, 2003 Report Share Posted May 19, 2003 Re Rovingeye's questions on insurance: Usually you buy the first years insurance when you purchase a new car so the ins. cost is included in the total price. Sometimes there is a promotion where the dealer/manufacturer includes the insurance for a year for free. This is usually the case only for "less popular" car models to motivate sales. It is my understanding that once the car is insured, anyone driving it is also insured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene1944 Posted May 19, 2003 Report Share Posted May 19, 2003 sanukboot ... told for the financing aspect and the car registration aspect I must produce a work permit. This has been stated at Mitusbishi, Honda and Toyota dealerships. Additionally, I have been told you require your work permit to get a Thai drivers licence as well? Is this correct? NO it is NOT correct regarding registration. Tell the dealer to call Honda (which I did) and they clarified it for the dealer-- No problem with registration. I don't know about financing. You definitely do not need a work permit to get a Thai DL either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 19, 2003 Report Share Posted May 19, 2003 Car Insurance ; Mitsubishi will include the cost of insurance for the first year, Honda will not. This goes along with your theory as there are more Honda's on the road than Mitsubishi's.... As a side note - the dealership we were at yesterday for Honda booked 5 cars that day(it as 2pm when we left!). So there definitely seems a lot of people buying new cars at the moment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted May 19, 2003 Report Share Posted May 19, 2003 Your information is right. The requirement is a non immigrant visa for most things but they have no idea what that is (indeed many of us don't either). So the easy out is to also say you need a work permit. Remember first time I obtained internet service got the same ploy. Even the banks sometimes make this error. Usually if you explain you are retired and thus do not work they can understand the logic and will check up a notch and perhaps find out that the work permit is not really required. It probably goes with the normal Thai id card/home register thinking. To them you don't have a home register so they need a work permit to go with your ID card (passport). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 19, 2003 Report Share Posted May 19, 2003 Gene/Lopburi3, Indeed you are correct! I have just checked with the relevant government office and the following is required to register your car : This information is accurate as at May 19th, 2003 * Proof of residency (issued by your Embassy) * Valid non-immigrant visa in your passport * A copy of house registration & ID card of the head of the house (this is required for me because I live with a Thai family and is linked to the next item). * Car Park Form signed by the head of the house. (This is formal acknowledgement from the head of the house I am allowed to park my car in their house). This seems silly , but, have been told this is required TIT! As for Drivers licence, I am told this is required. This is from a friend who has gone through the process and the information is slightly outdated. * Proof of residency (issued by your Embassy) * medical certificate * Your current drivers licence * 1 inch mug shot (2 copies req'd) Sanukboot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 19, 2003 Report Share Posted May 19, 2003 Proof of residence from immigration also works for car registration/drivers license and is free but you need to provide them with some proof of your residence as opposed to the embassy where they accept any address you tell them, but charge ß2000+ (US Embassy) for the affadavit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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