The Car Buying Process In Thailand- All You Need To Know

When buying a new car, the dealer will handle all or a major part of the paperwork for you. You’ll have to be more hands-on if buying a used car from a private individual. Therefore, when you’ve decided to make your purchase, you have a few hoops to jump through.

Finance options

There are strict restrictions in place for foreigners to get loans in Thailand when they would want to buy a car. The foreigner needs to have a bank account with good standing at a local bank. The foreigner needs to show that they are here long term with a work permit or similar showing. A foreigner needs a Thai guarantor for the first car and they should be aware of the situation and what will happen if the foreigner defaults on the loan. The only exception where a guarantor is not needed is when the deposit payment is between 50-70%. A minimum down payment of 20% is required for getting a loan. If you have limited funds in your bank, or you are new in the country, some banks will ask for a higher down payment. Before applying for a loan, have copies of your passport, wage slips, bank statements, and work permit.

New cars

Reserve the car by paying a deposit after you’ve found the right dealer to sell car, as cars in Thailand are usually made to order. Afterward, you will get a receipt stating the color, delivery date, model, and all freebies you got from the negotiation. The car will be delivered to you on or before six months, give or take. Have a thorough check from bumper to bumper once the car arrives and take it for a test drive to check that all freebies are included. Check for correct customer details, warranty for the manufacture date, and inspection dates before accepting the car. You should receive all documents that day including; the car manual, tax sticker, car insurance, temporal red book, and the CPTL. The red plates should be replaced with the white plates after a few months and expect to get an official blue ownership book either on the same day or a few days after you receive the white plates. If a finance company financed the car, they will be listed as the owner of the car and are handed the blue book until you pay off the loan. If you financed the car, you will get a copy of the blue book. Once you have a certificate of residency issued by the Immigration Bureau or the applicant’s embassy or a signed copy of a work permit, a valid Thai driving license, and a passport, your dealer should deal with all the car registration paperwork at the Department of Land Transport.

Used Car

The transfer process has several steps. Submitting all paperwork to get it checked and stamped by an official is the first step. This step will take a few days if you bought the car from another province. You will be called to inspect the car to ensure the car matches all the details on the submitted forms and there are no problems. Lastly, you will be asked to collect the Blue Book ( Lem Tabian) and plates.

If you are transferring the car within the same province the whole process should be over within a few hours. This paperwork process can be handled by the power of attorney if you are unable to do it yourself. You will need a new set of plates for used cars registered in a different province.

Note that the transfer cost is different based on the estimated amount of the sale value of your car.