Change of Ownership - Power of Attorney

[DesmoNut]

I hope to be buying a bike from another province very soon.

When it comes to registering change of ownership, what I’ve read makes me think there might be a small problem.

I understand that I can either :-

a) arrange for both buyer & seller to be present at the same time to sign documents. I can’t really ask the seller to travel to my home province even though it’s not far away. If we signed documents in the current province of registration, I’d have to provide an address in that province, but I can’t see this is an easy option - could I use my out-of-province home address for this? Seller’s province is Udon Thani, mine is neighbouring Khon Kaen.

or

b) get the seller to sign a “Power of Attorney” form so that the change of ownership can be made without him needing to be present. This sounds an easier choice.

So my questions concern the “Power of Attorney” form – is this a standard form available at the vehicle registration office? Is there a link to the form so that I can print one off for signing?

I know I can continue using the bike, taxing/insuring it etc., without registering a change of ownership but I don’t want to take that route.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[hawaiianbrians]

Option one: Go to your local Transportation Office and ask them what forms they require. They should give youa couple of their forms which of course will need to be filled out, you will need copies of the sellers Thai ID or Passport with Visa/Work Permit if it is in seller's falang name. The problem is what one person at the Transportation Office tells you sometimes won't work when you go back the next time. Option two: I would say it's easiest and safest to go with the seller to to Office in his area and transfer the green book right there. That way you know it's done, the bike is legally registered, and you are covered! I have had no problems leaving it registered where I bought it, just go to your local office and pay the Tax when due.If you want it in your name you must have a proper visa and the paperwork that the local office requires as well, good luck with all of it. In my experience, it's a fluid environment so what works one time may not work the next. Maybe others have better advice than me but that's my two cents for what it's worth.

 

[johngooding]

Probably the quickest and easiest transfer if the bike is registered in Udon province is for you to go with the owner to the office there and the whole process can be done in one day with the forms available at the office. As well described by Hawaianbrians below. The bike will retain its Udon plate. If the bike is registered in another province such as Bangkok, then you will not be able to do in a day, so may as well move to Kohn Kaen. You will need the power of attorney form and a sale transfer form filled in as appropriate and signed by the seller. The forms are available at the offices and also downloadable from the DLT Thailand site, you can google this, but you need a Thai reader to see which forms you want to download. If you take all completed forms and the book to KK, they will ask you to come back in a few days, or even a week, with the bike. They retrieve the bikes records from wherever it is registered. They will inspect the bike and check against book and records. They will then take up to 45 days to issue you a new plate and tax sticker from KK province.
The requirements for documents for transfer are simple and clear and I have never had any trouble in the 5 different offices I have dealt with during the sale or purchase of more than 10 bikes over 6 years. The main problem people seem to have is proving their address, needing a work permit, or a yellow book or a letter from immigration. The rest providing you have a valid passport and visa is simple.

 

[DesmoNut]

Thanks, John & Brian.

I now have a copy of the Power of Attorney form if it's needed.

Buyer's & seller's paperwork is all present & correct. The only doubt was PoA and out-of-province address but that seems not to be a problem either.

 

[madjbs]

Actually if you want to register it in Bangkok, it can be done in one day at the Bangkok land transport department. I have done it twice and new plates were issued there and then.

You need to get 2 signed copies of the power of attorney form, one for changing province and one for changing ownership. You also need all the other sellers documents as stated.

 

[johngooding]

Interesting to hear that Bangkok can do it all in one day including change of province. Every time I have changed province I have had to wait while the records transferred, the longest was Sakon Nakhon to Chiang Mai, took 42 days. As Bangkok is the capital city and province maybe they have special access to the records.

 

[LivinLOS]

johngooding;275653 wrote: Probably the quickest and easiest transfer if the bike is registered in Udon province is for you to go with the owner to the office there and the whole process can be done in one day with the forms available at the office. As well described by Hawaianbrians below. The bike will retain its Udon plate. If the bike is registered in another province such as Bangkok, then you will not be able to do in a day, so may as well move to Kohn Kaen.

Takes a lot more than same day in many provinces.. Phuket was 7 - 14 days for in province name changes.

 

[KZ25]

Bangkok to Phuket in 6 days, only 340 THB including the new plate!

Sold a local bike, went to DoT in the morning, the buyer was told tomorrow. He stayed to make his license, asked in late afternoon and got the green book in his name on the same day!

Never had that happen before.

TIT!

 

[LivinLOS]

Same day in Phuket.. Then things have changed.. Best I ever had was 1 week (in last 5 years it used to be next day about 9 10 years back) and worst was 3 - 4 weeks as they made issues about the book that were not valid but took work to argue. Luckily that was a buy not a sell so I didnt lose the buyer.

I have always heard that bangkok plates are special.. I think it was you can do a transfer in a province and keep the bangkok plate ?? And hence it is faster for a bangkok plate around the country. But I have never purchased a bangkok regged vehicle and moved it out to a provincial plate.