How to Buy a Used Motorbike in Thailand (the Right Way)

Buying a second-hand motorbike in Thailand takes a lot of planning and coordination.

This guide is to help you buy a motorbike correctly and transfer the vehicle into your legal name.

This is sometimes referred to as getting the ‘Green Book’ – the vehicle registration booklet.

This is essential as it allows you to take the motorbike outside of Thailand, extend and pay the insurance and tax, get the benefits of this insurance, and sell the motorbike at a later date.

Here is the broad outline of how it’s done:

Find the motorbike that you want to buy.
Prepare the required documents for your purchase.
Test the bike and get a mechanic to check over it.
Buy the motorbike.
Transfer the bike into your name at the Department of Land Transport.

Let’s break these down:

Where to buy a second-hand motorbike in Thailand

You have a couple of options for buying a second-hand motorbike.

Private sale

An option is to purchase from an individual selling their personal motorbike.

This is commonly arranged via Facebook Marketplace or Facebook Groups. This option is often the cheapest, but is the least reliable.

You need the seller to provide specific documents as we’ll see in the next step, however, if they aren’t well-informed this can prove difficult.

Further, an individual seller stands little to lose from selling a faulty motorbike – whereas a dealer risks their business reputation.

Second-hand motorbike shop

This is a popular choice. The right shop will buy decent quality motorbikes, test ride and repair them as required, and help you fill out the documents.

Typically, they’ll buy bikes from a seller and collect the necessary documents from them.

They’ll have a range of bikes available, and you should be able to take them for a test ride.

Here are some things to consider:

They should have a Google Business profile with good reviews. If not, be cautious.
They should offer some sort of warranty on the engine (E.g. one month free repairs)
They should provide the sellers documents and offer guidance on the forms that need to be filled out.

Unless I wanted a specific motorcycle model that a second-hand shop doesn’t sell, I’d strongly suggest using a reputable used motorcycle dealer (i.e. one with good reviews and helpful staff).

What documents do you need to buy a second-hand motorbike?

This is the most important step to get right. Here is what you need:

General documents:

Vehicle Registration Book (also called the Green Book or Tabien Rot)
A copy of the main page of the Green Book
Transfer of Ownership form
Power of Attorney form (if the seller won’t be present at the DLT)
Cash to pay for the transfer, insurance, and tax (as required, about 800 Baht should be fine for a small scooter. Tax and insurance will increase with the size of the vehicle)
- Bring some small change as one of the steps at the DLT office costs 10 Baht – they won’t take kindly to a 1,000 Baht note.

Documents from the seller:

A signed copy of their Thai ID card or Passport (for Thai or foreigner, respectively)
Their signatures on the aforementioned Power or Attorney and Transfer of Ownership forms.

Documents from you:

A Certificate of Residence or Work Permit
Your Thai Motorcycle License
Your passport, plus:
- A signed copy of its biodata page
- A signed copy of your latest entry stamp
A copy of your visa

Not explicitly required, but nice to bring with you:

Your last 90 day report
Your lease agreement
Sale contract for the motorbike
Receipt of payment for the motorbike
Note: Some provinces also ask for the Tabien Baan (house registration) of the seller – check what your province requires.

At this point, it’s worth noting that even if you buy through a private seller there are agents that can help you navigate the bureaucracy at this point – this is definitely something to consider if you’re either time-poor or not prepared to handle this on your own. Feel free to reach out to us if you would like to get in touch with an agent.

Please check on your local DLT’s website and/or Facebook pages in case of any regional difference or changes, as like Immigration, policy may vary slightly between provinces.

Test the bike and get a mechanic to check over it

Anecdotally, Thailand is a lot more reliable than people give it credit for. However, nowhere is free of dodgy people who are willing to sell their ailing motorbike to an unsuspecting buyer.

This is why I’d strongly suggest getting a mechanic to check over the bike and take it for a test ride.

You shouldn’t have a lot of problems with this. I’d recommend arranging to meet the seller at a mechanics shop with the bike for a test ride and quick check over.

This is a bluff as much as it is a genuine test. Most people who are selling a motorbike “as described” will take zero issue to this and the few that do will likely be unreliable in other ways such as collecting appropriate documents during the transfer process.

A few things to check:

The Green Book – How many owners have there been? Is the seller the most recent owner?
Does the number plate match the book?
How does the bike start? Note that the bike will typically start easier when the engine is warm.
How much tread is on the tires?
How smooth is the throttle and the acceleration?
Do the front and back suspension feel smooth?
Do both the front and rear brakes work well?
Does your model have ABS (Automatic Braking System)?

I’d like to emphasize how important a decent test ride is. Make sure you get the bike up to a decent speed and make sure to test the braking and handling (somewhere safe and quiet).

Buy the Motorbike

If you’re satisfied, get the seller’s forms sorted before transferring the money, then pay for the bike.

Sort out these forms before transferring the money. Once you’ve paid, it may be harder to get a quick response if the seller becomes unmotivated.

We strongly suggest that you pay via digital methods, ideally a Thai bank transfer – it’s best to have a digital record of a large transaction like this.

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Transfer the bike into your name at the Department of Land Transport

You’ve bought the bike, completed the forms, collected the other documents, and double checked and signed all of them. You’re ready to transfer the bike into your name.

Firstly, don’t rush. Ride the bike around for a week or two to make sure there aren’t any issues. Once you transfer it, fixing any of these issues will get a lot harder.

On the day, try to get there early. Get there 30 minutes before the stated opening and avoid Mondays as they can be particularly crazy.

Note that the vibe here is a lot more laid back than Immigration, it feels a lot less authoritative and tense.

Here are the steps:

1. Get your bike checked at the drive-through station

You need to get the chassis number checked and a few other basic checks done by the staff here – it only takes a couple of minutes.

When you enter the DLT, there will probably be two big drive-through areas. One is for paying the annual vehicle tax, the other is the vehicle check where you need to go.

2. Go to the transfer building

Ask the staff at the drive-through where to go next. When you arrive at the door to do the preliminary document check. If you’ve got the necessary documents they’ll point you to the main counter for the main document check.

The main document check costs 10 Baht and might include you signing a couple of things or making any small changes. You’ll get a ticket number here for the transfer counter.

Once your number is called you’ll go to the transfer counter and the staff member will review the documents and update your Green Book by printing your details in it making you the official owner of your motorcycle.

3. Possible steps

All motorbikes must pay their annual vehicle tax and mandatory insurance (also known as Por Lor Bor).

If both of these are valid for your bike you won’t need to take any further action until they near expiry; the insurance is linked to the chassis number therefore it can remain in the seller’s name until the expiration of the current policy.

If the tax is overdue you may have to pay a nominal late fee/fine, if there is no insurance there are usually multiple insurance brokers in the building offering insurance of differing amounts of cover, including the minimum.

Do consider what cover you can afford. The insurance includes liability and hospital cover so is worth considering.

Ensuring a smooth process

As mentioned before, if you arrive early and have all of your documents as required you should find that this is a surprisingly easy process.

The most likely issue you will face is having the wrong documents or filling either of the forms out incorrectly. It is essential that the seller signs the forms, including the Power of Attorney.

If the seller cannot be present ensure that you have the signed copy of their ID as well. Try to get their mobile number or Line ID to play it safe too.

Important Considerations When Buying Your Motorbike

Getting your Certificate of Residence from Immigration is likely more time consuming than the transfer process at the DLT. You’ll need to get a TM30 and other documents first, we strongly recommend booking your Certificate of Residence appointment online if possible in your province.

As mentioned above, specific requirements vary slightly between provinces so check online to see what is required at your office.

If you’re buying a bike from a different province you may also need to change the license plate to your province of residence.

If you’re buying a bike in Bangkok, check which office you need to go to to transfer the bike as there are several and you may only be able to use a particular one.

Using an agent or buying through a used motorbike dealership will make this a lot easier; ask your dealership if they can help prepare the forms for you as they are in Thai and are particularly difficult to interpret even for those with decent Thai literacy.

Ongoing Requirements for Motorbike Ownership in Thailand

Let assume all goes smoothly and the bike is in your name. There are a couple of things that you have to do:

Note the expiry dates in your diary and pay your annual road tax and insurance (por lor bor) on time; this can be done at any DLT office.

Keep a copy of the following documents in your bike:

Your por lor bor insurance;
Certificate of any travel or Thai health insurance;
Your passport biodata page and most recent visa stamp;
A copy of your visa;
And maybe: A copy of your Green Book.

Do not keep the Green Book in your bike: This gives thieves (almost) everything that they need to take and sell your motorbike. Several Thais have advised us not to keep the Book in the bike. We’ll let you decide if you want to keep a copy of the main page in there.

Further, you must display your valid road tax on the outside of your bike. This is the blue and red paper certificate that you’ll see people put into little tubes and fix to their bikes license plate or frame.

Not everyone does this, but to avoid issues we highly recommend doing this.

Note that not all of the documents above need to be kept in the bike, but it would be wise as in the event of an accident you have your identification and insurance documents ready in the event that you are unable to access them via your phone or otherwise.

Although not directly related, it’s important to ensure your Thai license remains valid. This helps you avoid unnecessary fines and ensures any insurance claims remain valid.

Flynn Gaffy

Based in Northern Thailand, Flynn is a Southeast Asian expat whose passion for the region translates into his work. With a holistic approach to moving offshore, Flynn considers lifestyle, opportunity and practicality to provide excellent bespoke services.