dealer plates - what's up with that?

[KZ]

After riding around for a year without a license plate I listened to a friend and got me a dealer's plate. He told me it's a cheap and simple way to get my bike legal. Tax is paid by the dealership, and I insured the bike half a year ago already using the frame number in the invoice. I paid 1000 THB for a year for the plate which I would have spent just for decorative purposes in case the plate is not "legally legal", this being Thailand which sometimes seems like a huge grey area to me.
Does anybody have any information about the legality of these plates?
Is there a farang who runs a MC dealership who maybe can tell me the true truth?
I also noticed there are red license plates with black lettering, it shows some thai letters and only one or two digits.

 

[Franz]

Hi Klaus, very simple:
first for cars:
Red numberplates are issued for new cars at the Registration department for the cardealers, dealership will ask you which one you want: 1.) with a deposit of ~THB 4.500,- (varying) once you receive your permanent plates company will refund you the money except some 3-500,- THB on costs and you have to turn in the plates, plates will look worn and will come with a routing book too, with these ones you should not drive out of your "Changwat". 2.) Or the dealer will ask you for THB 200-300,-, these plates you do not have to return, they are fakes and come with no book. Further on to that each dealer will already do a P.R.B. (compulsory) insurance on your vehicle, but nowadays they will do also a registration for 1st class insurance. This is valid for NEW cars only !!!!
second for motorbikes:
Red numberplates are approved by the local Police HQ and then given to you by the dealer, there's no book but they are legal and have to be returned. Usually also likewise with cars, motorbike will immediately get a compulsory insurance before you drive, valid again only for NEW bikes.
There's also the illegal version of red plates for bikes and they are worth nothing. If you read the inscript of the legal ones, you'll usually find not the Changwat they are registered on it but the name of the Tambon the Police HQ are located.
Red plates are here by law to show the police and other traffic that this is a new vehilce and soon will get new plates.
Concerning red plates on a second hand vehicle: simple, not legal.
Cheers, Franz

 

[KZ]

Thanks, Franz, that's kinda what I figured. But it looks good, doesn't it?

 

[Franz]

Yeah Klaus better than unplated, lots of my Thai friends here do the same, but still not legal. What's your next bike by the way, having seen you trying to sell your 250 red devil on Bahtsold ? Cheers, Franz

 

[KZ]

The D-Tracker will be next, that's the perfect scoot for getting to work and zipping around town, not too big but light and quick, plus easy on gas. A DRZ400 would be too much already.
I'm still waiting for my Christmas bonus . . .