Auto Insurace

[FutureResident]

Beyond the min required by law what else do people carry and whom do they us as an carrier?

[vincent chang]

You will need insurance firstly. I have bangkok insurance company. and cover for liability only. it costs about 4-5000 baht per year. about the same for registration for the year. an older car might require a smog certificate. in order to register a car, you have to have a resident i.d. of some sort and proof of insurance. Your foreign drivers liscence is valid in thailand, but you might want to apply for a thai drivers liscence. which is good for a year, but then if you renew, and havent had any problems, they let you have a 5 year liscence. There are companys out there that cater to farangs who will handle all this complicated paperwork, photos, health certificates, smog checks etc. but there is a small fee , usually about 2000 baht or so, and it seems to me well worth it. without the thai drivers liscence, if you are in an accident , the police will probably assume automaticly that it is your fault. knock on wood I havent been pulled over or had any accidents yet. but it is a good idea in any country to have all your paperwork in order in case an accident occurs. even though the traffic appears chaotic, I find driving here is pretty safe compared to the streets of las vegas nevada. and at about 300 dollars per year for registration and insurance, a whole lot cheaper.