@Michael *******

Please explain the purpose of a pre-sale contract and the benefit of it to a buyer 🤔

@Michael *******

In Western culture it may be normal to look to execute a written agreement.. but in Thailand it's not normal if you are trading privately.. yes if you are buying from a dealer with retail premises.. ie. one with a corporate image.. but many small 'dealers' that trade from home will not want to sign a pre-sale agreement.. they are just as suspicious of your intent as you are about theirs.. but the LTO system removes all doubt and worry from the transaction imo.. unless buying retail you don't need a contract really.. but if a seller won't bring the vehicle to the LTO to be checked and verified i'd walk away personally 👍

@Michael ******

You have options to shorten the process.. but would have to trust the seller (a stranger) with copies of personal documents.. and trust them to lodge the documents with the LTO after you have given them your money.. they surely won't do so before you make payment.. so how do you prevent a potential scam.. i accept that 99% of sellers are probably honest.. but why would you take the risk when there is a system in place to protect you.. and it only costs you a couple of hours of your time.. we've bought and sold both cars and motorcycles many times.. and always followed the LTO prescribed system.. it's really a no-brainer when the buyer/seller don't know each other.. since it protects both parties at zero cost.. and you obtain good title to the vehicle.

@Michael *******

The system actually provides buyers with a good level of protection against getting scammed.. the seller must prove they own the bike before the LTO will sanction a transfer of title.. and you don't part with any money until you know everything is kosher.. apart from a small deposit at the time of making the deal perhaps.. to show your commitment to attending the LTO to complete the deal.. they are effectively giving you a free identity and ownership check.. and can flag up any issues before you make payment.. removes a lot of worry for people!

You strike a deal to buy the bike.. then agree a time to meet at the LTO to sign the bike over.. both parties will have to confirm their identity and residence to the LTO's satisfaction.. you can check their exact requirements online before you go.. and unless it's a new/relatively new bike it will have to pass a basic inspection.. once the transfer paper work has been completed and checked by LTO and signed off by both parties you make the bank transfer and officially file the forms with them.. it can all be done within a couple of hours if you go early in the morning.. and if you are prepared to wait you can even leave with the green book in your name.. though if it's late in the day and it's really busy they will sometimes suggest you return the next day to collect it.. this assumes it is a private sale of course.. if you're buying from a dealer (ie. a motorcycle shop) then they will normally attend to everything on your behalf.. you just provide them with copies of the necessary ID docs etc.. and don't have to visit the LTO in person.. it's a fairly simple process.. but if there's no green book or a private seller refuses to go to the LTO to undertake the transfer then some warning bells should be ringing!

@Jasmine *****

You need to check whether the income method can be used for the first non-o visa.. i could be wrong but have a feeling that you need to use the capital-in-bank method for the first one.. but can switch to the income method on renewal when the monthly income credits can be verified into a Thai Bank account.. there may be insurance requirements if applying in your home country too.. which don't apply if you are applying within Thailand.. this can be expensive since you cannot dispense with it if the initial visa is approved on that basis.. meaning upon renewal.. it's important to check these things out properly before deciding on the best course of action.. no doubt others here will clarify my thoughts in due course.. wish you and your family well with your migration journey 👍

Premiums will depend upon the age and value of the car and the make/model/engine capacity.. as well as type of cover.. eg. class 1, class 2, etc.. so it's impossible to compare what other people are paying in a relative sense.. meaning if you insure a 10-yr old 1.0 litre compact car with class 2 cover you will pay a substantially lower premium than someone insuring a brand new 3.0 litre SUV/4x4 on a class 1 basis.. it would be better for the author to ask the readers for an idea of cost to insure the type of vehicle they are considering owning.. then maybe people with a similar vehicle can give a meaningful response.. otherwise it's like trying to compare house prices without knowing the location, plot size, type of building, nature of construction, quality of materials etc!

It's a shame that some people fail to read what is written before letting their belly rumble!

My apologies if i misunderstood what you wrote.. only you intimated your investment was held in pesos.. therefore your interest or 'the return' will also be paid in pesos.. so at some point you need to convert pesos into baht in order to spend it in country.. hence exposing yourself to an exchange rate risk.. in simple terms.. if you make a 10% gain on investments held in U.S. dollars over a year.. but the dollar devalues by 7% against your currency of choice.. then you have achieved a net gain of 3% in real terms.. and that is the inherent risk.. by contrast if you live in the U.S. and all your income and expenses are managed in dollars then you really have achieved a return of 10%.. conversely if the exchange rate moved 7% in your favour then your 10% becomes 17%.. this is why corporations with large revenues or indebtedness (indirectly) use the swaps and options markets to fix their exchange rates in advance.. because a market shift at the wrong time could wipe out all of the profit on a commercial contract.. and have disastrous financial implications.. and people are no different.. to suggest foreign currency investing is 'basic finance' only demonstrates your own naivety not mine my friend.. as does patronising someone you don't know simply because their opinion differs.. everyone has a different attitude to risk and a different tolerance to investment fluctuations.. so it's horses for courses.. and my original observation was simply that it's much more complex than many people think.. enuff said!

@Todd ********

Except you forgot to factor in exchange rate risk.. or mention that a sudden shift in swap rates can eliminate all gains on a foreign investment.. overseas money is not spendable in Thailand until it's converted into Thai baht of course.. and therein lyes the problem.. you could be lucky or you could be very unlucky depending upon your timing.. so to suggest your theory is flawless ignores the complex nature of financial markets.. and to imply that everyone should do this to off-set their agent's fees just because it has worked for you (so far) verges on the lemming theory.. and before you tell me i don't know what I'm talking about.. i should mention that I've been a portfolio manager and active in risk management in financial markets for over 40 years.. so i speak with a little knowledge on the subject!