MOT vehicle inspection Hua Hin

[REEM]

In the past, renewing my car insurance and road tax was always a one stop job at the insurance company office. The insurance was renewed along with the PLB government insurance. The yearly road tax was also taken care of by the insurance company staff.

Last year my pick up needed an inspection before the road tax could be renewed, and again, the insurance company dealt with it, not by having the vehicle inspected, but merely by doing a sticky tape and pencil transfer of the chassis number and then as if by magic issuing a MOT pass, enabling the road tax sticker to be issued.

This year however, they could not offer that MOT service saying that there has been a tightening up of procedure since a number of high end imported cars, Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Bentleys, were discovered burnt out on a transporter truck after crossing illegally from Malaysia.

I would need to take the car to the MOT station and have them do a proper inspection before being able to tax it for the next 12 months.

This morning I took my truck to the testing station, which is on the U-turn under the overpass down at the southern end of town. Not really knowing what to expect I drove in to a clean bright area and parked over an inspection pit expecting a longish test, but it was all over in about 30 seconds. The chassis number was sticky taped and pencilled, then the car was driven on to some rollers, the brakes were applied, red LEDs on a computer screen by the rollers blinked, and that was it. No testing the exhaust emissions, no testing the lights, steering, bodywork or anything else.

Into the office I went where they offered to obtain the tax sticker for me by sending away the log book pass certificate and PLB for me, yes please I said, I need to return to collect it in two days, they said.

The cost was 200b plus the fee for the 12 months road tax.

The inspection centre is the first entrance on the left after you come round the U of the U-turn, just after you have passed the railway line and well before you join the main Phetkasem road back into town.

Tomorrow, it's Cha-Am for a sea food lunch and a five year Driving licence renewal. Hope it's as easy as today.

[STEVE G]

There is another testing centre near to the Le Vallee estate on the right heading out of town on the Hin Lek Fai road, I was there in December and it was a pretty similar experience to above, it just seemed to be a brake test on a rolling road for a couple of hundred baht.

[pensorter]

For those on the southern end of town, there is another testing station in Pranburi near The Tesco Supermarket on Petkasem Road. If you turn left at the traffic lights with the Big TESCO sign, go past the Tesco Carpark entrance and it's about 50 metres on the left. Same quick brief testing of brakes and they get the chassis number, attach it to your blue car book, pay 200 baht and you're done. The Pranburi road tax office is only 200 metres away- go back to the lights, turn right onto Petkasem and immediately turn left on the small lane behind the cop shop which leads you to the road tax office. Present your blue book with recent testing attachments, and pay up. Total job done in less than 20 minutes midweek. Alternatively reduce the road tax payment by bringing your own 3rd party insurance original.

Incidentally there is a new excellent Carwash service in the Tesco carpark -350B, or 450 baht for the works, done in about 40 minutes by a big gang of young friendly cleaning staff.
Go to all 3 places for a quick annual refurb & renewal??!! - And fit in some shopping too!! Definitely not like the MOT hassle back home!