Car tax renewal, how many months in advance?

[brightside]

How long before the tax renewal date can motor vehicle tax be paid in advance?

Car's tax expires 3-Jan-2021. Can I pay the tax now? If not, what is the earliest I can pay it? Sorry if this is a common answer but I can't seem to find any information.

Thanks

[HHTel]

When I bought my current car (second hand) there was 6 months tax left. The car had to be re-registered (originally bought in BKK). Because it was getting a new number, I was told to pay for a further year's tax in order to get a new sticker with the correct registration which gave 18 months tax on the car.
Therefore, I assume you can tax well in advance of the expiry.

[brightside]

Therefore, I assume you can tax well in advance of the expiry.

Thanks HHTel, that's an interesting one. We're going to attempt to renew the tax tomorrow, before departure and will report back.

[hhinner]

90 days according to several websites, including dlt.

[hhinner]

Also applies to compulsory 3rd party insurance I think.

[HHTel]

Unless you have other insurance.

[brightside]

Also applies to compulsory 3rd party insurance I think.

Thanks, I take it that means the por-ror-bor (compulsory) insurance can be purchased 90 days before it is needed to commence?

In other words, one could purchase it on approximately 1-Oct-2020, to commence 1-Jan-2021?

I must admit I've often found that insurance to be a bit of a pain, as the people who sell it often automatically set the start date, by default, to the current date, even after requesting another date to follow-on from the existing policy.

Anyway, to keep to the subject, it would seem that we cannot purchase the tax to begin 3-Jan-2021before we depart. We need a plan B.

[hhinner]

You could go to the dlt and explain your situation. They may say no problem if the vehicle is garaged while you're away.

[brightside]

You could go to the dlt and explain your situation. They may say no problem if the vehicle is garaged while you're away.

Fingers crossed, I'll let you know.

[HHTel]

I've just been reminded that some years ago, I was in a similar situation. Whilst I was away and my car parked up on the drive, the tax ran out. When I returned, I just renewed my tax which was backdated to the date it was due for renewal. No penalty.

[Dannie Boy]

Or if you have a friend who can do it for you while your away - we have friends stuck in Australia and we’ve recently renewed their tax for them, no problem at all.

[brightside]

I've just been reminded that some years ago, I was in a similar situation. Whilst I was away and my car parked up on the drive, the tax ran out. When I returned, I just renewed my tax which was backdated to the date it was due for renewal. No penalty.

Thanks to all for the help with this. I have been to the transport office today and can confirm that the tax can only be paid within the preceding 90-day period, as hhinner has already said. I would need to wait until early November before I can pay it.

Last time I was away from the country for some months I returned and paid the tax and was charged an extra fee even though the tax was indeed backdated (please see 2nd line of the attachment pasted here dated 16-ม.ย.58 or 16-Apr-2015 with 173.52 Baht fee). This is what I was trying to avoid, to be honest, because it's a fine for something which we can't always avoid and in any case the car was off the road.

Today I took with me part of the text from you comment HHTEL about your backdated tax, noting that you mentioned you were not charged a penalty. Anyway, the office confirmed that the fee is charged for paying it late (the column is headed ngern-perm, which I presume means "extra"). There doesn't seem to be an official alternative to that, so unfortunately it's somewhat inefficient.

Can you confirm whether you were charged a fee in that column HHTEL?

[HHTel]

Sorry Brightside, I can't. I no longer have that car. You could be right about the 'late fee'. I may not have noticed it.
The time when I bought my current car did indeed have a sticker lasting 18 months. Because it was being re-registered and therefore having a new number, it may have been a special case.

[Dannie Boy]

It’s annoying that you have to pay a fee for late payment, but as it’s only a relatively small amount, it’s not worth getting too excited about - it’s one of the joys for living here!!

[brightside]

Sorry Brightside, I can't. I no longer have that car. You could be right about the 'late fee'. I may not have noticed it.

That's alright HHTel, thanks for the note back anyway. It's been a worthwhile conversation to clarify it a bit and may help others in the future. I also didn't immediately notice the 173 Baht fee five years ago until I returned home and attempted to read the writing.