I have just completed the process of renewing my car tax and car passport in Ubon. Every year I am surprised by how easy it is and how good it makes me feel that I can do it all by myself. That last bit is rather pathetic at my age, but still, that's how it is. This year I noticed how little Thai I needed to use and how little English the three officers I dealt with had to use. It was almost a communication-free series of events. Apart from the usual politenesses, I only had to ask one question and answer a few in the affirmative. In order to ask my question I did check in advance that I knew the word for 'documents'. When answering, I took a while to remember what Por Lor Bor meant or referred to, and that was it as far as language went.
So what did I have to do? First job was to pay for my new insurance policy since I cancel my old one each time I return to UK. The company (which I am happy to say has changed its name from AIG so I no longer feel I am indirectly supporting Man Utd) kindly suggested that I should only take out third party from now on due to the advanced age of my car. This saved me more than half my usual premium, but is not subject to any refund so there's no pont in my cancelling it from now on.
Armed with my policy document (Por Lor Bor) I drive to a place that will check the identity and road-worthiness of my car. They take a lot more trouble over the identity check. This takes about 10 minutes and I leave with another document.
Next to one of the two land transport offices in Ubon. I park the car, march upstairs clutching the log book and road-worthiness document, press a button and take my number slip from the machine and take a seat opposite a row of counters. The automated number-caller lets me know there are only three people in front of me. My number is called, I sit down at the counter where the female officer does not greet me so I too remain silent and hand over the log book and piece of paper. She feeds the log book into a computer terminal, puts the document in a basket, and says 1,446.00 baht in Thai, takes my money and gives me change and a receipt attached to my new windscreen sticker. And that's that. Another ten minutes at the most.
Next I go to Ubon's other and main Land Transport Department Office (near the airport) for my car passport or International Transport Permit, to give it its proper title. I could do both jobs here but I know the car tax system at the other place and it seems simpler than here. This is where I have to explain that the car is registered in my son's name and ask what documents are required (I never remember). I have all the documents: the log book, photo-copies of my passport and my son's, a letter from my son in Thai and English giving me permisssion to drive his car in Thailand and abroad, and a stamped application form in his name for the Permit. This is the original one I used four years ago and I always expect them to want a new one. If the car was registered in my name then all I would need to present is my ITP and the log book. A helpful young woman filled in a smaller application form for me, attached a number card to it and told me to "Put in box". I worked out that she meant 'basket', did that, sat down and listened intently for my son's name to be called. This is the newer office but they don't have an automated calling system, another reason why I prefer the other place, but they no longer do the ITP there. The young woman also told me I would have to wait about 40 minutes but in fact I got my renewed ITP after only 15 minutes, so maybe she meant 14 minutes. I preferred to hear 40 minutes because then I felt really pleased that it didn't take so long. (This is like my new credit card, the bank said I should receive it within 28 days and I got it 3 days later. Good work. Good psychology.)
So apart from driving to Ubon (45 minutes) and from one place to another, I completed all these things by spending about an hour in offices. The slowest was the insurance company. The government offices were very efficient indeed. How often do you hear that?
Lawrence I only do the first part but like you say a piece of cake!
Posted by: Mike | 14 December 2010 at 06:04 PM