What the law says
Section 13 of the Motor Vehicles Act B.E. 2522 (1979) places the duty directly on the car’s owner. If the colour of a registered car is changed, the owner must notify the registrar within 7 days of the date the colour changed, and section 60 sets a fine of up to 2,000 baht.
What the text does not say anywhere is a percentage.
So where does the 30 per cent figure come from?
It is a guideline the Department of Land Transport uses to decide whether the car’s main colour has changed from the registered colour. It is not a figure written in the law. The difference matters in practice. If it were the text of the law, the owner would measure the area and be done. As a guideline, the person who decides is the registrar, and the test he applies is whether the main colour has changed.
Many websites write that the law sets 30 per cent, which does not match the text.
| Type of work | Must it be notified? |
|---|---|
| The whole car wrapped, so the main colour differs from the registered colour | Must be notified, within 7 days |
| Only part wrapped, such as the roof or the bonnet, with the main colour still the original | No need to notify |
| A decorative stripe or pattern sticker that does not change the main colour | No need to notify |
| A borderline case, where you cannot tell whether the main colour has changed | Ask the transport office where the car is registered first |
Why the shop should tell the customer before starting
A colour change wrap finishes at the shop, but the legal duty falls on the car’s owner. A customer who does not know this finds out only when renewing the road tax or when stopped for an inspection. A shop that tells the customer beforehand, and prepares the installation documents for them, makes the customer’s notification much easier.
Common questions
- Within how many days must it be notified?
- Within 7 days of the date the colour changed, under section 13 of the Motor Vehicles Act B.E. 2522 (1979).
- What happens if you do not notify?
- There is a fine of up to 2,000 baht under section 60 of the same Act.
- Do I have to notify if I put stickers on a few spots?
- No, if the car’s main colour is still the original colour as registered. A stripe, a decorative band or a pattern sticker that does not change the main colour does not meet the condition for notification.
- Is the 30 per cent criterion the law?
- No. The text of the law sets no percentage. The figure is a guideline the Department of Land Transport uses to decide whether the car’s main colour has changed.
- Do a wrap and a respray follow the same rule?
- The same principle applies, because the law speaks of a change in the car’s colour and does not distinguish by the method of changing it. What the registrar looks at is whether the main colour differs from the registered colour.
Where the information on this page comes from
The text of the law and the penalty are cited from the legal-knowledge page of the Office of Justice Affairs. The explanation of the 30 per cent guideline comes from public sources that describe the practice of the Department of Land Transport. This page gives general information and is not a ruling on any individual case.