Bringing Cars From Laos Into Thailand

[Pepe']

Some one mentioned that there were decent used 4x4s in Laos for about 60000.

But can you bring them into Thailand without the high taxes?

[Yohan]

Some one mentioned that there were decent used 4x4s in Laos for about 60000.

But can you bring them into Thailand without the high taxes?

Hi, Pepe,

As far as I know, the rule says, never bring the car as a whole into Thailand....

Import is made as spare parts....

4 tires and, 2 doors, some motor parts, bulbs and battery, a sterling wheel.....slowly, every day some parts....

later on the parts will be used to make and register a self-made car in Thailand...

Johann

[Pepe']

Not very practical. Somuch for that idea.

[maerim]

Not very practical. Somuch for that idea.

Is that a fact?

You want to see the numbers of big bikes here that are imported from Japan in bits

and built up here.

As there are no left or right hand motorbikes that's the place to buy second hand ones.

But they don't have registration no's so you pays your money and you take your chances.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Not very practical. Somuch for that idea.

Pepe... the steering wheel will be on the wrong side, and the taxes will kill you. Not practical to do. The Thai customs people will frustrate you at every turn.

[taxexile]

Not very practical. Somuch for that idea

more practical than you might think pepe.

its quite common here, and not only for motorbikes.

you buy a crash write off, and use the chassis number for registration, and then import the parts from japan and build up a new car. there is no problem licensing a car here with a new engine number.

many car dealers are doing just that, japan has a very strict vehicle checking procedure, if the car doesn't pass the check each year it cannot be re-licensed and it is often cheaper to sell it off as parts rather than sort out the emissions or whatever and re-test.

its obviously not so practical for the private buyer to do this, but for someone with a workshop and trading connections with japan, it could be , as they say in the motor trade in the uk, "a nice little earner."

[maerim]

as they say in the motor trade in the uk, "a nice little earner."

Especially if his name is Arfur and wears a sheepskin coat.

[taxexile]

as they say in the motor trade in the uk, "a nice little earner."

do it a few times and you will very soon be "holding folding."

[Thetyim]

Registration will be a problem unless you have the right contacts

[Yohan]

Not very practical. Somuch for that idea

more practical than you might think pepe.

its quite common here, and not only for motorbikes.

you buy a crash write off, and use the chassis number for registration, and then import the parts from japan and build up a new car. there is no problem licensing a car here with a new engine number.

many car dealers are doing just that, japan has a very strict vehicle checking procedure, if the car doesn't pass the check each year it cannot be re-licensed and it is often cheaper to sell it off as parts rather than sort out the emissions or whatever and re-test.

its obviously not so practical for the private buyer to do this, but for someone with a workshop and trading connections with japan, it could be , as they say in the motor trade in the uk, "a nice little earner."

Taxexile is right...

There are plenty of cars, which are used only 3 or 5 years here in Japan....

basically the same model as the Japanese model in Thailand

to keep a car longer than 5 years is not rentable in Japan, better buy something new, it is cheaper than you might think.......

these 3-5 year old cars are all leaving Japan, in fragments, with destinations between Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, but also to New Zealand, Russia, to Latin America.........

Yes, you need somebody with a workshop to do that business to re-assembly the car and to register it, and there are many dealers here in Japan with experience how to export you such a car (or motor-cycle) in parts....

This way of export is not so unusual, just an ordinary daily procedure

Johann

[maerim]

these 3-5 year old cars are all leaving Japan, in fragments, with destinations between Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, but also to New Zealand, Russia, to Latin America.........

Plenty of them end up in the U.K. especially the 4x4's and mini buses, course it helps as we drive on the left there as well.

You might like to consider exporting pick ups from Thailand to the UK as the GBP is very strong at the moment and a lot of these pick ups are assembled here and very cheap compared to the price in the UK.

A Mitsubishi 4 door, 4wheel drive cost about 11,000 pounds here as to 18,000 pounds in the UK,I had to wait 3 days delivery as they did not have the colour I wanted in the UK 3 months delivery,with any luck.

A friend of mine got the bottom of the range one two door, no mega cabs in the U.K no whistles or bells,12,500 pounds

As a personal import any vehicle with an engine under 2.500cc attracts 10% import duty over that 22 %plus VAT @17.5%.

These vehicles are classed as commercial vehicles and therefore if you are VAT registered as many people are thesedays you are able to reclaim the VAT back much to the chagrin of the customs.

[taxexile]

yes the mitsubishis that are sold in the uk are made in thailand, but they are made to a different specification.

the quality of the parts used on the export models is much higher than those used for the thai market, a lot of the parts are common to the pajero, but the thais dont get those parts on their pick-ups, they get parts made to a less exacting spec and of different quality metals.

the suspension, gearbox and 4wd system for example.

i think that might account for some of the huge price differences

it is apparently impossible to buy an export quality model here in thailand.

but i am sure that lots of thai quality models end up exported to the uk by private exporting/importing companies.

as was said before..... its a nice little earner.

.

[maerim]

All what you say is very true.

I have seen Mitusbishi's there with "Strada" on the side so thats a grey import as they are called "Animal" or "Warrior" in the U.K..

Still as you so rightly say 5 or 6 grand in the bin is a nice little earner.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

as they say in the motor trade in the uk, "a nice little earner."

Especially if his name is Arfur and wears a sheepskin coat.

or Radar from Mash. He posted a jeep back home from Korea piece by piece

[maerim]

i think that might account for some of the huge price differences

I am not sure about that, I think it's more than likely Mitsubishi seeing what they can get away with pricewise in "rip off' Britain.

You can buy a Range Rover in Holland the same spec as the U.K. model, right hand drive and with the same warranty as one bought from a main dealer in the U.K.for 15 grand less.

The reason car pricers are higher in the U.K than across the channel is due to the state of the car industry in the '70s when BLMC was in it's death throws. As they were so uncompetative their prices had to be high in the showroom for such masterpieces as the "Allegro" or Aggro as the poor unfortunates who made the mistake of buying this lump of junk called it, had a square steering wheel.

One other contribution they made to automobile engineering excellence was the "Marina" looked as though it was designed by 5th formers as project on how not to design cars.

So the other manufacurers raised their prices to match, before I saw the error of my ways I was involved in (very) heavy engineering and did a load of work in car plants. As to BLMC I have seen more work in a sick note than what work these did any wonder they went bump in spite of what Derek Robinson(red Robbo) said that the firm would always be here.

Mitsubishi have over a 50% share of the market in 4 door pick ups in the UK one thing is their aggresive marketing and another is the product.

I have had a few of these pick ups here 2.8 turbo,2.5 V G turbo and now this one the 2.8 intercooled with the rallymaster engine, had this one a year now done 35,000 km and the same as the rest of them not a bit of trouble.

I am of the opinion that any outfit that can make the Zero fighter bomber and heavy battleships can be trusted to make a half decent pick up.

The service from the main dealer is excellent and more than reasonable charges.

Which is more than can be said for the Land Rovers I have had in the U.K.as the dealers had them for the same amount of time I did as they were always going wrong.

They have only been making them since 1947 and they only got them right when BMW took them over. Still you can't rush things can you?

Buy Blitish

[taxexile]

cant understand why anyone would buy new in the uk these days.

with such good deals on used cars and consumer protection now, second hand, 2 or 3 years old would seem to be the way to go.

[maerim]

second hand, 2 or 3 years old would seem to be the way to go.

Do you not find a sheepskin coat a trifle warm in this heat?

[Pepe']

Thanks for the interesting replys. Its definitely food for thought.

One thing I'm thinking is how do you ship a chassi/ unibody shell as a part?

One of the things we are thinking of doing is an auto parts and repair so this assembly process would be more feasible with a shop and acouple of mechanics.

[Yohan]

Thanks for the interesting replys. Its definitely food for thought.

One thing I'm thinking is how do you ship a chassi/ unibody shell as a part?

One of the things we are thinking of doing is an auto parts and repair so this assembly process would be more feasible with a shop and acouple of mechanics.

How to ship a chassis?

This is not a problem here in Japan,

better to ask, what is still a car, and what is a part only of a car....

Usually dealers here are doing this very professional, making a living out of it...

There are plenty of ships, entering and leaving Japan, and where is a empty cargo space, they put it in.... it is basically cargo on a waiting list.

I do not know so exactly about the cars...but the dealer here near my home is collecting motorcycle parts... if there are parts for over 100 motor-cycles, this means over 100 dismantled motor-cycles, then it is on the ship to Vietnam.

They collect it, to ship only ONE car, I do not think it makes a business.... when I was still working for Western Africa, they took 20 used small trucks, dismantled, for shipping per route.

Just remove the cabin, the 6 wheels, and remove some important parts, like the tank for the diesel...the battery...and something like that....

so this is no car anymore...it cannot move, it cannot even start....= junk-parts

However you need a truck, to pick these *parts* up at the port of destination.

Custom clearance should be no problem...

Used parts for repairing cars after traffic accidents or something like that....

I do not think, an individual can do that... this should be a company, with a workshop - a bigger truck - and several employees for making it a business.

Johann

[Pepe']

Thanks for the details...