Stresses of buying a bike in Thailand

[PerkinsCuthbert]

21 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

Picked out a scooter at Honda, did paper work,  went to the bank and got 50,000 baht. Counted it out on the desk.  Took a photo.

that was it.

 

Bar girls love that photo.

 

Did the same thing for my Kawasaki 650 Big Bike 323,000 baht in cash. 

 

Bar girls really love that photo.

 

What good company you keep.

[thailand49]

That is stress?  wait until you get the bike out on the road??

[MadMuhammad]

Credit card surcharges are super common everywhere in the world. Visa & MasterCard are on average around 1.2-1.5% with Amex 2-3%.

 

I find more often than not this is the case even on large purchases.

For example I spent $30Kaud+ furnishing a home recently and still got smacked for 1.5% because I used a credit card. 

Edited September 16, 2018 by MadMuhammad

[Moonlover]

19 hours ago, Kerryd said:

But, as others have mentioned, the real stress comes when you start riding around !

Na! Disagree. That's when the stress is over and the fun begins. Been riding here for 4 years and still enjoying every ride.

 

[steve73]

19 hours ago, jgarbo said:

Right. I've owned four bikes in Thailand, used to race them in Oz. Thailand is far more dangerous. Watch out for elephants and buffaloes. They don't obey the rules.

 

"They don't obey the rules."  Neither do most of the humans..!

[Shackleton123]

I just bought a 630,000 Triumph and used my Debit Card. 2% charge. - Who carries 630,000 THB in cash? 

I argued the charge, and ended up with a discount, and an accessories deal which turned out favourable to me.

 

By the way the guys at Watchara Complex Triumph are top dudes. Thanks guys !!

 

 

[jackdd]

5 hours ago, Shackleton123 said:

I just bought a 630,000 Triumph and used my Debit Card. 2% charge. - Who carries 630,000 THB in cash? 

I argued the charge, and ended up with a discount, and an accessories deal which turned out favourable to me.

 

By the way the guys at Watchara Complex Triumph are top dudes. Thanks guys !!

Theoretically you could use a cashiers check, which costs just something like 20THB. But for some reason shops don't like them. When i bought my bike the manager drove me to my bank, i got the cash, he drove me back to the shop and i handed over the money.

[papa al]

On 9/14/2018 at 6:40 AM, BestB said:

1.2 is nothing , they usually try 3-5%.

 

thats thai way to pass on costs. But then again thai charges and taxes applied I do not blame them and do the same myself .

 

did you know on top of EDC machine fees, money gets taxed automatically as well? Some transaction tax, another about 1-2%

1,2% of B52,000 is B624.

[not 'nothing']

[BestB]

Just now, papa al said:

1,2% of B52,000 is B624.

[not 'nothing']

if you think 600 baht is a lot of money when spending 52000, then you have some serious issues.

[AllanB]

I think the biggest stress is the inability to get get a test ride, I first bought the Lifan GY200 and that ran like a pig, I felt a real fool, but a little spannering and 500km running in and I had a peach.

 

Next came the CRF250, a real disappointment that has remained so..and what can you do, modify and hope it works out, or sell and lose money?

 

Last year I bought a virtually new Vespa GTS, had a spin up the road, no problem. I could have tried a CRFRally in the UK, they kept asking me, a few months before I bought in Thailand, coulda woulda shoulda.....bugga.

[BestB]

4 minutes ago, AllanB said:

I think the biggest stress is the inability to get get a test ride, I first bought the Lifan GY200 and that ran like a pig, I felt a real fool, but a little spannering and 500km running in and I had a peach.

 

Next came the CRF250, a real disappointment that has remained so..and what can you do, modify and hope it works out, or sell and lose money?

 

Last year I bought a virtually new Vespa GTS, had a spin up the road, no problem. I could have tried a CRFRally in the UK, they kept asking me, a few months before I bought in Thailand, coulda woulda shoulda.....bugga.

So true. No test drives is a real pain in the butt. Some dealers would not even let you sit on one. Insane if you asked me

[AllanB]

In Thailand the seller is king, I wonder how long before that changes, in the west it is the customer and bearing in mind he has the money and the seller wants it, it is the logical order of things.