Seriously, what's with Thais getting into tons of debt in order to own Toyota Hi-Lux pickup trucks that all look the same?

 

Every time a Thai outside Bangkok wants to get a shiny-looking new car to impress family, friends, and neighbors, it's always a big four-door Toyota Hi-Lux pickup truck that's either black or white. Sometimes it's a Ford Ranger or an Isuzu D-Max. But that's about it.

 

In the US, rednecks with limited income also get deep into debt to get shiny new pickups and SUV's, but at least they are creative about it. Everyone has a unique individual car, many of which are personalized. Unique add-ons, colors, stickers, and more. There are dozens of different models cruising around, and each one is interesting to look at.

 

But why on earth would a Thai want to get exactly the same pickup truck that everyone else has? If you want to impress your neighbors (who won't care whether you live or die) in order to "save face," at least be a little creative about it. Getting into soul-crushing debt just to get the same piece of junk that every other Thai redneck has doesn't make much sense to me.

 

Toyota Hi-Lux pickups have got to be more common than 7-Eleven's in Thailand. Seriously, you just can't tell pickup trucks apart anymore apart from the license plates. Plus, the pickups are actually cramped and uncomfortable. Toyota Camry's driven by Thai office workers are far more comfortable and spacious.

Not a fan then?


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I don't know about these days, but my 20 year old Japanese-made Toyota Tacoma (sort of a Lo-Lux, if you will) 4 wheel drive pickup is great.  Short bed, short cab.  Manufactured in 1997 and I got it at 3 years old with very low mileage about 2001 and only paid about 400K Baht in the U.S.   Still has only about 138,000 km on the odometer.  The previous one I got new in 1981 after returning from Thailand had about 170,000 km, and a buddy who took over drove it at least another 40 k until rust ate it.  In my experience they are very reliable and cheap to operate.

 

My wife learned to drive in the first one.  No power steering or power windows, 5-speed manual, no air con, no radio.  It did have a sliding rear window so I could toss empty beer cans back into the bed instead of letting them roll around on the floor of the cab.  I'm a firm believer in recycling and abhor littering. 

 

My brother had one that he eventually gave to my son.  It went over 320,000 km without too much in the way of repairs.  Clutch, water pump, valve job, timing chain plus usual wear items.  Still ran great when he got rid of it but the frame had rusted through in places.

Not Thailand i know, but throughout the middle east they are the vehicle of choice. Cheap, reliable, fixable anywhere. 

 

I like them. 

 

The gun mounts are optional.

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Thai ladies also have the same handbags from designer brands....

 

But it's good to have all the same cars so parts will be cheap and easy available...so are the mechanics...

 

My pest hate is to be in a mall parkinggarage waiting 10 minutes for Somchai to park his big pickup which doesn't fit in the parkinglot...

2 hours ago, bermondburi said:

The gun mounts are optional.

 

Security analyst and former US Army Ranger Andrew Exum summarized the appeal for Newsweek back in 2010:

Quote

The Toyota Hilux is everywhere. It’s the vehicular equivalent of the AK-47. It’s ubiquitous to insurgent warfare. And actually, recently, also counterinsurgent warfare. It kicks the hell out of the Humvee.

 

And they are totally indestructible.

 

 

 

Crossy is correct. There are two pickups that will drive until you die. Toyotas and F-150s. They should be configured as stripped as possible, 4x4, with naturally aspirated engines. A lifetime machine.

 

 

But do not ask a Toyota service place to rotate your wheels. They have no idea how or why, but charge Bht 330 extra on the service to do it. At my last, 160,000 km service the top man said they could not do it because the tyres were 'too old', he saw 2014 on the tyre wall (manufacturing date) even though they've only been on my vehicle 2 years (50,000 kms). 

7 hours ago, RamenRaven said:

In the US, rednecks with limited income also get deep into debt to get shiny new pickups and SUV's, but at least they are creative about it. Everyone has a unique individual car, many of which are personalized. Unique add-ons, colors, stickers, and more. There are dozens of different models cruising around, and each one is interesting to look at.

I lived in Los Angeles but owned property in Montana were all the successful ranchers drove fully loaded Dodge Ram pick ups. With of course rifle racks, push guards and lift kits. Very funny to see the contest going on there.

 

And back in LA all the same only Land Rover, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche... all leased of course. ????

 

 

 

   

Within your text you stated "Toyota Hi-Lux pickups have got to be more common than 7-Eleven's in Thailand"   . However 7-Eleven's generally have far prettier and better dressed people than most I have seen in a Toyota pick-up. ????

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

But do not ask a Toyota service place to rotate your wheels. They have no idea how or why, but charge Bht 330 extra on the service to do it. 

Could it be for TPS?

1 minute ago, Nyezhov said:

Could it be for TPS?

What's TPS please?

 

 

18 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

What's TPS please?

 

Tire pressure sensor

34 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

 

Tire pressure sensor

On a Vigo. Not have them. Asked them to put tyres at 29 psi, as it says in the book. Went to Cockpit an hour later, to rotate wheels, and found 32 psi. Surely if your car DOES have TPSs, you can still change wheels around.

10 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

On a Vigo. Not have them. Asked them to put tyres at 29 psi, as it says in the book. Went to Cockpit an hour later, to rotate wheels, and found 32 psi. Surely if your car DOES have TPSs, you can still change wheels around.

You may need new sensors if you rotate in the worst scenario. In the best they just need to be reset. Most modern vehicles (in the US) have them

Is tyre rotation not part of a vehicles regular servicing, it says so in my 'old' (6 yrs) vehicle's book. Where are the sensors, in the wheel or hub? Cheers.

26 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Is tyre rotation not part of a vehicles regular servicing, it says so in my 'old' (6 yrs) vehicle's book. Where are the sensors, in the wheel or hub? Cheers.

Sensors are in the wheel. Some older vehicles run them off the valve.

36 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Sensors are in the wheel. Some older vehicles run them off the valve.

Very interesting, and thanks for the info. In UK, and maybe in USA, you must have your tyres (tires) inflated to the correct, manufacturer's recommended pressure, as in the event of an accident it can be proved to be the cause, your insurance will not pay. What happens if the manufacturer says for example 30 psi in the rear when empty but 35 when loaded. Do you have to deflate tyres by 5psi after you have dropped your family off at the station or whatever. Hmmmmm.

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

Very interesting, and thanks for the info. In UK, and maybe in USA, you must have your tyres (tires) inflated to the correct, manufacturer's recommended pressure, as in the event of an accident it can be proved to be the cause, your insurance will not pay. What happens if the manufacturer says for example 30 psi in the rear when empty but 35 when loaded. Do you have to deflate tyres by 5psi after you have dropped your family off at the station or whatever. Hmmmmm.

You set your sensors cold and it will alarm when it drops below the baseline cold pressure. If you get real technical, you can run the monitor all the time.

 

The only time tire pressure becomes relevant in an accident is if it is the proximate cause of the accident.

 

Try setting the sensors in Phoenix AZ in the summer or Fairbanks AK in the winter.

Bullet proof, not literally but go on and on and on.........bit like the wife.....on and on and on ????

paid for mine in cash. bought it cuz im sick of having unique imports that get brutalized by petrol station attendents, shopping trolleys, other peoples keys, etc... It's a heap of junk even thought its the top model but who cares. A to B in Thailnd is fruatrating Fact is Thais just dont know better thanks to the governments control of whats on the roads here with hefty taxes and such.

The burning question shouldbe is why were electric cars invnted and used with elec recharge stations in the early 1900s succesfully and where the hell are they here? Oh, yeh taxes.....

9 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Security analyst and former US Army Ranger Andrew Exum summarized the appeal for Newsweek back in 2010:

 

And they are totally indestructible.

 

 

 

Hahaha yeah .. A classic episode that .. And it still lived after the tower block demo at the end ..

I've heard from a farang friend here that the Thai government is actually subsidizing pickup trucks for Thai buyers. I wonder if this is true.

 

How else would car dealers be able to sell these huge pickups to all the khao man gai vendors out there? If you were a khao man gai vendor in the UK or US, chances are you'd be denied a car loan for a huge pickup.

Two door pickups do have a lower tax rate, so yes the govt is “subsidising “ them in a sense. They are classed as cargo vehicles, which is why you are supposed to not carry more than two people in them !

My last two vehicles have been hilux pickups, or “utes” in Oz-speak, did 400k Km in both of them, around Oz in each. Gibb River road, Birdsville track, Tanami Track and more.....never a moments worry in them.

 

In Thailand Toyota Hilux utes are much cheaper than in Australia, even though they are made in the same Thai factory. Thai people that I have met drive Hilux utes for practical reasons, being good to carry things and for long distance drives. Those that drive Benz cars are the ones who want to show off their status and pretend they are richer than they really are.

We do have one, but not for the purpose of impressing others. We simply need a car like this just to reach my wife's village in the mountains in the North which you cannot do without 4x4, a good ground clearance and some power (ever heard of Doi Inthanon?). We bought it new 5 years ago, paid cash, and had absolutely no repairs so far despite 110,000 km on the odometer. And our Hilux is grey, not white nor black, for the simple reason that the colours of new cars to choose from is getting less and less. When we are not in the mountains, we drive a small Honda City, which I hope is acceptable to you.

Those are some great reasons to own Hi-Lux pickups, which actually aren't that bad. Toyota cars are amazingly durable and easy to use.

 

But many Thais in Chiang Mai use their Hi-Lux trucks to simply to impress others and almost never carry any cargo. It's like how Americans and Aussies drive huge SUV's just to take it to the local McDonald's or Walmart. Others actually do use them for serious off-roading, but they're in the minority.

26 minutes ago, RamenRaven said:

Those are some great reasons to own Hi-Lux pickups, which actually aren't that bad. Toyota cars are amazingly durable and easy to use.

 

But many Thais in Chiang Mai use their Hi-Lux trucks to simply to impress others and almost never carry any cargo. It's like how Americans and Aussies drive huge SUV's just to take it to the local McDonald's or Walmart. Others actually do use them for serious off-roading, but they're in the minority.

In the US it depends on where you live. Lots of folks in suburbia use PUs for carrying mulch and what not. Others need 4x4. Out west, there are lots of off roaders, so you cant make a judgment about whether folks are wannabes or not quite so easily.

 

But if you are in BKK with a 4x4 Hi Lux with Brush bars and Xenon lights on the roof with tires bigger than my fat body..and there is not a scratch on it....POSEUR...

 

Heres a hint...sort of like the telltale signs of a ladyboy. If there is a winch on it, chances are its an off roader or used in bad conditions. Same with snorkels. Winch and snorkel, dangling trailer wires, high lift jack and aux tank? Alaskan.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, RamenRaven said:

But many Thais in Chiang Mai use their Hi-Lux trucks to simply to impress others and almost never carry any cargo. It's like how Americans and Aussies drive huge SUV's just to take it to the local McDonald's or Walmart. Others actually do use them for serious off-roading, but they're in the minority.

 

That's "people" for you.

 

Smile and walk on.