Expat car importing into Thailand ?

[alacrity]

23 hours ago, Susco said:

And here is one that can be linked

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30378880

 

The directive, which was announced in July, comes into effect on December 10 and aims to reduce air pollution and improve safety on the roads.

“After December 10, all used vehicles imported for personal use will be confiscated and destroyed immediately,” he said. “There will be no auction of confiscated cars like in the past, and the owners will be fined a sum 5 times the imported value.”

Keerati added it is usually takes his department 25 days to approve import applications, so anyone planning to import a used car for personal should scrap the idea as the ban will take effect in 11 days.

Again, I'll ask: What is the official definition of a 'used vehicle'. In addition, I'll also question the definition of 'personal use'.

 

If some-one purchased a new Bentley. It would be imported by an 'approved' agent and registered in the buyers name.

So a question: Who owns the Bentley prior to the registration?

[Susco]

2 minutes ago, alacrity said:

Again, I'll ask: What is the official definition of a 'used vehicle'. In addition, I'll also question the definition of 'personal use'.

Again, the definition of which vehicles are not included in the ban is explained in the article I linked to

3 minutes ago, alacrity said:

If some-one purchased a new Bentley. It would be imported by an 'approved' agent and registered in the buyers name.

So a question: Who owns the Bentley prior to the registration?

This about USED vehicles, not NEW Bentleys. There is no ban on the import of new vehicles.

 

You Camaro obviously was imported before 10 / 12 / 2019, and that is why it is allowed to be registered

[Rdrokit]

10 minutes ago, alacrity said:

Again, I'll ask: What is the official definition of a 'used vehicle'. In addition, I'll also question the definition of 'personal use'.

 

If some-one purchased a new Bentley. It would be imported by an 'approved' agent and registered in the buyers name.

So a question: Who owns the Bentley prior to the registration?

The Bentley dealer. If you bought it from a private person it would be used.

Edited June 8, 2020 by Rdrokit

[Pilotman]

We tried to bring our 3 year old BMW with us when we moved 3 years ago from UK.  The car cost £48,000 new.  We transferred  the car into my wife's name, so she was a returning Thai citizen who owned the car. We contacted a Bangkok based customs agent to assist us.  After much discussion with the agent and the Thai authorities, even down to the cost of the basic car against its optional extras,and and its resale value at that time, ex options of £20,000,  we would have been presented with a bill for importing the vehicle of 2.5 million Baht. We sold it in the UK.  Hope that helps.   

[Susco]

10 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

We tried to bring our 3 year old BMW with us when we moved 3 years ago from UK.  The car cost £48,000 new.  We transferred  the car into my wife's name, so she was a returning Thai citizen who owned the car. We contacted a Bangkok based customs agent to assist us.  After much discussion with the agent and the Thai authorities, even down to the cost of the basic car against its optional extras,and and its resale value at that time, ex options of £20,000,  we would have been presented with a bill for importing the vehicle of 2.5 million Baht. We sold it in the UK.  Hope that helps.   

Was the car in the Thai wife's name for 2 years already prior to you wanted to import it?

Edited June 8, 2020 by Susco

[Pilotman]

Just now, Susco said:

Was the car in the Thai wife's name for 2 years before you wanted to import it?

It would have been, yes. 

[alacrity]

On 6/8/2020 at 7:49 PM, Susco said:

Again, the definition of which vehicles are not included in the ban is explained in the article I linked to

This about USED vehicles, not NEW Bentleys. There is no ban on the import of new vehicles.

 

You Camaro obviously was imported before 10 / 12 / 2019, and that is why it is allowed to be registered

It's still in San Diego.

 

Vehicles are imported by approved entities nowadays, providing provenance (which was severely absent when corrupt activities occurred) and my enquiries have led me to suspect that a private individual cannot import a 'new vehicle' given the system now in place. That's been reported to me. by 3 sources. Each being totally independent of the other, with one being the seller. The other 2, I trust impeccably.

 

The 'End User Certificate' plays an important role, apparently.

As far as Vehicle Registration goes. It's a cakewalk once it's here.

 

If the car doesn't meet my requirements on viewing,  I don't pay 1 Satang (well that's probably 25 Satang really). It will just go to the showroom.

Edited June 10, 2020 by alacrity
syntax

[alacrity]

On 6/8/2020 at 7:56 PM, Pilotman said:

We tried to bring our 3 year old BMW with us when we moved 3 years ago from UK.  The car cost £48,000 new.  We transferred  the car into my wife's name, so she was a returning Thai citizen who owned the car. We contacted a Bangkok based customs agent to assist us.  After much discussion with the agent and the Thai authorities, even down to the cost of the basic car against its optional extras,and and its resale value at that time, ex options of £20,000,  we would have been presented with a bill for importing the vehicle of 2.5 million Baht. We sold it in the UK.  Hope that helps.   

The duties were and still are a killer. Reason why some cheated the system (and got caught). Wrecking it for those prepared to comply.

 

Yours was an action of a stand-up guy.

[Susco]

6 minutes ago, alacrity said:

Vehicles are imported by approved entities nowadays, providing provenance (which was severely absent when corrupt activities occurred) and my enquiries have led me to suspect that a private individual cannot import a 'new vehicle' given the system now place. That's been reported to me. by 3 sources. Each being totally independent of the other, with one being the seller. The other 2, I trust impeccably.

Good luck to you, from your previous posts it wasn't clear that the car was still in the US.

 

From what I understand from the articles is that there are no approved entities for second hand cars, only for brand new ones.

 

9 minutes ago, alacrity said:

As far as Vehicle Registration goes. It's a cakewalk once it's here.

 

I bought imported NEW bikes in the past, and followed the whole process from the point it touched ground in the harbor, untill it was delivered to my doorstep with a green book.

 

I can assure you the emission test is not a walk in the park, and that was for a brand new bike. They had to mount 3 catalyst in line on the bike, then use a special gasoline , to be able to pass the test.

 

Emission test at that time, about 8 years ago, was 28.000 Baht and if you failed you had to start again and pay again

[alacrity]

33 minutes ago, Susco said:

Good luck to you, from your previous posts it wasn't clear that the car was still in the US.

 

From what I understand from the articles is that there are no approved entities for second hand cars, only for brand new ones.

 

I bought imported NEW bikes in the past, and followed the whole process from the point it touched ground in the harbor, untill it was delivered to my doorstep with a green book.

 

I can assure you the emission test is not a walk in the park, and that was for a brand new bike. They had to mount 3 catalyst in line on the bike, then use a special gasoline , to be able to pass the test.

 

Emission test at that time, about 8 years ago, was 28.000 Baht and if you failed you had to start again and pay again

 

It's a SoCal car and always has been.

 

Really appreciate that you add your concerns about what I'm proposing to do. More, inclusive information is: good not bad. Yet, upon consideration, I'm going ahead with the transaction. What I'm doing is relatively venturing into unknown territory and hopefully things will become clearer (for all) in the future.

 

Have imported my own stuff in the past and paid the price. They were all bikes. Some of which have travelled an order greater than the recorded mileage to follow me. My prize is a Certificated Ducati 900.

Just love that bike, plastic and all.