Buying a used car in Thailand

[fdsa]

I plan to fly to Bangkok for few days to choose, inspect and register a car. How long does it usually take to complete all the paperwork? Should I book a hotel for few weeks rather than few days?

 

Should I bring a lawyer or just a translator would be enough (I could not speak nor read Thai)? I thought about making a contract like "money will be transferred to the seller only after the successful car re-registration in the DLT, until that moment the money will be stored by the third party trustee/guarantor", is that necessary or everything should be easy and straightforward?

 

Which documents I have to bring with me besides the passport and the driving license? Do I really need a certificate of residence?

 

Should I go to the car brand's official service center for the inspection or some third-party garage would be better?

 

Any other advice for buying a used car?

[fdsa]

Also it's not quite clear for me how car installments work.

There are some cars I like which are still on installments, the seller states something like "pay NNNNNN THB to me then pay MMMM THB monthly for ZZ months", should I bother with these cars or better choose a fully owned ones?

I plan to resell the car after 1-2 years, could there be any problems if I don't finish all payments before?

[fdsa]

If I register a car in Bangkok but will drive in another province, will I have to go to Bangkok every year to pay tax and/or update the insurance, or it could be done anywhere?

[Coremouse]

The process usually very fast(not sure impact of covid situation), but you usually need to longterm stay in Thailand to get a certificate of residence. There're some embassys/agents may get you c of r without you staying here longterm.

 

Once you have c of r, buy a car from same province of your c of r, buying from a Thai person have prepared all documents, the transfer process could be finished in same day.

 

Buy from other province or foreigner can be done properly but if time is key I would buy local from Thai to avoid potential shenanigans.

 

I believe you can pay tax anywhere, have a Chonburi car and do yearly check at Mochit without issue. Only the transfer have to be done in the DLT of registered province.

[fdsa]

I stay on Phuket but want to buy a car in Bangkok because of much wider selection and much better prices.

 

4 hours ago, Coremouse said:

Only the transfer have to be done in the DLT of registered province.

Does it mean I will have to bring the seller from Bangkok to Phuket? Or they could just give me all the documents and I can re-register the car myself once I return back from Bangkok?

[Irishrogue]

I have bought and sold my previous cars to both Thai and Foreign buyers. The last one was in Nov last year to and American. My wife and I took them to the relevant Department in BKK in the Chatachuk area and there are agents who for a few hundred Baht will deal with the process on your behalf. We had to wait for a few hours in a local Mall and the process was completed without issue. You will though need as stated by a previous poster to have a Certificate of Residency from whatever area of Thailand you reside. If you choose to buy from a dealer then they will also deal with the transfer provided you have the correct paperwork and pay for the process which is not much in the scheme of things.

[Pedrogaz]

New cars are so cheap vs used cars here that it is a bit pointless buying one in my opinion. You get 3 years warranty with a new car or truck.

I don't get the sense that Thais take very good care of their cars in general....not a lot of regular servicing and so forth, and if you have ever seen a road here, you will know that they overload and abuse the hell out of pick up trucks. I'm sure you will pay less for a new car at the dealership than you will for a used car with a loan. 

[nobodysfriend]

I would avoid going to the transport office in person ... they often like to make it difficult for farangs .

Wanted to buy a car in Phuket , but could not complete the process , because the transport office person said that the ID number of my Tabien Ban ( serves as certificate of residence ) is incomplete , 2 digits missing ...

Back home I went to complain about the ' incomplete ' No. of my Tabien Ban , only to find out that everything was correct .

The woman in Phuket Transport office lied to me .

I had 5200 Baht expenses and could not buy the car I wanted because on some incompetent and lying government employee .

 

You can give ' power of attorney ' to some person of your choice ( preferably Thai ) , and that person can do all the paperwork in the Transport Office for you .

That is what I will do the next time .

 

Edited June 20, 2020 by nobodysfriend

[jadee]

I second everything 'Pedrogaz' wrote above - buying a used car here is a nightmare. I made the mistake of buying a used Toyota Soluna in 2008 - I took it to the Toyota dealer to get it serviced after buying it and it ran well, but then a few months later it caught fire while I was driving and just burnt out on the side of the road. I was lucky to be able to get out. Everything Pedrogaz said is correct - Thais don't service vehicles well, and abuse the hell out of them, very few owners get their cars serviced at dealerships after the warranty is over. Plus prices are high, and financing is more expensive compared with new. Bottom line - you've got no idea about the service history. 
My advice is that if you're hell-bent on buying used, get the car properly checked out first. There is a place called 'Check car' or something in Srinakarin but I've never used it. You need something like that or you could be buying a death trap. Thais just do everything on the cheap, all aftermarket parts etc etc. Of course, there are a few exceptions, but that's the way of it. 
Another option is to buy certified used - like Toyota Sure. That gives you a proper 12 month warranty and some protection, but again, prices are high and cars have rarely been serviced properly. Some people will claim otherwise and say something like "Whenever I go to the service center there are plenty of other people there", but I'll give you an example. So if you're looking at a basic saloon car like a Honda City or Toyota Vios, they recommend getting a proper service at 10,000km or 6 months, whichever comes first. Now, if you go to look at a used car with 100,000km on the clock, do you really think the previous owner took that car for TEN services? No way. Probably the first two at the dealer, then the rest at B-Quik or worse. w

[1FinickyOne]

It sounds like you are making this really difficult...

 

As to used cars: my wife would tell you to be careful. At least in the country, family rules - if a car is any good it will be gifted to or sold to a family member.. if there are problems, it will be sold 2nd hand... and not just cars..

[malt25]

Hi. I'm an Aussie residing here in LOS for over 6 years. Bought a second hand car second day after arriving in BKK. Can highly recommend Tim Brooks. Arranged everything for me including all paperwork. Took delivery 2 days after making my selection. Has been in business in BKK for over 20 years. Phone Tim on 0818706364. I have no interest in this business other than being a very happy customer.

• 0818706364

[Ireland32]

I would only buy Farang Used , Thais no nothing about maintenance 

[digger70]

23 minutes ago, Ireland32 said:

I would only buy Farang Used , Thais no nothing about maintenance 

Neither  do a lot of Farangs.  

[fdsa]

3 hours ago, malt25 said:

Hi. I'm an Aussie residing here in LOS for over 6 years. Bought a second hand car second day after arriving in BKK. Can highly recommend Tim Brooks. Arranged everything for me including all paperwork. Took delivery 2 days after making my selection. Has been in business in BKK for over 20 years. Phone Tim on 0818706364. I have no interest in this business other than being a very happy customer.

• 0818706364

Did you buy a car from him? I googled this phone and found that he has a car sale/rental company. But I don't want to buy a car from him, I need a help with choosing & checking up a car from another dealers. Does he provide such service?

 

 

I've read a bit about buying a used car in Thailand and here is the summary:

- google car owner's phone number to make sure the car was never rented

- no stamped service record every 10k in service history book = walk away

- radiator has water instead of coolant = walk away

- no transmission oil change record every 50k = walk away

 

anything else?

[fdsa]

6 hours ago, Irishrogue said:

My wife and I took them to the relevant Department in BKK in the Chatachuk area and there are agents who for a few hundred Baht will deal with the process on your behalf

How do I find these agents? They have stalls right in the front of the DLT office?

[ianezy0]

1 hour ago, fdsa said:

Did you buy a car from him? I googled this phone and found that he has a car sale/rental company. But I don't want to buy a car from him, I need a help with choosing & checking up a car from another dealers. Does he provide such service?

 

 

I've read a bit about buying a used car in Thailand and here is the summary:

- google car owner's phone number to make sure the car was never rented

- no stamped service record every 10k in service history book = walk away

- radiator has water instead of coolant = walk away

- no transmission oil change record every 50k = walk away

 

anything else?

Geez mate, less of the questions and phone the guy yourself for the info. The poster gave you good info, now time for you to do some legwork.

[khunPer]

I bought my first car in Thailand from a second hand dealer, they took care of everything about paperwork and transfer. I only needed passport and a letter of residence from the local immigration office. It worked perfect, and the car was in good condition. The car was cheap, less than 1/3 of it's price as new – probably because it was 10-years old, and had a big engine that used a bit of gasoline – it lasted another 8½ years with me. I resold it through my service garage for 1/3 of what I paid, after a small fair commission to the garage, and the garage took care of everything with resale paperwork, and transfer to next owner.

 

Next time I bought a new car, because the second hand prices in general are too high compared to buying a new car, if one can afford it. The local brand office took care of everything.

[malt25]

10 hours ago, fdsa said:

Did you buy a car from him? I googled this phone and found that he has a car sale/rental company. But I don't want to buy a car from him, I need a help with choosing & checking up a car from another dealers. Does he provide such service?

 

 

I've read a bit about buying a used car in Thailand and here is the summary:

- google car owner's phone number to make sure the car was never rented

- no stamped service record every 10k in service history book = walk away

- radiator has water instead of coolant = walk away

- no transmission oil change record every 50k = walk away

 

anything else?

No, he took me to other dealers where we inspected their cars. He took my selection to his facility & had it checked over. I still own that car. Have driven it just over 75,000 Km since buying.

Why don't you call or email him & discuss ? With your requirements I'd be buying new.

[Road Warrior]

from my experience .can tax/insure vehicle at chonburi regardless where it was bought from 

[SAFETY FIRST]

Yep, did the same a few years ago, I bought a 1198 ducati. 
The DLT is not very helpful towards foreigners. I had all documents in order but they refused, luckily for me I had my wife with me. 
I preferred not to get into a conflict so I put the bike in my wife's name. 
Take a Thai with you, if you can someone you trust you may have to register the car in a Thai name.
You can transfer in your name but it will be stressful. 

[ricklev]

18 hours ago, fdsa said:

How do I find these agents? They have stalls right in the front of the DLT office?

They are often hanging around the car/motorcycle ID# inspection area which is the first step in the transfer process at that office. However, do they really help with anything?  I have done it without them a couple of times, but I did have to wait around the Land Transportation office waiting for the different steps.  I found everyone very helpful without the agents, but both times both buyer and seller had Bangkok work permits and all documents.  

[bodga]

18 hours ago, fdsa said:

no transmission oil change record every 50k = walk away

Chevrolets  change time is 120k in a  Colorado

[mikebike]

Wow, you sure are making this way more complicated than it is ????.

 

I have bought dozens of cars and bikes in Thailand, some for personal use, some for resale profit from Rayong to Krabi. Haven't had any issues with registration (and my wife is farang, not Thai. And I have never bought from a dealer. Most of the vehicles I have purchased were their owners pride and joy and are well maintained. They just bit off more than they could chew price-wise.

Edited June 21, 2020 by mikebike

[fdsa]

 Is it better to register a car on my name (as a private person) or on my company? Which are advantages and disadvantages with registering a car on the company?

 

 

8 hours ago, malt25 said:

No, he took me to other dealers where we inspected their cars. He took my selection to his facility & had it checked over. I still own that car. Have driven it just over 75,000 Km since buying.

Why don't you call or email him & discuss ? With your requirements I'd be buying new.

Great, thank you!

I wanted to confirm that he does offer such service, rather than calling only to hear "sorry, we only sell our cars".

 

[Mansell]

20 hours ago, fdsa said:

Did you buy a car from him? I googled this phone and found that he has a car sale/rental company. But I don't want to buy a car from him, I need a help with choosing & checking up a car from another dealers. Does he provide such service?

 

 

I've read a bit about buying a used car in Thailand and here is the summary:

- google car owner's phone number to make sure the car was never rented

- no stamped service record every 10k in service history book = walk away

- radiator has water instead of coolant = walk away

- no transmission oil change record every 50k = walk away

 

anything else?

If you buy from a dealer used the mileage/kilometers will have been rolled back. No if but or maybe. Why not buy from a farang on Phuket....a hell of a lot easier. Bangkok is not such a bargain.

[malt25]

On 6/20/2020 at 5:38 PM, Ireland32 said:

I would only buy Farang Used , Thais no nothing about maintenance 

"Thais no nothing about maintenance "  That's why they take their ride to a dealer or local garage.

[fdsa]

On 6/21/2020 at 3:45 PM, fdsa said:

 Is it better to register a car on my name (as a private person) or on my company? Which are advantages and disadvantages with registering a car on the company?

Any thoughts?

[2 is 1]

Before there was auction about cars whitch have taken back! Coz not paid montly installment.

Not watch lately they still have that. Was in Udon, but i think have to have same kind there in south!

Anyway many buy from there almost new cars and really cheap price!

Edited August 7, 2020 by 2 is 1