Car import options 2020

[SGD]

OK, we know the age old story about corrupt customs guys making up prices to get you to walk away so they can steal your car and in other threads I've read about some guy who found some hiso guy who helped him but as I don't have any high level Thai friends, what are the 2020 options ?

 

Returning Thai - supposedly able to bring in a car once (once in 10 years ?) without taxes ?

 

Bring your car in overland. This means getting it to Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia etc. Is that really practical ? Cambodia would be far easier if no living in the south if you had to go out every 6 months.

 

Bring it in in parts. Really not sure how practical this would be.

 

Any other ideas ?

 

Why bother ? I have a 11 year old Nissan 4x4 which only has 60k miles and is worth about £5k maximum and yet it would go for another 10 years as a decent runner in Thailand. Its also better than truck derived cars in Thailand and would suit me well.

 

 

[canthai55]

 

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, SGD said:

Why bother ? I have a 11 year old Nissan 4x4 which only has 60k miles and is worth about £5k maximum

Make enquiries by all means and if you can get a Thai to do it for you if really stuck on the idea and have the money to do so.

To be honest I have no idea of costs for a car/truck I would say things have got tougher to import these days.

 

I made enquiries 16 years ago to import a motorcycle I wanted to keep and at the time it was possible to import but the cost of just getting the bike here was unrealistic to consider.

To get it registered once it's in the country and getting a book is expensive as well.

 

I sold my bike in the UK and bought a motorbike here.

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by Kwasaki

[Peterw42]

OP, its not corrupt customs making up prices, it normal customs guys charging the normal import duties and taxes, 200-300% of value. They dont need to make up high taxes, the normal legal ones are already high

 

Any car driven into Thailand isnt an import, its a temporary entry with all sorts of paperwork and the car has to leave again, even if you get it into thailand somehow, it cant be registered, bought and sold etc. The same applies to parts etc, once you take the re-assembled car to the DLT, they want to know where it came from, import paperwork etc.

 

 

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[natway09]

Unless you have plenty of money, patience & time I just think it is not worth it unlss it is a car which has sentimental value or is rare in which case you had better be a good mechanic

[jackdd]

Afaik a year or two ago they changed the law and used vehicles can no longer be imported anymore into Thailand at all. We had a thread here about this, maybe somebody can find it...

[xtrnuno41]

IF you have the money and time, go for it. 

Paying 300% tax for import and it doesnt matter if you tear it apart and built it up again in Thailand.There is also the 300% in rules.

Better say goodbye to your friend and buy another car in Thailand. You never know when your friend is really getting sick and dies.

 

My friend is 17 years with 72 kkm and just had distribution belt done  and another belt. Thought couldnt hurt for the time, though  km was low. Saw parts afterwards and looked good anyhow, but made that decision as it was 17 years old. 

But wouldnt take it to Thailand and say goodbye by selling.

[alacrity]

Question you should be asking is: Would I pay some-one 15,000 GBP to own that vehicle?

[JAS21]

After your vehicle leave your Shores the next time you see it will be while you’re standing at a bus stop and some customs somchai drive past

[billrose]

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/5-months-to-import-used-cars-into-thailand-before-ban-hits/

[alacrity]

6 hours ago, billrose said:

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/5-months-to-import-used-cars-into-thailand-before-ban-hits/

Timeframe has expired. The article actually states this.