I want to import a new EV car from China ordered at Alibaba - anyone with experience?

[4myr]

Hi there,

 

Anyone having experience with importing a new car from China?

 

I'm interested in this car from Alibaba. Also known as Renault Kwid KZE or Dacia Spring Electric [to be introduced in Europe].

 

For example can individuals profit from the free-trade agreement Thailand-China at customs clearance?

What kind of paperwork the seller needs to prepare for this?

How much duties that needs to be paid as percentage of CIF value, besided 7% VAT.

How many days customs clearance can take?

 

After customs clearance, what needs to be done to have the car registered at Transport office?

Are there additional fees for imported cars?

Is there a special transport service for individuals to get a car without license shipped from customs office at the port to transport office in Bangkok?

How long does the process take at Transport office?

 

Thank you!

[2 is 1]

I dont know why somebody even want get Dacia. But i think if you want get that kind from China or outside Thailand its going to be same price than new Toyota Hilux here! All imported cars and stuff is really expensive in Thailand coz import tax is so high.

Edited July 9, 2021 by 2 is 1

[SnowyWiez]

Used to be insane like 150%-300% Tax. But think changed in 2018. Now 80% for cars and 30% on parts but might check for someone with current year information. Maybe check one of the companies that specializes in imports? 

https://siam-shipping.com/

[Crossy]

Why not just buy an EV in Thailand? There are more available than you might think and you can get a "proper" EV for under a million Baht.

 

Pay and drive it away no hassle and no future issues with warranty, service and parts.

 

By the way, the reason the vehicle in the link is so cheap is that it has lead-acid batteries! The Kwid will have lithium (I expect the Dacia will too).

 

From http://www.evat.or.th/ image is zoomable so you can actually read it.

 

[stratocaster]

I would recommend you search Youtube and find the video of the American who did what you want to do, but to the US. Obviously communication was the biggest hurdle. After maybe a year the car that he collected was not the car he ordered. He described it as a stretched golf cart with a fancy body.

[Yellowtail]

Just order it DDP, it will be great.

[Tubulat]

Why you don't buy easy a Toyota, without problems driving 1.5 million miles.

 

[Thunglom]

the taxes on importing  car to Thailand - if you were able to do so used to amount to 270% to 300% of the cars value. 

 

I don't know what the policy is on an all electric vehicle is but I suspect it would be similar.

Thai import laws are designed to protect the huge domestic industry,

[Crossy]

13 minutes ago, Thunglom said:

I don't know what the policy is on an all electric vehicle is but I suspect it would be similar.

Thai import laws are designed to protect the huge domestic industry,

Zero from China, if you can get under the FTA (you'll need an importer), 80% from the rest of the world except Korea which is 40%, all plus 8% excise duty and VAT (on the CIF value of course).

 

If it was actually a decent vehicle it might be worth doing, but that's a glorified golf cart, an old technology golf cart at that (modern ones have lithium batteries).

[Yellowtail]

Don't listen to them. They are all just jealous they did not think of it. 

[Liverpool Lou]

16 hours ago, 2 is 1 said:

I dont know why somebody even want get Dacia. But i think if you want get that kind from China or outside Thailand its going to be same price than new Toyota Hilux here! All imported cars and stuff is really expensive in Thailand coz import tax is so high.

He wants an electric car, not a diesel pickup, isn't that why?

[2 is 1]

1 minute ago, Liverpool Lou said:

He wants an electric car, not a diesel pickup, isn't that why?

LOL dont know anything about Dacia and not read EV car LMAO! Dont even know Dacia has alectric function! Think it has to be pedal car. 

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, Tubulat said:

Why you don't buy easy a Toyota, without problems driving 1.5 million miles.

How does a diesel pickup compare to the electric car that he actually wants and is asking about?

[Habbo]

At least Hyundai Electric information is wrong, in picture Crossy posted. Range is about correct, but battery size is 38kW. Thai price for that car is just too much.

I paid about 1 million baht (36 000€) here in Finland.

I would not order anything expensive from China without seeing the product first. Cannot trust Amazon either nowdays though , China <deleted> from US and European companies, but just higher prices

Edited July 10, 2021 by Habbo
adding text

[digbeth]

to qualify for the Thai-China FTA, you need the paper from the manufacturer's or get them to fill in some forms called 'Form D'  not just the seller's on Aliexpress, some Thais managed it with the Ora R1 and many are already importing the Wuling mini EV in commercial quantity now 

[Sophon]

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

Zero from China, if you can get under the FTA (you'll need an importer), 80% from the rest of the world except Korea which is 40%, all plus 8% excise duty and VAT (on the CIF value of course).

 

If it was actually a decent vehicle it might be worth doing, but that's a glorified golf cart, an old technology golf cart at that (modern ones have lithium batteries).

The link/picture you posted seems to indicate a 20% import tax rate from Japan.

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, Sophon said:

The link/picture you posted seems to indicate a 20% import tax rate from Japan.

Yup, missed that.

[metisdead]

A post that contained content that was copy and pasted from the Bangkok Post has been reported and removed. 

[stratocaster]

Being curious I went to Alibaba to look at the EV's available. The cheapest golf cart is 4080 us if you buy 20 so I wonder what standard of car you get for 7500 us.  What is the spec for the Dacia battery. It is also only available in left hand drive form as were nearly all the other cars I looked at.

[ThailandRyan]

15 hours ago, 2 is 1 said:

LOL dont know anything about Dacia and not read EV car LMAO! Dont even know Dacia has alectric function! Think it has to be pedal car. 

Fred Flinstone style, right....

[canthai55]

Who would buy a car on AliBaba ?

What do you do if it needs service - stick a bunch of stamps on it and mail it to China ?

555

[4myr]

Thanks for the replies and advice with good intentions. 

 

I found very valuable information about the import process of a new car from China in this video by a Thai guy in South of Thailand. Ask your other half to get it translated.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_mQ1d7Smj8

https://web.facebook.com/SALIKARIN168/?_rdc=1&_rdr

 

Bottom line:

1) if you get the Chinese seller or forward shipping company fill in the Form E + Invoice without any typing mistakes, Thai customs will charge you 0% import tax due to FTA with China. You still have to pay stamp duty + 7% VAT of the CIF value of course

 

2) make sure the car's odo-meter is zero or close to zero. Second hand cars are not allowed to be imported at the moment

 

3) after customs clearance, make sure your documents from customs [computer printed delivery form] has no typing mistakes compared to invoice and the car information details. Stamp + signature also very important as well as receipts of paid tax and duties

 

4) if you can get red plate somewhere [he did not tell how], you can drive the new car to the testing station yourself. He mentioned one station in BKK. It takes 3 days and 30k+ baht to get it tested. 

 

5) Then you go to Transport office in Chatuchak, seems to be the only one to allow registration of imported cars. Procedure takes longer than usual as you also need to fill in the Transport office database for this new type/model.

You will get your PRB windscreen paper + plates the same day, however you will have to pick up your registration book 1 month later, as in this time Transport office will check with customs that the clearance papers are OK

 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2021 by 4myr

[Yellowtail]

4 minutes ago, 4myr said:

Thanks for the replies and advice with good intentions. 

 

I found very valuable information about the import process of a new car from China in this video by a Thai guy in South of Thailand. Ask your other half to get it translated.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_mQ1d7Smj8

https://web.facebook.com/SALIKARIN168/?_rdc=1&_rdr

 

Bottom line:

1) if you get the Chinese seller or forward shipping company fill in the Form E + Invoice without any typing mistakes, Thai customs will charge you 0% import tax due to FTA with China. You still have to pay stamp duty + 7% VAT of the CIF value of course

 

2) make sure the car's odo-meter is zero or close to zero. Second hand cars are not allowed to be imported at the moment

 

3) after customs clearance, make sure your documents from customs [computer printed delivery form] has no typing mistakes compared to invoice and the car information details. Stamp + signature also very important as well as receipts of paid tax and duties

 

4) if you can get red plate somewhere [he did not tell how], you can drive the new car to the testing station yourself. He mentioned one station in BKK. It takes 3 days and 30k+ baht to get it tested. 

 

5) Then you go to Transport office in Chatuchak, seems to be the only one to allow registration of imported cars. Procedure takes longer than usual as you also need to fill in the Transport office database for this new type/model.

You will get your PRB windscreen paper + plates the same day, however you will have to pick up your registration book 1 month later, as in this time Transport office will check with customs that the clearance papers are OK

Perfect! 

 

How many did you order?

[Smithson]

29 minutes ago, 4myr said:

Thanks for the replies and advice with good intentions. 

 

I found very valuable information about the import process of a new car from China in this video by a Thai guy in South of Thailand. Ask your other half to get it translated.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_mQ1d7Smj8

https://web.facebook.com/SALIKARIN168/?_rdc=1&_rdr

 

Bottom line:

1) if you get the Chinese seller or forward shipping company fill in the Form E + Invoice without any typing mistakes, Thai customs will charge you 0% import tax due to FTA with China. You still have to pay stamp duty + 7% VAT of the CIF value of course

 

2) make sure the car's odo-meter is zero or close to zero. Second hand cars are not allowed to be imported at the moment

 

3) after customs clearance, make sure your documents from customs [computer printed delivery form] has no typing mistakes compared to invoice and the car information details. Stamp + signature also very important as well as receipts of paid tax and duties

 

4) if you can get red plate somewhere [he did not tell how], you can drive the new car to the testing station yourself. He mentioned one station in BKK. It takes 3 days and 30k+ baht to get it tested. 

 

5) Then you go to Transport office in Chatuchak, seems to be the only one to allow registration of imported cars. Procedure takes longer than usual as you also need to fill in the Transport office database for this new type/model.

You will get your PRB windscreen paper + plates the same day, however you will have to pick up your registration book 1 month later, as in this time Transport office will check with customs that the clearance papers are OK

 

 

 

Last month I looked at importing motorbikes, both petrol and electric. The shipping company said there's still very high tax even with a form E. I think it was around 60%

[Crossy]

39 minutes ago, 4myr said:

Thanks for the replies and advice with good intentions. 

 

I found very valuable information about the import process of a new car from China in this video by a Thai guy in South of Thailand. Ask your other half to get it translated.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_mQ1d7Smj8

https://web.facebook.com/SALIKARIN168/?_rdc=1&_rdr

 

Bottom line:

1) if you get the Chinese seller or forward shipping company fill in the Form E + Invoice without any typing mistakes, Thai customs will charge you 0% import tax due to FTA with China. You still have to pay stamp duty + 7% VAT of the CIF value of course

 

2) make sure the car's odo-meter is zero or close to zero. Second hand cars are not allowed to be imported at the moment

 

3) after customs clearance, make sure your documents from customs [computer printed delivery form] has no typing mistakes compared to invoice and the car information details. Stamp + signature also very important as well as receipts of paid tax and duties

 

4) if you can get red plate somewhere [he did not tell how], you can drive the new car to the testing station yourself. He mentioned one station in BKK. It takes 3 days and 30k+ baht to get it tested. 

 

5) Then you go to Transport office in Chatuchak, seems to be the only one to allow registration of imported cars. Procedure takes longer than usual as you also need to fill in the Transport office database for this new type/model.

You will get your PRB windscreen paper + plates the same day, however you will have to pick up your registration book 1 month later, as in this time Transport office will check with customs that the clearance papers are OK

 

 

 

Do let us know how you get on, and how your new golf-cart car works out for you.

 

I would look very carefully at the specifications for the battery, range etc. the numbers just don't add up for lead-acid.

 

[Greenside]

The MG EP Wagon looks like the best value EV around at the moment if you want to avoid importing and have local service support.  It sells here for 988,000 baht which isn't much more than a mid range Honda.  The deal with the MG ZS EV used to include installation of a home charging unit and battery warranty of 8 years.  I'm not sure if this one is the same, though.  I test drove the MG ZS last year and would have gone for that if funds permitted.

[4myr]

 

59 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Do let us know how you get on, and how your new golf-cart car works out for you.

 

I would look very carefully at the specifications for the battery, range etc. the numbers just don't add up for lead-acid.

 

The problem with a platform like Alibaba is that the seller has to put its product information in a [ICE] car boilerplate template. 

 

If you cross check the information on various media sources [youtube, etc.] with the car model having different names in different markets [Dongfeng EX1, Renault Kwid City KZE, Dacia Spring] you will find the real specs.

 

https://www.dfm-global.com/pd.jsp?id=308#_pp=0_329_138 

 

Remember, Renault/Dacia has in continental Europe a good history of relatively outdated but proven chassis technology and Renault/Nissan with the Zoe/Leaf a proven history of car battery technology. I have owned one of the first EV cars, the Chevrolet Volt PHEV, also very reliable. 

 

Have to see that other more pure chinese players like SAIC [Wuling EV mini JV, MG], GWM [ORA] and Changan [BenBen E-star] can be as reliable in the long run. 

 

 

[ChrisKC]

I don't pretend to know much of the detail in Chinese-Thailand trade deals but isn't the point of such agreements that bureaucracy is minimised and otherwise ridiculously high import duties and numerous sundry add-ons are reduced in favour of what I would call 'more friendly exchanges' in business.

 

If not, how does the "trade deal" benefit each country?

[Yellowtail]

7 minutes ago, ChrisKC said:

I don't pretend to know much of the detail in Chinese-Thailand trade deals but isn't the point of such agreements that bureaucracy is minimised and otherwise ridiculously high import duties and numerous sundry add-ons are reduced in favour of what I would call 'more friendly exchanges' in business.

 

If not, how does the "trade deal" benefit each country?

Typically they mostly benefit the individuals putting the agreements together. 

[4myr]

1 hour ago, Smithson said:

Last month I looked at importing motorbikes, both petrol and electric. The shipping company said there's still very high tax even with a form E. I think it was around 60%

I would say a very good profit for the shipping company! ???? I would suggest have a chat with various shipping companies that will handle the customs clearance for you. You heard the story that for air flight imports better deal with UPS than DHL because of the clearance fees. And perhaps also wise to have a Thai person do the asking.