Any tips on buying a used car in Thailand?

[jonyboatus]

Hi,

I am a working expat in Thailand and looking to buy a used car in Thailand. 

 

For anyone who has bought a used car in the past, is there any red flags I should be watching out for or things I should look at (i.e blue book) or is the process fairly straight forward like buying it in the USA.

Thanks.

[Pumpuynarak]

Source from a fellow farang if possible, a farang/car you know would be even better, i would'nt trust a Thai second hand dealer.

[BangkokAlan]

You could look at Siammotorworld in Bangkok and expat owned dealer who has a good reputation. He also offers a service to check any car you want to buy from any dealer to ensure its in good condition.

[1FinickyOne]

10 minutes ago, Pumpuynarak said:

Source from a fellow farang if possible, a farang/car you know would be even better, i would'nt trust a Thai second hand dealer.

I agree.. having lived for 20 years in a village - if there is anything that is good, it is gifted or sold to a family member... if there are major problems, nobody wants it and it goes out on the market... this is why you don't see garage sales in rural Thailand...

 

as posted above - a well cared for faring car can be ok.... but buyer beware. 

[scubascuba3]

Be careful of shady farang also, a friend bought a car from a farang and it had been in a bad accident previously, not disclosed. If you know the farang and history fair enough otherwise save for a new one

[mark5335]

Get an independent inspection report done. Gauge the market price by doing some searches on the one2car.com website, and the same website can also arrange the inspection report if requested. Also check the 'reviews' of the used car dealer via google to assess his reputation.

[fdsa]

Private sellers usually have better condition cars than the "tent dealers".

Facebook groups usually have better offers than the websites such as one2car, kaidee, taladrod, etc.

If you find some interesting offer online then google the car license plate number (in different variations - full number with letters like "4กค1234", full number with letters separated with dash like "4กค-1234", car brand with digits only like "hilux 1234") because you might find this car listed in the police reports or facebook stories (I saw quite a few accident reports when was choosing a second hand car!), or on the auctions.

Also cars from the auctions usually have a sticker with text like "ANR" or number like "A127" on the gauge.

 

Concerning the condition - first of all, ask the seller to bring the car to the nearest garage for the inspection (all expenses are on you, of course). If the seller disagrees - go to another seller.

Then ask for a test drive. Drive ~20km and check the engine temperature. From time to time let go of the steering wheel for several seconds and check if the car holds the direction.

Check the seat belt markings - they will show the real date of manufacture (sellers like to tell that the car is newer than it is, e.g. they state "2015" if the car was _registered_ in 2015 but manufactured in e.g. 2013)

[pgrahmm]

Check out Expat Auto, CM....They specialize & certify the vehicles they sell....

Many originated from vehicles owned by expats that have moved away or don't want the hassle of reselling on their own....

I've never read/heard a bad thing said about them.....They also will inspect for you if you find one you would like inspected as part of the prepurchase.....

They can also handle the paperwork for you.....

[yeahbutif]

You can just as easy duped by a falang seller as a Thai.only diffence is you can ask a farang if car has any problems..but and he can a Will answer with a lie...a Thai won't understand the the question so he can't lie..so all in all same but different.  Alsi clocking seems to be a thing here .unless service history with mileage on bills..... most don't.anything replaced in the last 4 years it will go wrong again . battery seems to only last 2 years..

[Ralf001]

8 minutes ago, yeahbutif said:

  Alsi clocking seems to be a thing here .unless service history with mileage on bills..... most don't.anything replaced in the last 4 years it will go wrong again . battery seems to only last 2 years..

Assuming the vehicle is less than 20 yrs old, a trip to the dealership and have them plug in their diagnostic equipment they can read the ECU, it will have the real mileage.

ECU's can be swapped as well though so not 100% fool proof.

[Lacessit]

Be aware of the following pitfalls:

 

Winding back odometers is a national sport in Thailand.

 

The floods in Bangkok in 2011 created quite a few rustbucket cars.

 

Some Asians service their cars regularly, others regard it as an unnecessary expense. In general, foreigners are more likely to observe servicing intervals, and do not ignore warning lights on the basis it might go away.

 

I also recommend Expat Auto in Chiang Mai. The other option is ToyotaSure, the used car arm of most Toyota dealerships here.

[Ralf001]

59 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Be aware of the following pitfalls:

 

Winding back odometers is a national sport in Thailand.

 

 

Cannot wind back the ECU though.

Dealership diagnostic tools will give the real odo reading.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

Used car prices are absurdly high here. For this reason alone I would never, ever buy a used car. I buy from a showroom. Thais also have a tendency to run them until the oil turns to road tar before changing it, and then they'll use chip fat as a replacement lubricant. The red oil pressure light is treated like a red light at a junction i.e. only for guidance rather than a mandatory stop, so they just keep driving. . . They treat their cars like little temples, even into high mileage, so when they do eventually want rid of it, something's wrong, very, very wrong.

 

 

 

 

[Excel]

Simply put, don't do it.

[jvs]

I have bought several used cars here in Thailand and the following is what i do.

As soon as i am interested in a car i ask if it has a service(dealer) book,if not i pass.

If there is a book and the car has been serviced at the dealership you can get all

service information from the dealer.

Another way is go to Toyota Sure,they only sell second hand but young Toyota cars

and will place a warranty on what they sell.You may pay a bit more but you get peace of mind.

Or you could ask your friends if they have a lead.

[Lacessit]

10 hours ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

Used car prices are absurdly high here. For this reason alone I would never, ever buy a used car. I buy from a showroom. Thais also have a tendency to run them until the oil turns to road tar before changing it, and then they'll use chip fat as a replacement lubricant. The red oil pressure light is treated like a red light at a junction i.e. only for guidance rather than a mandatory stop, so they just keep driving. . . They treat their cars like little temples, even into high mileage, so when they do eventually want rid of it, something's wrong, very, very wrong.

 

 

 

 

I bought a Mazda 2 2018 secondhand two years ago. Brilliant small car, one of the few to avoid the CVT fashion.

It had 18,000 km on the odometer. Bought it at ExpatAuto.

With the fruit salad it had on it, RRP new was 600,000 baht. I paid 440,000 baht.

What's not to like about saving 160,000 baht on a car that is barely run in?

 

[fdsa]

18 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Winding back odometers is a national sport in Thailand.

this

 

18 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Assuming the vehicle is less than 20 yrs old, a trip to the dealership and have them plug in their diagnostic equipment they can read the ECU, it will have the real mileage.

...if the seller is willing to wait 1 week for a queue after you've booked the trip to the dealership.

 

18 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

ECU's can be swapped as well though so not 100% fool proof.

17 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Cannot wind back the ECU though.

note that some cars' ECU could be winded back.

[Ralf001]

14 minutes ago, fdsa said:

 

note that some cars' ECU could be winded back.

Which ones.... Thailand cars btw, I've no care for some weird euro <deleted> thats not available here.

[fdsa]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

Which ones.... Thailand cars btw, I've no care for some weird euro <deleted> thats not available here.

at least Chevrolet and Hyundai

[Ralf001]

7 minutes ago, fdsa said:

at least Chevrolet and Hyundai

555.

 

[KhaoYai]

I don't think its any different to buying a secondhand car anywhere else.  I spent the first half of my working life in the UK motor trade - I would quite often report a major up-coming problem to a customer following a service, their response was usually "Oh, I'll get rid of it." 

 

The second hand market is full of vehicles with problems so always get a car checked over by a professional and have a decent, long test drive - keep an eye on the temp guage.

 

Cars are far more reliable these days but when they do go wrong, all the 'electrickery' can mean huge bills for what seems like a minor problem.  Don't accept someone saying they'll knock a couple of thousand off because the airbag light is on for example - if you do a deal, do it on the basis the fault is fixed.

[Klonko]

During a test drive, break hard (ABS) and make some hard  steering  movements to check steering and shocks. Are there no strange noises while accelerating, switching gears, braking or at higher speeds. Check oil cap for clean oil. Check the tires for homogeneous wear and shake the wheels (shouldn't rattle). Are there no repair signs (welding, misaligned) under the bonnet or in the trunk? Is the interior wear consistent with  the mileage. If ok, do you risk to trust the dealer? In my case, the dealer fixed the low performing brakes and I have been happy for the past two year.

[Henryford]

Don't

[LarrySR]

On 4/1/2022 at 8:41 PM, Ralf001 said:

Cannot wind back the ECU though.

Dealership diagnostic tools will give the real odo reading.

I’d be shocked if the Thais haven’t figured out a way to fiddle with the ECU mileage. 

[stratocaster]

 The ECU is not the originator of the mileage just an outlet for reading it. On most (but not all) vehicles the mileage is written to and stored on the L56 EEPROM chip situated on the instrument cluster PCB. This is how it is possible to obtain mileage readings from other sources which are communicating with the chip , ABS controllers etc. If you change the ECU the mileage will read the original. If you change the instrument cluster the ECU will read the new cluster mileage.

[HauptmannUK]

Consumer protection in Thailand is rather weak, so unless you have a good level of mechanical knowledge I would suggest buying a car with some sort of guarantee/waranty, for example from ToyotaSure or Cars24

 

Bear in mind that if buying a fairly 'young' used car you may not be saving a great deal over a brand new car once discounts/insurance/free servicing/warranty are all accounted for.

[nycjoe]

In Chiang Mai I like expatauto.com very transparent and they really check out the vehicles, also you can negotiate with them.