How hard is it to re-sell cars in Thailand?

[Startmeup]

I love my cars. Im Trying to grasp the market here in Thailand.

 

In the UK/Aus if you buy a new car you know your very likely going to be able to sell that car on at any stage really of ownership (outside times of recession) at the going market rate or price it more keenly if you want it gone quickly. Unless it's a very rare/expensive car then it might be more patchy. In UK if the car is one you're really interested in you would likely be willing to travel anywhere in the country to see it. In Australia given its size, not so much but also possible if it's a rare car. It's also possible to get an independent inspection done instead of travelling yourself or if it's in a dealership with what you deem as a good reputation you might take your chances.

In the UK the go to place to sell a car used to be Autotrader and I think it's more pistonheads now.

In Australia its carsales.

 

How does the Thai market compare?

Is there a go to place where everybody would list their vehicles because its the go to online marketplace?

Could you be stuck with a car for a long time not being able to offload it like you might be with a property?

Edited February 5, 2023 by Startmeup

[bkk6060]

Depending on who is the owner and buyer.  Thais seem to not like used cars something about they believe have all been crashed and no good.  Some dealers will buy used cars but they give you practically nothing. Check out some of the online sites like Baht Sold or others.

[SkyNets]

https://www.one2car.com/en/used-cars-for-sale

[1FinickyOne]

All according to price... if you price it too high, you are not likely to sell

 

There is a market... 

[KhunLA]

Economics, supply & demand for said product,   You can always sell it, but is it the price you want.  TH no different than worldwide, plenty of avenues to sell or buy something.  Dealers will have 2nd hand folks that will probably offer the insured book value on most cars.

 

Then haggle up from that, or sell yourself.  3 cars with haggle up with 2nd hand dealers, and last car we sold.

Edited February 5, 2023 by KhunLA

[ezzra]

This is one of those hypothetical questions that have a start but no end, the questions about cars in Thailand is akin to asking how's the girls in Thailand, million words will not cover the subject...

[Denim]

Sold one used car privately and one to a dealer . No problems. Dealers need to make money so you have to shop around for the best offer. Other dealers will let you sell your car on their forecourt at the price you want but take a cut for introducing the buyer.

[VinnieK]

 Never tried to sell a car but a variety of other things over the years.

Online, obviously.

All priced below market prices.

Only sold 10% of the items.

Regarding cars..

I see second-hand lots full to the brim, for years now.

Either the market is saturated or Thais are not keen on used cars..or both ????

[G Rex]

The used car market in Thailand is a dogs' breakfast!

In my experience - dealers at 'car tents' - (used car lots) , charge crazy high prices, and generally are not open to much haggling or discounting. This may vary obviously,  In Kanchanaburi, where I am, there are dealers who have had the same cars on the lot for the last 3 years. I don't know how they survive!

I have sold cars here on One2Car , and Facebook Marketplace.  The right car at a reasonable price will normally sell ok. However, as an example, I have been trying to sell a 3 year old Ranger ute with only 7000 ks on the clock for 300k less than I paid for it. In 4 months I have had 3 enquiries, and only been offered 35% of what I bought it for.  (Hmm, might be time for a fire....!)

If you cannot speak Thai, the sale difficulty increases!

[wordchild]

sold 4 cars over the last 10 years or so. 3 were low mileage, popular brands,  sold easily at what i considered to be fair prices, sold to private buyers via online mktg. Funnily enough one sold via Thai Visa to another Farang Thai resident. I dont know if Thai visa (or whatever they now call themselves) still offer that service but i put the car on the site , without any great expectations, sold within a month.

The 4th car was very different, it was a very  special/unusual   car that i had imported originally from the UK (when you could still do that) it had been well maintained but was over 10 years old with high mileage. sold that to an enthusiast who was a member of the Thai Owners Club for that brand. we were put in contact with each other by  the garage who had maintained the car for me over a number of years. Also got a pretty good price for that because of the comfort the buyer got from the maintenance history. Actually on that occasion,more important than the price, was the fact  that the car was going to a genuine enthusiast for the brand.

In summary i would say selling used cars in Thailand pretty much the same as anywhere else; offer a low mileage, in demand, car at a fair price and you will likely sell it reasonably easily. 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by wordchild

[Kwasaki]

Sold cars, truck and motorbikes in Thailand, not a problem, depends on how much your willing to accept.

[realfunster]

27 minutes ago, G Rex said:

I have been trying to sell a 3 year old Ranger ute with only 7000 ks on the clock for 300k less than I paid for it. In 4 months I have had 3 enquiries, and only been offered 35% of what I bought it for.

Not to slag off Ford but that is probably part of the issue. I quite like the Ranger but see very few in Bangkok, may be a few more upcountry.

It's still a newish and unestablished brand in Thailand. Likely questions still linger in local minds on reliability and convenience/costs of service. 

Selling the established Japanese brand cars is a lot easier. 

 

Many years ago, I yearned for something a bit more interesting than a Japanese car but despite my best efforts to convince myself otherwise I had to admit defeat. For a non-motor head, they offer a very good value and convenience proposition from purchase through to sale. 

[In the jungle]

If it a Thai is looking for a used car they tend to go to used car dealers as they will be able to provide finance.

 

I have sold one car here privately which was to another foreigner.  I did not know him.  My perception is that selling a car privately here is certainly much harder than in the UK,

[Kwasaki]

13 minutes ago, realfunster said:

Not to slag off Ford but that is probably part of the issue. I quite like the Ranger but see very few in Bangkok, may be a few more upcountry.

It's still a newish and unestablished brand in Thailand. Likely questions still linger in local minds on reliability and convenience/costs of service. 

Selling the established Japanese brand cars is a lot easier. 

 

Many years ago, I yearned for something a bit more interesting than a Japanese car but despite my best efforts to convince myself otherwise I had to admit defeat. For a non-motor head, they offer a very good value and convenience proposition from purchase through to sale. 

Ford is new to Thailand ????????????

 

"It's still a newish and unestablished brand in Thailand."

 

Yeah it only came to Thailand in 1913. ????

 

"Likely questions still linger in local minds on reliability and convenience/costs of service."

 

Yeah some of my neighbours have Ford trucks 20 years old or more and only serviced them but not often being Thai.  

 

 

[wordchild]

Bearing in mind the significant tax element in any new car purchase here (especially for imported brands), the depreciation  should be pretty high.  

My impression is that the market was reasonably ok until 3/4 years ago but has got more difficult in recent years. so price expectations need to adjust.

Edited February 5, 2023 by wordchild

[Startmeup]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

This is one of those hypothetical questions that have a start but no end, the questions about cars in Thailand is akin to asking how's the girls in Thailand, million words will not cover the subject...

Not really. In the two places I mentioned in my opening post, you can all but guarentee that you would sell your car, if it is a genuine car and is priced 5-10% below the midpoint of most of whats available on the market similar spec 

 

1 hour ago, G Rex said:

However, as an example, I have been trying to sell a 3 year old Ranger ute with only 7000 ks on the clock for 300k less than I paid for it. In 4 months I have had 3 enquiries, and only been offered 35% of what I bought it for.  (Hmm, might be time for a fire....!)

If you cannot speak Thai, the sale difficulty increases!

 

Everyman and his dog here seems to want a Hilux/Ranger/Isuzu for whatever reason, practicality/safety/work, I dont know. I have no idea how you could sell one of those on without something to set it apart and that is likely being a huge discount compared to new price.


Im thinking it's something to do with borrowing structures the reason why people are hell bent on something brand new? Is it difficult to get finance when buying from a private owner as opposed to buying from a dealer. Also lower loan rates when buying new compared to used?

 

55 minutes ago, wordchild said:

car that i had imported originally from the UK (when you could still do that)

This is not possible now? 

 

[Kwasaki]

12 minutes ago, Startmeup said:

Not really. In the two places I mentioned in my opening post, you can all but guarentee that you would sell your car, if it is a genuine car and is priced 5-10% below the midpoint of most of whats available on the market similar spec 

 

 

Everyman and his dog here seems to want a Hilux/Ranger/Isuzu for whatever reason, practicality/safety/work, I dont know. I have no idea how you could sell one of those on without something to set it apart and that is likely being a huge discount compared to new price.


Im thinking it's something to do with borrowing structures the reason why people are hell bent on something brand new? Is it difficult to get finance when buying from a private owner as opposed to buying from a dealer. Also lower loan rates when buying new compared to used?

 

This is not possible now? 

I wanted a Ford truck they offered the lowest % rate at the time but ended up with a good deal with Isuzu.

"Thailand Best Selling Car ranking in 2022 lead for the third year in a row by the local made Isuzu D-Max, ahead at the arch-rival Toyota Hilux. Jan 13, 2566"

[wordchild]

20 minutes ago, Startmeup said:

Not really. In the two places I mentioned in my opening post, you can all but guarentee that you would sell your car, if it is a genuine car and is priced 5-10% below the midpoint of most of whats available on the market similar spec 

 

 

Everyman and his dog here seems to want a Hilux/Ranger/Isuzu for whatever reason, practicality/safety/work, I dont know. I have no idea how you could sell one of those on without something to set it apart and that is likely being a huge discount compared to new price.


Im thinking it's something to do with borrowing structures the reason why people are hell bent on something brand new? Is it difficult to get finance when buying from a private owner as opposed to buying from a dealer. Also lower loan rates when buying new compared to used?

 

This is not possible now? 

 

As far as i am aware not possible (anymore)  to import (legally!) a car that was previously registered/owned outside Thailand. [The car i referred to in my post had  been originally owned, by me, in the UK.] I think most/all the various loopholes have now been closed.

Edited February 5, 2023 by wordchild

[realfunster]

On 2/5/2023 at 5:19 PM, Kwasaki said:

Ford is new to Thailand ????????????

 

"It's still a newish and unestablished brand in Thailand."

 

Yeah it only came to Thailand in 1913. ????

 

"Likely questions still linger in local minds on reliability and convenience/costs of service."

 

Yeah some of my neighbours have Ford trucks 20 years old or more and only serviced them but not often being Thai.  

 

 

1) The history of Ford is patchy in Thailand and only included some element of production starting in the late 90s IIRC via the AAT joint venture with Mazda.

This was expanded in the early 2000s to include some Everest and Ranger production. Thailand was and is still a secondary market for Ford with the majority of the Ford production at AAT going overseas. In the 2010s a further investment was made which saw a bit more focus on developing the Thai market. This may further change with the new significant investment coming in from Ford.

 

In the 110 years since they "arrived", Ford has acquired 5% market share, with the vast majority of this coming over the last 15 years based on the investments noted above. Ask anyone driving here 10+ years ago how many Fords they used to see at that time ! Nowadays it's not too difficult to spot Rangers and the odd Everest. I'm OK with my previous assessment on Ford's standing and perception by the Thai market. I'm fairly sure Ford couldn't care less, as they obviously have not viewed Thailand as a key market for the past century !

 

2) I really have no axe to grind with Ford but you can google Ford Thailand class action lawsuit 2018. Please let me know if you feel that doesn't potentially contribute to "questions lingering in local minds on reliability" vs the rock solid Japanese alternatives.

[Lee65]

What about the paperwork involved in making a private sale?  What if the vehicle is for sale in a province other than where it was purchased/licensed?  Is it difficult to deal with Thai government offices for the transfer of ownership?  

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, realfunster said:

1) The history of Ford is patchy in Thailand and only included some element of production starting in the late 90s IIRC via the AAT joint venture with Mazda.

This was expanded in the early 2000s to include some Everest and Ranger production. Thailand was and is still a secondary market for Ford with the majority of the Ford production at AAT going overseas. In the 2010s a further investment was made which saw a bit more focus on developing the Thai market. This may further change with the new significant investment coming in from Ford.

 

In the 110 years since they "arrived", Ford has acquired 5% market share, with the vast majority of this coming over the last 15 years based on the investments noted above. Ask anyone driving here 10+ years ago how many Fords they used to see at that time ! Nowadays it's not too difficult to spot Rangers and the odd Everest. I'm OK with my previous assessment on Ford's standing and perception by the Thai market. I'm fairly sure Ford couldn't care less, as they obviously have not viewed Thailand as a key market for the past century !

 

2) I really have no axe to grind with Ford but you can google Ford Thailand class action lawsuit 2018. Please let me know if you feel that doesn't potentially contribute to "questions lingering in local minds on reliability" vs the rock solid Japanese alternatives.

Can't read because of <deleted> ads keep covering your post.

No problem with Ford in Sukhothai  the new Raptor V6 whatever is already here. 

 

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, Lee65 said:

What about the paperwork involved in making a private sale?  What if the vehicle is for sale in a province other than where it was purchased/licensed?  Is it difficult to deal with Thai government offices for the transfer of ownership?  

Not a problem at all.

[wordchild]

One of the buyers I sold too wanted to use finance, it was no particular issue. The buyer was a good credit and was able to arrange himself. As far as I remember, it took a little longer than the other (cash) sales , and more paperwork was required. Also , as I remember, the sale was structured slightly different , but nothing that posed a major issue.

I think it’s a bit of a myth that the dealers can offer “finance”, they can’t. Only the banks offer the finance, the dealers may have good bank contacts and (maybe) able to smooth things along a little , but, from what I have seen , that is about it.

The major 2/3 banks involved in car finance in Thailand ( Thanachart being no 1), are extremely professional, with huge databases ,likely  incl sales values down the chain of ownership and probably covering pretty much every car and model year ever sold in Thailand. They know more about real car values  than anyone, and they know how to assess the risk.
As long as the buyer is a reasonable credit prospect I don’t see why it should be especially more difficult for them to obtain finance for a “private “ purchase as opposed to buying through a dealer.

 

Edited February 7, 2023 by wordchild

[Liverpool Lou]

On 2/5/2023 at 4:12 PM, VinnieK said:

I see second-hand lots full to the brim, for years now.

Either the market is saturated or Thais are not keen on used cars..or both

You expect to see them empty of stock...why would traders work like that?  They're buying fresh stock all the time, it doesn't mean that the market is saturated.   There's a huge 2nd hand market unless you think that all the used cars go to foreigners.

[wordchild]

Another factor to bear in mind is that VAT is levied on the car purchase price  (or at least used to be) when a (2nd hand ) car is bought through a dealer, using finance, no VAT if it is a cash purchase  (so i believe) .

I am not really  sure what the situation is if the buyer purchases the car and then subsequently arranges their own finance on the vehicle. I am guessing that if a vehicle is financed,  then the VAT total  is added to the loan amount , but really not sure about this.  

From my experience most Thais (other nationalities as well)  don't focus on the total  loan amount,  they just care about the monthly costs. 

Edited February 8, 2023 by wordchild

[Jeff the Chef]

I've just brought a 2015 Ford Focus Auto 1.6 ECO, private seller, transferred seamlessly to Thai wife from Bangkok area to Phisanulok, spent 6k at the local Ford dealer giving it the full service for the 190kms it has done and asked what the mechanic thought, not bad he said, recieved all the old parts back after fitting all new Plugs, filters etc. Runs great., gave 110k for it, tidy car. I've been playing with cars all my life, My feeling is in Thailand because there is no big rust problems as in the UK and Europe if it runs, stops and behaves as it should 2nd hand cars are a bargain if you know what you're doing over here.

[norbra]

Advertised car on Facebook marketplace sold in 3 days,had 4 dealers come wanting to steal it,but a husband wife team took it cash ,done.

[mahjongguy]

I sold a Honda Jazz a few years back. It was a good car in near-perfect condition.  I spent several dollars for a Red Book certificate just in case a potential buyer made any silly statements about the car's market value.

 

https://www.redbookasiapacific.com/rbcert/index.php?lang=en&cc=th

 

I used that Red Book quote in a listing on this website and the car was sold within days to another farang. A fair deal for both of us.  

[Ralf001]

On 2/5/2023 at 4:23 PM, G Rex said:

However, as an example, I have been trying to sell a 3 year old Ranger ute with only 7000 ks on the clock for 300k less than I paid for it. In 4 months I have had 3 enquiries, and only been offered 35% of what I bought it for.  (Hmm, might be time for a fire....!)

If you cannot speak Thai, the sale difficulty increases!

Take it to a few tents and get offers.

Add 80 to 100k and thats your private selling price.

 

 

 

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

Take it to a few tents and get offers.

Add 80 to 100k and thats your private selling price.

I found the tent folks offer the insured value, maybe.   Then compare that to what they are asking on FB Marketplace for your area, and you have a ballpark of H/L price.