Need a Thai person to negotiate a used-car purchase

[Ebumbu]

Hello friends. So, I want to buy a decent used car and my tentative budget is about 340,000 baht (flexible). I want to buy from a well-known website that offers certification of their used vehicles and a 1-year warrantee. I think that I'd benefit from having a Thai car expert negotiate on my behalf. I think that the dealer shouldn't know a farang is involved at all. A Thai will get a much better deal. So then ... 

 

1) Where can I find such a Thai person to negotiate for me? 

2) Is One2Car a reliable site? Is their certified used car program legit, or is it a marketing gimmick? Looks good to me. 

 

My idea is to complete this all online. Thanks for your thoughts! 

[atpeace]

I have a truck I bought used and bought a used EV a few months ago.  Just went to FB marketplace and one2Car.  Not too difficult and repairs are cheap here in Thailand.  Something goes wrong with the car and usually not too expensive to have it fixed. 

 

Last purchase a few months ago I arranged a few appointments after landing in Bangkok at 12pm.  Bought the car I liked at 3PM with cash and was on the road to NE Thailand by 4:30 after completing the paperwork.  Did it alone and found it much easier than bringing a Thai along where you will be left out of the communication and find yourself constantly asking what was just said.  

 

If buying from a Thai( not a dealership) it is complicated. I tried -555. All had loans on the car and the process became overly complicated to impossible.  

[Ebumbu]

6 minutes ago, atpeace said:

If buying from a Thai( not a dealership) it is complicated. I tried -555. All had loans on the car and the process became overly complicated to impossible.  

 

Are the One2Car prices fair as is? I'm looking only at certified. I guess I can check against bluebook. 

[richard_smith237]

28 minutes ago, Ebumbu said:

Hello friends. So, I want to buy a decent used car and my tentative budget is about 340,000 baht (flexible). I want to buy from a well-known website that offers certification of their used vehicles and a 1-year warrantee. I think that I'd benefit from having a Thai car expert negotiate on my behalf. I think that the dealer shouldn't know a farang is involved at all. A Thai will get a much better deal. So then ... 

 

1) Where can I find such a Thai person to negotiate for me? 

2) Is One2Car a reliable site? Is their certified used car program legit, or is it a marketing gimmick? Looks good to me. 

 

My idea is to complete this all online. Thanks for your thoughts! 

 

There are too many variables..... and you can't account or protect yourself from them all... so you just have to trust your instincts...  i.e.

 

1) A Thai mechanic who you think is on your side may actually strike up an agrement with the seller to say everything is fine... and then you find out later its not - Don't trust anyone new to you.

 

2) One2Car is a good starting point for pricing etc...  

 

3) the idea of doing this remotely is foolish - why the rush ?

 

4) Its doesn't matter if you are a foreigner or not - this is buisness, they'll take the shirt of your back if you are foreign or Thai.

 

5) Certified used car programs are good - but at your price range, it will be difficult to find any 'dealership certified' program as the cars will be too old. 

 

 

Get out there, have a look around, narrow down your options to the car you want. look at more of them, test drive, get a feel for the seller...   If its a 'tent' (second hand forecourt) they are lying to to you... If its a direct seller (i.e. a family) they are more likely to be selling the 'regular car' and moving on to a newer car - there is less likely to be an issue with it - look for full service history from a main dealer. 

 

 

[Ebumbu]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

Get out there, have a look around, narrow down your options to the car you want. look at more of them, test drive, get a feel for the seller...   If its a 'tent' (second hand forecourt) they are lying to to you... If its a direct seller (i.e. a family) they are more likely to be selling the 'regular car' and moving on to a newer car - there is less likely to be an issue with it - look for full service history from a main dealer. 

 

I have very limited mobility. I can raise the budget if needed. I just started researching. My intention is to buy a certified car from One2Car, have it delivered. End of story. If it works, I'm good. I can walk limited distances. 

[Ralf001]

9 minutes ago, atpeace said:

 

 

If buying from a Thai( not a dealership) it is complicated. I tried -555. All had loans on the car and the process became overly complicated to impossible.  

 

I purchased a financed vehicle from a Thai.

 

Was easy.... went to finance company (Tisco) with the seller, and paid out the balance owing, gave the seller the difference.... gvae my docs to Tisco and two weeks later collected the book in my name.

 

took about 30 mins.

[Lacessit]

OP, check out this website:

 

https://expatautocm.com/

 

The prices are fixed, no haggling. However, you are dealing with people such that you don't need a Thai person.

[Ebumbu]

5 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

OP, check out this website:

 

https://expatautocm.com/

 

The prices are fixed, no haggling. However, you are dealing with people such that you don't need a Thai person.

 

Nice. 

[Lacessit]

1 minute ago, Ebumbu said:

 

Nice. 

Another option is a ToyotaSure used car dealership. They may haggle, depending on how much unsold inventory they have.

 

Most auto mechanics in Thailand know how to work on Toyotas, and their reputation for reliability is well-earned.

 

I am very satisfied with a late model Mazda 2 I bought from ExpatAuto.

[atpeace]

2 minutes ago, Ebumbu said:

 

I have very limited mobility. I can raise the budget if needed. I just started researching. My intention is to buy a certified car from One2Car, have it delivered. End of story. If it works, I'm good. I can walk limited distances. 

Interesting. Finding the Thai expert would be hard. I'm sure there are but finding one you can trust?

 

Do you live in Bangkok?  What model and type of car?  To answer your question about One2Car - they are fine but you can get a better understanding of price using FB market place as well.  Many to most cars listed on FB are posted by dealerships.  I bet you could find a solid 2022 Toyota Yaris for example that would fit your budget.  https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/112843885396090/search?minPrice=300000&maxPrice=350000&query=toyota yaris&exact=false

 

If I were you, I would look online for a week and talk to dealerships only.  I bet a viable option considering your lack of mobility will avail itself.  I would help out if you lived near me but the odds of you living where I am are very slim.

[atpeace]

29 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

 

I purchased a financed vehicle from a Thai.

 

Was easy.... went to finance company (Tisco) with the seller, and paid out the balance owing, gave the seller the difference.... gvae my docs to Tisco and two weeks later collected the book in my name.

 

took about 30 mins.

It can be easy and it surely was for you.

 

Most sellers don't know the process is what I found.  Also, living far from major cities complicates visiting the bank and returning to pick up the book.  In a couple instances the banks also required appointments which you can't make until you make the decision to buy. Also not all banks provide the book in your name.  You are expected to go to the land office and do that. For me it never would have been a simple 30 minute process and most cases would have added days to the process of buying a car.  

 

 

[atpeace]

18 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Another option is a ToyotaSure used car dealership. They may haggle, depending on how much unsold inventory they have.

 

Most auto mechanics in Thailand know how to work on Toyotas, and their reputation for reliability is well-earned.

 

I am very satisfied with a late model Mazda 2 I bought from ExpatAuto.

This is great advice considering his unique situation.  

[Ralf001]

1 minute ago, atpeace said:

It can be easy and it surely was for you.

 

Most sellers don't know the process is what I found.  Also, living far from major cities complicates visiting the bank and returning to pick up the book.  In a couple instances the banks also required appointments which you can't make until you make the decision to buy. Also not all banks provide the book in your name.  You are expected to go to the land office and do that. For me it never would have been a simple 30 minute process and most cases would have added days to the process of buying a car.  

 

 

your are in a minority.

[atpeace]

2 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

your are in a minority.

OK 🙂

 

[richard_smith237]

22 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Another option is a ToyotaSure used car dealership. They may haggle, depending on how much unsold inventory they have.

 

Most auto mechanics in Thailand know how to work on Toyotas, and their reputation for reliability is well-earned.

 

I am very satisfied with a late model Mazda 2 I bought from ExpatAuto.

 

Good info - how old are there 'assured' stock ???...   do they come with warranty and priced in the 350k baht region ?

 

[Ebumbu]

21 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Interesting. Finding the Thai expert would be hard. I'm sure there are but finding one you can trust?

 

Do you live in Bangkok?  What model and type of car?  To answer your question about One2Car - they are fine but you can get a better understanding of price using FB market place as well.  Many to most cars listed on FB are posted by dealerships.  I bet you could find a solid 2022 Toyota Yaris for example that would fit your budget.  https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/112843885396090/search?minPrice=300000&maxPrice=350000&query=toyota yaris&exact=false

 

If I were you, I would look online for a week and talk to dealerships only.  I bet a viable option considering your lack of mobility will avail itself.  I would help out if you lived near me but the odds of you living where I am are very slim.

 

You are very kind. I'm in Phuket. I'm getting a lot of excellent leads here! 

[Lacessit]

13 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Good info - how old are there 'assured' stock ???...   do they come with warranty and priced in the 350k baht region ?

 

It's a long time since I was there, so my recollections may be out of date.

 

IIRC there was nothing under 300K baht, anything older than that probably goes to the car tents. Odometers were usually 100K - 150K, lower readings got more expensive.

 

Toyota Sure has a warranty of 1 year/20,000 km or 2 year/40,000 km depending on vehicle age.

 

I tend to focus more on condition and odometer reading, than on year of manufacture.

 

My auto mechanic in Chiang Rai loves my 2006 Toyota Vios, because he says it is so simple to work on.

 

IMO the advent of cheap electric cars is probably driving prices down on secondhand ICE's.

[Ebumbu]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Another option is a ToyotaSure used car dealership. They may haggle, depending on how much unsold inventory they have.

 

Most auto mechanics in Thailand know how to work on Toyotas, and their reputation for reliability is well-earned.

 

I am very satisfied with a late model Mazda 2 I bought from ExpatAuto.

 

Does it work to go the last few days of the month to get better pricing because they must meet quotas? 

[Lacessit]

9 hours ago, Ebumbu said:

 

Does it work to go the last few days of the month to get better pricing because they must meet quotas? 

I don't know.

 

IMO it's not like the West, where the low man on the sales totem pole gets fired.

[SiSePuede419]

16 hours ago, Ebumbu said:

My idea is to complete this all online

You can't even do that in America or Europe.

Unless you want to get ripped off by one of those companies that delivers inferior cars to your door for twice the price.

Yikes.

My advice?  Don't buy a car from Bangkok.  It's probably got stuck in traffic and overheated the engine a few times.  Buy a car from a rich owner who can afford to change the oil every 6 months.  Yes! You need to change the oil regardless of mileage because the extreme heat degrades the oil and the engine will wear out quicker with compromised oil. ✅

[DaRoadrunner]

Honda have an approved used car website https://usedcar.honda.co.th/

 

Toyota also https://www.toyotasure.com/home

[pedro01]

Call Cris at CT14 - https://www.ct14garage.com/

 

I know you don't want a supercar but he's English and has a bunch of engineers that could go with you to inspect and suggest a price.

 

He's a lovely guy and has helped me out lots of times without asking for anything in return. In fact - I took him and his wife out on Saturday to RR&B because it was the only way I could part with some cash on his behalf.

 

He'll know people that can help.

 

Note - I scratched up my wifes Z4 M40i - front bumper, rear side bumper and I reversed it into a motorbike. I'd also scratched 3 of the alloy wheels. He fixed it all for 13,000 Baht - BMW would have charged me 100k+ - I guess I got mate's rates - but it shows the kind of guy he is.

[Kaopad999]

On 1/24/2025 at 8:33 PM, Lacessit said:

OP, check out this website:

 

https://expatautocm.com/

 

The prices are fixed, no haggling. However, you are dealing with people such that you don't need a Thai person.

The cars he sells are overpriced.

[Kaopad999]

On 1/24/2025 at 8:13 PM, Ebumbu said:

 

Are the One2Car prices fair as is? I'm looking only at certified. I guess I can check against bluebook. 

No, they are usually priced above market value. It's best to be patient and buy privately. A good rule of thumb for determining a car's true market value in Thailand is to check auction prices or browse Facebook Marketplace under the "sold" listings for the specific model year and mileage you're considering. This will give you a much clearer idea of the car's actual value.

[BritManToo]

28 minutes ago, Kaopad999 said:

No, they are usually priced above market value. It's best to be patient and buy privately. A good rule of thumb for determining a car's true market value in Thailand is to check auction prices or browse Facebook Marketplace under the "sold" listings for the specific model year and mileage you're considering. This will give you a much clearer idea of the car's actual value.

Facebook marketplace has been taken over by dealers, almost no private car sales now.

They pretend they aren't dealers.

[Kaopad999]

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Facebook marketplace has been taken over by dealers, almost no private car sales now.

They pretend they aren't dealers.

That's true, but you can still find good deals through such dealers—you just need to know what you're looking for and have a trusted mechanic inspect the car before purchasing
 

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, Kaopad999 said:

The cars he sells are overpriced.

I bought a Mazda 2 there, odometer 18,000 km, two and a half years old. 430K baht. New, RRP 620K baht.

 

One year warranty.

 

I consider I got a good deal.