Trump Tariff Turmoil: Thai Car Market Skids to a Halt

[Peterphuket]

56 minutes ago, renaissanc said:

Trump's tariff is 25%. Accept it. Either accept it or invest in a car plant in the USA. Can you sell more cars in Thailand? I see the prices of cars rise each year. 4-door pick-up trucks cost a fortune now. They are also made with flimsy metal or whatever the material is nowadays. If you crash, you're either dead or severely injured. My Isuzu Spacecab is 25 years old. It's made of heavy steel. Lifting up the bonnet is a strong man's job. I'll drive it until it's 30 years old because I feel safe in it. Then I'll buy an old car, I expect, because in 5 years cars will probably be made of plastic or thin aluminium.

Yet you are not quite right in this, 20 years ago a car repairer in Phuket already showed me the difference of a bumper construction, of Honda made in LOS and elsewhere.
There was a big difference, to the detriment of those made in Thailand.

[dinsdale]

6 minutes ago, Nairbem said:

Any takers 👀 on the bet? 

Don't waste your money. I said it wouldn't be 300%. I was correct. It's zero.

In Thailand, electric vehicles (EVs) imported from China, under the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, enjoy a 0% import duty. (AI)

[PingRoundTheWorld]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Trump is escalating his trade war and it's going to severely damage the US economy in the process, and the damage is going to be long-term.

The sky is falling? It's a 25% tax. My home country imposes 100%, Thailand imposes 300%. My home country doesn't manufacture cars, but isn't the situation a bit unfair to the US? It obviously affects buying choices - even personally when looking for a car I didn't bother with an American one due to pricing - despite actually liking American cars. But regardless - my guess is this is a chess move by Trump - he wants to put some cards on the table before he negotiates with other countries to reduce tariffs on US products. Eventually what will happen is countries including Thailand will agree to lower tariffs on US goods in exchange for being relieved of the new US ones.

[Stocky]

On 3/26/2025 at 10:12 AM, dinsdale said:

300% tariff on vehicles imported into Thailand. Not sure what the tariff is on Chinese cars but I'll be my left nut it's not 300%. 

BYD have a plant in Rayong that currently builds 150,000 cars a year.

SAIC Motor have plant in Laem Chabang to build its MG Cars.

 

Built in Thailand, there's no import tax.

[Thingamabob]

Notwithstanding the current issue regarding tariffs the fact is Thai people are charged outrageously high prices for vehicles, both locally manufactured/ assembled and imported.

[kingstonkid]

On 3/26/2025 at 9:45 AM, Tropicalevo said:

I did not think that Thailand exported that many vehicles to the USA, but a quick scan on the internet surprised me.

$358 million last year.

 

https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/exports/united-states/motor-cars-vehicles-transporting-persons

 

The challenge that the Thai auto market has is that it is pricing itself out or being priced out of competitoin by other countries.

 

we know that thai tarriffs are high But I think that is easily sovable.  lower the taarriffs and see how many people buy a Ford or GM.  Same with the wine and spirits.  

 

The prices will still be much higher than the local vehicles or the spirits.  

 

The other side is that while that number may seem huge here is where they export mainly to.

 

Exports In 2023, Thailand exported $12.2B in Cars, making it the 17th largest exporter of Cars in the world. At the same year, Cars was the 4th most exported product in Thailand. The main destination of Cars exports from Thailand are: Saudi Arabia ($1.79B), Australia ($1.61B), Philippines ($1.47B), United Arab Emirates ($1.06B), and Vietnam ($868M).

The fastest growing export markets for Cars of Thailand between 2022 and 2023 were Philippines ($596M), Saudi Arabia ($586M), and United Arab Emirates ($236M).

 

https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/cars/reporter/tha

[digger70]

 Trump Tariff Turmoil: Thai Car Market Skids to a Halt.

 

I don't wannabe an A Hole But this is Karma, Surfs Los right  this is Pay BackT hey  have the Ridiculous High Import Tax and Import duty on almost  everything one want's to buy .

Los want's to promote local products and want people to buy local products  so do other countries  No good winging about that deal with that ,make local products up to a decent standard. for a reasonable  competitive price.

[maddox41]

About time Thais don't like competition in any form Tourism, Manufacturing, nothing with the inflated Bhat and the new Foreign tax laws people are waking up going to other countries to live and to import from. It's good to see as the Brains trust are  clueless. But Thais been Thia when the sh.. hits the fan and it always does they scramble to fix it  but as we know it's always  to late. 

So going to be interesting to see how this all goes as Thailand hanging on by a thread with it's economy and very soon they be nailed to the wall and no one to blame but themselves. 

[Jonathan Swift]

19 hours ago, BritScot said:

About time. I hope Trump hits thais rights to buy houses/own land in the USA and copies thai 51% rule for business owner as well. And I'm not an American!!! Thailand has got away with this abuse for far to long. 

If you were an American you would not be thinking like this, unless you were a member of the Trump cult. As such, your ignorance is forgivable. The Thai people knew what Trump was as far back as 2015, when I was sitting around a sidewalk bar and Trump was on TV and they all started chanting "ƒuck Trump", I have it on video. Lastly, the disruption of world economies is no laughing matter, it affects everyone, not just your own personal scapegoats. This may be outside your pay grade though. If I had a dollar for every UK person who thought they knew all about the US without ever having been there and actually there fore knew nothing I'd be rich. 

[mfd101]

3 hours ago, Rickman66 said:

try buy a Cadillac in Thailand 300% tariff 

Why would anyone bother? I rode in a Cadillac in Canada a few years ago. Absolute pile of s...t!

[Peterphuket]

4 minutes ago, maddox41 said:

About time Thais don't like competition in any form Tourism, Manufacturing, nothing with the inflated Bhat and the new Foreign tax laws people are waking up going to other countries to live and to import from. It's good to see as the Brains trust are  clueless. But Thais been Thia when the sh.. hits the fan and it always does they scramble to fix it  but as we know it's always  to late. 

So going to be interesting to see how this all goes as Thailand hanging on by a thread with it's economy and very soon they be nailed to the wall and no one to blame but themselves. 

Whatever happens, they will never blame themselves, they feel themselves superior to the white man.

[stoutfella]

Isn't the USA now doing what Thailand has been doing for years, generally at a higher rate?

[jvs]

Reading some of the replies i almost start to think this has nothing to do with America first but to punish

the rest of the world!

For what?

 

[hotsun]

2 minutes ago, jvs said:

Reading some of the replies i almost start to think this has nothing to do with America first but to punish

the rest of the world!

For what?

 

If i werent to have seen this forum and all and saw what trump is doing i wouldnt understand. But after seeing this forum and what everyone here says about america, i want trump to cause the most pain possible

[jas007]

2 hours ago, Presnock said:

Thais already joined BRICS.   I think that the Trump tariffs plus other economic woes in the US will make other nations consider joining BRICS also.  Trump talked about puting a 150% tax on Brics folks at one time but he only seems to verbally attack the bad buys while giving them ammunition to do whatever they want against the US.  What a negotiator.  I see now that Putin demands even more sanction relief before joining in the LIMITED ceasefire.  

I thought they just applied to join BRICS?  

 

Anyone know what kind of cars they make in Thailand and ship into the USA?  I can't imagine, off the top of my head. 

[UWEB]

12 minutes ago, hotsun said:

 But after seeing this forum and what everyone here says about america, i want trump to cause the most pain possible

For the Consumers in the US for sure.

[jvs]

13 minutes ago, hotsun said:

If i werent to have seen this forum and all and saw what trump is doing i wouldnt understand. But after seeing this forum and what everyone here says about america, i want trump to cause the most pain possible

There, there, feel better now?

Finally you are admitting it is all driving by hatred.

You are a cult member!

[jvs]

11 minutes ago, jas007 said:

I thought they just applied to join BRICS?  

 

Anyone know what kind of cars they make in Thailand and ship into the USA?  I can't imagine, off the top of my head. 

Several cars manufactured in Thailand are exported to the U.S., including models from Toyota, Honda, and Mazda, with notable examples like the Toyota Camry, Corolla Altis, and Yaris, as well as Honda Accord and Mazda models. 

 

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Toyota:

  • Camry: A popular sedan, with production in Thailand. 

•  
• Corolla Altis: Another popular sedan, also produced in Thailand. 
•  
• Yaris: A compact car, with production in Thailand. 
•  
• Yaris Ativ: A compact car, exported as Toyota Vios. 
•  
• Corolla Cross: A compact SUV. 
•  
• Yaris Cross: A compact SUV. 
• •  
• Honda:

  • Accord: A high-end sedan, with production in Thailand. 
• •  
• Mazda:

  • Mazda has a presence in Thailand with AutoAlliance (AAT) and Mazda Powertrain Manufacturing Thailand (MPMT). 
•  
• AAT builds compact pickup trucks and SUVs primarily for the Southeast Asian market, with exports to other developing markets and Europe. 
• •  
• Other Notable Thai-Made Cars:

  • Isuzu D-Max: A popular pickup truck, produced in Thailand. 
•  
• Mitsubishi L200: Another popular pickup truck, produced in Thailand

[kimothai]

3 hours ago, Serenity_Now said:

aye well he can kiss those Scottish golf courses goodbye
hes in for a bif F*** Surpise soon

wit a retard

would you buy a GMC auto thats made in USA millions dont why is that donnie boy its coz their crap 
usual no blame culture
the maga supporters on this forum are getting quieter by the day hahaha

Lately it's been more fun to watch the left make fools of themselves all by themselves 

[Patong2021]

On 3/25/2025 at 10:45 PM, Tropicalevo said:

I did not think that Thailand exported that many vehicles to the USA, but a quick scan on the internet surprised me.

$358 million last year.

 

https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/exports/united-states/motor-cars-vehicles-transporting-persons

 

Devil is in the details. In 2024, Thailand exported 42,000 passenger cars and 20 Commercial Motor Vehicles (specialized use) to the American market . Where it really hurts is that Thailand exports parts to Japan and Mexico that are used in their auto manufacturing and assembly.

 

 

However, Thailand also imports. vehicles and. automotive parts from the USA. If retaliatory tariffs are applied, it won't help US auto exports either.

 

The USA  for decades  introduced diversified supply chains to facilitate entry into foreign auto markets , resilience and  to keep vehicles affordable. Now the predatory auto firms are being told to unravel overnight. The end result will be increased costs to US consumers and shortages.  Thailand 's auto sector can survive without US sales. It will be painful for a a few years, but Thailand is well placed to survive. Shrinkage should be minimal.  No one needs to buy American in other countries, especially in Thailand.

 

[newbee2022]

16 minutes ago, jas007 said:

I thought they just applied to join BRICS?  

 

Anyone know what kind of cars they make in Thailand and ship into the USA?  I can't imagine, off the top of my head. 

Stop stop, the pickups here are better than the RAM by far.

[Patong2021]

25 minutes ago, hotsun said:

If i werent to have seen this forum and all and saw what trump is doing i wouldnt understand. But after seeing this forum and what everyone here says about america, i want trump to cause the most pain possible

 

What will you do when you are unable to travel to foreign countries like Thailand because you are unwelcome? Remember the old saying, gringo go home when the central American  nations rid themselves of the Banana republics imposed by the USA?  US nationals are about to discover what being hated means. It will be worse than during the Vietnam era whenUS nationals would get picked off in SE Asia.

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, Presnock said:

Thais already joined BRICS.   I think that the Trump tariffs plus other economic woes in the US will make other nations consider joining BRICS also.  Trump talked about puting a 150% tax on Brics folks at one time but he only seems to verbally attack the bad buys while giving them ammunition to do whatever they want against the US.  What a negotiator.  I see now that Putin demands even more sanction relief before joining in the LIMITED ceasefire.  

The creep seems hellbent on destroying what is left of America, and diminishing it's remaining stature around the world. I wonder if his supporters saw this destruction coming? 

 

Didn't he say something about actually improving the nation? That seems like an eternity ago. I knew he was senile but talk about forgetting all your promises. Yikes. 

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

The sky is falling? It's a 25% tax. My home country imposes 100%, Thailand imposes 300%. My home country doesn't manufacture cars, but isn't the situation a bit unfair to the US? It obviously affects buying choices - even personally when looking for a car I didn't bother with an American one due to pricing - despite actually liking American cars. But regardless - my guess is this is a chess move by Trump - he wants to put some cards on the table before he negotiates with other countries to reduce tariffs on US products. Eventually what will happen is countries including Thailand will agree to lower tariffs on US goods in exchange for being relieved of the new US ones.

What you're talking about is common sense and reason, like a hopeful Trump supporter. I don't think the man has a nanogram of reason in his entire relatively small brain. 

 

What his supporters seem to forget is that one of the reasons why America has been such a dynamic economy up until now is the relative lack of tariffs. More tariffs resolve nothing, will slow down the economy, and will result in massive job loss, inflation and what are really tax hikes on the American people. Dumb and dumber. But, that's just big Don for you. 

[Reddavy]

Thailand charges 300% on imported cars and now they cry about 25%. Som num na. 

[Reddavy]

31 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

 

What will you do when you are unable to travel to foreign countries like Thailand because you are unwelcome? Remember the old saying, gringo go home when the central American  nations rid themselves of the Banana republics imposed by the USA?  US nationals are about to discover what being hated means. It will be worse than during the Vietnam era whenUS nationals would get picked off in SE Asia.

They have always been hated. Bunch of loud mouth ignorant hillbillies

[NorthernRyland]

29 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

What his supporters seem to forget is that one of the reasons why America has been such a dynamic economy up until now is the relative lack of tariffs. More tariffs resolve nothing, will slow down the economy, and will result in massive job loss, inflation and what are really tax hikes on the American people. Dumb and dumber. But, that's just big Don for you. 

 

I don't think Trump really wants any import taxes but he's doing this in retaliation in order to put pressure on them to drop theirs. Ideally all this tariff nonsense can be dropped and we can go back to free(er) trade. At the end of the day this about forcing reciprocity on Thailand. Maybe it's the wrong way about it but that's the general idea and it's totally justified.

[BLMFem]

4 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Now even the last American will wake up when inflation, higher prices, rising interest rates, low economy will hit them.

Congrats, 

Btw Donald, you can communicate with me on WhatsApp or Signal, you know.😂

Check your chat groups, you might be hooked up with Donald, Pete, JD and the rest of the clown show already!

[vinny41]

37 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

 

Devil is in the details. In 2024, Thailand exported 42,000 passenger cars and 20 Commercial Motor Vehicles (specialized use) to the American market . Where it really hurts is that Thailand exports parts to Japan and Mexico that are used in their auto manufacturing and assembly.

 

 

However, Thailand also imports. vehicles and. automotive parts from the USA. If retaliatory tariffs are applied, it won't help US auto exports either.

 

The USA  for decades  introduced diversified supply chains to facilitate entry into foreign auto markets , resilience and  to keep vehicles affordable. Now the predatory auto firms are being told to unravel overnight. The end result will be increased costs to US consumers and shortages.  Thailand 's auto sector can survive without US sales. It will be painful for a a few years, but Thailand is well placed to survive. Shrinkage should be minimal.  No one needs to buy American in other countries, especially in Thailand.

 

Yes, Thailand imposes a high import tariff of 80% on motor vehicles, including those from the USA, to protect its domestic automotive industry. 

Here's a more detailed explanation:

High Tariffs:

Thailand has historically maintained high tariffs on imported motor vehicles, including cars, to support its local automotive industry. 

80% Tariff:

The standard import tariff for motor vehicles, including those from the USA, is 80% of the vehicle's value. 

Other High Tariffs:

Besides cars, Thailand also imposes high tariffs on other goods that compete with locally produced items, such as motorcycles (60%), distilled spirits (54% or 60%), and certain plastic articles (30%). 

Protection of Local Industry:

The high tariffs are intended to protect the Thai automotive industry and encourage local production. 

Exceptions:

Additional Taxes and Duties:

Besides the import tariff, there are other taxes and duties to consider, such as excise tax and VAT. 

Thai automakers desperate to keep high tariff on imported cars

https://thaiauto.or.th/2020/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=4072

[Bohemianfish]

20 hours ago, BritScot said:

About time. I hope Trump hits thais rights to buy houses/own land in the USA and copies thai 51% rule for business owner as well. And I'm not an American!!! Thailand has got away with this abuse for far to long. 

Americans and all citizens getting absolutely screwed over tariffs. There is NO good news here in America anymore. The last two months have been a nightmare and its' getting way to expensive to live here and will continue to get worse. The cost of food will continue to skyrocket and price of goods. Farmers are getting screwed. Everyone is getting screwed. What will the next four years look like?

Fortunately, we are not rich or poor. But we will not be able to replace our 26 year old cars that we keep running and the price of cars is expected to rise $12000. Used cars are too expensive. Car part will skyrocket.