I ve been living cars for long periods for 40 years...without issue

I disconnect the battery ,but make sure if you close the bonnet you have a key that allows you to open the door and access the bonnet release when there is no electric.

And as I learned in 2024 in Chiang Mai make sure the car is parked on high ground. My pick up sat in metre of water for a day or two beforeit was rescued.

Given the fact, that a car costs some serious money I strongly suggest to leave the car in a garage/workshop (ask the dealership for input) during this time. They will run the engine regularly, eventually drive around the block, keep the tires inflated and the whole car (including the tires) out of direct sunlight.
The diesel disintegrates over time hence ask for some expert advice on how to deal with this age-related fuel separation to avoid replacing diesel filter, pump etc. on your return.

If all this costs you, say 1500 Baht/monthly, it is still in no comparison to the eventual repair costs of storage damage with pumping out disintegrated fuel, damages by rodents etc. and a sour battery - me thinks

The one thing that you forgot that I do I’ve never had a problem is I get a can of W 40 any type of silicone spray can you buy a cheap one doesn’t matter nice spray all the rubber hoses in the engine I’ll spread the engine with it detective coding all the doors where they have the rubber around it I’ll spray all that I’ll spray around all the tires and I absolutely put 4 pounds extra I saved the tires drive at 34 recommends I put 36 to 37 when the tires are cold if there’s a gas station within like a kilometer where we live do you wanna go there a day or two before you leave whatever and put an extra 2 to 4 pounds of air in each tire and you should be fine

My Navara pickup was left for 8 months, started like a dream when I came back.

One thing you might consider is getting some moth balls and spreading them around the engine compartment where any wiring is exposed. I'd had a problem with rodents chewing the wiring before. Fortunately, I was able to repair the chewed wires. When I was away for those 8 months, there was no evidence of rodents at all.

I also use them along the outside of a door into the garden; rodents won't come near.

On 1/5/2026 at 6:45 AM, Siam_Sam said:

1) Disconnect the battery at the negative terminal.

2) Over inflate the tyres slightly to prevent flat spots.

3) Block up the exhaust and AC pipes to prevent rodents getting inside.

4) Fill the fuel tank, add fuel stabiliser, and then drive the car for a while before I park it up for the last time.

5) Cover the car.

Excellent list, which I adhere to also,

Though if possible the best storage environment is garaging the vehicle to keep it out of the elements, UV degrades plastic, rubber and oxidizes paint.

Mice and rats can also be a problem as they can nest under the hood in the engine compartment, chewing on wires and other. Trickle chargers (battery maintainers), are also a good idea as they'll preserve all your vehicle's electrical settings, etc.

If manual leave in gear with handbrake off.

Lots of good advice in this thread. Another is to close the air vent controls on your dash panel. Rodents love to crawl up into the open vents and nest and sometimes die there.

I've had some success with an electronic rodent repeller after some of a car's wiring insulation was chewed up.

I leave three cars and two motorbikes for 4.5 months each year. The batteries are out of the vehicles and on a multi-battery maintainer. They are ready to go when I return.

On 1/9/2026 at 2:14 PM, DaRoadrunner said:

You will likely find that the fuel injectors will need replacing on your return as gasoline will have dried up hard and blocked them inside. Unless it is a diesel, then you might get away with it due to the oil content.

Leave the handbrake off or you may find the brakes have seized on. Leave it in gear so it cannot roll away or follow the next comment:-

Rather than over inflate the tyres you could leave the car on jack stands with its wheels off the ground. This also helps to stop someone stealing it.

Leave it under cover or dirt, tree sap and leaves plus the sun will ruin the paint.

I would not worry about the fluids in the car as they will be ok.

On 1/5/2026 at 10:45 PM, Siam_Sam said:

We've got to go back to the UK for a while, probably for about 6 months, but perhaps as long as 9. I don't have anyone I can rely on to maintain my Ford Ranger while I'm gone so I'm going to have to leave it parked up in our drive. Obviously there's several precautions I'll need to take to preserve the vehicle as effectively as possible but I have no experience of this and I'm unsure about what to do exactly and what to be most concerned about. I would really appreciate any advice from people who have experience of this particular scenario. The research I've done so far has bought me to the conclusion I should:

1) Disconnect the battery at the negative terminal.

2) Over inflate the tyres slightly to prevent flat spots.

3) Block up the exhaust and AC pipes to prevent rodents getting inside.

4) Fill the fuel tank, add fuel stabiliser, and then drive the car for a while before I park it up for the last time.

5) Cover the car.

Are there any further steps I should consider taking and is using a fuel stabiliser something I should definitely do? I'm going to buy myself a battery charger so I can charge the battery on my return but what is the likelihood of my battery being ruined after this long and failing to charge? I've heard that after this long the car's fluids can degrade, and so could the rubber hoses and pipes, especially in a country as hot as Thailand. What is the likelihood of this happening? And if the fluids have degraded badly how much damage could that do to the engine? I'm thinking that the only definite way to prevent damage to the engine by degraded fluids is to drain and replace them all before starting the engine but is this being over precautious? The mechanic at the Ford garage in our province seems to think so, he said after the battery is charged the car will drive fine but he didn't sound very convincing. I've spoken to a neighbour that often leaves his car for long periods and he says he doesn't bother with replacing fluids, once he's charged the battery the car drives fine and I'm overthinking this but I'd like some further advice on this.

I was about to propose not leaving the handbrake on and leaving the car on blocks/axle stands so there is no pressure on the suspension and tyres but DaRoadrunner already has.

I'd also endorse the use of a battery maintainer, particularly a solar one if you're concerned about leaving it plugged in to the house for so long. This would mean that you could leave the battery connected in the car.

I'd also ignore the suggestion about fluids suffering over a period of time. They'll be fine.

Have a good trip.

A car is designed to set on the suspension.

I used to leave my cars, both petrol and diesel, in the uk unattended for up to 8 months of the year, just parked 1/2 on the road 1/2 on the pavement in front of my house, no special measures or precautions. Never had any problems except, very rarely, the battery would get a little flat if it was nearing the end of its life

I had a ford XR3 for a while which sometimes suffered with the rear brake drums sticking but that was easily sorted by giving the wheel a robust crack with a hammer.

The biggest problem here would be rodents chewing through wiring but that can happen pretty much overnight too. A cat is always a useful addition to the family

On 1/10/2026 at 8:20 PM, DaRoadrunner said:

Gasohol is highly corrosive to the fuel system and unsuitable for many older cars.

Susco Sinopec do have a Benzine 95, which as far as I know, contains only gasoline. It is also cheaper than competitors.

Caltex also have straight 95 gasoline, as do some, but not all, PTT stations.

"Normal" 10% gasohol has never caused me any problems at all, nor anybody else I know, I think you are getting it confused with the later E85 gasohol, which can cause some of the rubber pipes and "o" rings used in the fuel systems of older cars (pre 2010) to perish or harden, leading to leaks

E85 may be cheaper at the pump but its a bit of a false economy as it results in lower fuel consumption and performance compared to "normal" gasohol

Normal gasoline when it can be found is considerably more expensive at around 48bt per litre compared to 31bt per litre for 10% gasohol

13 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

E85 may be cheaper at the pump but its a bit of a false economy as it results in lower fuel consumption and performance

It's been said that E85 is good for people who like to 'race tune' their turbo charged engines,

apparently it has a high (er) octane rating than 95 ?

6 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Given the fact, that a car costs some serious money

Which leads to the question of insurance. One should make sure it's paid up. Nothing to do with storing the car, but peace of mind should something happen to the car.

6 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

I strongly suggest to leave the car in a garage/workshop (ask the dealership for input) during this time. They will run the engine regularly, eventually drive around the block, keep the tires inflated and the whole car (including the tires) out of direct sunlight.

I agree.

The vehicle is getting the bare minimum use to stop things deteriorating, and in a secure space. Well worth the money.

Obviously don't leave the handbrake on or it will get stuck and then you’ll need a brake job.

6 hours ago, TheFishman1 said:

The one thing that you forgot that I do I’ve never had a problem is I get a can of W 40 any type of silicone spray can you buy a cheap one doesn’t matter nice spray all the rubber hoses in the engine I’ll spread the engine with it detective coding all the doors where they have the rubber around it I’ll spray all that I’ll spray around all the tires and I absolutely put 4 pounds extra I saved the tires drive at 34 recommends I put 36 to 37 when the tires are cold if there’s a gas station within like a kilometer where we live do you wanna go there a day or two before you leave whatever and put an extra 2 to 4 pounds of air in each tire and you should be fine

One of the best on the market.

https://www.wurthusa.com/Chemical-Product/Cleaning-and-Care/Rubber-and-Vinyl/Rubber-Care-10-9oz-286g-/p/0890110000?srsltid=AfmBOoqRMCQE37_AHvsnvEOdgO0CvtLb8BLZ0WhsOQG733VKy70ZnW4L

5 hours ago, cobra said:

Trickle chargers (battery maintainers), are also a good idea as they'll preserve all your vehicle's electrical settings, etc.

If the OP is vacating a house or condo, but leaving the electricity connected, he can buy a cheap timer, and battery charger, and set the timer to turn on for 1 hour every day to charge the car battery in the house. Saves buying a new battery upon return, unless the battery is old and nearing replacement anyway.

4 hours ago, johng said:

It's been said that E85 is good for people who like to 'race tune' their turbo charged engines,

apparently it has a high (er) octane rating than 95 ?

may well be true ,can't say I've ever given the matter much thought , although the only turbo powered boy racers round my neck of the woods are the Thais in their diesel pickups

No idea what we put in our cars in the UK i just use standard diesel or standard unleaded depending on what I'm driving at the time. I think the unleaded is E10 and E5 is also available

5 hours ago, IsaanT said:

I was about to propose not leaving the handbrake on and leaving the car on blocks/axle stands so there is no pressure on the suspension and tyres but DaRoadrunner already has.

There would be no issues with the suspension the car spends its entire life sitting on its suspension

8 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Given the fact, that a car costs some serious money I strongly suggest to leave the car in a garage/workshop (ask the dealership for input) during this time. They will run the engine regularly, eventually drive around the block, keep the tires inflated and the whole car (including the tires) out of direct sunlight.

yeah right , leaving the car , complete with keys , in the hands of a Thai , What could possibly go wrong?

Dont disconnect the battery, as this could will cause problems with the ECU,

As rats mice are a serious problem they set up home in the air vents and then chew on the wiring loom, causing untold damage,

Buy mothballs you can get large ones golf ball size and place them in engine compartment, cabin,underneath etc,

I then buy 5 liters of engine oil and spray the complete unside and wheel wells with it using a plant sprayer!

Nobody has yet mentioned changing the oil and brake fluid or adding inhibiter to the coolant. I worked in the Gulf for many years and kept a bike at home in Scotland for up to 18 months. I always left it with clean fluids. The bike survived 16 years of this treatment.

15 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

yeah right , leaving the car , complete with keys , in the hands of a Thai , What could possibly go wrong?

A workshop, not with the uncles and aunties in the village of course - nothing goes wrong and there is, believe it or not, some professionalism in this land as well .......

1 minute ago, Sydebolle said:

A workshop, not with the uncles and aunties in the village of course - nothing goes wrong and there is, believe it or not, some professionalism in this land as well .......

if you say so , its entirely up to you what you believe

10 hours ago, Maybole said:

Nobody has yet mentioned changing the oil and brake fluid or adding inhibiter to the coolant. I worked in the Gulf for many years and kept a bike at home in Scotland for up to 18 months. I always left it with clean fluids. The bike survived 16 years of this treatment.

I have never changed brake fluid in my life and have never had a problem, i would expect that applies to 99% of people

6 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

I have never changed brake fluid in my life and have never had a problem, i would expect that applies to 99% of people

Actually, break fluid never used to have to be changed, but that was when the systems were sealed. Now that they are generally open systems, it needs to be changed every few years, or you'll get rust.

I leave my car for maybe 8 weeks in total per year in Issan, the main problem I have found is rats chewing wire insulation.

I don't cover the car as its under a shaded carport and feel its better than leaving a nylon cover in contact with bodywork for extended periods, I disconnect the battery and have lots of rat poison placed around area and spray with rat repellent, I leave the bonnet open as rats love dark places and have a solar powered led light in my engine bay.

This time I bought a wrap around rat guard that goes around the full vehicle, its a large roll of thick felt with a wire mesh bottom hopefully this prevents rats getting in.

Mouse Repellent for Cars and Motorcycles with Reflective Strips and Stainless Steel Grille to Prevent Biting. Prevents Rats from Entering the Engine Room, Air Vents, and Biting Wires. | Lazada.co.th

On 1/25/2026 at 7:37 PM, Adiudon said:

I leave my car for maybe 8 weeks in total per year in Issan, the main problem I have found is rats chewing wire insulation.

I don't cover the car as its under a shaded carport and feel its better than leaving a nylon cover in contact with bodywork for extended periods, I disconnect the battery and have lots of rat poison placed around area and spray with rat repellent, I leave the bonnet open as rats love dark places and have a solar powered led light in my engine bay.

This time I bought a wrap around rat guard that goes around the full vehicle, its a large roll of thick felt with a wire mesh bottom hopefully this prevents rats getting in.

Mouse Repellent for Cars and Motorcycles with Reflective Strips and Stainless Steel Grille to Prevent Biting. Prevents Rats from Entering the Engine Room, Air Vents, and Biting Wires. | Lazada.co.th

I like that rat guard a lot. I'm definitely going to get one. Have you already used it and is it effective? It'll have to be something very resilient to withstand the wind through an entire rainy season. I'm going to buy one but if it doesn't work I'm going to think of a way to make my own. How bad was the damage that the rats caused to your car and how much did it cost to get it fixed?