Living With A Thai Girl - Selling The Volvo

[JimmieBlonde]

Living with a Thai Girl – The Idiot sells the Car.

Not sure if anyone has seen my story about me buying, or trying to buy a car, here in Thailand. We bought a second hand Volvo in the end, and after learning to crash politely as only Thai girls can do so sweetly, we've, eerr, she, has decided to move onto a new car.

Oh, and also because the Volvo was beginning to have “problems”, not least being electrical, a dangerous sign something tells me.

That and the fact the temperature gage doesn't work, the car over heats, almost cracked a cylinder head, the on board computer was re wired wrong, the car stops suddenly at low revs, and the wiring keeps shorting, and it's flat out traveling 500 Kms with out a drama..

It's a fine day in Sakon Nakorn, and we plan the sale of the Volvo, and purchase of a new car.

While the DarLek works in Bangkok, she is better known in Sakon Nakorn, and can easily get a car loan from the local Toyota dealership, of course, that's based upon the silent understanding I'd be making the repayments.

OK – I'll be honest, there is no way the Volvo will be able to get back to Bangkok in one piece!

So off she goes alone, well with out me, wisely I think, it's a Thai thing, let them work it out.

I sit back, open some cold beer Chang, and watch the DarLek drive off to negotiate the said sale and purchase of cars. I like my village, quite, peaceful, full of picturesque scenes, along with picturesque locals, and near endless supply of small people who go to the shop regularly to refill my beer Chang and ice supplies for a 5 Baht tip.

Off they go in the Volvo, for nothing is done without a small crowd in Thailand, negotiating a car sale and purchase requires family to watch the negotiations, interjecting at suitable moments, and admiring the fine display of intellectual combat and wit that a good negotiation has.

DarLek is particularly well suited, with a wicked wit, she's perfect to do this alone, well, with out the Farang.

We paid 300 000 Baht for the Volvo, spent maybe 50 000 keeping it alive, barely, so selling it 6 months later seems a good idea. Nice car, S40, leather seats, comfortable, smooth ride, dodgy radio, larger than I expected inside, dark blue, such a nice colour to continually keep clean. Yes, I know, every 500 Kms it breaks down.

The DarLek returns to the village, sits down,

“I think we buy new car, Vios, nice, Black, 650 000, pay less than 10 000 a month.”

Why less than 10 000 a month? I ask

“They give me 300 000 for Volvo!”

EXCELLENT!!!!

I am grin, not from the 3 tall beer Chang, but we are getting the monkey off our back, good riddance to that piece of crapped out Volvo! Our money back (almost) FARKKKK!!!!

DarLek grins too, we're pretty happy with this sudden change in fortune.

“Monday, (this is Saturday) we drive there, mechanic, he drive around the block, sign paper, drive away in black Vios, leather seats, air bag, very safe car.”

Now I won't bore you with the details, but we could have either bought the lowest end model above, the Altos, or the Vios, the highest end Vios, which I was told had more room than the old model in the back (true too!)

Monday comes and off we go, seems that we have about 27 people packed into the Volvo to watch it being sold and drive away in the Vios, not as many as usual, school was in.

We arrive at the Toyota Dealership, park the car, listen to the electric fan run as it cools the engine down after it's turned off and sit down in front of a mound of paper work.

We sit, back to the Volvo, smiling at the sales man, and wait for the mechanic to arrive.

We sit and watch the salesman get very excited, neither of us know nor understand what he's saying, we frown, he's sputtering up a storm, gesturing wildly, I look at the DarLek, she looks at me, we shrug, neither of us understand him, a child screams, points behind us, we turn,

Flames are flying out from under the hood of the car, people are running to it with fire extinguishers, I have the remote, click door open. People rush to the car, pop the hood, more spraying of fire extinguishers, we sit there calmly, nothing we can do as we watch 300 000 baht burn.

Calmly DarLek talks to the sales team, who are stunned, the mechanic arrives to take it for a test drive but oddly doesn't seem to think he can get it to start, chicken!

She chats quietly, they will try and sell it for scrap, we take a tuk tuk home, a little subdued.

Wednesday we get a call, someone will pay 150 000 for the car, TAKE THE MONEY we shout, that as our new deposit, we are now owners of a shiny black Vios, that my wife the DarLek still manages to dint ever so politely once a month. Repayments, 10 000 a month.

All in all everyone agrees it's the idiot's fault, I should never be allowed near cars being bought nor sold.

[crewcut]

Do you have any more short stories?

You write well.

CC.

[JimmieBlonde]

Do you have any more short stories?

You write well.

CC.

You can read about how I tried to buy a car here -

I have about 20 stories there but will post more here.

Edited September 11, 2007 by Totster
No link drops please - see forum rules

[baabaabobo]

Good first post - Welcome to TVland

[chiliwasabi]

Welcome! Great story - Keep them coming.

[dragonfly94]

Living with a Thai Girl – The Idiot sells the Car.

A much more pleasant read than your '###### them till they bleed' of some years ago, and MUCH better than your adultery tales, looks like you might have grown up a bit.

[a2396]

WE (or do you mean YOU?) paid 300,000 for the car and the man said he would give you 300,000 to buy it back? How long did you own the car? What did you learn from this experience, if anything? Keep chugging the beer & you won't feel or notice any problems.

[JimmieBlonde]

WE (or do you mean YOU?) paid 300,000 for the car and the man said he would give you 300,000 to buy it back? How long did you own the car? What did you learn from this experience, if anything? Keep chugging the beer & you won't feel or notice any problems.

We bought the Volvo in Bangkok, sold it in Sakon Nakorn, did I learn anything, yes, Keep chugging the beer & you wont' feel or notice any problems

[Crossy]

WE (or do you mean YOU?) paid 300,000 for the car and the man said he would give you 300,000 to buy it back? How long did you own the car? What did you learn from this experience, if anything? Keep chugging the beer & you won't feel or notice any problems.

Genuine Euro cars do hold their value well here, we paid 320k for our 10 year old BMW 325, drove it for 2 years and got 290k for it, much to my surprise

It too was developing electrical troubles although it didn't go up in smoke before the dealer signed on the line.

Edited September 11, 2007 by Crossy

[JimmieBlonde]

Do you have any more short stories?

You write well.

CC.

Sorry for posting the link, am I allowed to say where I post my stories? Google will bring you to them anyway.

[a2396]

Do you have any more short stories?

You write well.

CC.

Sorry for posting the link, am I allowed to say where I post my stories? Google will bring you to them anyway.

These are absolutely, positively 100% true stories, RIGHT?

[steveromagnino]

Do you have any more short stories?

You write well.

CC.

Sorry for posting the link, am I allowed to say where I post my stories? Google will bring you to them anyway.

These are absolutely, positively 100% true stories, RIGHT?

What is a Darlek? Small eyes?

Other than that, a gripping tale of woe, when will you sell the rights to Fox for $40m USD and produce 'Volvo - 123,456.8km and running' and perhaps 'OVLOV - The 12 inch remix' and **possibly the Swedish version 'Oop who stole my Volvo' which may face staunch competition from the French entry 'Mr PP goes to the lavatory'.

And that's the end of the 'alf time report'.**

free beer to the first person to reference the above dialog.

[JimmieBlonde]

These are absolutely, positively 100% true stories, RIGHT?

DarLek - I like Dr Who, and one of them is sort of her name

Stories are 100% true, you'll find them on Thailand Stories mostly, but figured I'd post some here first.

[Chopper]

And that's the end of the 'alf time report'.**

free beer to the first person to reference the above dialog.

Red Eye. Well funny.

I drink San Miguel Light. I will PM you my address for said delivery. One box should suffice.

[Robski]

Now I won't bore you with the details........

[Dakhar]

I have owned 4 Volvos in my day. All 240 series.... gutless cars, but strong. It als had electrical issues. The major problem I had with the car is they lasted too long... I got so bored of them! Had am BMW E36 M3 back home. The E36 is notorious for haveing electrical issues too.

Eventually I sold the car, in order to move here.... one of life's regrets.

[Upcountry]

Genuine Euro cars do hold their value well here, we paid 320k for our 10 year old BMW 325, drove it for 2 years and got 290k for it, much to my surprise

Congratulations, Crossy. I bought a '93 BMW 318i a few years ago, and put good money into it to fix up the front end, etc. The car runs great, I love it, but I fear that the new government next year is likely to resume the push for gasohol (banning 95) thanks to money politics.

When I check on the possible resale price, I get depressed. It seems that the value drops significantly each year. Here in Thailand, based on feedback I've gotten, it seems that the "blue book" price trumps condition, not much room for negotiation other than downward. I hope I'm wrong about that. Maybe the value drop is less than Japanese and other cars, but it is significant, and makes me wish I could just hang on to it for a few more years! Cheaper than selling and buying something else.

OP: Did you have the Volvo checked out carefully before you bought it? Seems like you got a lemon. Ever since Ford got its hands into the Swedish company I've always assumed (based on anecdotes) that "VOVLO" stands for Vix Or Vepair Levery 'Our" - (i.e. Fix Or Repair Daily).

[Naam]

Do you have any more short stories?

You write well.

i

like

his

paragraphs

very

much.

they

have

style

[Kan Win]

Do you have any more short stories?

You write well.

CC.

Sorry for posting the link, am I allowed to say where I post my stories? Google will bring you to them anyway.

You already did that on your profile page. Hint to others.

Tks

Will read them later.

Kan Win

[JimmieBlonde]

Sorry about the paragraphs, I write in open office word, fix spilling mistakes, then copy and paste, it seemed to have made a interesting transition with the spacing!

Profile Page? FARK someone reading what Tahi3 wrote about me and looking for the smut? Forgot I wrote that piece, has tahi3 still got a copy he can send me

[JimmieBlonde]

Getting a car checked out in THailand isn't easy, I had a Volkswagan I was interested in loooked at by a good mechanic, but when it came to the Volvo, the same mechanic was to busy, so I had another look at it, in hindsite a doppy bugger.

Cest La Vie