Good Deals On New Or Used Cars - Or Too Early Yet?

[Bel Mondo]

With the present economic conditions, it would seem that within the near future, both new and used car prices should come down and dealers should be offering some good deals.

I saw an ad in the Bangkok Post offering Mercedes for 0% interest - but the base price on the various models remain the same.

Anybody know of other manufacturers where the base price has been discounted?

Perhaps it is too early - best to wait until the first or second quarter of next year?

[Soutpeel]

With the present economic conditions, it would seem that within the near future, both new and used car prices should come down and dealers should be offering some good deals.

I wouldnt count on it, being Thailand the prices will most likely increase..

On the 0% interest thing, this is pretty common for high end models of car, ie Merc and BMW, so wouldnt take this as an indication that prices of cars across the board will come down or there will be good deals to have because of economic woes

Edited December 12, 2008 by Soutpeel

[Boater]

the supercar outlets in Bangkok are crying to sell there cars..... been alot of offers around as well

[Losangels]

Since it is highly unlikely the prices of cars here will ever come down.

Perhaps you could get one from the US real cheap with the auto industry bail out bill not passing congress.

They were promoting buy one get one free, now you'll see buy one get ten free

[think_too_mut]

Those car factories were built by Japanese to benefit from cheap Thai labor and resources and to escape strong Yen.

I am just holding a price list of Honda that I picked at Rama 4 Carefour.

Honda Jazz (called Witz in Japan) is a bit more expensive in Thai than in Japan (705,000 Baht in Thai vs. 690,000Baht in Japan) .

That while workers are paid about 10% of what Japanese factory workers get. Also resources are cheaper there, rent, buildings...

What does it mean then?

That, for local consumption, cheap Thai labor is eaten up by taxes on vehicles. (It is tax policy, just look how much lower pick-up truck prices are compared to the same vehicle fitted and sold as SUV).

I don't know how much room car dealers have to reduce the prices.

For car prices to come down, it will take Thai Government to reduce the taxes, heavily.

How likely is that?

[henryalleman]

Those car factories were built by Japanese to benefit from cheap Thai labor and resources and to escape strong Yen.

I am just holding a price list of Honda that I picked at Rama 4 Carefour.

Honda Jazz (called Witz in Japan) is a bit more expensive in Thai than in Japan (705,000 Baht in Thai vs. 690,000Baht in Japan) .

That while workers are paid about 10% of what Japanese factory workers get. Also resources are cheaper there, rent, buildings...

What does it mean then?

That, for local consumption, cheap Thai labor is eaten up by taxes on vehicles. (It is tax policy, just look how much lower pick-up truck prices are compared to the same vehicle fitted and sold as SUV).

I don't know how much room car dealers have to reduce the prices.

For car prices to come down, it will take Thai Government to reduce the taxes, heavily.

How likely is that?

Honda Jazz (called Witz in Japan) is a bit more expensive in Thai than in Japan (705,000 Baht in Thai vs. 690,000Baht in Japan) .

Its true prices of sedan cars are higlky overpriced in Thailand, 20 to 50 more expensive than in Europe, even they are not the same. In Thailand 1 or 2 airbags in Europe at least 4. Brakes, engines are different and so on. For instance the popular DMax is regarded as one of the most unsafe Pick ups by European car magazines.

Diesel sedans of 1.2 and 1.6 liters are not sold in Thailand. Also the import taxes are very high for imortant cars. On the other hand Pick ups and SUV are death cheap compared with Europe.

The Thai automobile market in Thailand is a very protected aone.

[think_too_mut]

The Thai automobile market in Thailand is a very protected aone.

Masses in Thai do not pay any tax, as thier factory work is below 10K baht per month.

Who pays then?

People who can afford to own cars.

[manjara]

The Thai automobile market in Thailand is a very protected aone.

Masses in Thai do not pay any tax, as thier factory work is below 10K baht per month.

Who pays then?

People who can afford to own cars.

I was at the Motor expo on wednesday; there were no real 'deals' on cars. The best was the zero % interest offered by the more expensive ones. Toyota were extremely busy with a load of Thais who were obviously in denial.

I don't see Thai companies reducing their prices in the short term...

[Theyreallrubbish]

After the 1997 crisis I was taken to by a friend to a multi-storey car park that had floor after floor just full of repossesed Mercedes parked there by a finance company.

Despite that prices never really fell and when I inquired about prices of the repossessed cars they were hardly down at all from the market price before the crisis.

The Thai market is often very weird and non-intuitive

[mgjackson69]

... Toyota were extremely busy with a load of Thais who were obviously in denial ...

I am not sure that I understand this statement.

[Sophon]

Its true prices of sedan cars are higlky overpriced in Thailand, 20 to 50 more expensive than in Europe, even they are not the same.

There is no "European" price for cars, it various greatly from country to country. Where I come from in Europe the cheapest Toyota Yaris (with a 1.3 Liter engine) will cost you well over 1 million Baht, so compared to that the prices in Thailand seem quite reasonable.

It's all about what you are used to.

Sophon