Used Car Prices

[keithkarmann]

Now i've got my bicycle sorted I can move onto the subject of used car prices. Why even when I look at a second hand Beetle for sale do they usually ask for about 200,000 Baht. Is there any chance of me buying a decent car for about 100,000 Baht?

In a country where wages in general are a lot lower than most Western countries, new car prices are lower in Thailand than most

European counties-Why are used cars so expensive?

I only need a car here for about four months of the year and as I am a mechanic I do not mind doing the odd repair. So if I go to look at a second hand car and they ask for 200,000 Baht is it unreasonable to offer 100,000 Baht or would it be considered to be an insult.

I can only assume that it is all the ex-pats here who are keeping the prices high as they can't afford new or like me they only need

a car here for a few months of the year.

Your thoughts and comments welcome here-Thanks.

Keithkarmann

[uptheos]

Now i've got my bicycle sorted I can move onto the subject of used car prices. Why even when I look at a second hand Beetle for sale do they usually ask for about 200,000 Baht. Is there any chance of me buying a decent car for about 100,000 Baht?

In a country where wages in general are a lot lower than most Western countries, new car prices are lower in Thailand than most

European counties-Why are used cars so expensive?

I only need a car here for about four months of the year and as I am a mechanic I do not mind doing the odd repair. So if I go to look at a second hand car and they ask for 200,000 Baht is it unreasonable to offer 100,000 Baht or would it be considered to be an insult.

I can only assume that it is all the ex-pats here who are keeping the prices high as they can't afford new or like me they only need

a car here for a few months of the year.

Your thoughts and comments welcome here-Thanks.

Keithkarmann

I think you can answer this question yourself - what would your response be if you advertised a car for 200,000 and someone came along and offered you 100,000?

[sangfroid]

Now i've got my bicycle sorted I can move onto the subject of used car prices. Why even when I look at a second hand Beetle for sale do they usually ask for about 200,000 Baht. Is there any chance of me buying a decent car for about 100,000 Baht?

In a country where wages in general are a lot lower than most Western countries, new car prices are lower in Thailand than most

European counties-Why are used cars so expensive?

I only need a car here for about four months of the year and as I am a mechanic I do not mind doing the odd repair. So if I go to look at a second hand car and they ask for 200,000 Baht is it unreasonable to offer 100,000 Baht or would it be considered to be an insult.

I can only assume that it is all the ex-pats here who are keeping the prices high as they can't afford new or like me they only need

a car here for a few months of the year.

Your thoughts and comments welcome here-Thanks.

Keithkarmann

Can you provide any examples of a new car that is sold in Thailand cheaper than in Europe? (same make and model)

[richardt1808]

Whatever gave you the impression that new cars are cheaper in Thailand ???

Thailand levies a 250% import duty on new cars which means that the prices of your typical European-made car are accordingly more than double the price here as in Europe. There are several foreign manufacturers who manufacture certain models in Thailand and those models are a bit more in line with overseas prices, but I would say that the only things which may be cheaper here, are pick-up trucks; since Thailand is a major producer of those on the world stage.

Now that we've established that new cars are so much more expensive here, it is no wonder that second hand cars tend to follow the trend. However, if you are mechanically-minded, I am sure that you will have no trouble in finding a good used car here. There are tents and showrooms all over the place which have the full range of used cars and you can take a look at taladrod.com which has a mixture of private sellers and tents advertising cars. You can search by model and specify criteria and there are currently at least 100 cars there for less than 100,000. The site is in Thai but the keywords are all english, so you could do most of the searching without any help.

Parts for Toyota and Nissan are the cheapest so consider those first. Honda has some excellent dealers here but parts are a bit more pricey. I would stay away from other models which were imported in low volumes for obvious reasons.

You mentioned an old VW and this would also be okay if you are prepared to get your hands dirty. There are a number of shops which specialise in VW repairs, including rebuilds, so you can do a search of this forum to find more of those details.

Good luck

[Donnyboy]

Can you provide any examples of a new car that is sold in Thailand cheaper than in Europe? (same make and model)

not a car, but im sure pickups are cheaper here than in europe

Toyota UK dont know all the other prices of the cars in LOS but I think the Vigo is around 600K baht

[Greenside]

Once bought, cars cost a whole lot less to maintain here and since a large proportion of the population still don't have one they depreciate much more slowly. You can rent a car for about 10k a month - why saddle yourself with something that needs storage and insuring etc? You'd get a better response from the motoring forum, by the way.

Edited September 17, 2009 by Greenside

[Donnyboy]

Once bought cars cost a whole lot less to maintain here and since a large proportion of the population still don't have one they depreciate much more slowly.

NZ has a deregulated car market, and 2nd hand market is flooded with cheap imports. This has led to closure of the NZ assembled car factories, and cheap 2nd hand modern cars, compared to Thailand.

Do we really want cheap 2nd hand cars in Thailand? My answer is No.

[Blinky Bill]

I can only assume that it is all the ex-pats here who are keeping the prices high as they can't afford new or like me they only need a car here for a few months of the year.

Do you really think the number of expats owning cars is a significant figure compared the the number of Thai National car owners?

I'm sure the number is far less than 0.1%

Edited September 18, 2009 by Blinky Bill

[getgoin]

Buy a car from the Indian guy at the used car corner that is on the way to Tesco Kamtien and when you leave have him sell it for you. Might cost 100,000 or slightly more for the 4 months but might be less.

[julesdick]

Buy a car from the Indian guy at the used car corner that is on the way to Tesco Kamtien and when you leave have him sell it for you. Might cost 100,000 or slightly more for the 4 months but might be less.

or you could just rent one cheaper.

[Berkshire]

I'd have to agree with other posters here that your premise is a tad off--new cars are pretty expensive in Thailand. Particularly if you need to bring in foreign currency to pay for it, with the Thai baht as strong as it is.

[uptoyoumyfriend]

I had a nissan nv (envie?) the little pickup with a sporty look and nice to drive and there are plenty of those for cheap on my road ,the one to lampang,106, and it was thai made so there are parts.repairs however were expensive because of the parts prices.so I sold it and bought a nissan pickup for 50 k ,in good shape,20 years old ,no rust,and definitely cheap to run and not a target for the cops or thieves or your neighbors feelings.

after the purchase the previous owner told me that the original price was 98 k !!!

but i serched quite a while and it was an ok deal.

but answering one of your questions about low offering -it is definetely a matter of how rather than what-it makes a big difference whether you tell the seller that heap of junk is not worth more than half or if you tell them that you would like the car a lot but have a tight budget.even better for negotiating if you do not ask for the price but make the offer instead.no face lost ever.a lot of people are hard up now and selling a used car is not easy at the moment.leave your offer with your nr on a little slip and be surprised later.

[jayinoz]

Befriend many Thais and ask around is my recommendation. Learn Thai and see how you go.

I have 2 cars now, one from CMai. Price started at 180,000bt for a 99 gold Corolla. As soon as communicating in thai then we discovered my girl lived in the village right next door to his... A few fishing trips later, whisky trips and I got it for 120,000bt cash the next day.

CMai 2nd Hand car places are mostly a rip off- although they will buy your car from you for a good price. Out of interest I drove the Corolla into a 2nd Hand dealer and they say they give me 160K bt straight away if wish. Keep for now.

U need to think of your purchase like this- pay 150,000 now for an OKish car, but keep it looking good and you should get near your money back in 2 years. Far cheaper than renting at 20K bt pm... Worth the effort- done it many times.

Also worth paying for 1 hr express service when changing the name over, or you could be arranging documents, etc for days\weeks. It tea money, otherwise known as under table.

Some posters said they would not do.... but I say for 2000bt it saves you a good amount in time\money. Some say it does not... each to their own. Only in Cmai is this express car ownership transfer service avail. For Thais and Farangs- same same.

Edited June 25, 2010 by jayinoz

[thaimiller]

Im looking round at the moment for a used car in the 200-300k thb bracket, the problem I am finding is that there are no prices on the cars in the garage forecourts and as soon as I walk in im sure the price goes up in the car dealers head. Has anyone had experience of a decent car sales forecourt in Chiang Mai or is it a case of just keeping searching the classifieds till I see something there.

[jayinoz]

Im looking round at the moment for a used car in the 200-300k thb bracket, the problem I am finding is that there are no prices on the cars in the garage forecourts and as soon as I walk in im sure the price goes up in the car dealers head. Has anyone had experience of a decent car sales forecourt in Chiang Mai or is it a case of just keeping searching the classifieds till I see something there.

I am sure they do over state the price to Farangs, as many just see dollar signs like most car salesmen all over the world. The same as a Thai hoping out of a BMW and has a pretty girl at his side- the price goes UP...

Nothing beats befriending a few Thai's in CMai for Thai price deals- IMO. Not the girls- they normally do not get you much of a discount. Especially if she a pretty girl, if you can afford her then they will up the price. Even if she is not dependant on you, they will think it.

So I would not bring around a pretty girl. If befriending is not possible or you need now then go see some Car Repair men. The one around the corner from the Inner city police station always has good cars out the front for approx 150-170K bt for mid 90s good condition Toyota or Honda. You should get it for 125K if bargain in Thai or bring a Thai (Not a pretty girl) to bargain for you.

My 2 cents...

[uptoyoumyfriend]

Im looking round at the moment for a used car in the 200-300k thb bracket, the problem I am finding is that there are no prices on the cars in the garage forecourts and as soon as I walk in im sure the price goes up in the car dealers head. Has anyone had experience of a decent car sales forecourt in Chiang Mai or is it a case of just keeping searching the classifieds till I see something there.

toyota dealer next to niom panit on mahidol rd also seemed to have a few when i checked ,with price tags.

but if you know about cars just offer the right price .write it down with your phone number as the seller is not the owner oftentimes-

they will contact them.

like at most of the used car dealers going out towards jj market from NE corner of moat.

[jayinoz]

Once bought, cars cost a whole lot less to maintain here and since a large proportion of the population still don't have one they depreciate much more slowly. You can rent a car for about 10k a month - why saddle yourself with something that needs storage and insuring etc? You'd get a better response from the motoring forum, by the way.

I will tell you why:

Even if can find a 12K bt pm car it will be crap, as mine broke down all the time. The repairer normally does not give a dam once he has your BOND and 1 month rent. OK so if you stay 1 year, that 144000 bt. For a car that has a value of approx 150K bt to BUY.

It costs 5000bt to have 150K bt insurance pa and repairs are very very cheap in thailand. If you have a trusted Mechanic. You can also get a Warranty on the 2nd hand car you buy.

To change over into your name will cost approx 3000bt, so that an outlay of only 8000bt to own the vechicle.

Now a mid to late 90s car depreciates very slowly, if the car is kept in good condition.

Eg. Sell in 2 years you should get less than 10% of purchase price, if you got a good deal. So it depreciating approx 5-8K pa.

So in 2 years you pay 10000bt insurance and 3000bt changeover. Say at MAX 5000bt in repairs (That some serious issues). Depreciation = 10000bt Storage for 6 months in 2 years = 3000bt TOTAL cost (X Petrol)= 31,000bt compared to MIN 288,000 Bt if rented.

No competition through my eyes. You just blown nearly 300,000K on rental.

If you only here for 3 months pa, then not worth the hassle. I AGREE.

5+ months pa then it very much worth buying a good looking late 90s car for approx 150K. If you wish to spend 300-400K then that a car you will rent for 20-25K Bt pm. The savings percentage wise are just as good.

Just make sure you get a good deal from the start. Not the same as our home lands where we drive a car out of a show room and the price drops 20% instantly. It worth getting a good deal from the start to save you a fortune over the years.

Also any person that rents you a car for 10K Bt pm does not have correct insurance. If something happens to the car you will be required to pay for a whole new replacement. If you say you never will- then see what happens when you do not- Wild West time. They pay off police to ensure you pay for another car. Be careful hiring cheap cars, they never have correct insurance. I know of a guy whom can never come to Thai again due to an accident in a cheapy. He took off and left all his belongings behind after being here for many years.

Did not have the money to replace to car for the owners who did not have correct insurance. They had him sign off that he was responsible for any damage. So lost his Bond and life in Thailand due to renting a cheapy 1990 car. Be careful rental bargain hunters. BUY a bargain is always best- IMO.

My 2 cents... :jap:

[Greenside]

Once bought, cars cost a whole lot less to maintain here and since a large proportion of the population still don't have one they depreciate much more slowly. You can rent a car for about 10k a month - why saddle yourself with something that needs storage and insuring etc? You'd get a better response from the motoring forum, by the way.

....... Also any person that rents you a car for 10K Bt pm does not have correct insurance. If something happens to the car you will be required to pay for a whole new replacement. If you say you never will- then see what happens when you do not- Wild West time. They pay off police to ensure you pay for another car. Be careful hiring cheap cars, they never have correct insurance. I know of a guy whom can never come to Thai again due to an accident in a cheapy. He took off and left all his belongings behind after being here for many years.

My 2 cents... :jap:

You're right, I wrote that post last year and since then heard of a couple of people who ran into insurance problems. Maybe arranging your own insurance could be an option - just a thought.

[farangajarn]

If you are interested pm me about a car I am selling. suzuki caribbean in good condition. I am soon to buy a new truck and wont need it. good luck by the way.

[KRS1]

for a car under 100k, id recommend a nissan sentra with a GA16de engine.

[lannarebirth]

For 100k Baht I'd recommend a Honda Civic. Mind you,that will be a 15 to 20 year old Honda Civic. Still its a good car and easy and cheap to work on. As to why cars are so expensive here, well, there's that amartya to keep fat and there's no property taxes, so they've got to get their money somewhere. Repairs are pretty cheap though and that's a nice thing.

[sarahsbloke]

Im looking round at the moment for a used car in the 200-300k thb bracket, the problem I am finding is that there are no prices on the cars in the garage forecourts and as soon as I walk in im sure the price goes up in the car dealers head. Has anyone had experience of a decent car sales forecourt in Chiang Mai or is it a case of just keeping searching the classifieds till I see something there.

Sunday market on the road to MaeJo

Drive out of CM, over first highway, Over second highway, 150yds turn left into Market, cars and m/cs every Sunday morning, I was looking at pickups this morning, there were about about 15 in the 100,000-250,000bht range. Everything has a price on it.

Bought a Honda Airblade m/c for the wife today, 3.5 years old, 20k on the clock, asking 26.5kbht, paid 24.5bht ... needs new front tyre and maybe forks.

Edited June 27, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[thaimiller]

Im looking round at the moment for a used car in the 200-300k thb bracket, the problem I am finding is that there are no prices on the cars in the garage forecourts and as soon as I walk in im sure the price goes up in the car dealers head. Has anyone had experience of a decent car sales forecourt in Chiang Mai or is it a case of just keeping searching the classifieds till I see something there.

Sunday market on the road to MaeJo

Drive out of CM, over first highway, Over second highway, 150yds turn left into Market, cars and m/cs every Sunday morning, I was looking at pickups this morning, there were about about 15 in the 100,000-250,000bht range. Everything has a price on it.

Bought a Honda Airblade m/c for the wife today, 3.5 years old, 20k on the clock, asking 26.5kbht, paid 24.5bht ... needs new front tyre and maybe forks.

If you bought from there get it checked out at a dealers, the clock has no doubt been wound back to show the 20k. I live near there and know some of the guys that sell bikes there, they are quite open about winding the clocks back. I would never buy a car from there also for the same reason.