When I relocated here I realised bringing in a car is rather costly.

But what about the other way? I am planning to remain here for another 4-5 years and then move to Singapore. Are there any similar Thai-style restriction that will tax me to death if I decide not to sell a car here in Thailand but to take it with me the day I leave (whether it'd be to Singapore, Hong Kong or similar)?

As far as I have been told by a friend who was living in Singapore for quite a few years, you have to get a car-buying-license there first and THEN you should worry about getting a car. My friend restrained himself to using taxis for about 4 years...

As far as I have been told by a friend who was living in Singapore for quite a few years, you have to get a car-buying-license there first and THEN you should worry about getting a car. My friend restrained himself to using taxis for about 4 years...

Apologies, I probably should have described this in more detail.

I have a history in Singapore and I am fully aware of the costs. What you are referring to is the COE (Certificate of Entitlement), which in combination with the ERP (the Electronic Road Pricing) makes driving expensive. A nice setup for anyone looking for a comfortable and affordable living at high standard, is to live in Malaysia and work in Singapore. Commute to Singapore with public transportation but still have the flexibility of going to your favourite dive sites or golf courses (talk about price difference between Malaysia and Singapore...) during weekends.

So, what I was wondering was whether there are any dodgy taxes or rules when EXPORTING a car out of Thailand, not IMPORTING to Singapore (or Malaysia for that matter).

Not sure if this is an answer to your question: I understand that you can do a temporary import of a car to Thailand, but there is a limit of something like 6 months - after that time it is considered a permanent import and it becomes libel for 200% taxes etc. A car that is a permanent personal import can not be sold on for three years, the blue book is marked in red ink to this effect.