I've got a 2 yr old silver Vios with some not deep 1.5cm long scratches on the door panels that I'd like to get fixed. Doesn't have to be a perfect job, in that they disappear completely, but it shouldn't be a botch job in that a bigger mess is made than exists already.

Is there a reputable place in CHIANG MAI (the reason I put this thread here) where I can get these things 'buffed out' for a few hundred baht a pop? I have a vial of paint that came with the car.

Advice as to the pros / cons of this approach welcome.

I haven't asked at Toyota because their standard answer is to repaint the whole panel. Now I'm sure that would be a 'perfect' solution except for the time and money involved and the fact that the scratches are on 3 separate panels. I'm also pretty sure there will be more.

Some one with some skill could fill it with the paint and then buff it, if it is scratched through the top coat and you can see the undercoat it will need paint. Any spray painter that knows there job can do it easy.

Ok, good. I'm guessing this won't be a huge job for someone with the right skills and setup. I don't mind making it worth their while.

I thought about trying my hand at it but I'd really rather not.

What do the rest of you do? Just forget about it? Seems pretty easy to get a scratch here. Stuff happens, I know, but if I can keep the car looking and running top shape I do it.

Run your fingernail over the scratches. If your nail gets caught on a scratch, it's probably too deep to be polished out, and requires paint. If you can feel it but your nail doesn't stick, then a good polishing can make it disappear. Try the detailing shop in front of Carrefour, just before the entrance.

Cool, thanks for that, garyh and puwa.

Puwa, is this the Carrefour on the road past Hang Dong town or the other one north of the city on the 'super highway' ?

Go to a car body shop they can probably cut it out with wet sandpaper and polish them after.Like another poster already said,if your nail sticks in the scratch it might be too deep but a car body shop can tell you for sure.

Why bother i a while you going to have new scratches again and again this is Thailand and the motorcycles dont care about your car.

I also bouht my car 3 years ago and today its full with scratch every time in town new ones .

My friends car 5 years old look like 20 so there is a reason struggle with all those motor cycles that want to scratch you.

Yeah, well, I've got a couple in the last 6 months despite being pretty careful where I park so you're definitely right about that. I can't recall anyone hitting me while I was in the car but who knows. One does look like a motorbike handlebar scratch.

I don't mind going in once a year and doing some touch-up. There's gotta be a place around here that will do it for a few thousand baht.

basjke - can you recommend a body shop? I'll head down to Carrefour this week and try the detailing place. I'm sure they'll have a body shop in mind but I'd rather get recommendations from here.

There is a bodywork shop on the north side of the moat between Chang Puak turn off and Sanam Kila turn off. It is 2 or 3 shops west of Sanam Kila turn off. Sorry can't remember the name. (On outer side of the moat). Not the cheapest but very good work.

I normally use one is you go pas Ruam choke plaza on majoo Road then next traffic ligh go a hundred m to maejoo make a U turn back to the traffic light just before you have a small road on the left side . about 100 m you cant miss it shop on both side of the street .

They do sand it and then polish it so it looks like new ,

Thanks to everyone. I tried the fingernail / primer test - good test by the way. I'll see if a detail shop can help with some of the ones that 'passed'. After that I'll swing by the body shops mentioned and find out what it's going to cost to work their magic.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the thread.