How To Buy A Car In Thailand?

[HalfSquat]

Thinking of getting a car but just wondering about the details and technicalities.

Are there any issues with a farang owning a car?

I see a lot of new looking in cars in Bangkok but apparently the average wage is low for Thais - how do they afford them - is there double pricing afoot or are local brands a lot cheaper?

Is it easy to sell a car on?

Are there any tax exemptions for certain size or types of car?

Do I have to get a pick up?

Thanks

[robblok]

Many Thais just finance the car for long periods and they just don't spend much money on other things..

There is no such thing as 2 prices, i got a Jazz instead of an ugly beast of a pick up (real bad for BKK)

[MoonRiverOasis]

> Are there any issues with a farang owning a car?

Nothing particular, no, so long as you're not talking about finance of course. As you're not listed on a Tabien Ban you'll need a certification of your (Thai) address from your embassy or immigration. The latter will require you to be on the visa extension scheme, the former will cost you a little more.

> I see a lot of new looking in cars in Bangkok but apparently the average wage is low for Thais - how do they afford them - is there double pricing afoot or are local brands a lot cheaper?

Yes the average wage is low, but then again the average Thai doesn't own a car. There's a large upper-class in BKK and a growing middle class around the country though, which is what you're seeing. No double pricing - the salesperson will try to have a go at you just the same as they would a Thai person - OK maybe a little more if they pick you as being dumber than average

> Is it easy to sell a car on?

Same as anywhere. Choose the right model and it'll be easier. Take a hit on price and it'll be easier. Trying to sell it yourself as a private sale is going to limit your options if you're not Thai literate of course.

> Are there any tax exemptions for certain size or types of car?

Taxes are all over the place, but the short answer is yes. Energy effecient cars (hybrids and eco cars) get tax breaks, as do 7-seat+ PPV's and 2-door pickups.

> Do I have to get a pick up? wink.gif

Of course you do

Edited May 31, 2010 by MoonRiverOasis

[HalfSquat]

Thanks Moon.

Many Thais just finance the car for long periods

Can a farang get a long period finance?

If they are working in Thailand (with work permit) with Thai bank account and living in rented condo?

Thanks.

[MoonRiverOasis]

Thanks Moon.

Many Thais just finance the car for long periods

Can a farang get a long period finance?

If they are working in Thailand (with work permit) with Thai bank account and living in rented condo?

Thanks.

Depends what a "long period" is I guess..

3 or 4 years should not be a problem with the right pre-requisites, credit rating and disposable income, but extending to 7 years (as Thai citizens can) would be a very big stretch. Note that many finance companies will normally only finance 50% of the car if you're not married to a Thai citizen and/or don't have an established credit rating here.

[HalfSquat]

Thanks, probably not an option then. Will stick to the humble rot-raxi!

[neverdie]

i got a Jazz instead of an ugly beast of a pick up

& you would be an expert on UGLY, anyone who buys one of the ugliest Hondas ever produced would know. Honda Jazz

Back on topic. OP You will find just about every dealer you go will charge the same price for the same car, of course the dealerships that really want you're business will offer all sorts of goodies and extras for the price. Don't expect to see price cuts.

Edited June 5, 2010 by neverdie

[robblok]

i got a Jazz instead of an ugly beast of a pick up

& you would be an expert on UGLY, anyone who buys one of the ugliest Hondas ever produced would know. Honda Jazz

I think taste varies.. kinda like intelligence. Guys who like pickups are usually hillbillies or trailer trash.

Not classing you as either one but facts are facts.

Normal cars are usually used by business people and civilized city folk

There are of course exceptions to this rule (not many )

[seanocasey]

i got a Jazz instead of an ugly beast of a pick up

& you would be an expert on UGLY, anyone who buys one of the ugliest Hondas ever produced would know. Honda Jazz

I think taste varies.. kinda like intelligence. Guys who like pickups are usually hillbillies or trailer trash.

Not classing you as either one but facts are facts.

Normal cars are usually used by business people and civilized city folk

There are of course exceptions to this rule (not many )

hillillies, trailer trash you have not been around very long in los what a statement.

[alexbrouwer1]

i got a Jazz instead of an ugly beast of a pick up

& you would be an expert on UGLY, anyone who buys one of the ugliest Hondas ever produced would know. Honda Jazz

I think taste varies.. kinda like intelligence. Guys who like pickups are usually hillbillies or trailer trash.

Not classing you as either one but facts are facts.

Normal cars are usually used by business people and civilized city folk

There are of course exceptions to this rule (not many )

@robblok

Facts are facts ??????

Looks to me that you don't know your facts, you only have your little view of the little world you live in.

All your goods that you buy in BKK with your Jazz, how did they come there ? Are you saying that these (hard working business) people who brought them there with their pickups are hillbillies or trailertrash ?

Have you ever been upcountry in Thailand ? Lots of business people and civilized city folk are having pickups for several reasons.

The local business people use pickups to make money with it, because with a Jazz you can't make money, a Jazz will only cost money.

And you see this in many other countries, not only Thailand.

[neverdie]

i got a Jazz instead of an ugly beast of a pick up

& you would be an expert on UGLY, anyone who buys one of the ugliest Hondas ever produced would know. Honda Jazz

I think taste varies.. kinda like intelligence. Guys who like pickups are usually hillbillies or trailer trash.

Not classing you as either one but facts are facts.

Normal cars are usually used by business people and civilized city folk

There are of course exceptions to this rule (not many )

robblok,

Of course I managed to take ur post in the light in which it was posted . I am sure it won't be very popular with the masses without twisted senses of humour.

I have nearly always had a 'ute' in my vehicle line up because little buzz boxes like honda jism cant carry the loads that the 'ute' can. I've never lived in a trailer park, although did considering buying a motorhome once to travel in. Does that make me a 'hillybilly', perhaps, still I'd rather be a hillbilly with a honda jazz stuck in my bullbar than a late sucking, tie wearing yes man with a pickup parked on my roof turret.

By the way, back where I am from a man is judged not by the size of his ute but the size of the rifle on the dashboard , we also use homeboys in pretty little rubber band driven buzz boxes as TRACTION on slippery roads

[stingray]

i got a Jazz instead of an ugly beast of a pick up

& you would be an expert on UGLY, anyone who buys one of the ugliest Hondas ever produced would know. Honda Jazz

I think taste varies.. kinda like intelligence. Guys who like pickups are usually hillbillies or trailer trash.

Not classing you as either one but facts are facts.

Normal cars are usually used by business people and civilized city folk

There are of course exceptions to this rule (not many )

In some cases you are right if you consider a "normal" car. But in my opinion a Nissan Cefiro or a BMW is a normal car and a Jazz is a Girlie car, soft like a egg, falling in pieces when have the smallest accident with a shopping cart.

Mosthly i use my private car (which is a old american V8 beast), but we also have a couple rental cars, so i allways can choice to drive, what i like, and personally i prefere to drive the Ford Ranger Wildtrack for a longer trip, instead one of our shitty plastic Vioses and by the way a Jazz NEVER comes in my business. In my opinion all newer Hondas are ugly.

[robblok]

Next time ill flood my posts with smileys i thought that 3 was enough to give people a hint that i was not serious. Thank god the one i meant it to did understand it.

I'm not a fan of pickups but that is personal and i mean for pickups in city traffic.

[robblok]

<!--quoteo(post=3668744:date=2010-06-05 22:49:20:name=robblok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (robblok @ 2010-06-05 22:49:20) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=3668744"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=3667464:date=2010-06-05 11:57:26:name=neverdie)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (neverdie @ 2010-06-05 11:57:26) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=3667464"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=3657326:date=2010-06-01 01:25:04:name=robblok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (robblok @ 2010-06-01 01:25:04) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=3657326"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->i got a Jazz instead of an ugly beast of a pick up<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

& you would be an expert on UGLY, anyone who buys one of the ugliest Hondas ever produced would know. Honda Jazz <img src="http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I think taste varies.. kinda like intelligence. Guys who like pickups are usually hillbillies or trailer trash.

Not classing you as either one but facts are facts.

Normal cars are usually used by business people and civilized city folk <img src="http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

There are of course exceptions to this rule (not many <img src="http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" /> )

<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

In some cases you are right if you consider a "normal" car. But in my opinion a Nissan Cefiro or a BMW is a normal car and a Jazz is a Girlie car, soft like a egg, falling in pieces when have the smallest accident with a shopping cart.

Mosthly i use my private car (which is a old american V8 beast), but we also have a couple rental cars, so i allways can choice to drive, what i like, and personally i prefere to drive the Ford Ranger Wildtrack for a longer trip, instead one of our shitty plastic Vioses and by the way a Jazz NEVER comes in my business. In my opinion all newer Hondas are ugly.

Sure i think there are cars that are more crash proof as a jazz.. its a small car and you can't expect the same things from it as from a truck. I also agree that the jazz can be seen as a girlie car i still like it a lot for city stuff.. I just love hatchbacks and smallish cars for inside BKK.

Anyway to each his / her own.

[aussiebebe]

Thinking of getting a car but just wondering about the details and technicalities.

Are there any issues with a farang owning a car?

I see a lot of new looking in cars in Bangkok but apparently the average wage is low for Thais - how do they afford them - is there double pricing afoot or are local brands a lot cheaper?

Is it easy to sell a car on?

Are there any tax exemptions for certain size or types of car?

Do I have to get a pick up?

Thanks

As others have noted; you can buy a car on finance if you have a work permit and make a certain down-payment. I agree with the other poster that foriegners are treated like Thais during the sale and in ownership, and cars are easy to sell on.

How do so many Thais own cars? Well, few cars on the road are owned outright in my opinion. Most are hire-purchace or leased, and among the few Thais I'm friendly with through work and my neighbourhood, car ownership is given priority over trifling matters such as property, savings and pensions.

Tax exemptions; in terms of pricing, cars which run on E20 fuel and 'eco-cars' with low fuel consumption like the Nissan March are taxed less and priced accordingly.

Tax exemptions; in terms of explaining the volume of cars and the prevelance of pick-ups; Thais can of course own businesses in Thailand, unlike foreigners. Many pick-ups are work vehicles, and can be purchased or leased through the company (as can all types of vehicles). The monthly installments are tax-deductable up to 36,000baht/month (which lowers the cost of the vehicle in real terms)

[stingray]

Thinking of getting a car but just wondering about the details and technicalities.

Are there any issues with a farang owning a car?

I see a lot of new looking in cars in Bangkok but apparently the average wage is low for Thais - how do they afford them - is there double pricing afoot or are local brands a lot cheaper?

Is it easy to sell a car on?

Are there any tax exemptions for certain size or types of car?

Do I have to get a pick up?

Thanks

As others have noted; you can buy a car on finance if you have a work permit and make a certain down-payment. I agree with the other poster that foriegners are treated like Thais during the sale and in ownership, and cars are easy to sell on.

How do so many Thais own cars? Well, few cars on the road are owned outright in my opinion. Most are hire-purchace or leased, and among the few Thais I'm friendly with through work and my neighbourhood, car ownership is given priority over trifling matters such as property, savings and pensions.

Tax exemptions; in terms of pricing, cars which run on E20 fuel and 'eco-cars' with low fuel consumption like the Nissan March are taxed less and priced accordingly.

Tax exemptions; in terms of explaining the volume of cars and the prevelance of pick-ups; Thais can of course own businesses in Thailand, unlike foreigners. Many pick-ups are work vehicles, and can be purchased or leased through the company (as can all types of vehicles). The monthly installments are tax-deductable up to 36,000baht/month (which lowers the cost of the vehicle in real terms)

Yes, if they have a company, but i guess most of small and middle businesses owned by locals are NOT companies anyway. Locals don't need WP and company for doing business and most of those peaple don't pay any tax anyway. I don't think a Farmer pays any taxes, for example. Even small and middle sized Auto Garages, car rentals, minimarts (not including 7/11), or what ever, owned by locals don't apply for any license and not pay any taxes. At least in Pattaya it's like this.

[bkkjames]

Rob:

Excuse me while I divert the thread a little but one could not have helped to think that someone with your desire to get PUMPED UP would be better suited in a big old truck no?

Throw the free weights in the back for a little spontaneous biceps curls while waiting for lights to change? Put in a bench and do a few presses in the supermarket parking lot. Heck, you could even manage to wire up the winch with a handle to do some back rows.

But a Honda Jazz - can't really imagine doing much with that other than getting the windows tinted.

[neverdie]

Rob:

Excuse me while I divert the thread a little but one could not have helped to think that someone with your desire to get PUMPED UP would be better suited in a big old truck no?

Throw the free weights in the back for a little spontaneous biceps curls while waiting for lights to change? Put in a bench and do a few presses in the supermarket parking lot. Heck, you could even manage to wire up the winch with a handle to do some back rows.

But a Honda Jazz - can't really imagine doing much with that other than getting the windows tinted.

@ james.

I use to drive a little car & when my mates gave me a hard time over it, I'd always reply, "I'm happy with the size of my penis".