Procedure Of Importing Second Hand Big Bike From Japan

[ryosuke]

I would like to import second hand big bike from Japan for my self.

I also would like to register the bike in Thailand.

Is it very hard to do?

Please let me know if you know any good website about importing second hand bike from Japan.

[Richard-BKK]

Yes, you can relatively easy import a motorcycle from Japan, or any other country. But with importing a motorcycle you only half way there. The motorcycle also need to be registered, and that is mostly the biggest problem.

Second, what's you motivation to import a motorcycle, if it's “secondhand motorcycles are cheap in Japan” you probably find that you're paying more than a new similar motorcycle in Thailand. If paying less is not your motivation and you just want something special, not something you see at every bike meet you're on the right path. But not be surprised that a special secondhand 1000cc imported and road legal costs more than buying a brand new 1000cc in Thailand.

Thailand and Japan have several agreements which would reduce the import tax of motorcycles with a engine size smaller than 250cc. This will seriously reduce your costs to get it into Thailand, but do not forget that Thailand has one of the strongest exhaust emission standards in the world. So getting a 3-year old 250cc past the emission testing is maybe not as easy as you would like. If your motorcycle fails to pass the emission testing you cannot get license plates... and every time you do the emission test it costs about 30,000 THB (you can get discount if you doing it a lot...).

If you want to import a 250cc or smaller motorcycle, and want to use one of the Thai-Japanese or ASEAN free-trade-agreements you best can hire a transport company who does the custom clearing for you.

[Phatcharanan]

Do what most of the big bike shops do............have the bike stripped down into parts.........shipped over as parts and then reassembled in Thailand.

Import costs are much much less that way.

[Richard-BKK]

Import a motorcycle as parts at first looks very cheap and a good option, but 30 percent Excise Tax is less on a imported motorcycle - as the import value is up to the age of the motorcycle. A motorcycle made out of parts will make it, if you want to make it legally road worthy, more expensive. Also, all parts need to be specified, where did you buy the carburetor – the hoses... etc... invoices needed for basically everything, it can be 6 months to one year to get your motorcycle legally registered that way.

A motorcycle assembled in Thailand from imported parts will be classified as 2011 for the 30 percent Excise Tax value, while a motorcycle with Japanese registering papers and license plates will be classified as the official year it was manufactured (and valued at that level).

Only motorcycle shops in Thailand who offer bend books or sell so-called invoice motorcycles... good reputation motorcycle dealers like RedBaron import motorcycles as complete bikes...

Edited March 21, 2011 by Richard-BKK

[powderpuff]

No it's very hard to do. Suggest you find the kind of cycle you want - post here what interests you - & we can point you in the right direction. In other words buy a motorcycle in Thailand that is already road legal. So much simpler. I do have a few contacts. PM me if you like.

[Richard-BKK]

Before I forget it, if you want to import a motorcycle – you need a two import permits, one from the (Thai) Industrial Standard Institute and the second permit from the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce. Both this permits only take a few hours to obtain and do not involve much problems.

[Richard-BKK]

No it's very hard to do. Suggest you find the kind of cycle you want - post here what interests you - & we can point you in the right direction. In other words buy a motorcycle in Thailand that is already road legal. So much simpler. I do have a few contacts. PM me if you like.

We import several motorcycles per year, and I seriously cannot understand what is so difficult about importing a motorcycle?

[JUDAS]

No it's very hard to do. Suggest you find the kind of cycle you want - post here what interests you - & we can point you in the right direction. In other words buy a motorcycle in Thailand that is already road legal. So much simpler. I do have a few contacts. PM me if you like.

We import several motorcycles per year, and I seriously cannot understand what is so difficult about importing a motorcycle?

It would be of interest to many of us if you could give details of an actual bike you imported. Details such as cost in Japan or whatever, shipping etc and all taxes and duties paid on arrival in Thailand.

Thanks

[thaicbr]

No it's very hard to do. Suggest you find the kind of cycle you want - post here what interests you - & we can point you in the right direction. In other words buy a motorcycle in Thailand that is already road legal. So much simpler. I do have a few contacts. PM me if you like.

We import several motorcycles per year, and I seriously cannot understand what is so difficult about importing a motorcycle?

It would be of interest to many of us if you could give details of an actual bike you imported. Details such as cost in Japan or whatever, shipping etc and all taxes and duties paid on arrival in Thailand.

Thanks

Never going to happen. Richard always tells us how easy it is but NEVER says how.. I feel his idea of easy and ours may be different

[Richard-BKK]

It's useless to explain just again how it works, I did it before on this forum, I did it on my own website, and GT-Rider has a nice article about it.

Just search in Google or any other search engine for terms like “import a motorcycle into Thailand”. It's absolutely not difficult, but you need to follow the correct route, like I said before hire a company to do custom clearing...

GT-Rider suggests....

Fair & Easy Co. Ltd

Khun Nithipat Kongkatong

1091/241 Unit 9A-9B,

Soi New Petchburi 35

New Petchburi Road

Makkasan Ratchthevee

Bangkok 10400

Thailand.

Tel. +66-2-651-6800

[Kwasaki]

No it's very hard to do. Suggest you find the kind of cycle you want - post here what interests you - & we can point you in the right direction. In other words buy a motorcycle in Thailand that is already road legal. So much simpler. I do have a few contacts. PM me if you like.

+1 !!! buy a bike in Thailand.

[Shocktreatment]

I Imported my own bike with out a import licence, just used a Thai name and at the end of the day it was more head aches than it was worth.

Best option, buy the bike in Japan and have someone with a import licence bring it in for you and take care of the paper work.

Or many bike shops have a book and you can choose your bike and they will import, build, Register the bike for you.

[H2oDunc]

The other option for you is to import it to import it to either Singapore or Malaysia then ride it into Thailand and visa run it every 6 months. I know a couple of people doing it and it has worked out cheaper and less hassle.

You do though have to enjoy riding it as you have to take it out of the country every 6 months which doesn't suit some people.

Personally unless it is a specialised bike you are after then just look here and buy one with a book. Less hassle less aggro

[HDRIDER]

The other option for you is to import it to import it to either Singapore or Malaysia then ride it into Thailand and visa run it every 6 months. I know a couple of people doing it and it has worked out cheaper and less hassle.

You do though have to enjoy riding it as you have to take it out of the country every 6 months which doesn't suit some people.

Personally unless it is a specialised bike you are after then just look here and buy one with a book. Less hassle less aggro

This has been done for a long time and still is, but,,,, i guy i know did the same, after a while they told him they did not want to see his bike crossing like that. Not sure if its still going on around Thailand

[Captain Haddock]

I was under the impression it was every 3 months, not 6. But there are folks at the border who can post the necessary dox to you so that you don't physically have to visit the border every few months...