I'm sure everybody on this forum is well aware that buying a car in Thailand is much more expensive than in the US or the UK.

What would happen if I bought a car completely legally in Laos (all log books etc) and drove it over the friendship bridge to Thailand?

Is there a "grace period" where you can drive about on Laos numberplates? If I was allowed to do this for (say) 12 months, it might actually be worthwhile buying a car in Laos, driving it to Thailand and then returning to Laos again to sell the vehicle.

Or is it simply illegal to drive a foreign vehicle into Thailand without registering it with Thai numberplates? Could I do the same thing from Malaysia, Cambodia or Myanmar? My questions are probably naive - no doubt there is a reason why I don't see many/any foreign registered cars in Thailand, but I'd be interested to know why.

A foreigner, even officially living in Lao, cannot buy a house, like in Thailand, but also can not buy a condo, a car, a motorbike.

Does this enter your question.

If you enter Thailand with a car you will import the car on a temp basis, mostly same time as your visum, consequently you export same car from Lao on the same basis.

There is also the steering wheel, in Lao on the left, in Thailand on the right.

The import duties, taxes & all can amount to 2x the real worth of the car.

Don't ever think about it.

For one thing Laos is left drive so it would be a real risk driving the car here in consideration of passing etc.. Having said that if there's any such possibility it likely comes with a provision like the 6 month auto visa generally used for things like competition cars (which is the longest I know of) you'd have to pay a substantial bond for the car for a considerable amount that guarantees that you'll be returning it to Laos and hopefully it would be returned to you upon exit or there bouts..

pickups and ppv cost less in TH than in UK

a tourist (touristvisa or entry stamp only) can use his car in TH for a maximum of 180 days. A financial guarantee of the vehicles value in TH must be arranged, and this is of course confiscated if vehicle does not leave the country in time.

So would buying a car in Malaysia instead (right-hand drive cars) be an option? Are there punitive taxes on Malaysian cars too?

I live in Phuket so Kuala Lumpur to Phuket is only a 12 hour drive, which would be fairly doable.

Another potential waste of internet space coming up .

Another potential waste of internet space coming up .

Well, I'm sorry I ruined your evening with my post ......

Having looked into it a little further, it turns out that Malaysia has even higher car prices than Thailand.

So, thread closed. Have a little glow of self-satisfaction at my expense, kartman. And thank you to those who took the time to make some constructive points in the thread.

Having looked into it a little further, it turns out that Malaysia has even higher car prices than Thailand.

In the low-end, yes - but not so when you start moving up into the Germans and exotics, which can be up to half the price of Thailand. e.g. a Porsche Cayman R sells for 630K MYR, vs 10.1M THB and as you move up, the gap widens..

Edited July 20, 201114 yr by MoonRiverOasis

Perhaps kartman sells Karts, Buffaloes Extra. Post on mate, ignore it.

Perhaps kartman sells Karts, Buffaloes Extra. Post on mate, ignore it.

I give reality checks FOC

Another potential waste of internet space coming up .

Well, I'm sorry I ruined your evening with my post ......

Having looked into it a little further, it turns out that Malaysia has even higher car prices than Thailand.

So, thread closed. Have a little glow of self-satisfaction at my expense, kartman. And thank you to those who took the time to make some constructive points in the thread.

Don't mind Kartman he's just a genuine grump most of the time... I heard he has serious hemorrhoids so he can't sit for long periods without discomfort and taking it out on others ..

Edited July 20, 201114 yr by WarpSpeed

But in touch with reality which a lot of people are not, now must sit down ouch reality .

Thai customs does not care where you live and where the car is registered. All subject to same requirements, IOW tourists and financial guarantee for value of vehicle in Thailand, and limited to 180 days, usually 3 months granted as thats how long your touristvisa can be including 30 days extension

But in touch with reality which a lot of people are not, now must sit down ouch reality .

Yep, that reality can be a biatch...

Edited July 21, 201114 yr by WarpSpeed