New Guy And Wanted To Touch Base Since Im A Car Guy

[eaglelex]

Hello from the US. we are looking in Thailand to retire. wanted to say hello. first i was floored at what cars cost

but im not going to beat that horse here! so im assuming that a car isnt as big a deal as it is in the US....? i couldnt

imagine not having a car the first week! we are looking at either a villa near a golf course or a condo near town.

probably a condo. any advice is welcome! but wanted to post here because like i said when we move ill be spending

sometime here. so hello. and good health to everyone.

[sezze]

Well , everything depends what you want . A car is a big deal , since many many Thais use this to give face . If you do care about that , a Mercedes would be the one . It is the most wanted high class vehicle , or at least within the top 3 ( where the others are more sportscars like Porsche ) .

Now if we go lower , Toyota is the brand in Thailand to beat . This means nearly any model , from high to low .

Then you get to what you want .

A any car . Just pick the cheapest available . For new this means looking at Nissan March over to similar models from Japanese brands . you are looking at a pricetag of 400 to 500k .

B rugged car , which are the best value for money but it does not give face at all ,a pickup . These are not chosen without reason , the give excellent value for money as they are strong , offer many space for taking stuff and can handle bad roads like nothing else . Over here we are looking at a pricetag between 500 till about 1 million bath .

C medium class cars , Like the usual Hondas , Toyotas , Mazdas and similar . They do offer reasonable inside space/luxury and are ranging from about 550k to 850k.

D upper class , These can range from roughly 800k to 1.2 million and in here you find most cars where in the western world are standard .

E high class , from 1.5 million up . Here you do find brands like BMW to Merc to sportscars etc etc . Mighty expensive , gives you face a lot , and are expensive to maintain .

You can give us more info on what you want and where you live ( inside city or small towns ,) and a pricerange .

[guzzi850m2]

Sezze have pretty much summed it up.

I would go for a SUV or pick-up truck due to strong build and higher off the ground and because of the amount of pick-ups on the roads here you want to be "up there" yourself.

Okay I drive a Honda City at present and it had been a very good value car for the money but I just fell small when sitting next to a suv or pick-up, and don't dare to think; what will happen if I got broadsided by one of those

Thailand traffic is just madness man, he-he, everybody are breaking the laws so you want a very high safety rating vehicle.

You can rent a vehicle for say the first month in Thailand just make sure its fully insured and you will be fine.

I forgot to say: Welcome to Thailand hope you & your wife (you said we in OP) will enjoy it here like many of us do. Not all likes it here and runs screaming away but most will adopt nicely, if you have money to burn it will be even better LOL.

[Backwoods]

Sezze have pretty much summed it up.

I would go for a SUV or pick-up truck due to strong build and higher off the ground and because of the amount of pick-ups on the roads here you want to be "up there" yourself.

Okay I drive a Honda City at present and it had been a very good value car for the money but I just fell small when sitting next to a suv or pick-up, and don't dare to think; what will happen if I got broadsided by one of those

Thailand traffic is just madness man, he-he, everybody are breaking the laws so you want a very high safety rating vehicle.

You can rent a vehicle for say the first month in Thailand just make sure its fully insured and you will be fine.

I forgot to say: Welcome to Thailand hope you & your wife (you said we in OP) will enjoy it here like many of us do. Not all likes it here and runs screaming away but most will adopt nicely, if you have money to burn it will be even better LOL.

I totally agree on SUV or pickup! Keeps you dry if water rises, yet able to move things when you furnish your new place. In town you don't need anything as Taxi, TukTuks, and busses and train also gets you anywhere. Motorcycles are a majority here, as they are cheap and can go anywhere. Since the high waters last year, the pick up market has exploded, and they can be as fancy as you want, or SUV's now are breaking the market with luxury versions as well. Let us know what you have there and expect to have here and you will get lots of help. Welcome to the forum, I am retired here as well and willing to help any way I can on or off the forum!

[Kwasaki]

Good advice but hire something you like the look of at first then do test drives of all the other cars trucks etc that you like the look and feel of.

You say ' we ' so make sure that you have your correct visa's to come to Thailand for extension to stay.

If you have a Thai wife you can obtain a marriage extension by gathering all the necessary paperwork.

If you are both USA citizens you have to be over fifty to get retirement extension of stay but there are many types of other visa's.

Anyway you can navigate the other forums for full info, best of luck, enjoy your retirement.

[transam]

Welcome, as a USA guy, l have not yet seen a 426 Hemi Dodge Charger here yet, BUT, if l do, will let you know. Trans.

[Rdrokit]

Welcome eaglelex. You said you are a car guy. What type of cars?? Do you have a classic? Do any restoring or mechanical work on your own? We do have a few classic car clubs here in Thailand in case you are interested.

[happyaussie]

Mate you have been spoilt in the USA. with car prices and fuel.

You pay half price from this part of the world, including OZ. Just lucky we're not in Singapore. $60,000 for micro cars.

I saw a review for a 2012 Porsche 911Carrera. I think it was about $70,000 in the US. Same car in Australia $210,000.

If I were you I'd rent a car for a few months or until you get a handle on things. A lot of people lean toward utes/pickups in Thailand. Unless your a tradesman needing for work (which they're not) or a farmer. I don't understand the need. Their noisy in the cab and bouncy when empty. Then again F150's were Americas number one seller for years. Not a criticism, just an observation.

[eaglelex]

wow i cant thank you all for all the help and the pleasant grettings! thank you so very much!! ok i hope to answer the majority of questions here. i KNOW this is the car forum so i hope i dont offend anyone by mixing car questions with general questions. i just figured that "car people" would relate to me better since we do love cars. not because we want to impress but because we value items that are solid dependable and built with quality.

"We" are myself and my girlfriend. both american citizens. we are currently 40 years of age and plan on retiring when we are 50. i know thats 10 years from now and things change.... but failing to plan is planning to fail in my eyes. she has a regular investment retirement and probaby has 300k saved up as of now. I will have two govt retirements netting somewhere around 6-7K US per month. we will also be selling a home here that we hope will bring around 400k US to flip on a place there. no idea where we want to live as we have not visited yet but we plan on coming over soon to check things out. we figured for 400k US we should be able to get a two bedroom western style kitchen and bath something real nice you know.... we used Siam Real Estate to look around on whats "out there." not sure if thats the best site to use. just what i found.

we currently are HUGE mercedes fans. i have an all wheel drive E class i HAD a C63 amg but just not practical. she has an all wheel drive C class. we would like to downsize to one car in retirement as neither of us plan on working. I will have two govt retirements plus as we get closer to 65 we will have social security which we ASSUME we will be able to have deposited in a US bank regardless of the fact that we might be living in Thailand. maybe im wrong but im sure someone here knows that.

cars are only one part of the equation of course. as a US citizen you know we are use to depending on a vehicle. so i think that might be a hard habit to break. everything else from entertainment to what we eat is open for change! we would probably prefer native food anyway!

our plans are to have a nice new home to live in and basically visit the gym and explore the culture and land and probably do alot of drinking at the pool. we arent really interested in the "girl" scene. but you never know! ha ha little humor there! can you live pretty good on 6k US per month if you mainly enjoy the pool, people, drinks and food with some gym time thrown in?

so i guess a few trips are in order. does anyone have any thoughts on places to stay? are there all inclusive resorts that might meet our needs so we dont have to be shocked or worried about finding food and the prices of food and drink?

also if we moved to Thailand we would sell most of our belongings. is furniture taxed heavily like autos? what can we expect to pay if we brought over several nice pieces of jewelry in the form of watches? or should i liquidate those and just wear one..... ugh... thats a hobby of mine and im thinking thats another hobby that might have to fall by the wayside.... im assuming medium to high end watches are going to cost me just like a car......

one suggestion i was given was to pay the min down on a luxury car and take a term out on it. (against what we do here in the states) and then in 2-3 years flip it to someone for the remainder of payments and pick up a new one with the same idea in mind. is that what you all do? makes sense i guess. but whats the advantage to the guy buying my car? are they easy to sell say if you had a mercedes?

You all have no idea how much we appreciate your suggestions and tips. thanks for putting up with probably what is the same old type of questions.... but as US citizens we havent been out much and we are just now starting our education on this topic.

thank you so very much and feel free to bash or provide comment. we enjoy hearing all responses!

[transam]

wow i cant thank you all for all the help and the pleasant grettings! thank you so very much!! ok i hope to answer the majority of questions here. i KNOW this is the car forum so i hope i dont offend anyone by mixing car questions with general questions. i just figured that "car people" would relate to me better since we do love cars. not because we want to impress but because we value items that are solid dependable and built with quality.

"We" are myself and my girlfriend. both american citizens. we are currently 40 years of age and plan on retiring when we are 50. i know thats 10 years from now and things change.... but failing to plan is planning to fail in my eyes. she has a regular investment retirement and probaby has 300k saved up as of now. I will have two govt retirements netting somewhere around 6-7K US per month. we will also be selling a home here that we hope will bring around 400k US to flip on a place there. no idea where we want to live as we have not visited yet but we plan on coming over soon to check things out. we figured for 400k US we should be able to get a two bedroom western style kitchen and bath something real nice you know.... we used Siam Real Estate to look around on whats "out there." not sure if thats the best site to use. just what i found.

we currently are HUGE mercedes fans. i have an all wheel drive E class i HAD a C63 amg but just not practical. she has an all wheel drive C class. we would like to downsize to one car in retirement as neither of us plan on working. I will have two govt retirements plus as we get closer to 65 we will have social security which we ASSUME we will be able to have deposited in a US bank regardless of the fact that we might be living in Thailand. maybe im wrong but im sure someone here knows that.

cars are only one part of the equation of course. as a US citizen you know we are use to depending on a vehicle. so i think that might be a hard habit to break. everything else from entertainment to what we eat is open for change! we would probably prefer native food anyway!

our plans are to have a nice new home to live in and basically visit the gym and explore the culture and land and probably do alot of drinking at the pool. we arent really interested in the "girl" scene. but you never know! ha ha little humor there! can you live pretty good on 6k US per month if you mainly enjoy the pool, people, drinks and food with some gym time thrown in?

so i guess a few trips are in order. does anyone have any thoughts on places to stay? are there all inclusive resorts that might meet our needs so we dont have to be shocked or worried about finding food and the prices of food and drink?

also if we moved to Thailand we would sell most of our belongings. is furniture taxed heavily like autos? what can we expect to pay if we brought over several nice pieces of jewelry in the form of watches? or should i liquidate those and just wear one..... ugh... thats a hobby of mine and im thinking thats another hobby that might have to fall by the wayside.... im assuming medium to high end watches are going to cost me just like a car......

one suggestion i was given was to pay the min down on a luxury car and take a term out on it. (against what we do here in the states) and then in 2-3 years flip it to someone for the remainder of payments and pick up a new one with the same idea in mind. is that what you all do? makes sense i guess. but whats the advantage to the guy buying my car? are they easy to sell say if you had a mercedes?

You all have no idea how much we appreciate your suggestions and tips. thanks for putting up with probably what is the same old type of questions.... but as US citizens we havent been out much and we are just now starting our education on this topic.

thank you so very much and feel free to bash or provide comment. we enjoy hearing all responses!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell, you have a lot to learn about LOS (Land of Smiles) which for sure you know nothing about. Not about money but about stuff.

PLEASE read this forum and take EVERYTHING on board, dismiss nothing. Ask questions and sift through the replies.

If l had the cash l would be in the Florida Keys. BUT, don't let me put you off, you have 10 years of searching and learning and the most important thing is you come here at some time for an extended period. Good luck. Trans

[eaglelex]

Trans,

thanks my friend. i hope no one takes my disclosures rude. I just wanted to be honest with our situation as i feel to get honest feedback that is necessary. life isnt about money with us. there are always some with more and some with less. we are more about building relationships but we do like to make sure needs are met. hopefully you and i can meet up on a trip and i can buy you a drink and learn more about LOS.

we just have no idea on what type of lifestyle we can enjoy with what assests we have. we have read alot on LOS but we feel getting the info from guys and gals here would be way more accurate. i hope to one day be able to pay back and provide info to others. thanks for paying it forward my friend.

next comments welcomed!

[transam]

Trans,

thanks my friend. i hope no one takes my disclosures rude. I just wanted to be honest with our situation as i feel to get honest feedback that is necessary. life isnt about money with us. there are always some with more and some with less. we are more about building relationships but we do like to make sure needs are met. hopefully you and i can meet up on a trip and i can buy you a drink and learn more about LOS.

we just have no idea on what type of lifestyle we can enjoy with what assests we have. we have read alot on LOS but we feel getting the info from guys and gals here would be way more accurate. i hope to one day be able to pay back and provide info to others. thanks for paying it forward my friend.

next comments welcomed!

Always welcome at my place. ( and l am English)

[eaglelex]

Thanks Trans. i have a few friends in the Uk. so now i can say i have one in LOS! cheers mate.

[bangsaenguy]

Your monthly stipend will allow you a nice lifestyle in Thailand. Look around before buying. I found that a place like Bang Saen gives me a quiet life, shopping, golf courses, and a 1 hour drive to the tourist spots if I desire.

Thailand is a tough place for a car bug unless you want to pay silly prices. We currently have a small sedan and an SUV. Just have to settle.

[eaglelex]

Bang,

thanks for your comments! yea sacrifice is a part of life. no big deal. you have to look at the entire picture of what you get and what you dont verses what you need and want. thanks so much.

[Rdrokit]

You definitely have alot of planning to do but planning is good as I see too many expats come over here without a plan. I would suggest spending time (at least 2 weeks) in each town you are considering. Talk to the expats in the area (most are very helpful). If and when you decide where you want to live you can have all your household items shipped over here with no customs duty, just pay for the shipping. My neighbors down the street are from Las Vegas and shipped their complete house inventory over here. If you go in their house here you would think it is their old Las Vegas house. They had one big container and cost them a few thousand dollars 5 years ago. Myself, I came with one suitcase and my laptop and bought everything over here. Just depends on how attached you are to your belongings. I did have 4 classic cars I had to sell because of the large import tax on importing them and it broke my heart as I did most of the restoring myself. You can buy a classic car over here for about the same price as in the states. I just finished restoring a 1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass and am looking for a new project. This site is a good reference tool. I did a year on this site before I came over for the first time. Read the visa. housing and any of the local sections you are interested in and don't be afraid to ask questions. I am in the Issan section as I live in Korat which is now the 2nd largest city in Thailand next to Bangkok. Seems many people and companies are moving up here after the big flood in Bangkok last year. Buy a road atlas of Thailand and get familiar with were cities are and the distances from each other.

Here is a good site for used car prices. Just click on the brand then model you are looking for. You can use Google translator if you want.

Good luck,

Rokit.

http://www.one2car.com/Brand

[eaglelex]

Rdrokit

thanks so very much my friend! i esp appreciate the story about your las vegas friends! it would save alot of frustration to ship my bedroom and things it seems. just wait till it arrives and BAM your good to go. i like that! great advice buddy. thanks for the car link too. ill be clicking on that now.