Buying A Car...in Chiangmai Or Bangkok

[chuang]

I intended to buy a Fortuner....Is it better to buy it in Chiangmai or in Bangkok, am staying in Chiangmai.....Understand Bangkok gives better rates and better promotion freebies etc.

Appreciate your advice...thanks

[chanchao]

True..

"Toyota in Chiang Mai == Niyom Panich / Saha Panich"

Only one dealer, one family, one monopoly == shit deals.

Then again, travelling all the way to Bangers (first to buy it, then to pick it up) takes effort too.. If you travel to Bangkok a lot anyway then it would definitely be worth it.

Another consideration is if you're trading something in. Again Niyom Panich give you peanuts, if that.

[Ajarn]

I intended to buy a Fortuner....Is it better to buy it in Chiangmai or in Bangkok, am staying in Chiangmai.....Understand Bangkok gives better rates and better promotion freebies etc.

Appreciate your advice...thanks

I've never seen any real evidence of a better deal in Bangkok. Saying that, it shouldn't make a difference where you buy, since their prices are all the same.

[lamphun]

Might be some problems with servicing at a different garage from the one you bought the vehicle.

Second hand used to be cheaper in Bangkok.

[chanchao]

List prices are the same. But in areas where there's no competition, you get nothing free.

Where there IS competition, they are more likely to :

* Give you a lot more for the vehicle you're trading in

* Give you free registration

* Give you free one year 1st class insurance

* Give you all kinds of options & accessories free.

* Give you decent financing

Niyom Panich actually make more money on their financing than on anything else they do..

> Might be some problems with servicing at a different

> garage from the one you bought the vehicle.

Err, no. Warranty and servicing is factory controlled. You can get it serviced and get warranty anywhere in Thailand.

> Second hand used to be cheaper in Bangkok.

Yes, though it depends a lot on the type of vehicle too. Like for vehicles that are very common in Bangkok (i.e. 4 door small passenger cars like Civics and Corollas) prices are often better in Bangkok. However there are far fewer such vehicles up-country. On pickups and 4WD vehicles the difference is likely to be less, if there's a difference at all. As an example, I think for cheapo 4WDs like the Suzuki Jeep, Chiang mai is cheaper than anywhere else.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[Ajarn]

List prices are the same. But in areas where there's no competition,

Huh?? No competition? What do you call Isuzu, Ford, et all?

Edited January 30, 2006 by Ajarn

[Steve2UK]

Can't argue with the above but just a thought......... If when you're talking to the dealer, you're plainly "tooled up" with cheaper alternatives albeit for rival models - then maybe there's a chance you could get the Fortuner dealer to sweeten the deal a little?

Against which, if he already has a waiting list of customers all geared to pay full price, he's not going to budge.

[chanchao]

Exactly. Fortuner has a HUGE waiting list. Telling a dealer that a clunker like that Ford Ranger based "SUV" is cheaper is not going to make a huge impression. Yet saying "The toyota dealer on Srinakarin DOES give me a year of first class insurance, but your shop always gave me good service so I'm giving you the opportunity to sell it to me" is likelier to work. (Though in all honesty I have to admit that for a hugely popular model like the Fortuner this is less likely than it would be when shopping for a bare bones truck and you're setting up desperate Mazda dealers against each other.

[chuang]

Thanks folks for the advice.....It's true you get peanuts from Niyom Panich, they don't even give you a single free accessory. Probably get the car from Chiangmai even without freebies.

BTW, understand Chiangmai Auto Show is on in Feb. does anyone know the venue and date, maybe can get better deals...thanks again.

[ThaiPauly]

Bear in mind that if you buy the car from Bangkok with a RED plate(assuming you are buying brand new) you are not supposed to drive it after dark in Chaingmai (or anywhere else but Bangkok). If you do you risk being stopped and fined by the Police

God only knows why this is.

They have a similar stupid sytem if your car is involved in an accident, they will repair the car but not the plate (as happened to me recently) I got the car back fully repaired and the number plate had just been hammered out as best they could. If I want a new plate I have to go to the Police transport section and get a document (100 or 200 baht) I can then take this back to the garage and they will make a new plate.

What a crazy and senseless system

Edited January 31, 2006 by ThaiPauly

[Maejo Man]

They have a similar stupid sytem if your car is involved in an accident, they will repair the car but not the plate (as happened to me recently) I got the car back fully repaired and the number plate had just been hammered out as best they could. If I want a new plate I have to go to the Police transport section and get a document (100 or 200 baht) I can then take this back to the garage and they will make a new plate.

What a crazy and senseless system

Same in England, Australia and most of Europe. The plate is not the resposibility of the repairer. It's issued by the local registration authorities, and hence needs to be replaced by them.

Nothing strange in that. I don't find it stupid at all. Must be your first dented plate

If you really need a new plate, why not do the same as everybody else and take a trip to the Dept of Lands & Transport, and fill out the form and get a new one issued for a minimal cost.....