Price And Dealers Of Small Cars In Thailand

[siberianwarcat]

Hi all,

I have an English mate being asked to buy his girlfriend a car. Having known her for three months, she raised the issue of a car with him. Having sought my advice, I suggested first that confirm whether she has a license and secondly I asked him to confirm what make/model she is asking for, before I start gathering information for him, since he doesn’t have much time and is flying back to the UK soon.

Unsurprisingly (call me a cynic), it now transpires that she cannot drive, but she has shown him lots of pictures of VW Beetles. He has confirmed her oft-repeated quote as “I like Beetle Cabriolet - top option!”.

He is a mate and I have therefore suggested he get a girlfriend who is not only after his money, but hey, he is in love and he says his girlfriend is not like that.

He has now started her on driving lessons and agreed that when she has her license he will buy her a car. He has asked me to provide him with comparative prices of different model small cars and the best places to buy.

The reality is that I don’t sell cars and so I am now casting my net wide for information.

Can anyone tell me how much a VW Beetle Cabriolet (top option) actually costs here?

Does anyone have at their fingertips prices of other cars like the Nissan March, Honda Jazz/City or equivalent Toyota small car or the best place I can easily find comparative prices? I have tried to trawl the internet, but the sites are really hard to navigate or simply dont say how much.

Tomorrow morning I am going to the dealers here in Pattaya on the Sukhumvit Road, but your opinions would be useful on where to get the better deals even if it means driving a bit further out of town.

Many thanks

Lloyd

[BlackPuddingBertha]

I found that the manufacturers websites were mostly pretty good with price information.

Car prices are high here.The March starts at around 380K but you need to spend nearer 500K to get decent one. A VW cabriolet Beetle is surely going to cost a fortune. For a new driver I would get a used car from a local manufacturer, but these arent exactly cheap either.

There was a 100K discount scheme for first-time buyers but I'm not sure if it is still in effect.

You will probably find more flexibility on new prices if you buy from a dealer in Bangkok, but wherever you buy you will have to work very hard to get a decent discount. It can be done though.

If it was me I would just get a girlfriend who likes using the bus.

[chickenslegs]

This link should give you all the info your "friend" needs http://www.redbookas...in Search&new=1

Edit: Maybe not all the information he needs. The information he really needs he wouldn't listen to anyway.

Edited January 15, 2013 by chickenslegs

[fakename]

I would advise your friend to get TWO new girlfriends, that will settle for cheaper cars. Three months and she wants a new high priced car. Wow, she must be really good, at what she does!

[Awohalitsiktoli]

This link should give you all the info your "friend" needs http://www.redbookas...in Search&new=1

Edit: Maybe not all the information he needs. The information he really needs he wouldn't listen to anyway.

Thank you so much for that link. I am searching for a truck/car now.

[Payboy]

I admire the auto awareness of this girl. Not many cabriolets on sale here though.

http://www.one2car.com/search/search_result.aspx?Brand=B0055&Model=S0590&Year1=2012&Year2=2018&

Edited January 16, 2013 by Payboy

[thenervoussurgeon]

Glad to hear his girlfriend of 3 months and who now wants a high priced car ,"is not like that" she joins a very large band of other girls that have gullible boyfriends

[siberianwarcat]

Thanks very much for all your information. I took him to a few dealers. It seems the Jazz is the winner. Ok, the price is not the lowest, but it's also not the most expensive car on the market either. The reason he liked the Jazz was because of the easily available parts and swift service turnaround. Nissan appeared to struggle here when questions were asked about time and parts in stock. Thanks again.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

Nissan appeared to struggle here when questions were asked about time and parts in stock.

Nissan Pattaya are polite but useless.

Just go to the huge new Nissan place at Laem Chabang. Lots of stock and very keen to talk. It's only 20 minutes drive away.

[Dorkers]

Hey, with the greatest of respect to your mate, why?

without genuinely trying to be disrespectful, if you are his friend - tell him not to buy the car for this girl. There are so many reasons for him not to buy it I would take too long to type them.

If you want a few

a - he has only known her for 3 months.

b - she has chosen a 'fantasy car' and he is contemplating getting it.

c - if she doesn't have a car before she knew him, she doesn't need one now.

d - why can't she buy her own car?

e - who is going to pay for the insurance, petrol, tune ups?

Find an orphanage in Thailand and get him to donate half a million baht in her name. He will feel good and his money would be going to a good cause and she can get merit for the rest of her life. House of Grace Orphanage in Chanthaburi is a good one.

I ain't singing from a hymn book - far from it.

But in English speak - what he is planning/doing is seriously Bonkers.

She is trying to exploit him.

Save your friend's money. Don't perpetuate the exploitation.

Edited January 24, 2013 by Dorkers

[siberianwarcat]

Hi Dorkers

I agree with you 100%. It seems really obvious, doesn't it?

DO NOT BUY A RELATIVE STRANGER A CAR.

I am sure though, that I am not alone in having a friend who has checked-in his brain at the airport before he collected his luggage at arrivals. And, although nowhere near as extreme, maybe I did not appreciate the value of the money when I first landed. I never bought anyone a car though.

Short of doing a 'Mr T intervention' (ie giving him a drugged glass of milk and getting him back on a plane), he is going to do what he is going to do. The ego, a beautiful girl, the warm weather all do take their toll and again, we know at least one example where people have believed that love and sex were the same thing. All of which I have given him information, advice and guidance.

My intervention has mitigated the potential loss with help from this forum.

At the same time I have repeated time and again 'only spend you can afford and are happy to lose'. He is under no illusion.

He is rather pragmatic about the situation and the loss to him of 500,000thb will not touch the sides. He is happy.

I will take up your suggestion though and he will be coming with me to visit the orphanage, even if I do have to do a 'Mr T' to get him there.

Good call!

[Traxster]

He's known her for three months /

and he's going to buy her a car because.....'she's not like that '?

[siberianwarcat]

Thank you for all your help.

[breadbin]

Would you buy your gf in UK a car after 3 months?

Didn't think so.

Tell him to get a life and use his brain.

[black fox]

same as most transactions in thailand it will probably end in tears, ive been here a long time and ive never known a girl ask for a car before motor bike yes house yes money for family yes but never known them ask for a car so at least she is original and therefore as he says she's different.

[Oink]

Certainly is a step up from the usual request for a gold necklace (which I can sell later).

Our neighbour did the same thing and bought his girlfriend a second hand car in her name. She drove off in it and sold it. He has not seen or heard from her since.

He should either buy himself a car, keep the logbook and let here drive it (don’t forget to fit it with a tracker first) or better still, rent her a car and see if she sticks around. Could work out cheaper in the long run!!