Hi Guys

just wanted some advice please on importing a car to Thailand, i currently live in the UK but we are looking to move to Thailand soon a friend of mine was saying that importing an unregistered car into Thailand is much cheaper does anybody have any experience of bringing a car in, the reason i say this in the UK i can buy a brandnew top of the range Honda Accord for £18,000 in Thailand the same car is about £35,000 so its a massive difference any advice would be appreciated.

This will no doubt be of great help to you as it will get you umpteen results with all the same answer, Forget about it.

The same car would cost much more than the 35.000 GBP to import.

Don't even think about it, just abandon the idea. Do a check here on the forum for more information, this question comes up just about every week.

The same car would cost much more than the 35.000 GBP to import.

Don't even think about it, just abandon the idea. Do a check here on the forum for more information, this question comes up just about every week.

Rule of thumb is about 200% import duty so the 35k actually looks like a bargain !!!

ok Thanks but i was told its very expensive for a registered car already but much cheaper for an unregistered car?? ie if it was purchased in UK but not registered buy the dealer is this a different rule for tax etc?? does anybody know the difference thanks.

OP, forget it.

Don't do it.

I had a friend look into it.

Prices are crazy here but tax is insane.

ok Thanks but i was told its very expensive for a registered car already but much cheaper for an unregistered car?? ie if it was purchased in UK but not registered buy the dealer is this a different rule for tax etc?? does anybody know the difference thanks.

Have a read here.

http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/individuals/importing+personal+vehicle/importingpersonalvehicle+

How to import a car to Thailand:

1. Post a new topic on Thaivisa.com asking the ins and outs. Don't use the search, it's hard to find and doesn't work anyway.

2. Read the next two pages of replies, telling yourself that all these people saying "don't do it" are just jealous that they didn't think of it first, and are now trying to rain on your parade.

3. Go to Thai customs, get yourself an import certificate and shake hands on what it's going to be evaluated as when it lands.

4. Load your pride and joy into a container, and watch the days tick down until your container hits the docks.

5. Laugh at the customs officer when he invents a new tax figure you weren't expecting, and say "no, no you don't understand! I have an agreed valuation and all my paperwork is clearly in order"

6. Put your cellphone onto record so you have visible records of how your face drops when the taxes magically increase, again.

7. Accept the new price, because you've come this far and can't back out now.

8. Repeat from step #6 at least another 2 times.

9. Give up, and just accept that you just gave some customs officer a cheap new car.

Whoever is telling you this is talking rubbish.

Here's how it works.

1. Apply for permission to import before you ship the car.

If a brand new car

ship car, present licience and car receipt to customs, pay 230% of the cars cost, shipping cost and any other costs (agency fees etc.) in tax. Hope customs agent doesn't want tea money drive away, register car.

If second hand car ...... forget it, get ready to pay 230% of whatever value the customs officer decides to slap on it, pay tea money.

There's hundreds of threads on this already, you haven't thought of something that every other ex-pat and Thai hasn't managed to think of before.

How to import a car to Thailand:

1. Post a new topic on Thaivisa.com asking the ins and outs. Don't use the search, it's hard to find and doesn't work anyway.

2. Read the next two pages of replies, telling yourself that all these people saying "don't do it" are just jealous that they didn't think of it first, and are now trying to rain on your parade.

3. Go to Thai customs, get yourself an import certificate and shake hands on what it's going to be evaluated as when it lands.

4. Load your pride and joy into a container, and watch the days tick down until your container hits the docks.

5. Laugh at the customs officer when he invents a new tax figure you weren't expecting, and say "no, no you don't understand! I have an agreed valuation and all my paperwork is clearly in order"

6. Put your cellphone onto record so you have visible records of how your face drops when the taxes magically increase, again.

7. Accept the new price, because you've come this far and can't back out now.

8. Repeat from step #6 at least another 2 times.

9. Give up, and just accept that you just gave some customs officer a cheap new car.

Whoever is telling you this is talking rubbish.

Here's how it works.

1. Apply for permission to import before you ship the car.

If a brand new car

ship car, present licience and car receipt to customs, pay 230% of the cars cost, shipping cost and any other costs (agency fees etc.) in tax. Hope customs agent doesn't want tea money drive away, register car.

If second hand car ...... forget it, get ready to pay 230% of whatever value the customs officer decides to slap on it, pay tea money.

ll

There's hundreds of threads on this already, you haven't thought of something that every other ex-pat and Thai hasn't managed to think of before.

You know? It occurs to me now that maybe the misinfo for doing some of these imports may be coming from agents themselves so as to get people to go through the process and then get a heads up on the car when it arrives and buy it from the customs agents. Being Thailand this is not at all an implausible theory..

How to import a car to Thailand:

1. Post a new topic on Thaivisa.com asking the ins and outs. Don't use the search, it's hard to find and doesn't work anyway.

2. Read the next two pages of replies, telling yourself that all these people saying "don't do it" are just jealous that they didn't think of it first, and are now trying to rain on your parade.

3. Go to Thai customs, get yourself an import certificate and shake hands on what it's going to be evaluated as when it lands.

4. Load your pride and joy into a container, and watch the days tick down until your container hits the docks.

5. Laugh at the customs officer when he invents a new tax figure you weren't expecting, and say "no, no you don't understand! I have an agreed valuation and all my paperwork is clearly in order"

6. Put your cellphone onto record so you have visible records of how your face drops when the taxes magically increase, again.

7. Accept the new price, because you've come this far and can't back out now.

8. Repeat from step #6 at least another 2 times.

9. Give up, and just accept that you just gave some customs officer a cheap new car.

You forgot to include somewhere the close Thai friend or relative by marriage [high rank police/army/customs officer or mega-rich hi-so] who will take care of any bumps along the way...

How to import a car to Thailand:

 

1. Post a new topic on Thaivisa.com asking the ins and outs. Don't use the search, it's hard to find and doesn't work anyway.

 

2. Read the next two pages of replies, telling yourself that all these people saying "don't do it" are just jealous that they didn't think of it first, and are now trying to rain on your parade.

 

3. Go to Thai customs, get yourself an import certificate and shake hands on what it's going to be evaluated as when it lands.

 

4. Load your pride and joy into a container, and watch the days tick down until your container hits the docks.

 

5. Laugh at the customs officer when he invents a new tax figure you weren't expecting, and say "no, no you don't understand! I have an agreed valuation and all my paperwork is clearly in order"

 

6. Put your cellphone onto record so you have visible records of how your face drops when the taxes magically increase, again.

 

7. Accept the new price, because you've come this far and can't back out now.

 

8. Repeat from step #6 at least another 2 times.

 

9. Give up, and just accept that you just gave some customs officer a cheap new car.

 

You forgot to include somewhere the close Thai friend or relative by marriage [high rank police/army/customs officer or mega-rich hi-so] who will take care of any bumps along the way... 

That generally happens just after the 1, when the first negative reactions are posted...

Last one I read.... was a tgf hi-so who had a "friend" in customs.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

A friend has a sports car shipped from the uk in his garage in Thailand. Only he doesn't, well yes he does, the car is physically there, BUT, he didn't do his homework before shipping. (no residency permit at that time). Cost a packet in tea money to get out of the docks, no paper trail. So technically the car doesn't exist in Thailand.

How does he register it or export it?

A friend has a sports car shipped from the uk in his garage in Thailand. Only he doesn't, well yes he does, the car is physically there, BUT, he didn't do his homework before shipping. (no residency permit at that time). Cost a packet in tea money to get out of the docks, no paper trail. So technically the car doesn't exist in Thailand.

How does he register it or export it?

I can't see any way he'll be able to register it - the DLT will need all that missing paperwork.

As for export, probably the only way will be through the exact same channels it came in.

Sell the Accord and use that money to buy yourself a new one in Thailand...Why deal with all the hassle of importing a car which is also made and sold in Thailand...

Rule of thumb - about 270% on the origanal retail price....they'll even include the UK VAT!...and by the time you get to drive it, it will probably be an out of date model!

Advice: Thailand is like Vegas. Don't gamble more than you can afford to lose.

Common Sense: If it was cheaper to import a Honda Accord from UK than to buy one here, there would be about 10 companies doing that and Honda dealers would be out of business!

If you don't care about the money, it is a classic or has special sentimental appeal and you need a hobby. Go ahead.

Advice: Thailand is like Vegas. Don't gamble more than you can afford to lose.

Common Sense: If it was cheaper to import a Honda Accord from UK than to buy one here, there would be about 10 companies doing that and Honda dealers would be out of business!

If you don't care about the money, it is a classic or has special sentimental appeal and you need a hobby. Go ahead.

This is spot on. it is possible to import, i did it myself ( with a car i had pre owned), but the process is convoluted and the sum of the various charges and tax make it very expensive. As others have said, think in terms of having to pay total charges of 2 to 3x the UK price (dependent on factors such as engine size). In general, not worth the effort unless the car is very special to you.