Big bikes - super expensive in Thailand?

[JonnyF]

ll2, it's 600,000 baht because of the luxury tax .

Seriously man, it's not complicated....

Edited August 14, 2013 by JonnyF

[ricku]

With America having the lowest prices for bikes out of pretty much anywhere the OP will be paying more regardless of where he lives if he moves away so to compare prices here to there is always going to be a shock. I recently contemplated buying a Multistrada here now the prices have gone down as the base model (still a fantastic bike!) is now 'only' 858k baht here which is about 200k baht more than the UK price. But, like it was mentioned in the previous post, we can ride here almost year round so we can enjoy our bikes a lot more :-)

And when you take into account how much you save on rent or the price of a house then paying a bit more for a bike isn't too bad a trade off!

These are fair points, but I was looking at it from a broader point of view. I can't see how a CBR600RR is a luxury item, it's a middle of the range motorbike. People don't really 'need' a Toyota Camry when they could just buy a Vios to drive to work and yet the cars aren't subject to the huge luxury taxes despite being far more luxurious - whilst also causing pollution and congestion issues.

Of course we can say it's OK because we can afford it, or the sun shines more than it does at home so I can ride it more but that's not really the issue IMO. The policy just doesn't make sense in the broader scheme of things (other than the obvious kickbacks for those making the deals with the local manufacturers) especially given the 100,000 baht discount car scheme.

Hopefully these issues will become less irritating for the consumer as the quality of the locally made options increases as we've seen lately with the M795, Z800 and hopefully Honda 650 inline 4.

I realize there's nothing we can do about it, I just find it annoying...

maybe cbr600r is not a luxury item in our countries but in Thailand where people work for 9000 thb per month, a 600,000 thb bike is sure a luxury item here for a two wheeled transport when a honda wave is 40 k!

So, i do not find it bs if thai authorities says big bikes are luxury items, this is true, cannot oppose that.

lol. That ridiculous price tag is only because of Thailand's strange taxes.

Bring the taxes to normal levels (like the rest of the world), and the bike is suddenly down to around 350.000 baht. That is nearly half the price!

I can not believe that people on here are actually trying to "defend" this horseshit they call luxury tax.

• This bike is expensive.
• Thai people are poor.
• Lets call the bike "luxury item" and make it even more expensive!
• So.. Luxury tax then? Yes yes, good idea!

Edited August 14, 2013 by ricku

[pokerkid]

With America having the lowest prices for bikes out of pretty much anywhere the OP will be paying more regardless of where he lives if he moves away so to compare prices here to there is always going to be a shock. I recently contemplated buying a Multistrada here now the prices have gone down as the base model (still a fantastic bike!) is now 'only' 858k baht here which is about 200k baht more than the UK price. But, like it was mentioned in the previous post, we can ride here almost year round so we can enjoy our bikes a lot more :-)

And when you take into account how much you save on rent or the price of a house then paying a bit more for a bike isn't too bad a trade off!

These are fair points, but I was looking at it from a broader point of view. I can't see how a CBR600RR is a luxury item, it's a middle of the range motorbike. People don't really 'need' a Toyota Camry when they could just buy a Vios to drive to work and yet the cars aren't subject to the huge luxury taxes despite being far more luxurious - whilst also causing pollution and congestion issues.

Of course we can say it's OK because we can afford it, or the sun shines more than it does at home so I can ride it more but that's not really the issue IMO. The policy just doesn't make sense in the broader scheme of things (other than the obvious kickbacks for those making the deals with the local manufacturers) especially given the 100,000 baht discount car scheme.

Hopefully these issues will become less irritating for the consumer as the quality of the locally made options increases as we've seen lately with the M795, Z800 and hopefully Honda 650 inline 4.

I realize there's nothing we can do about it, I just find it annoying...

maybe cbr600r is not a luxury item in our countries but in Thailand where people work for 9000 thb per month, a 600,000 thb bike is sure a luxury item here for a two wheeled transport when a honda wave is 40 k!

So, i do not find it bs if thai authorities says big bikes are luxury items, this is true, cannot oppose that.

lol. That ridiculous price tag is only because of Thailand's strange taxes.

Bring the taxes to normal levels (like the rest of the world), and the bike is suddenly down to around 350.000 baht. That is nearly half the price!

I can not believe that people on here are actually trying to "defend" this horseshit they call luxury tax.

• This bike is expensive.
• Thai people are poor.
• Lets call the bike "luxury item" and make it even more expensive!
• So.. Luxury tax then? Yes yes, good idea!

sorry to burst your bubble but even the very affordable kawa 650 series is out of reach for most bike enthousiast and the ones that buy them do it mostly on finance. definitly a luxury item . I hate the tax as much as the next person, its just that big bikes are mostly a hobby (also in the west) and a hobby is a luxury by defenition in a land where most people have to work hard from sunrise to sunset. the few that have cash to burn will buy their harley or ducati anyway

Edited August 14, 2013 by pokerkid

[ll2]

ll2, it's 600,000 baht because of the luxury tax .

Seriously man, it's not complicated....

I am not defending high taxes and i am using my bike for every kind of transportation so it is definitely a necessity for me so of course i expect less tax for that but whoever defending here like a big bike is not a luxury item in the land of Honda Wave's, must be confused i guess!

If you have 300 k, of course government expect you to buy a car not a bike therefore they arrange things this way like most of the people here do/think. So cars get less tax and more incentives and big bikes are considered as luxury recreational toys which is not far away thinking regarding the reality of big bikes in Thailand actually. So, i cannot defend like these guys need to pay less tax, c'mon and that is why they have a tiered system for motorbikes here now according to cc to separate honda waves from cbr250r or kama 650s.

And, i gave 600 k as an example . It is 360 k is USA, is it cheap? maybe yes for USA but definitely no for Thailand!

lets say 200 k, still it is expensive for a Thai person who earns 9000 thb a month.

Try to look from other perspectives, I do not defend these high taxes but i totally agree, buying even 200 k big bike is something for most of the people here and if there are no loan offers, most of the big bike owners also could not buy their bikes.

it is really not complicated Jonny as you said! so if cbr600r is 360 k, every Thai household go get one?

goverments tax things higher if they do not hold necessity for masses such as a big bike and you have to let people pay less tax for their necessities such as a Honda wave to carry whole family to go to/from farm which they are doing right now and it is same in most countries.

Edited August 14, 2013 by ll2

[RubberSideDown]

The 'fake' value added by these high taxes and tariffs makes our bikes even bigger targets for thieves as well.

[mania]

The 'fake' value added by these high taxes and tariffs makes our bikes even bigger targets for thieves as well.

I always smile when I see a high priced bike

parked in a living room of many Thai pics & think the same

[poanoi]

In my experience its different.

Someone stole an ole crap bike i had, a 2 stroke suzuki 110 something, estimated value 5000 baht at most.

Just next to it was an 1100cc cruiser, but the thief wouldnt bother,

my guess is that it is a highly visible item that will draw the attention from police and neighbors alike,

and in fact a police neighbor said he wouldnt investigate as the suzuki was so cheap so there was no money innit for him

Edited August 14, 2013 by poanoi

[brfsa2]

its just that big bikes are mostly a hobby

uhh, no big bikes are NOT a hobby. can you travel to another province on a scooter? NO, can you carry your passenger safely on a scooter? NO

you need a big bike to get out of the city, so you have to get a car using twice the gas because a big bike tax is crazy..

This tax BS is totally a rip-off...

[poanoi]

Guess the old man that went with us from pattaya to koh chang and back didnt get the memo then,

nor did the boy that moved from phuket with his gf to pattaya,

carrying her and whatever junk he had with him on the scooter.

Edited August 14, 2013 by poanoi

[JonnyF]

ll2, it's 600,000 baht because of the luxury tax .

Seriously man, it's not complicated....

I am not defending high taxes and i am using my bike for every kind of transportation so it is definitely a necessity for me so of course i expect less tax for that but whoever defending here like a big bike is not a luxury item in the land of Honda Wave's, must be confused i guess!

If you have 300 k, of course government expect you to buy a car not a bike therefore they arrange things this way like most of the people here do/think. So cars get less tax and more incentives and big bikes are considered as luxury recreational toys which is not far away thinking regarding the reality of big bikes in Thailand actually. So, i cannot defend like these guys need to pay less tax, c'mon and that is why they have a tiered system for motorbikes here now according to cc to separate honda waves from cbr250r or kama 650s.

And, i gave 600 k as an example . It is 360 k is USA, is it cheap? maybe yes for USA but definitely no for Thailand!

lets say 200 k, still it is expensive for a Thai person who earns 9000 thb a month.

Try to look from other perspectives, I do not defend these high taxes but i totally agree, buying even 200 k big bike is something for most of the people here and if there are no loan offers, most of the big bike owners also could not buy their bikes.

it is really not complicated Jonny as you said! so if cbr600r is 360 k, every Thai household go get one?

goverments tax things higher if they do not hold necessity for masses such as a big bike and you have to let people pay less tax for their necessities such as a Honda wave to carry whole family to go to/from farm which they are doing right now and it is same in most countries.

Not everyone earns minimum wage, and the ones that do couldn't afford it at 200k or 600k so I don't see the relevance. But there seems to be a view that all Thai people are poor. Plenty of normal middle class Thais in the office I work earn over 50k a month. They work hard for their money, maybe they'd like a decent motorbike? Maybe they've got a bit of spare cash for a weekend hobby, what's wrong with that?

[ll2]

Nothing is wrong with that and agree with you on this shitty high taxes especially for people using it for everything like me.
But this is how they think at government level and they have a reason although we bikers do not agree!


Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited August 14, 2013 by ll2

[guzzi850m2]

It is simple. Only bikes and cars that can add some serious shine and status to your face and hi-so-level, gets luxury taxed.

The Toyota Camry is a very nice car, but it is still a Toyota, so no serious face level to be gained from that one. Hence why it doesn't get luxury taxed.

A CBR sportbike however. "Wow, How cool is that?! .. Or a Mini Cooper - double wow! It is from England and all, soooo hi-so! Gotta put some humongous tax on that one."

Yes that's right.

You see many imported cars like BMW and Mercedes Benz and they cost top$ (if you import it legally).

The Thais are desperate like most other nationalities to show that they are successful and an expensive car is a way of showing that.

Bikes not so much maybe expect Harley Davidson and BMW (bikes) and perhaps Ducati, they don't seemed to be into Jap bikes so much.

If a rich Thai have say a HD it is like a rich mans toy, not really used expect for a short weekend trip.

A bike is pr definition is the poor mans mode of transportation here so if a Thai have 1 mill bath so spend on a vehicle, he will buy a car in 99% of the cases.

[yankee99]

With America having the lowest prices for bikes out of pretty much anywhere the OP will be paying more regardless of where he lives if he moves away so to compare prices here to there is always going to be a shock. I recently contemplated buying a Multistrada here now the prices have gone down as the base model (still a fantastic bike!) is now 'only' 858k baht here which is about 200k baht more than the UK price. But, like it was mentioned in the previous post, we can ride here almost year round so we can enjoy our bikes a lot more :-)

And when you take into account how much you save on rent or the price of a house then paying a bit more for a bike isn't too bad a trade off!

Of course that depends on where you come from and where in thailand you live. Being from the usa i can say that houses can be had cheaper then thailand. Honestly about the only savings is the cost of labor.....

Since i do my own maintenance it much cheaper to maintain a bike in the usa from oil to tires all about 50% less...

[poanoi]

 

It is simple. Only bikes and cars that can add some serious shine and status to your face and hi-so-level, gets luxury taxed.

The Toyota Camry is a very nice car, but it is still a Toyota, so no serious face level to be gained from that one. Hence why it doesn't get luxury taxed.

A CBR sportbike however. "Wow, How cool is that?! .. Or a Mini Cooper - double wow! It is from England and all, soooo hi-so! Gotta put some humongous tax on that one."

Yes that's right.

You see many imported cars like BMW and Mercedes Benz and they cost top$ (if you import it legally).

The Thais are desperate like most other nationalities to show that they are successful and an expensive car is a way of showing that.

Bikes not so much maybe expect Harley Davidson and BMW (bikes) and perhaps Ducati, they don't seemed to be into Jap bikes so much.

If a rich Thai have say a HD it is like a rich mans toy, not really used expect for a short weekend trip.

A bike is pr definition is the poor mans mode of transportation here so if a Thai have 1 mill bath so spend on a vehicle, he will buy a car in 99% of the cases.

 

This is actually true, a female thai friend of mine suggested i buy a car to impress on the ladies here,

as they would prefer sitting in an air con car as opposed to on a bike that dont even offer sun protection.

The hi-so i was a lover to has 2 european luxury cars and downright refuse to sit on my bike.

[mania]

Now Vietnam may be a different story

[mania]

The hi-so i was a lover to

I think you might have a good T-Shirt slogan in there

"I was a hi-so Lover"

[poanoi]

Yes, i have come to the conclusion my life took a dive when i changed gf

[RubberSideDown]

In my experience its different.

Someone stole an ole crap bike i had, a 2 stroke suzuki 110 something, estimated value 5000 baht at most.

Just next to it was an 1100cc cruiser, but the thief wouldnt bother,

my guess is that it is a highly visible item that will draw the attention from police and neighbors alike,

and in fact a police neighbor said he wouldnt investigate as the suzuki was so cheap so there was no money innit for him

The scooter was probably taken by joy-riding kids who popped out the locking cylinder and started it with a screwdriver and dumped it later- a bigger bike requires a few guys and a pickup truck- dismantled, it can easily be flogged for parts on any of dozens of websites and Facebook pages.

It's not like there's a nationwide APB put out on bikes or police equipped with scanners and computers necessary to check VIN numbers- stolen bikes that will continue to be ridden are sent to other provinces (like with my brand-new Wave that was ripped off a few days after I bought it) where cops won't bother investigating riders who are missing paperwork for a couple hundred baht- not to mention that there is plenty of fake documentation available as well that will pass casual scrutiny.

Edited August 14, 2013 by RubberSideDown

[H1w4yR1da]

The hi-so i was a lover to has 2 european luxury cars and downright refuse to sit on my bike.

Yeah! I know how you feel.

My 19 year-old, Thai-Chinese, Chula-bunny girlfriend and daughter of a millionaire businesswoman mother and army general father absolutely refuses to be a passenger on my superbike.

Oh! The humanity!

Edited August 16, 2013 by H1w4yR1da

[Spoonman]

The hi-so i was a lover to has 2 european luxury cars and downright refuse to sit on my bike.

Yeah! I know how you feel.

My 19 year-old, Thai-Chinese, Chula-bunny girlfriend and daughter of a millionaire businesswoman mother and army general father absolutely refuses to be a passenger on my superbike.

Oh! The humanity!

Mine is 20 and frowns upon my SR400........... she can be very uncouth at times.

[thaicbr]

 

 The hi-so i was a lover to has 2 european luxury cars and downright refuse to sit on my bike.

 

Yeah! I know how you feel.

 

My 19 year-old, Thai-Chinese, Chula-bunny girlfriend and daughter of a millionaire businesswoman mother and army general father absolutely refuses to be a passenger on my superbike.

 

Oh! The humanity!

 

 

Mine is 20 and frowns upon my SR400........... she can be very uncouth at times.

 

Mine is 34 and cums on mine..... must be the vibration

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[H1w4yR1da]

Mine is 34 and cums on mine..... must be the vibration

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

Thats really more information than we need.

[thaicbr]

Mine is 34 and cums on mine..... must be the vibration

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

Thats really more information than we need.

Haha fair enough

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[yankee99]

Mine is 31 and told me to remove part of the garden and some trees. This way i cam have a workshop built. I guess she is different.

[Spoonman]

The hi-so i was a lover to has 2 european luxury cars and downright refuse to sit on my bike.

Yeah! I know how you feel.

My 19 year-old, Thai-Chinese, Chula-bunny girlfriend and daughter of a millionaire businesswoman mother and army general father absolutely refuses to be a passenger on my superbike.

Oh! The humanity!

Mine is 20 and frowns upon my SR400........... she can be very uncouth at times.

Mine is 34 and cums on mine..... must be the vibration

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

Hope she holds on tight, would hate to see her slip off the back and loose a leg to an illegally parked boat.

[bigdod]

it is all about supporting the local production of motorcycles and forcing manufacturers to invest in thailand than importing bikes from somewhere else, discouraging buyers to get an import and trying to find ways to sponsor the debts from rice scheme.

lets say, they take it from rich and give it to the poorer people but in a twisted way.

yes, we suffer at the end!

Really then why are locally produced triumphs so expensive?

Triumph assemble/manufacture certain models in the Duty Free zone.

In order to sell those models in Thailand a complex process of documentation is required (otherwise many domestic manufacturers would move to duty free zones to take advantage of cheaper imports).

Triumph have determined that the cost of applying for and maintaining local sales certification is higher than the profit from the limited sales they could expect to make here. So sadly and ironically Triumphs made/assembled here in Thailand are transported to the docks, then re-imported with 123% duty + costs before being available to purchase.

Honda, Kawasaki and Ducati all manufacture/assemble here and sell their product here which is why CB 500's and ER6N / Versys are half the price of an imported NC 700X.

In the end it is a luxury tax - an effective one judging by increasing sales. As the market develops so will the number of bikes available - not long ago your only option was Kawasaki for a bike free of import duty, now there is Ducati and Honda with others following.

Nice one....I did wonder why they were so expensive. I went to see about buying a new Speed Triple R... I think its absolutely gorgeous and its a beaut of an engine too....then they told me BT 1.2m....christ, I nearly $hit myself...!! Thats over 23,000 pounds. Guess I'm not gettin a new Triple R after all then....

Seriously considering dismantling and importing my Busa from UK now

[ll2]

and also please be reasonable everyone.

I pay 10 percent income tax somehow here and it is 40 percent on where i am coming from so i never complain about taxes here, simply cannot.

Prefer to pay a high tax for big bikes than a 40 percent getting ripped off from my salary every month!

[mania]

Nice one....I did wonder why they were so expensive. I went to see about buying a new Speed Triple R... I think its absolutely gorgeous and its a beaut of an engine too....then they told me BT 1.2m....christ, I nearly $hit myself...!! Thats over 23,000 pounds. Guess I'm not gettin a new Triple R after all then....

Seriously considering dismantling and importing my Busa from UK now

I have no actual experience with this bike as it is not out here yet but.........

You may want to take a look at the Yamaha 847 triple when it comes out or the Kawasaki Z800

Both should be priced at about a third of the Triumph

Edited August 19, 2013 by mania

[bigdod]

Nice one....I did wonder why they were so expensive. I went to see about buying a new Speed Triple R... I think its absolutely gorgeous and its a beaut of an engine too....then they told me BT 1.2m....christ, I nearly $hit myself...!! Thats over 23,000 pounds. Guess I'm not gettin a new Triple R after all then....

Seriously considering dismantling and importing my Busa from UK now

I have no actual experience with this bike as it is not out here yet but.........

You may want to take a look at the Yamaha 847 triple when it comes out or the Kawasaki Z800

Both should be priced at about a third of the Triumph

Hmmm...could be worth a look, but I could see them being a bit underpowered for me as i've been on litre plus bikes for the last 20 odd years...

[ATF]

There's been a lot of discussion about bike import taxes. Wonder if someone can put me straight. As I understand new bikes over 800cc get taxed 123%, secondhand or bikes in parts can't be imported anymore. However I believe one hope still exists. If you import a bike that you owned overseas there is minimum duty imposed but you can't sell the bike for 3 years, not an inconvenience. Can I get some further details here, like how long would you have had to own the bike overseas? Would you have to show proof of ownership? All help appreciated