Buy a car in Thailand as opposed to a scooter?

[NeverSure]

In my time on here, I have read several comments saying "don't buy a car in Thailand. Buy a scooter."

Can someone please help me with that reasoning? I like to travel around and would like to have a car.

This isn't about money. I can afford the car.

I spend about 1/2 my time in LOS, but maintain US residency for several reasons including the Medicare health insurance. I also like to "come home" when I've had enough but that's off topic.

I plan to rent a condo full time in LOS to always have a place to land, and would also like to have a car. In April, renting a car cost me 30,000 baht + gas for 4 weeks and that's too much.

Please help me understand the legal drawbacks if any, and also the comments I've heard about not buying a car?

Thanks!

[bobo42]

I think for most people its just about the expense. Also, if you live in downtown Bangkok and don't travel much, a car might be more trouble than its worth just because of traffic and parking - I imagine its much easier just to use public transport most of the time. I think another oft-voiced drawback is that is often easier to buy a vehicle in your spouse's name (which a lot of people do - me included), and this has lead many a husband into losing his car once its paid-off.

If neither of these is an issue for you, and you are here long-term, I can't imagine why you'd want to rule it out. I live out in the country, and its been a huge help to have our own vehicle. We got around strictly by scooter, bus, and plane for nearly two years before I finally went ahead and got something with 4 wheels. I can say that it has given us a great deal of enjoyment thus far. I actually did purchase in my wife's name - it is legally her car. It was extremely easy to get financing that way - payments are way cheaper than a rental car. Even if the wife were to steal it away and leave me without, I still feel like I've gotten good use of it, just like it was a long-term rental. Other than all the normal drawbacks of a car (just expenses really), there's nothing special to worry about - other than driving, people drive crazy here, be careful.

[pomchop]

I started off with bikes which were great fun UNTIL I had an accident and broke my collar bone.....I suspect if you ride a bike long enough that sooner or later you will have some kind of accident and IF you are a bit older you'll find it takes forever if ever to heal...

So I then decided a car would be a safer mode of transport and bought a used car which has served me well. I am also in USA half the time but I have a house caretaker who starts it up from time to time to keep battery going.

I bought both bike and car in my own name...had to provide a few forms etc but got a thai friend to help me do it right as well as he checks from time to time to make sure I am all up to date on insurance etc. I paid cash with no financing which I think makes it a bit easier.

I loved the freedom of a bike BUT.....as many say re bikes it's not if you will have an accident it is when. I always worried I would get hit by a car or another bike...but when my accident occurred there wasn't another person in sight..just an ugly hole and a quick flip over the handlebars onto the dirt...lucky I had on a helmet or I would not be typing this now.

[iluvbeaches]

I drove for years in Bangkok with a large car. It's not hard and there is parking in every shopping center, restaurants, etc. I drove everywhere you just need to keep in mind traffic and obviously avoid sukhumvit and Silom areas instead taking mass transit.

I've seen and had lots of friends in moped accidents. They still ride. One guy I met once lost part of his leg and his right ear. Not really understanding the love for mopeds here except for going in between traffic narrowly dying.

If you value your life and the life of your loved ones you would never ride or buy a scooter in Thailand. Just my opinion.

[Issangeorge]

I have two cars, one for me, one for my wife, a scooter, and Honda Phantom. The Phantom is for sale and the scooter is only used in the village. Get a car, driving in Thailand is too dangerous as it is, but if your in a car and hit a scooter that cut you off, you will be okay, but if you were on a scooter good luck to you.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[bangkokstick]

Easy: Buy a scooter if you want to die fast.

Buy a car if you want to last longer.

But then if money is more important than your life and your brain is very small you can buy a scooter anyway and also ride with your kids without helmet and light.

[benalibina]

Buy both, problem solved. When my, still to be, wife got pregnant i rented a car. Couple months later i bought 1 because of our son. In the 19 years i come to thailand had 2 accidents on motorbike. Heinsight lucky it were only 2. Not because of collision but of roadconditions. Oil and small stones on the road. Either way whatever you drive in LOS you need concentration and awareness on the roads. Car is safer for many reasons but it all depends where you live. To drive oneself is freedom. Going with public transport, which is ok by itself, 1 is more limited. Hope after this topic a namechange would be in order for you.SURENOW !!!!

[guzzi850m2]

It's a very difficult question to answer.

Do you love riding bikes and are you a skilled rider? If no, buy a 4 wheeled vehicle, consider a pick-up truck they are tough and relatively cheap.

If you love riding bikes (like me) you can have a lot of fun riding bikes here and many expats here are having all sorts of bikes from a modest Honda Wave 125 to a +1.5 Mill bath Harley Davidson.

I stopped riding big bikes (Harley) when my son was born but I still ride scooters as they are very practical for small errands and the truck next to impossible to park in Pattaya.

I think about +90% of expats in Thailand have scooters because they are so practical for daily use and cheap to buy/run but many have a car as well.

Yes it's risky business to ride a bike here but life is one big risk, you can stay in your condo and still die or you can be out on the road living your life with a big smile on your face.

Edited August 16, 2013 by guzzi850m2

[NeverSure]

It's a very difficult question to answer.

Do you love bike riding bikes and are you a skilled rider? If no, buy a 4 wheeled vehicle, consider a pick-up truck they are tough and relatively cheap.

If you love riding bikes (like me) you can have a lot of fun riding bikes here and many expats here are having all sorts of bikes from a modest Honda Wave 125 to a +1.5 Mill bath Harley Davidson.

I stopped riding big bikes (Harley) when my son was born but I still ride scooters as they are very practical for small errands and the truck next to impossible to park in Pattaya.

I think about +90% of expats in Thailand have scooters because they are so practical for daily use and cheap to buy/run but many have a car as well.

Yes it's risky business to ride a bike here but life is one big risk, you can stay in your condo and still die or you can be out on the road living your life with a big smile on your face.

First, yes I am a very skilled rider. I'm a certified motorcycle instructor and I used to race. I'm one who pops into the motorcycle forum once in a while a tries to convince guys to learn how to counter steer and to use the front wheel for 2/3 of braking. I own two Harleys but of course they are much cheaper in the US.

But even now, I don't like riding more than about 4 hours and then I wish I had my pickup. It's tiring with the wind and noise and rougher ride and all.

And yes, I always feel safer in a cage (a term used for a car by bikers in the US.)

[wooloomooloo]

My wife and I love to get on motorbike and travel about town, safe or not. We're still alive, obviously, and have adequate insurance in the event we survive an accident.

If we travel longer distances then we hire a car.

[impulse]

Fino gets pulled out every few weeks for a spin around the block just to run it. Scares the crap out of me to ride it in traffic, so it sits idle waiting until I decide to sell it. I'm not as worried about injuries as I am about the chaos that's likely to see me scrape a 5 million baht car or, sideswipe another scooter- and the financial ramifications. Oh, and I do not want to die, either.

Pickup just gets driven on weekends and only if I'm leaving town. Traffic is just too bad in central BKK where I live. I'd use it more if I lived on the outskirts where the MRT and BTS aren't so handy.

During the week, if it's not on a BTS or MRT route, I probably don't go there. For the neighborhood, I have an electric MTB that gets me around. I also use the scooter taxis a lot, taking one to and from work every day, and usually use them to go the km or so to the nearest BTS and MRT. If there is a scrape, it's on them.

I'm about 1 mile from the grocery store. If I drive the pickup, the round trip (including parking) can take between 10 and 40 minutes depending on traffic. RT on a scooter taxi is 5-10 minutes max.

Studies published in Oz and USA indicate 20x more likely (per mile) to be killed on a 2 wheeler than a 4 wheeler. Since you're a skilled rider, you can make your own judgment there.

Edited August 16, 2013 by impulse

[lemoncake]

My reasoning is simple- traffic.

I have both car and a bike, car has hardly been driven because heavy traffic.

Parking is easy if going to shopping mall otherwise it's almost impossible.

Simple food shopping takes 15 mins with bike but can take 2 hours with car.

[stoneyboy]

I never had a car for the first two years I was here only bikes,now I've had my car for 2 years I don't know how I lived without it before.

Especially this time of year when it's continually lashing down with rain and you want to go somewhere.

The number of times I ended up sick because I got drenched riding in the rain was quite amazing.

None of that now and buying large packs of water and big shops are a breeze.

[andrewrooney]

If expense isn't an issue, I'd buy both, as another poster said.

The scooter really is a lot more convenient for short trips, traffic and parking can be so terrible here. Not just in Bangkok either.

A car is great for longer trips, going somewhere with a group of people etc. Obviously a lot more safe as well.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

New scooter is only 50kbht, just buy both and have a choice.

Get a pickup and you can drive around with the scooter on the back.

[krisb]

No drawbacks, get a car if you wish. Motorbikes aren't always practical.

[martynsnowmans]

both , in udon thani city center you,ve more chance of finding a virgin than a parking place ,

bike for city car for going out of town .

[benalibina]

both , in udon thani city center you,ve more chance of finding a virgin than a parking place ,

bike for city car for going out of town .

At least we know where you use the bike for in town.

[Phronesis]

Walk.

[Oscar2]

I started off with bikes which were great fun UNTIL I had an accident and broke my collar bone.....I suspect if you ride a bike long enough that sooner or later you will have some kind of accident and IF you are a bit older you'll find it takes forever if ever to heal...

I loved the freedom of a bike BUT.....as many say re bikes it's not if you will have an accident it is when. I always worried I would get hit by a car or another bike...but when my accident occurred there wasn't another person in sight..just an ugly hole and a quick flip over the handlebars onto the dirt...lucky I had on a helmet or I would not be typing this now.

yup, after my accident I would never want to touch a m/c again. We have a car and would never go the m/c route again. You could be killed in a heartbeat. I know, I came very close to dying. if you want to live get a car.

[robblok]

Buy both, problem solved. When my, still to be, wife got pregnant i rented a car. Couple months later i bought 1 because of our son. In the 19 years i come to thailand had 2 accidents on motorbike. Heinsight lucky it were only 2. Not because of collision but of roadconditions. Oil and small stones on the road. Either way whatever you drive in LOS you need concentration and awareness on the roads. Car is safer for many reasons but it all depends where you live. To drive oneself is freedom. Going with public transport, which is ok by itself, 1 is more limited. Hope after this topic a namechange would be in order for you.SURENOW !!!!

Got a bike and a scooter and a car. The worst i got injured was in a car crash not with a bike. So statistically bikes are more dangerous but if you drive with good sense you can change the odds a lot. But that means you should really know how to drive and such. But I believe I read somewhere you were an instructor or drove bikes real good. So that would not be a problem.

I like the bike more then the car when traveling alone and not shopping. The car is good for shopping and driving with the wife. Nothing beats a bike / scooter for convenience and going somewhere fast without too much traffic problems.

[NeverSure]

OK, Thank you everyone. That's some great input. I'll get both and see how that works out.

Edit. Beats the heck out of buying some woman a house.

Edited August 17, 2013 by NeverSure

[Songhua]

OK, Thank you everyone. That's some great input. I'll get both and see how that works out.

Edit. Beats the heck out of buying some woman a house.

That's for sure. Overtaking in a house is a real pain in the a$$.

[BillyBobThai]

Buy a pickup as they are mostly diesel powered. Most of the cars are gasoline. Diesel fuel is subsidised by the government and sells for 30 baht a litre. Gasoline on the other hand goes upward to 47 baht a litre. To me that is 300 to 400 baht saving everytime I fill up.

[JLCrab]

Whether you drive a car/pickup, ride a bike, take a bus, or just about any mode of land transport, probably the best way to avoid an accident is to stay off the roads between 11 pm and 5 am anywhere.

Old pilot's line: What's the most dangerous thing about flying? The drive to the airport.

Edited August 17, 2013 by JLCrab

[manarak]

I bought a cheap 13 year old car, it costs practically nothing to run and maintain, I think the tax and annual insurance are around 2500 baht together.

The car is (obviously) great for hauling stuff around, groceries, small furniture, large electronic devices, etc. It deserves a special convenience mention for beverages, such as beer.

There are also significant savings to be made over just buying the stuff at the convenience store or minimart around the corner.

Another strong point of the car is rain. I hate riding the scooter when it rains.

One more point is flexibility. I can transport in addition to myself about 4 farangs or many more Thais if need be.

And do things I would not be able to do with the scooter, for example bring a BBQ to the beach and get these steaks grilled.

One thing for which the car sucks big time is getting from A to B inside the city quickly.

I'll ride the scooter for any trip inside the city, the car takes just too much time.

Edited August 17, 2013 by manarak

[JLCrab]

Kuhn Manarak -- You pretty much listed all the reasons why i don't own a car -- if it's raining too hard for the bike I just tell'em I'm not coming. For the few times I've really needed a car including hauling multiple Thais, I've rented one with a driver. As for the beach, I've given up on any beach without waves -- Sumatra is great if you don't mind chancing an earthquake.

At 6 am the biggest problem riding a bike is not hitting the monks standing practically in the middle of the road while they deliver their blessings prior to the hand out.

[rene123]

I'm somewhat in the same boat as the OP because I don't spend all my time in Thailand. I agree with a few others that long trips are a little nicer in a car or truck, but for pure enjoyment a motorbike has it hands down. After riding rental bikes in Chiang Mai for a few months and finally buying my own 250 motocross bike, I've fallen in love with riding and said to hell with the risk. I love it so much that when I got back to Canada I bought a Yamaha XT 250 and I have hardly driven my car in the past 4 months. I certainly would not want to be restricted to only driving a car in a Thai city like Chiang Mai or Bangkok. It's actually fun weaving in and out of Thai traffic on a motorbike, and it all flows like water. It is boring in Canada where everyone has to follow rules.

[richard_smith237]

IMO: If you can afford a car its a no brainer.

You can't fall off a car !

Inclement weather doesn't really effect you in a car.... On a bike you are stranded.

You can't carry all your shopping on a bike !

Additionally: At some point you will have a girlie in the car / on the back of your bike... Do you really want to feel responsible if someone hits you?

But for the simplest reason: The likelihood of having a life impacting / chancing accident on a bike is exponentially greater on a bike.

in 15 years I've had 3 accidents in a car (none my fault) - If I was on a bike I would have been hurt.

Now: I'm not scared of getting hurt, I've been to hospital numerous times with sporting injuries... But, when deciding between a bike and car in Thailand the rule I apply is never to get on a bike, too many other people (mostly in cars) simply do not register the presence of a motorcycle.

[mrtoad]

I had only a bike for quite sometime, but eventually decided to bite the bullet and buy a car. I am really glad I have, it is so much more convenient than a bike, and in particualr during the wet season it is an absolute godsend. The other point that has been made, is that cars in general are safer than bikes. I will use the bike for a short trip to the shop, but that's about it. I think the main issue for a lot of people is the cost of cars here, and in particualr the over inflated prices on imported cars and 2nd hand cars. If you can afford a car, it really is a no brianer though.