Importing A Car

[N47HAN]

Help Required,

Going on from my last post about buying a car.......

I have decided to seriously look at the possability of importing a car into Thailand.

Heres the idea......... I want to purchase a Chrysler Crossfire

Question.. wheres the best place to buy the car ? Aus,Europe,Usa ...etc.etc..??

Question.. is it true import tax is based on assumed value, not true value?

Question.. are there ways around it? (i heard about doing a car visa run every 90 days?? i.e as long as your car leaves the country every 90 days it can be registered at country of origin? is this true?and if so what are the implications for insurance, accidents, and how long is it viable to do this?

Question.. do you have to pay the tax in one lump sum?

Question.. am i better doing it myself or asking the merc dealership(daimler chrysler) to handle it ?

Thanks once again in advance Guys..

[simon43]

Your best option is to forget the idea completely! Do a search on previous posts on this subject and you will find that importing a car is a major and expensive hassle. I don't know of anyone who has successfully done it.

Now I've just imported a used mini-tractor, but that's a different story

Simon

[N47HAN]

Your best option is to forget the idea completely! Do a search on previous posts on this subject and you will find that importing a car is a major and expensive hassle. I don't know of anyone who has successfully done it.

Now I've just imported a used mini-tractor, but that's a different story

Simon

well 3 days into looking into it seriously i couldnt agree more!!!!!!!!!!!!

The engine is 3.2l ... now i knew the import tax would be daft BUT......... as the engine is over 3.0 litres it attracts an import tax of 300% #@$% that! nuff said on the subject i think !

p.s simon how many miles to the gallon u get? might be intrested

[Aviador]

Your best option is to forget the idea completely! Do a search on previous posts on this subject and you will find that importing a car is a major and expensive hassle. I don't know of anyone who has successfully done it.

Now I've just imported a used mini-tractor, but that's a different story

Simon

well 3 days into looking into it seriously i couldnt agree more!!!!!!!!!!!!

The engine is 3.2l ... now i knew the import tax would be daft BUT......... as the engine is over 3.0 litres it attracts an import tax of 300% #@$% that! nuff said on the subject i think !

p.s simon how many miles to the gallon u get? might be intrested

Oh boy. When I came here a little over 2 years ago, I would have loved to take my classic Mercedes 1983 300SD turbodiesel in mint condition with me. After getting nothing but negative answers, I still asked for a quote. Transportation from the east coast of the US (New Jersey) to Bangkok, taxes, duties etc. $ 16,000.oo US for a 20 yerar old car ?. The car was worth perhaps $ 7 or 8000.oo. But lets just say, if I had unlimited resources, just for sentimental resons I would take it with me and I am glad I did not.

I haven't posted anything here in a while because everybody was thinking I made up these stories, but nobody, and I mean absolutamente nobody knows how to fix anything around here, let alone a Mercedes. They couldn't even fix the air conditioner on my new Mitsubishi Pickup which had less than 8000 km on it. Washing machine, water cooler, laptop computer, flat panel PC monitor, digital camera, a silly table lamp, all under warantee. May mee, or no can fix.

The only somehow positive result was the realignement of my UBC dish antenna, which lost the signal, because the house had probably settled somewhat. The engieneer arrived as promised on a motorbike with a lady helper, who spoke english, (the fellow didn't). His "tools"consisted of a 10 mm open end wrench (spanner to you english blokes ) and a screw driver. First question, "do you have a ladder ?" Well I do have a 6 foot step ladder, but the dish is about 10 feet off the ground. However, if I back the truck against the house, you may be able to reach it. Said and done. But what if I didn't have a ladder and pickup ?

Anyway, life in the LOS. never a dull moment.

[Welsh John]

Aviador, How did you manage to get your Truck back ???? and as for your previous posts, I learnt a lot from them!!!!

[simon43]

The tractor runs on diesel, so does many miles to the gallon. But top speed is about 10mph. This makes for fun driving on the fast airport road near my house. Also, I keep getting stopped by the police/labour office who claim that driving a tractor means I must be involved in some agricultural business - generally a prohibited employment area for foreigners

Simon

[Aviador]

Aviador, How did you manage to get your Truck back ???? and as for your previous posts, I learnt a lot from them!!!!

Well, I still have it albeit no book, which the SOB still has. He also still holds my bank book and ATM card as well as the papers to the motor bike Now I have a problem because the tax is due and the insurance expires next month. I don't want to do it the "Thai way" and drive without. I have several more experiences written down which are on my PC, which got struck by lightning last week, is in Phuket and needs a mother board, so they say (although the fellow is a farang). I noticed today that the printer is dead as well.

Why me oh Lord, why me.

Greets the ol Capt'n.

Oh, by the way, on January 1st my Social Security payments were stopped. It seems they sent me a questionaire which I never received. Then took the liberty to delare me [/b]dead. I was now officially dead and literally penniless, were it not for a benevolent sister in Canada who sent money and brother in the US who dealt with the most ignorant, stuipd, apathetic bureaucratic morons ever assembled on this planet.

It was only resolved about 3 weeks ago.

The US Embassy to which I sent an urgend E-mail, didn't even bother to reply. Tough shit bro, that's what you get for living abroad. Come dahhling let's go to the ambassador's paahty.

3 Million Baht gone in less than 2 years and I don't even gamble or live extravagantly.

[PREM-R]

Help Required,

Going on from my last post about buying a car.......

I have decided to seriously look at the possability of importing a car into Thailand.

Heres the idea......... I want to purchase a Chrysler Crossfire

Question.. wheres the best place to buy the car ? Aus,Europe,Usa ...etc.etc..??

Question.. is it true import tax is based on assumed value, not true value?

Question.. are there ways around it? (i heard about doing a car visa run every 90 days?? i.e as long as your car leaves the country every 90 days it can be registered at country of origin? is this true?and if so what are the implications for insurance, accidents, and how long is it viable to do this?

Question.. do you have to pay the tax in one lump sum?

Question.. am i better doing it myself or asking the merc dealership(daimler chrysler) to handle it ?

Thanks once again in advance Guys..

This question comes up from time to time and always the answer is "forget it". I was just wondering how the "Grey" importers of things such as Toyota Harrier (Lexus RX300) manage to import cars. These vehicles have large 3.0L engines and are over the 200 odd bhp limit and yet the vehicles are offered at very competitive prices (relative to Thailand). If someone wants to import 'an exotic' car would it be worth contacting one of the established importers to see what price they quote?

Just a thought