Have you recently purchased a new pickup. What free things did you get included?

[thairastawoman]

I wonder why you all buy pickups actually ? Do you really need to carry motorcycles so often ? :-)

They are so boring to drive and their look is awful...

[giddyup]

I wonder why you all buy pickups actually ? Do you really need to carry motorcycles so often ? :-)

They are so boring to drive and their look is awful...

Becaause they offer the best bang for buck of any vehicle in Thailand. Good visibility and will take a pothole without disintegrating.

[Thailaw]

I wonder why you all buy pickups actually ? Do you really need to carry motorcycles so often ? :-)

They are so boring to drive and their look is awful...

Becaause they offer the best bang for buck of any vehicle in Thailand. Good visibility and will take a pothole without disintegrating.

thairastawoman asks a very good question, I think. I have never owned a truck before moving to Thailand, and frankly it never crossed my mind. But, in Thailand, cars are especially expensive and unless you are will to pay B2 million or more, cars are very boring -- a Toyota Camry for the equivalent of US$43,000, where the same car would be half that much in the US, the rest here being tax. Trucks are taxed much less than bigger cars, as I recall about 22%, where the tax on a Camry or Accord is near 50%, so with a truck you get much more actual metal, glass and rubber for the money spent. And, they run on diesel, which is about 23% cheaper per liter than gasoline (gasohol). If you are considering a Pajero, for example, a well equipped one is about B1,185,000 after a B40,000 discount, where a comparably equipped Trition after discount is under B800,000, about B400,000 less. Add a bed cover and roll bar to the Triton, and you have a vehicle that drives and provides almost the same functionality as the Pajero, so long as you do not require a 3rd seat, for a price that is a third less -- very hard to beat. So, if you own a sedan and are looking for a second vehicle (or even as your only vehicle), a truck really is a very compelling vehicle in Thailand. The same price analysis is true for the Vigo and the Fortuna, but perhaps not so great a price difference as with the Mitsu's. So, as Giddyup says, trucks really do provide the best bang for the buck, and, you never know, maybe you will need to haul a motorcycle or a fridge or sofa on occasion.

Edited July 27, 2014 by Thailaw

[giddyup]

I wonder why you all buy pickups actually ? Do you really need to carry motorcycles so often ? :-)

They are so boring to drive and their look is awful...

Becaause they offer the best bang for buck of any vehicle in Thailand. Good visibility and will take a pothole without disintegrating.

thairastawoman asks a very good question, I think. I have never owned a truck before moving to Thailand, and frankly it never crossed my mind. But, in Thailand, cars are especially expensive and unless you are will to pay B2 million or more, cars are very boring -- a Toyota Camry for the equivalent of US$43,000, where the same car would be half that much in the US, the rest here being tax. Trucks are taxed much less than bigger cars, as I recall about 22%, where the tax on a Camry or Accord is near 50%, so with a truck you get much more actual metal, glass and rubber for the money spent. And, they run on diesel, which is about 23% cheaper per liter than gasoline (gasohol). If you are considering a Pajero, for example, a well equipped one is about B1,185,000 after a B40,000 discount, where a comparably equipped Trition after discount is under B800,000, about B400,000 less. Add a bed cover and roll bar to the Triton, and you have a vehicle that drives and provides almost the same functionality as the Pajero, so long as you do not require a 3rd seat, for a price that is a third less -- very hard to beat. So, if you own a sedan and are looking for a second vehicle (or even as your only vehicle), a truck really is a very compelling vehicle in Thailand. The same price analysis is true for the Vigo and the Fortuna, but perhaps not so great a price difference as with the Mitsu's. So, as Giddyup says, trucks really do provide the best bang for the buck, and, you never know, maybe you will need to haul a motorcycle or a fridge or sofa on occasion.

My D Max haas proved invaluable for carrying bags of stones, paving blocks, landscaping supplies etc, etc. Something the average sedan wouldn't have been capable of.

[thairastawoman]

Thank you for reply but I then wonder what peole do with their money if they always try to get the best for their money, do you have millionaire houses or you also built the cheapest house posible ? Driving a nice car is also part of enjoying life it seems, no ?

[giddyup]

Thank you for reply but I then wonder what peole do with their money if they always try to get the best for their money, do you have millionaire houses or you also built the cheapest house posible ? Driving a nice car is also part of enjoying life it seems, no ?

Now you're just being stupid.

[Thailaw]

Thank you for reply but I then wonder what peole do with their money if they always try to get the best for their money, do you have millionaire houses or you also built the cheapest house posible ? Driving a nice car is also part of enjoying life it seems, no ?

It is not (or al least not only) trying to get the "best for their money", it is rather trying not to pay something (a lot!) for nothing. The tax on a luxury, imported car can be as much as 2/3 of the selling price -- so what you are paying for the actual car is about 1/3 of the selling price, and the rest goes into the Thai government's coffers for them to spend (waste) on rice schemes and other worthwhile social programs (aka electing a Shinawatra). Driving a nice car is a part of enjoying life, but only a part. If you have eclectic tastes, and also enjoy a nice house, nice furniture, art, a boat, an investment condo, fine dining, exotic vacations, etc., your money is much better spent on enjoying those aspects of life, where the price is reasonable and the tax is low in Thailand, so you are actually paying for what you get.

Is a Camry or an Accord a "nice car"? Are a Camry or Accord "worth" the equivalent of $43,000 to $50,000? Most would say they are pretty pedestrian cars, masquerading as luxury vehicles because of high prices, and they are pretty much the upper end for affluent Thais and well-to-do westerners living in Thailand, not in many cases because they couldn't afford more, but because as you go into higher price ranges for cars the percentage of tax increases dramatically and the price/value ratio becomes more seriously skewed. Would you rather buy a very well equipped Vigo or, for the same money, buy a stripped down "taxi ready" Altis? Would you rather drive an Accord or drive a Triton, and have a significant portion of your child's international school tuition in hand (that perhaps you could not afford otherwise)? These are all choices that people living in Thailand make routinely, and people that drive trucks here are making these decisions intelligently -- and still driving a "nice" vehicle (perhaps not in your myopic view) and very much enjoying life. And many people that own trucks actually like driving a truck and prefer it to a car, and would buy a truck even if there wasn't such a significant price/value difference in Thailand. So, don't wonder what people that drive trucks (or comparably priced cars) do with their money. It is none of your business, nor is how you spend your money (drive a Merc or a BMW?) anyone else's business. But rest assured that, while it may not meet your approval, they are spending their money on things that will give them the greatest enjoyment as they see it, and they won't worry very much (at all) if you approve or disapprove of their choices.

Sorry for a long answer to a really dumb question (are you my ex-wife?). You're batting 500, and in a serious hitting slump.

[bkkjames]

I bought mine so I could look down on all those people sitting in their nice lil cars.

Sent from my LG-P970 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[phutoie2]

I wonder why you all buy pickups actually ? Do you really need to carry motorcycles so often ? :-)

They are so boring to drive and their look is awful...

when they build some decent roads here, I will buy that nice Accord, Camry. Been on route 11 recently?, must be the worst bit of highway in Thailand.

[bkkjames]

I wonder why you all buy pickups actually ? Do you really need to carry motorcycles so often ? :-)

They are so boring to drive and their look is awful...

when they build some decent roads here, I will buy that nice Accord, Camry. Been on route 11 recently?, must be the worst bit of highway in Thailand.

I vote for Rama 2

Sent from my LG-P970 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Thailaw]

I wonder why you all buy pickups actually ? Do you really need to carry motorcycles so often ? :-)

They are so boring to drive and their look is awful...

when they build some decent roads here, I will buy that nice Accord, Camry. Been on route 11 recently?, must be the worst bit of highway in Thailand.

You are absolutely right, the roads and the flooding in Thailand are two of the best reasons to own/drive a truck.

[Ace of Pop]

When i had the Range Rover here is was amazed that the Taxis round Bkk could do nearly as well.Tonka Toy Trucks could do much the same as the RR, but a Hilux seemed about the same as an Altis in water.

[Thailaw]

When i had the Range Rover here is was amazed that the Taxis round Bkk could do nearly as well.Tonka Toy Trucks could do much the same as the RR, but a Hilux seemed about the same as an Altis in water.

Surely. a step-up truck has a much easier time getting through flooded road, simply because of the increased clearance under the engine and pan. I have seen water in Sukumvit Road just north of Sattahip that was half a meter deep, and I would have felt much more comfortable in my truck going through that than I did in my car, which I happened to be driving at the time (actually, I didn't even own the truck I now have at that time, about 1 year ago).

[thairastawoman]

Thank you for reply but I then wonder what peole do with their money if they always try to get the best for their money, do you have millionaire houses or you also built the cheapest house posible ? Driving a nice car is also part of enjoying life it seems, no ?

It is not (or al least not only) trying to get the "best for their money", it is rather trying not to pay something (a lot!) for nothing. The tax on a luxury, imported car can be as much as 2/3 of the selling price -- so what you are paying for the actual car is about 1/3 of the selling price, and the rest goes into the Thai government's coffers for them to spend (waste) on rice schemes and other worthwhile social programs (aka electing a Shinawatra). Driving a nice car is a part of enjoying life, but only a part. If you have eclectic tastes, and also enjoy a nice house, nice furniture, art, a boat, an investment condo, fine dining, exotic vacations, etc., your money is much better spent on enjoying those aspects of life, where the price is reasonable and the tax is low in Thailand, so you are actually paying for what you get.

Is a Camry or an Accord a "nice car"? Are a Camry or Accord "worth" the equivalent of $43,000 to $50,000? Most would say they are pretty pedestrian cars, masquerading as luxury vehicles because of high prices, and they are pretty much the upper end for affluent Thais and well-to-do westerners living in Thailand, not in many cases because they couldn't afford more, but because as you go into higher price ranges for cars the percentage of tax increases dramatically and the price/value ratio becomes more seriously skewed. Would you rather buy a very well equipped Vigo or, for the same money, buy a stripped down "taxi ready" Altis? Would you rather drive an Accord or drive a Triton, and have a significant portion of your child's international school tuition in hand (that perhaps you could not afford otherwise)? These are all choices that people living in Thailand make routinely, and people that drive trucks here are making these decisions intelligently -- and still driving a "nice" vehicle (perhaps not in your myopic view) and very much enjoying life. And many people that own trucks actually like driving a truck and prefer it to a car, and would buy a truck even if there wasn't such a significant price/value difference in Thailand. So, don't wonder what people that drive trucks (or comparably priced cars) do with their money. It is none of your business, nor is how you spend your money (drive a Merc or a BMW?) anyone else's business. But rest assured that, while it may not meet your approval, they are spending their money on things that will give them the greatest enjoyment as they see it, and they won't worry very much (at all) if you approve or disapprove of their choices.

Sorry for a long answer to a really dumb question (are you my ex-wife?). You're batting 500, and in a serious hitting slump.

Ok, so people who drive German cars are just dumb to buy merc and bmw or maybe they have better taste and these guys didn't have to buy a house for their wives that will never belong to them.

You are right, people can spend the money as they want but some should just accept to be cheap charlies <3 the kind of guy I usually don't even talk to.

[Ace of Pop]

Most Folk dont drive into the Sea, they know its deep Thailaw. A Basic Hilux is much the same as a Car, common to thousands of Thais. The Hi Rider is Better , but here its Ferang Speak, not Thai,who do dam well overcoming their Nations Road conditions during the Floods..

[Thailaw]

Most Folk dont drive into the Sea, they know its deep Thailaw. A Basic Hilux is much the same as a Car, common to thousands of Thais. The Hi Rider is Better , but here its Ferang Speak, not Thai,who do dam well overcoming their Nations Road conditions during the Floods..

Hey, Poop. I never considered driving into the sea, and I do indeed know that it can get very deep depending on how far you go and whether your vehicle floats. But if you read my post, it was talking about a flooded road, in fact the only major road that goes south of Pattaya (I guess you can snake around some of the back roads, but I am not sure where you would end up). And when it rains in torrents, the water in the roads can get very deep. I have never seen the water on Sukumvit Road that deep, before or after. I guess I could have turned around and gone back and leave the people I was going to pick up stranded, but I really did not see that as an option at the time. It took me almost 40 minutes of waiting and watching and thinking, and hoping that the water would subside a bit, and eventually I took a gamble and proceeded up the extreme right side that seemed to be a bit less deep than the rest. I made it through, luckily. Had I been driving my step-up Triton, I would have been through the water and on my way in a few minutes, like the other trucks that came and went through the flooded water, leaving the cars, like me, sitting and wondering what to do.

These situations don't happen often, but when they do, a truck (high rise version) helps a lot! I hope that is not difficult to understand. I doubt that many people, Thai or farang, buy a truck because of the road flooding (I expect that the Bangkok crowd, at least those that live near the old airport, do include the flood capability of their vehicle in the decision of what to buy, and buy a lot more step-up trucks than those living elsewhere), but one additional (albeit minor) factor that makes owning a truck (at least a step-up version) worthwhile is the capability not to worry about getting out and around during the flooding periods. And as far as overcoming the road conditions during the floods, the thousands of cars I saw parked on the overpasses around Bangkok during the last floods would suggest something to the contrary -- but perhaps you were sleeping during the last big floods in Bangkok.

And you really should take a few minutes to edit your posts before hitting the "Add reply" button if you care to have anyone understand what it is that you are trying to say. Whether your posts are worth understanding or not is a separate issue.

Have a good day.

[Ace of Pop]

Thousands of Cars and Buses Trucks Mopeds they all suffer if driven into floods,ive gone round them here for 25Years or enjoyed a Few Days off. English is not my first language ,and some enjoy me Jumble Inglish.As for Trucks did You drive them back in the World..?.My Pool Service Man did.

[giddyup]

Thousands of Cars and Buses Trucks Mopeds they all suffer if driven into floods,ive gone round them here for 25Years or enjoyed a Few Days off. English is not my first language ,and some enjoy me Jumble Inglish.As for Trucks did You drive them back in the World..?.My Pool Service Man did.

What's your point whether or not he drove a pickup wherever he came from. I certainly didn't, but that was because the same pickup in Australia is nearly $20,000 more expensive, and I could buy a late model Japanese or Korean sedan for half the price of here. Question of economics, as well as a pickup is handier, handles the bad roads better, better visibility etc.

[Ace of Pop]

I go with the Visibility point, not much else,the rides to harsh, no IRS, but you can get many more handy Tunips in it. Its personal choice and ones circumstances here.I needed a Truck at one time too , and enjoyed it.

[giddyup]

I go with the Visibility point, not much else,the rides to harsh, no IRS, but you can get many more handy Tunips in it. Its personal choice and ones circumstances here.I needed a Truck at one time too , and enjoyed it.

I had a Jazz before the Isuzu and loved it, but after nearly tearing out the suspension on a few potholes, I decided a pickup suited my needs better.

[Skyboogie]

When i had the Range Rover here is was amazed that the Taxis round Bkk could do nearly as well.Tonka Toy Trucks could do much the same as the RR, but a Hilux seemed about the same as an Altis in water.

Surely. a step-up truck has a much easier time getting through flooded road, simply because of the increased clearance under the engine and pan. I have seen water in Sukumvit Road just north of Sattahip that was half a meter deep, and I would have felt much more comfortable in my truck going through that than I did in my car, which I happened to be driving at the time (actually, I didn't even own the truck I now have at that time, about 1 year ago).

What do we know about differential breathers? When a hot axle is submerged in cool water is creates a vacuum that sucks water into the differential and sometimes the gearbox. Most of us know to keep water out of the air intake and off the electrical components. But are we aware of the hazards that lie beneath?

While those taxis seem to be doing just as well through the flood waters, they are potentially causing major damage to their differentials and gearbox of they don't immediately change out the oil. Unless of course they have already installed breather tubes and filters.

I know the Ranger and BT have diff tubes running to the engine compartment, which is why they have an 800mm wading depth. The Hilux enjoys 700mm and I am sure they have the tubes installed as well.

Truck owners, what preventive measures have you or the manufacturer taken to protect your vehicle from water ingress?

[bkkjames]

When i had the Range Rover here is was amazed that the Taxis round Bkk could do nearly as well.Tonka Toy Trucks could do much the same as the RR, but a Hilux seemed about the same as an Altis in water.

Surely. a step-up truck has a much easier time getting through flooded road, simply because of the increased clearance under the engine and pan. I have seen water in Sukumvit Road just north of Sattahip that was half a meter deep, and I would have felt much more comfortable in my truck going through that than I did in my car, which I happened to be driving at the time (actually, I didn't even own the truck I now have at that time, about 1 year ago).

What do we know about differential breathers? When a hot axle is submerged in cool water is creates a vacuum that sucks water into the differential and sometimes the gearbox. Most of us know to keep water out of the air intake and off the electrical components. But are we aware of the hazards that lie beneath?

While those taxis seem to be doing just as well through the flood waters, they are potentially causing major damage to their differentials and gearbox of they don't immediately change out the oil. Unless of course they have already installed breather tubes and filters.

I know the Ranger and BT have diff tubes running to the engine compartment, which is why they have an 800mm wading depth. The Hilux enjoys 700mm and I am sure they have the tubes installed as well.

Truck owners, what preventive measures have you or the manufacturer taken to protect your vehicle from water ingress?

The ranger has 800 mm wading depth?. I think we have one ranger owner on here who has tried with spectacular results.

[Skyboogie]

When i had the Range Rover here is was amazed that the Taxis round Bkk could do nearly as well.Tonka Toy Trucks could do much the same as the RR, but a Hilux seemed about the same as an Altis in water.

Surely. a step-up truck has a much easier time getting through flooded road, simply because of the increased clearance under the engine and pan. I have seen water in Sukumvit Road just north of Sattahip that was half a meter deep, and I would have felt much more comfortable in my truck going through that than I did in my car, which I happened to be driving at the time (actually, I didn't even own the truck I now have at that time, about 1 year ago).

What do we know about differential breathers? When a hot axle is submerged in cool water is creates a vacuum that sucks water into the differential and sometimes the gearbox. Most of us know to keep water out of the air intake and off the electrical components. But are we aware of the hazards that lie beneath?

While those taxis seem to be doing just as well through the flood waters, they are potentially causing major damage to their differentials and gearbox of they don't immediately change out the oil. Unless of course they have already installed breather tubes and filters.

I know the Ranger and BT have diff tubes running to the engine compartment, which is why they have an 800mm wading depth. The Hilux enjoys 700mm and I am sure they have the tubes installed as well.

Truck owners, what preventive measures have you or the manufacturer taken to protect your vehicle from water ingress?

The ranger has 800 mm wading depth?. I think we have one ranger owner on here who has tried with spectacular results.

I am well aware of the Spoonman debacle. Poor guy. He is the reason I will not buy a Ranger. His was a series of very unfortunate events that began with a faulty crankshaft angle sensor and snowballed through the utter incompetence of Ford after-sales. I genuinely don't understand how the sensor could cause a bent con rod though. I think Ford did something shady to cause a hydrolock and void the warranty.