I'm curious as to whether there are big differences between taxes and duties applicable to bikes from Japan and those from Europe, perhaps because of some FTA or whatever.

Specifically, I never understood how Triumph flogged the Street Triple R here for 750,000, when CBU imports like the Z1000 sold for 599,000 (not to mention 650cc V-strom at 350K and 885cc FZ09 at 435K). I once asked a BritBike salesman and he said it was because "Japan is closer than England so the shipping cost is lower", which is of course a load of tosh.

Does anyone know the answer?

Brit bike salesman is a idiot.

there is an agreement between Japan and Thailand called Thai-Japanese Trade agreement which is effectively reducing the import/export taxes.

So a bike from Europe is coming here with 110 percent tax but Japanese bikes a lot less that that.

Really dont know the tax rate between Japan and Thailand though through this agreement. Hope someone give us better information on this as i want to know too what will be the official tax rates when Japanese-Thai trade agreement will be full effect in 2015.

This agreement will be in full effect on 2015 and all i know, Japanese import bike prices will go down. Bigwing said, they will most probably adjust their prices again next year and prices will go down.

^^That