Hello all,

This is my first post on the forum so please be kind.

I will be moving to Thailand next year and will be purchasing a vehicle. I have read the motoring section of the forum rather extensively but have not seen any information on what the price of a new or used vehicle includes in Thailand when purchased from a dealer. If I have missed the thread with that information my apologies.

I do understand that you can negotiate accessories, registration, even insurance(including insurance in the purchase price which is quite a foreign concept for an American car buyer!!). But beyond the price of the vehicle what other fees or taxes are added on top of the price? Also I have seen many references to "road tax", what is this and who is it paid to?

Cheers,

BigKev

Road tax is your anual vehicle registration fee and is paid to the Dept. of Transport.

When buying new the dealers dont usually offer price discounts but will throw in extras and usually free insurance. So this is the negotiating part.

When buying secondhand what ever insurance it has, and pre-paid road tax comes with the car.

Also if the correct tax has not been paid you inherit the arrears. There is a small transfer fee. The road tax is very minimal compared to what you would pay in the states.

When I bought my Ford Ranger pick up 5 years ago the dealer threw in 1st class insurance and a few other things including I think road tax for a year.

However I was on the red number plates for a while and I had to rent them from the dealer.

The red number plates mean that you are restricted in speed, going out at night and a few more things but I was never stopped by the police and I have never seen anybody else stopped by them either.

When I bought my Ford Ranger pick up 5 years ago the dealer threw in 1st class insurance and a few other things including I think road tax for a year.

However I was on the red number plates for a while and I had to rent them from the dealer.

The red number plates mean that you are restricted in speed, going out at night and a few more things but I was never stopped by the police and I have never seen anybody else stopped by them either.

Driving a car at night with red plates is no longer an issue. The law changed a few months back now