Where's the so-called saving on pickups made in Thailand?

[cumgranosalum]

Australia is probably trying to clear out the old Triton. How much is the MY 15 model?

A Google search would probably tell you, or was it a rhetorical question?

I'm not sure the new model prices are out yet - it would interfere with the run out prices...

[giddyup]

Australia is probably trying to clear out the old Triton. How much is the MY 15 model?

A Google search would probably tell you, or was it a rhetorical question?

I'm not sure the new model prices are out yet - it would interfere with the run out prices...

I bought my runout Triton after the new model was released, that's when the best discounts were available.

[cumgranosalum]

So things have not changed in 50 years.........

As a youngster was always upset that cars like Rover and Triumph, could be exported and sold a lot cheaper than in the UK + the export models were of a much high spec than the top model in the UK

how much a car costs depends a lot of quality produced, the method of production ...but also on the destination market......taxes duties are a huge factor - some things ae not permitted by law - e.g. Thailand insists pickups have leaf rear springs. Even after the vehicle is bought the taxes continue - e.g. insurance and road tax - different amounts for different vehicles.

In some countries where duty is high the vehicles are loaded with accessories as they are relatively cheap and up the desirability of the vehicle......e.g. Mercs are regarded as luxury sedans in some countries and just good taxis in others.......

so in essence trying to make simple comparisons bet ween one country and another is not a simple as it may seem

[hkt83100]

I thought pick-ups only attracted 3% excise duty in Thailand plus interior tax and VAT of course.

Four door pickups are not considered to be working cars and are taxed like sedans. If you want to save taxes buy a two-door variant. You can see the difference looking at the license plate. Green vs. black letters/numbers.

Edited March 8, 2015 by hkt83100

[Benjie]

Benje

No, the average Thai buys a motorbike.

The cost in Australia is just under half the yearly salary,do you believe they should price the pickup at 2,999 dollars here in Thailand for the average Tha?

Who's driving the hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of cars and pickups on Thai roads if they aren't average Thais?

No, I don't expect a pickup to sell for $2,999 here, but it would be nice to get the same level of equipment the buyer in Australia gets for the same price. Instead what Thailand gets is the "poverty pack" in equipment levels, probably the same in nearly all vehicles manufactured here. I think Thai buyers get short-changed.

Perhaps the market in Australia is more competitive and the buyers there won't settle for low equipment levels.

[cumgranosalum]

Benje

No, the average Thai buys a motorbike.

The cost in Australia is just under half the yearly salary,do you believe they should price the pickup at 2,999 dollars here in Thailand for the average Tha?

Who's driving the hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of cars and pickups on Thai roads if they aren't average Thais?

No, I don't expect a pickup to sell for $2,999 here, but it would be nice to get the same level of equipment the buyer in Australia gets for the same price. Instead what Thailand gets is the "poverty pack" in equipment levels, probably the same in nearly all vehicles manufactured here. I think Thai buyers get short-changed.

Perhaps the market in Australia is more competitive and the buyers there won't settle for low equipment levels.

that is certainly one factor in a series....

[casualbiker]

Benje

No, the average Thai buys a motorbike.

The cost in Australia is just under half the yearly salary,do you believe they should price the pickup at 2,999 dollars here in Thailand for the average Tha?

Who's driving the hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of cars and pickups on Thai roads if they aren't average Thais?

No, I don't expect a pickup to sell for $2,999 here, but it would be nice to get the same level of equipment the buyer in Australia gets for the same price. Instead what Thailand gets is the "poverty pack" in equipment levels, probably the same in nearly all vehicles manufactured here. I think Thai buyers get short-changed.

Perhaps the market in Australia is more competitive and the buyers there won't settle for low equipment levels.

that is certainly one factor in a series....

The more likely factor is that buyers here would rather save 100k baht and NOT have more airbags etc (in their minds,remember my earlier comments) and would rather spend that money on AMULETS for protection!!!

[cumgranosalum]

Benje

No, the average Thai buys a motorbike.

The cost in Australia is just under half the yearly salary,do you believe they should price the pickup at 2,999 dollars here in Thailand for the average Tha?

Who's driving the hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of cars and pickups on Thai roads if they aren't average Thais?

No, I don't expect a pickup to sell for $2,999 here, but it would be nice to get the same level of equipment the buyer in Australia gets for the same price. Instead what Thailand gets is the "poverty pack" in equipment levels, probably the same in nearly all vehicles manufactured here. I think Thai buyers get short-changed.

Perhaps the market in Australia is more competitive and the buyers there won't settle for low equipment levels.

that is certainly one factor in a series....

The more likely factor is that buyers here would rather save 100k baht and NOT have more airbags etc (in their minds,remember my earlier comments) and would rather spend that money on AMULETS for protection!!!

I hjace said from the start that there are multiple reasons for price differences between countries and any attempt to pin it on one thing is way too simplistic..

[Benjie]

The thing is the OP was perfectly happy to pay the asking price here in Thailand for his Mitsubishi but got upset when he looked at what it cost in another country.

How many people are looking up what it costs in Australia and making a decision based on that.

The local price is the highest that the market will take whilst keeping optimum profitability from supply and demand.

[jacko45k]

True.. But as Thais don't look outside Thailand the manufacturer's will continue to overprice vehicles. Also I believe that vehicle taxation is higher here!

I thought that's why pickups were so popular, because there is little or no tax?

Lower annual/road tax, particularly 2 door.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

To compare prices of vehicles between countries is like comparing women, you get nowhere.

[giddyup]

The thing is the OP was perfectly happy to pay the asking price here in Thailand for his Mitsubishi but got upset when he looked at what it cost in another country.

How many people are looking up what it costs in Australia and making a decision based on that.

The local price is the highest that the market will take whilst keeping optimum profitability from supply and demand.

What I was upset about, and I don't know how more many times I have to say it, was that the Triton in Australia was the same price I paid but had a much higher level of equipment. The Triton I bought here wouldn't pass inspection in Australia with only a driver's side airbag, the Australian model gets six. Nothing I can do about it I realise that, just bend over grab my ankles and think of England, but it's still being short-changed however you look at it.

[does]

Things aren't priced on what it costs to manufacture but what the market will pay. You paid A$29,900 so I think they have it figured out right.

Great point. I think the same applies the Apple products.

[does]

Companies tailor-make their products for each country. That applies not only to extras but even to emission standards.

Japanese producers are perhaps to pioneers in this regards. I remember in the 1980s they were producing and exporting high-powered motor cycles (above 1000cc I believe) that were not allowed on the road in Japan.

The thing is the OP was perfectly happy to pay the asking price here in Thailand for his Mitsubishi but got upset when he looked at what it cost in another country.

How many people are looking up what it costs in Australia and making a decision based on that.

The local price is the highest that the market will take whilst keeping optimum profitability from supply and demand.

What I was upset about, and I don't know how more many times I have to say it, was that the Triton in Australia was the same price I paid but had a much higher level of equipment. The Triton I bought here wouldn't pass inspection in Australia with only a driver's side airbag, the Australian model gets six. Nothing I can do about it I realise that, just bend over grab my ankles and think of England, but it's still being short-changed however you look at it.

[recycler]

Thais and foreigners are ripped off big time in Thailand because there is no competition and high taxes.

You can buy 2 BMW's in Europe for the price of 1 assembled here and there are many more examples. Also look at the fuel consumption of the average local produced car compared to western standards.

It's not just with cars, almost everything here is more expensive now than in western Europe. Thailand is a major exporter of agricultural products, how can it be that vegetables and fruit are the same or more in the market here as in Europe? Believe it or not, but my son buy dragon fruit cheaper in the market in The Hague (NL) than I buy them here???

Why is my dentist charging the same as a dentist in NL?

Burger King is almost 10% more expensive here than in NL!

The cheaper international schools charge 2 times the price of an IB program on an international school in NL!

Thailand is colonized by their own elite, 20 or so families, that run the show, form the cartels, set the prices and farm the country. In the mean time the poor and middle class people are robbed dry.

[recycler]

The thing is the OP was perfectly happy to pay the asking price here in Thailand for his Mitsubishi but got upset when he looked at what it cost in another country.

How many people are looking up what it costs in Australia and making a decision based on that.

The local price is the highest that the market will take whilst keeping optimum profitability from supply and demand.

You would be right if there was competition in Thailand, but there is not.

All prices are arranged in cartels that are run by a small group of families and their companies that prevent competition.

[cumgranosalum]

Thais and foreigners are ripped off big time in Thailand because there is no competition and high taxes.

You can buy 2 BMW's in Europe for the price of 1 assembled here and there are many more examples. Also look at the fuel consumption of the average local produced car compared to western standards.

It's not just with cars, almost everything here is more expensive now than in western Europe. Thailand is a major exporter of agricultural products, how can it be that vegetables and fruit are the same or more in the market here as in Europe? Believe it or not, but my son buy dragon fruit cheaper in the market in The Hague (NL) than I buy them here???

Why is my dentist charging the same as a dentist in NL?

Burger King is almost 10% more expensive here than in NL!

The cheaper international schools charge 2 times the price of an IB program on an international school in NL!

Thailand is colonized by their own elite, 20 or so families, that run the show, form the cartels, set the prices and farm the country. In the mean time the poor and middle class people are robbed dry.

most of what you describe is down to protectionism by successive Thai governments.

if you want a good idea about the price of BMWs - check the Chinese market which accounts for the highest growth rate and the majority of their sales outside Europe these days

Edited March 9, 2015 by cumgranosalum

[georgemandm]

Not sure about your car but my D MAX was $35,000 on the road in thailand in Australia the same car $49,000 on road

[briley]

As a comparison what is the price of a Honda Dream motorcycle in Australia?

The equivalent of a dream in the UK is nearly 3 times the price and I can not see any difference in the specifications.

But cars, the pricing is the other way around. One I was looking at 600,000 Baht in the UK, just over 1 million in Thailand.

[ignis]

The thing is the OP was perfectly happy to pay the asking price here in Thailand for his Mitsubishi but got upset when he looked at what it cost in another country.

How many people are looking up what it costs in Australia and making a decision based on that.

The local price is the highest that the market will take whilst keeping optimum profitability from supply and demand.

What I was upset about, and I don't know how more many times I have to say it, was that the Triton in Australia was the same price I paid but had a much higher level of equipment. The Triton I bought here wouldn't pass inspection in Australia with only a driver's side airbag, the Australian model gets six. Nothing I can do about it I realise that, just bend over grab my ankles and think of England, but it's still being short-changed however you look at it.

think of England........ err my maths are not that good between currencies, [lived in Thailand to long not done exchange rates for many year of little interest what something cost in other Countries] notice the 4 door manual in UK £19.800, discount for buying the old model £ 16,400 on Mitz website UK..

[Time Traveller]

The thing is the OP was perfectly happy to pay the asking price here in Thailand for his Mitsubishi but got upset when he looked at what it cost in another country.

How many people are looking up what it costs in Australia and making a decision based on that.

The local price is the highest that the market will take whilst keeping optimum profitability from supply and demand.

What I was upset about, and I don't know how more many times I have to say it, was that the Triton in Australia was the same price I paid but had a much higher level of equipment. The Triton I bought here wouldn't pass inspection in Australia with only a driver's side airbag, the Australian model gets six. Nothing I can do about it I realise that, just bend over grab my ankles and think of England, but it's still being short-changed however you look at it.

Actually there is nothing unusual about that. Most Thai made autos would not be up to standard against autos sold in America. Not only that, in America autos are much much cheaper than the equivalent Thailand prices. So higher standard at a lower price. Thailand is what it is, but I don't know why you ever got the idea Thailand should be cheaper than elsewhere.

[Robert24]

if you want to feel better about your Mitsu purchase in Thailand, maybe compare with prices for this model in Singapore rather than Australia. I think that would make you happier...

[dominique355]

That's the result of a protected market: higher prices and lower quality.

Basically it comes from lack of competition because the government puts exorbitant taxes on imports to protect the domestic market.

Unfortunately the consumer is not protected in this scheme

[dapperdan]

I think the manufacturers tell the Thai government they need to make a certain amount of profit, from local sales, or they will shut down the manufacturing plants. After the flood, when they lost a bundle, the government gave a tax refund, to buyers, for every new car they bought. The road was full of red plates. Extortion. In USA they bribed everyone to ruin the mass transit systems so people would have to drive to work and such. The automobile industry is very powerful. Ekami and Morchit bus terminals are not busy, except for holidays. People drive everywhere or fly. Only poor and tourists, to Pattaya, take the bus.

[sometimewoodworker]

I thought pick-ups only attracted 3% excise duty in Thailand plus interior tax and VAT of course.

Four door pickups are not considered to be working cars and are taxed like sedans. If you want to save taxes buy a two-door variant. You can see the difference looking at the license plate. Green vs. black letters/numbers.

The model I got: no cab ฿400,000

The same ½ cab ฿600,000

The same 4 door ful cab ฿800,000

And the annual tax is about ⅓ the full cab version

[Time Traveller]

I think the manufacturers tell the Thai government they need to make a certain amount of profit, from local sales, or they will shut down the manufacturing plants. After the flood, when they lost a bundle, the government gave a tax refund, to buyers, for every new car they bought. The road was full of red plates. Extortion. In USA they bribed everyone to ruin the mass transit systems so people would have to drive to work and such. The automobile industry is very powerful. Ekami and Morchit bus terminals are not busy, except for holidays. People drive everywhere or fly. Only poor and tourists, to Pattaya, take the bus.

Yeah I heard the GM executives in Detroit after work, they go down and graffiti the subway and commit crimes on the buses so their customers feel better about driving everywhere.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Time Traveller

[Chaichara]

Sorry to change the subject somewhat.But it baffles me how vehicles are so much more expensive than some other places in the world and the

Average salary is so much smaller.They must have 10 year car payments to be able to purchase it.

They do - well, 7 years actually, and the interest is low. Very cleverly calculated by the manufacturers and the loan companies. At 7 years here a car is almost a wreck but still worth half its new price, so in endeffekt you never stop paying for one but you have up to 50% deposit for the next one. That's why most of the cars you see on the roads in Thailand are almost new. Good question is: where do all the 7+ year cars go? Not scrapped surely?

[cumgranosalum]

Sorry to change the subject somewhat.But it baffles me how vehicles are so much more expensive than some other places in the world and the

Average salary is so much smaller.They must have 10 year car payments to be able to purchase it.

They do - well, 7 years actually, and the interest is low. Very cleverly calculated by the manufacturers and the loan companies. At 7 years here a car is almost a wreck but still worth half its new price, so in endeffekt you never stop paying for one but you have up to 50% deposit for the next one. That's why most of the cars you see on the roads in Thailand are almost new. Good question is: where do all the 7+ year cars go? Not scrapped surely?

this has always been one of the reasons for high secondhand value - a car is ofte regarded as surety in itself in Thailand and so long as secondhand prices remained high this would have continued - any amou0nt of cash is only worth the amount of return an investor can get from it.....e.g. profit from business, rental or loans........

[elgordo38]

Things aren't priced on what it costs to manufacture but what the market will pay. You paid A$29,900 so I think they have it figured out right.

Don't talk rubbish.

How is that Rubbish, Do you honestly believe businesses manufacture things and then just add a set percentage on top as profit? Regardless of supply and demand and competitors.

So, the average Thai on probably less than $7,000 a year has to pay the same as the one sold in Australia, but to an Australian whose salaries are probably $70,000 plus a year on average.

So, the average Thai on probably less than $7,000 a year has to pay the same as the one sold in Australia, but to an Australian whose salaries are probably $70,000 plus a year on average. Thats until the bank repossesses them.

[MaeJoMTB]

Sorry to change the subject somewhat.But it baffles me how vehicles are so much more expensive than some other places in the world and the

Average salary is so much smaller.They must have 10 year car payments to be able to purchase it.

Baffles me how yearly tax, insurance and maintenance is so much more expensive everywhere else in the world.