Advice on importing a motorcycle into Thailand

[pocketpook]

I am planning to import my motorcycle (Yamaha YZF R6) to Thailand and would like to know if there's a way to calculate the tax. I would appreciate the information from anyone has gone through the process. Thank you.

[papa al]

...bad plan.

[OmegaRacer]

There are dozens of threads already regarding the import of bikes.

and they are all basically saying the same thing: unless you have money to throw away and lots of time and patience, think again.

[DILLIGAD]

Search the subject on This forum and the recommendations will be crystal clear.

DONT DO IT!

[JimMorris]

I would not recommend importing anything of great value at all if you can avoid it. My experience has been whenever I shipped anything in was that it becomes a process of your patience against their ability to say no until you finally agree to whatever amount of ransom that is wanted in order to release your items. And you do in the end because you simply want them. They smother you in bureaucracy and annoyances until you reach a point where there is nothing left to do but pay up to end the frustration. If you are talking a motorcycle, I wouldn't even want to imagine how messy it could get.

[Gweiloman]

To the OP - ignore all the naysayers. Importing a bike is easily doable, just a matter of money.

Say for eg that the bike is valued by Thai customs to be 1,000,000 baht (note that the actual value of the bike and the Thai Customs valuation has nothing in common). So, expect to pay about 300% tax ie another 3 million baht. I would also advise appointing a local agent/broker for a fee of about 100,000 baht. Finally, set aside another 500,000 baht for greasing palms etc.

So, for a mere 3.6 million baht, you can easily import your prized possession into Thailand. Job done.

[apetley]

I actually enquired about importing my Fazer to Thailand. It worked out at roughly 150% of the value Thai Customs put on the bike.

I sold it in the UK and bought a bike here.

It just isn't worth it.

[Beardog]

Best advice anyone can give you JUST Don't Do It. You are going to regret this foolish plan unless someone is giving you a million baht to import the bike over here. After an act of God you may or may not even be able to ride it here legally..............But if you can walk on water go for it. It is no longer feasable anymore. You will wind up chasing money with money & when it is over you will wish you just bought a Honda Or Kawasaki. The plants are right around the corner from Pattaya. And the DLT preffers you do it this way or pay hideousely over the top fines & endless hoops to jump through. I got 2 Kawasakis & 1 Engine I want over here that are newer & they would cost a little over 200% if I can ever get them registered. Easier to buy over here. Better to sell your dream ride back home & cut your losses as most of us have already done. This is the wrong country for what you intend on doing. Do a search on TV or any other bike forums. Everyone agrees it is a real dead Boogie.

[BKKBike09]

+1 to all the above. As Gweiloman says - the actual value of the bike and the Thai Customs valuation have nothing in common, so you won't know till you've paid to ship it here what the assessed value will be (and don't forget it will include shipping and insurance costs).

Getting it into the country is just the first step. Customs has nothing to do with licensing, Getting a registration could well be impossible.

If you ONLY ever wanted to use your bike on a track in Thailand then maybe there might be some leeway ie imported for track use but liable for full duty if ever sold. I only say 'cos in Singapore I believe it's possible to import a bike purely for track use in neighbouring Malaysia. But I have no idea if you can do this in Thailand.

If you want to use it on the roads, forget it.

[papa al]

OP: Go for it. Couldn't be too bad.

[DILLIGAD]

OP: Go for it. Couldn't be too bad.

Agreed. We don't get enough funny posts/stories on TV anymore IMO.

[wow64]

Everyone is just trying to scare you OP... go for it.

Will give you many headaches and cost you more then the bike is worth in tax..

[Paul9989]

Why does this thread continue to go on? The OP has obviously already left the building long ago. I guess people just can't get enough of hearing themselves talk.

[wow64]

Why does this thread continue to go on? The OP has obviously already left the building long ago. I guess people I can't get enough of hearing myself talk.

Yes that is obvious from your post.

[NickJ]

But IF.......You do decide to do it please keep us in the loop .......Entertainment value and all.........

[Cobrabiker]

It is going to costs about the same as new bikes in LOS or more for importing fairly new bike into LOS, and heard that they are not issuing any more green book for imported used bikes, but I am not sure, you may want to check it out.

From older post, looks like some calculation error for (3)Excise tax, but after all, expect to pay more for "unforeseen circumstances", many have thought about it, but only few have done it.

If your Yamaha YZF-R1 is worth US$10,000 (+/- 330,000 Baht) the official calculation go's as followed.

1)Import duty (CIF value including rate of import duty) = 330,000 x 0,80 = 264,000 Baht
2)Reduction on the import tax because the motorcycle is two years old = -88,011 Baht
3)Excise Tax 30 percent of (175,989 + 330,000) = 226,562 Baht
4)Interior tax 10 percent of 226,562 Baht = 22,656 Baht
5)Base value for VAT 755,207 Baht
6)VAT 7% 52,864 Baht + 755,207 Baht = 808,071 Baht

Now the motorcycle is in the country, to get it 100% legal for public road use, expect to pay another 100,000 Baht for pollution testing and Department of Land Transport fee's