I intend to spend considerable time in thailand and wonder what the pros and cons are of bringing a car in. I assume if you import there is customs duty payable. How long can you have a car in the country without duty being paid? ???

Make a search on thaivisa.com on "car" and you will have all the answers.

You can bring a car into Thailand from Malaysia without paying any customs deposit.

You will need to apply for an import permit for the car. You will need to bring the original plus a copy of your passport and the car registration book. Be sure to keep the permit with you during your stay in Thailand. You will also need to present the permit to Customs officers when you leave Thailand.

The car will be allowed to stay in Thailand a maximum of 30 days. When you exit the country, you will need to show your import permit to Customs officers at the checkpoint where you leave.

You can do "visa run with the car every 30 days." That means bordercrossing with the car at the Malaysian border.

For longer car stay see our website.

I also want to bring a sports car into Thailand, I have asked about this, if you have a thai wife in the UK or US, the car has to be in her name for 18 months and she must hold a full driving permit, then there will be no duty due in Thailand, check it out, but thats what I have been told, if more info let us know. cheers.

I also want to bring a sports car into Thailand, I have asked about this, if you have a thai wife in the UK or US, the car has to be in her name for 18 months and she must hold a full driving permit, then there will be no duty due in Thailand, check it out, but thats what I have been told, if more info let us know. cheers.

I'd check that information very very carefully.

I also want to bring a sports car into Thailand, I have asked about this, if you have a thai wife in the UK or US, the car has to be in her name for 18 months and she must hold a full driving permit, then there will be no duty due in Thailand, check it out, but thats what I have been told, if more info let us know. cheers.

I have heard something similar - that a car owned for more than a year could be brought in for free when moving back to TH. Haven't found it documented anywhere, just rumours about it.

I'd check that information very very carefully

I suggest you take heed of what he says.

A few years ago I was in Klong Toey and the Thai gentleman I was with said take a butchers at this.

This, turned out to be a warehouse full of nice motors that had been inported from the U.K.

There were Merc's BMW's a few Lotus Elans, in short a lot of money and a very piddled off importer.

These vehicles had not turned a wheel for ages they were covered in dirt what happened to them I don't know but it put me of even considering bring a motor here.

I was told that the reason vehicle import duty is so high here was to protect the infant Thai vehicle industry about 40 years ago.

Some infant, anybody know why the duty is so high?

I have heard something similar - that a car owned for more than a year could be brought in for free when moving back to TH. Haven't found it documented anywhere, just rumours about it.

The Customs Department mentioned this one when we contacted them, apparently it's a once a lifetime deal for students that have been studying abroad and have achieved certain qualifications. But even then it wasn't totally free, there was still the local registration tax and VAT (based on the cars value in the mystery price book), and other conditions to be met.

I've been looking at importing a car for years, I've never found an affordable way to do it.

J

I was told that the reason vehicle import duty is so high here was to protect the infant Thai vehicle industry about 40 years ago.

Some infant, anybody know why the duty is so high?

The taxes were placed on luxuries following the crash in 1997. Prior to that cars were reasonably priced.

Did well for the resale values of cars bought pre-tax, though. A friend of mine can still sell his BMW Z3 today for more than he bought it for in '97!

friend of mine can still sell his BMW Z3 today for more than he bought it for in '97! 

That may be the case but high duty rates on imported cars were in place long before 1997.

Doesn't Thailand have to reduce it's import duty on cars at some point in 2005. (part of the agreement when it joined the WTO - probably the end of the year...).

I know Malaysia got an extension to 2008 before they have to reduce theirs, does anyone know if Thailand did the same.

(Might not make any difference - I fully expect the car tax to go up in compensation).