Importing a Ute from Australia (again).

[Konini]

Good afternoon gentlemen (I assume most of you are gentlemen), I will say up front that I'm a girl, or at least I was a lot of years ago. We are thinking about buying a ute/pick up/truck and were a bit shocked to see how much the nice ones cost. Then I came up with one of my bright ideas. Some work, some don't, but if you don't ask the questions you'll never know.

I know this subject has been done to death, I think my case may be a little different. In 2004 we bought a 2 year old ute, full service history and as we bought it in the family company name we kept up the annual services at a Ford garage because it was a tax deduction - not a hard worked beastie, it took my husband to work and back, when we went anywhere on a weekend we would use my little shopping trolley because we had to keep a log of the km for the ute so kept it entirely for work, and because the Barina was a lot better on fuel. We took early retirement in 2007, sold everything but the ute and my husband's tools - again, worthless. He's an English trained toolmaker and I can remember as teenagers saving up to get digital callipers and all sorts of things that were really expensive. When we moved to Aus, he took what he needed to work (that's how we got the tax deduction, no insurance at work for tools just a flat $500 compensation if they were stolen which wouldn't cover the cost of the big red box and you can't be expected to carry your tools to work on public transport. Our accountant almost fell off his chair when I told him I'd included it and he checked and checked and checked and doubted me until I told him I had it in writing from the company's insurance company that they don't cover tradesmen's tools (because of false claims) and I could also prove that all of his expensive stuff and the big red box was in the wardrobe in a spare room because they couldn't be left in the shed - our house policy didn't cover them either, then he congratulated my on finding the only loophole in Aus tax law that would allow someone working in the same place every day to have a 100% deduction for travelling to and from work - petrol, service, rego, new tyres, insurance and even roadside cover. Of course, he didn't take his tools to work and back every day, by that time he was working in maintenance and had a big toolbox on a trolley with the biggest padlock I've ever seen and not so expensive tools in it. The good stuff was in the spare bedroom, but now, even though they cost thousands of pounds then dollars to build up the collection, they are totally worthless. He had a young apprentice who was a bit of a smarty-pants and said to him to get you started off in life, you can have the lot for $50. A good turn. The cheeky little bugger tried to bargain him down and wanted a receipt for a couple of thousand so he could claim it on tax. So he didn't get them, they're in the workshop of another friend who uses them occasionally, but mainly they sit in the corner, worthless).

The ute is garaged at a friend's house, taxed and insured so he can use it if he ever needs to and he gives it a blast down the freeway once a month to keep the battery from drying up or something. The rego and insurance are now at a level that it would be just as cheap for us to hire a car for the month or so we spend there every year. The thing is, this ute with perfect bodywork and perfect engine and ultra low mileage has a book value of about $1,500 due to it's age. Condition and low miles don't count for anything, people want newer and shinier. It's not a big engine, I forget the model even, but not one the boy racers would go for.

So my bright idea was how about shipping it here? I know it would cost a lot to ship, not sure about taxes because of the free trade agreement and anyway the official book value is peanuts because its 14 years old and we can prove that. And we know we would have a ute that was well cared for and reliable.

So, please don't shoot me down, I'm sure you won't because you seem like a nice bunch of people, but is this a bright idea or a hopeless one?

Thank you for reading, I know I tend to ramble, and thanks in advance for any opinions.

[Crossy]

Standard forum wisdom is "don't even think about it".

Try a forum search, there are quite a few threads in a similar vein.

We have, over the years, seen ONE successful import of a vehicle by a forum member and he was extremely coy over just how much it cost him in duty, tax and tea money

[Don Mega]

What ute is it exactly, from there some basic numbers can be worked out but the general consensus is you will be stung bad. Dont forget shipping and insurance will be at minimum $4000 at that will be tacked onto the vehicle value before they start calculating impot taxes and duties.

This is all assuming you actually get import approval (required be it is loaded onto a ship).

You can rest assured though if you are sucessful at importing it you would have been better off (mentally and financially) by buying a pickup here.

[Konini]

Oh well, hopeless idea. It was worth a try, just because it's such a good ute with virtually no value back home. The shipping is worth more than the book value, I had expected that, just thought that the free trade agreement might lower the taxes, or even offset the cost - a good couple of hundred thousand for a pretty crappy ute here, that would more than cover the cost of shipping and insurance, I just didn't know about taxes or import duties. It's a Ford Falcon AU either 4 or 6 cylinder 4 litre, bog standard, but 2002 model so the book value in Aus is about $1,500 currently about 40,500 baht - husband checked recently. Such a shame it's a non starter.

It was worth a try, and thank you all for your very quick and on point replies (and not jumping on me).

Have a lovely weekend.

[seedy]

Derogatory post Removed

[cumgranosalum]

" We are thinking about buying a ute/pick up/truck and were a bit shocked to see how much the nice ones cost." - well i haven't lived in Oz for about 12 years so the prices of Utes must have dropped or your premise (I'm assuming you are talking about buying a ute in Thailand) is wrong.

As far as I can ascertain the free trade agreement with Oz didn't cover privately owned vehicles whether new or second-hand, so the import duties and taxes could total up to 270% of the "value" of the vehicle imported - that value is also to be decided with the agreement of thai C&E. In short, unless there is a new phase in the FT agreement that allows this, you are on a hiding to nothing.

I'm still concerned why someone from Oz thinks pick-ups are that dear though. It is worth bearing in mind though that countries with high second-hand prices tend to have less depreciation in resale value down the track.

[Jitar]

Yes new pickups are more expensive in Australia. The OP may be saying a nice ute is expensive here compared to the old Ford she has in Australia that owes her nothing.

If owned for many years, there is a discount on the duty. If the ute is a Falcon, it would not sell for much in Thailand and be hard to get parts. The hassle getting it through customs would not be worth it.

[cumgranosalum]

Yes new pickups are more expensive in Australia. The OP may be saying a nice ute is expensive here compared to the old Ford she has in Australia that owes her nothing.

If owned for many years, there is a discount on the duty. If the ute is a Falcon, it would not sell for much in Thailand and be hard to get parts. The hassle getting it through customs would not be worth it.

as the OP is talking of importing a "cheap" second-hand vehicle, I'm assuming she is talking of second-hand prices - she doesn't make it that clear.

"We are thinking about buying a ute/pick up/truck and were a bit shocked to see how much the nice ones cost." - whether "nice one" is new or second-hand isn't clear. but my experience of buying utes in Oz - albeit 15 years ago was that they were bloody expensive. Deffo not appreciably cheaper than here.

[Don Mega]

A quickie look at the numbers and a 2002 model AU ford Ute will cost about $13,000 USD to import.

[Konini]

That's about the same as what we'd pay for a decent newish one here I think. Definitely not worth the trouble it would be.

Idea over. Thanks to everybody for the input, especially Don Mega for getting the figures together.

We might just sign it over to the friend who is storing for us if he wants it. He has a son of 15, couple of year time maybe he can have it.

May I suggest to mods that the subject be closed.

Thanks again everybody.