Personal import vehicle

[DjSiN]

Hi. Sorry if this is posted in wrong section, but I'm new here.

My missess n I are moving to Thai soon and we want to bring our vehicles, both are sports cars that we def could not afford to buy in Thailand. 

I know about the taxesn duties being around 200% of value plus ship n insurance, but I can't seem to find HOW Thai customs VALUE your vehicle. I read they sometimes use Parker's guide or similar but with our cars being second hand etc I just don't know. I've owned mine for 6years and my lady owned hers for 2years.

What sucks is I can buy my car in Australia for as little as $5k but in Thai they cost closer to 780,000baht!!! 

I've spent the last two years modifying mine to do some drift race events, plus about 50k on engine conversion and suspension etc. What's the trick to getting a fair valuation? Does anyone know a helpful contact?

 

what about reputable ship companies? We are moving about half to a full ship container of our stuff also. 

 

Area We are moving to is sam roi yot. 

 

 

[Rdrokit]

Do a search as this topic has been covered numerous times. Best advice sell them and buy here.

[JAS21]

Don't even think about trying to bring them here ... you will never see them again. Well might but you won't be driving them .......

[steve187]

Don't do it, remove the thought from your mind.

[Kwasaki]

Here my take on what l found, l believe it was possible at once upon a time but not now. 

Apart from con promises of someone saying they can do it for you,  unless you have lots bucks and deep pockets sellem in Oz.

 

Even if you could afford the costs and in the unlikely event of getting the cars as far as to a Thailand port they may well be confiscated by customs.

 

Once here there are other big costs involved for getting them inspected and that is not by anyways and means like the simple type 7 year checks here in Thailand,  once that is done your further costs would be getting them registered and getting a book & number plate.

 

E.g. Dunno about car costs but for a motorbike and this was with a grey import bike put together already in Thailand 9 years ago, the inspection was 27,000 baht and if they found anything wrong with the slightest thing it would fail and you don't get that money back,  if you fixed the fault and paid another 27,000 baht they may well find something else, we were told by an official don't try it and waste money.  

[overherebc]

A few years ago I was quoted 300% of the value of a new model of the car I was thinking about bringing here from UK.

I paid 10,000 in UK for my car 2nd hand but the new model at the time I was asking Customs here was 35,000 plus. 

This was around 15/16 years ago at least.

I sold it in UK and brought the money.

[mike324]

Forget about bringing cars in Thailand, save yourself the headache and find an alternative sports car in Thailand that you can afford, most of the 90s  sports cars won't depreciate much anymore. So it may be an expensive purchase, but you probably won't loose any money if you sell it too.

 

I believe they value your vehicle based on what it costs new, not the 2nd hand market price.

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, mike324 said:

Forget about bringing cars in Thailand, save yourself the headache and find an alternative sports car in Thailand that you can afford, most of the 90s  sports cars won't depreciate much anymore. So it may be an expensive purchase, but you probably won't loose any money if you sell it too.

 

I believe they value your vehicle based on what it costs new, not the 2nd hand market price.

 

That's what I was told re valuation.

110,000 pounds to bring a car that I paid 10,000 for.

[DjSiN]

Wow!  That's insane! I guess I'll ship the engine and do another damn conversion. 

 

20b turbo dmax!!

 

Thanks team 

[DjSiN]

Anyone know what the duty rates are for importing an engine? And car parts in general?

 

thinking, bring mine over in pieces, shipped to two addresses and assemble in Thai , and just use the car for track race days. 

[Rdrokit]

15 minutes ago, DjSiN said:

Anyone know what the duty rates are for importing an engine? And car parts in general?

 

thinking, bring mine over in pieces, shipped to two addresses and assemble in Thai , and just use the car for track race days. 

Customs is smart to this idea. Heavy tax on bring just a body and chassis unless it is cut in half. That way customs knows it will not be used as a complete vehicle.

[Don Mega]

22 minutes ago, DjSiN said:

Anyone know what the duty rates are for importing an engine? And car parts in general?

 

thinking, bring mine over in pieces, shipped to two addresses and assemble in Thai , and just use the car for track race days. 

new - 30%

secondhand - 10%.

 

Doing a cut and shut, forget about it

[DjSiN]

On 10/12/2016 at 10:33 PM, Don Mega said:

new - 30%

secondhand - 10%.

 

Doing a cut and shut, forget about it

 

So my only option is to buy a registerable rolling shell in Thai and import my engine/suspension etc

csn u see any issues with this option?

[Don Mega]

16 minutes ago, DjSiN said:

 

So my only option is to buy a registerable rolling shell in Thai and import my engine/suspension etc

csn u see any issues with this option?

Where do you propose to buy a  rolling shell ?

[DjSiN]

Thailand? Is this a trick question ? 

 

U recon they're a bit rare?

[canthai55]

What make and model do you have in mind ?  Search Talarod and 12car to see if they are available here, and what you will have to pay. Then at least you will have a car with a blue book in your name, and just have to register the engine swap with the DLT. Beware that if you have serious mods on it - visually at least - this may cause you some problems when going to do the engine part number change. Each and every DLT seems to be different - no set rules followed around the country.

[Rdrokit]

55 minutes ago, DjSiN said:

 

So my only option is to buy a registerable rolling shell in Thai and import my engine/suspension etc

csn u see any issues with this option?

To change an engine you need a reputable mechanic change out the engine. Then he needs to write a letter to the Transportation Dept. saying he changed the engine, list the serial number and to the best of his knowledge it is not a stolen engine. THEN you need to take the vehicle to the Transportation Depart., they make sure the engine in the vehicle matches the serial number in the letter. Finally they change the engine serial number in the Blue book which is like the title of the vehicle. Good luck.

[Don Mega]

7 hours ago, DjSiN said:

Thailand? Is this a trick question ? 

 

U recon they're a bit rare?

 

They certainly are not common, what vehicle are you thinking of ?

[impulse]

8 hours ago, DjSiN said:

So my only option is to buy a registerable rolling shell in Thai and import my engine/suspension etc

csn u see any issues with this option?

 

Ya did it once.  Generally, you learn enough to do it cheaper, better and faster the next time.  Forget importing anything until you have enough time in country to figure out what's available here, then fill in any gaps one box at a time.

 

I've been to some drift races in Thailand, and if you want more power for a road car than these guys built in Thailand, you're probably going to die quickly if you don't have years of experience driving in the 3rd World.  It's different.  Not being mean.  Just the opposite, in fact.

 

Edit:  I'm assuming you've done all your diligence related to just moving to Thailand for more than a tourist stint? 

Edited December 12, 2016 by impulse

[madhav]

In Australia I had a 96 Mk IV supra with many modifications, I looked into it and it ended up being cheaper to get another type of car with a 2jz already in it. There are quite a few choices out there. The thais are good at retrofitting all kinds of engines in all kinds of cars. Labour is cheap, and the police don't care about anything. I got a A31 cefiro, can pick them up for about 200k with everything already done. Ended up with 540whp on E85. Sold it. Will probably go for a Evo 8 or 9 next.

[DjSiN]

35 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Ya did it once.  Generally, you learn enough to do it cheaper, better and faster the next time.  Forget importing anything until you have enough time in country to figure out what's available here, then fill in any gaps one box at a time.

 

I've been to some drift races in Thailand, and if you want more power for a road car than these guys built in Thailand, you're probably going to die quickly if you don't have years of experience driving in the 3rd World.  It's different.  Not being mean.  Just the opposite, in fact.

 

Edit:  I'm assuming you've done all your diligence related to just moving to Thailand for more than a tourist stint? 

Hey thanks for the tips. In fact thanks to all so far. 

 

I was was there for a month in May and last year in April. Hired a vehicle for the entire times we were there and am already very used to Thai roads and drivers lol. I actually like it and find some of the things I encounter amusing. I see a lot of people on this forum complaining or criticising the Thai way, but compared to australia I prefer Thai. There may be bribes and corruption but the usual amounts are petty cash compared to what the Aust gov steal from us every day under the guise of "law" and "public safety". Australia has turned into a complete nanny country and it really does my head in. There's a fine for just about everything here, and the police are the revenue rep's with SPER as the enforcers. It's really outta control and I'm done with it. But oops I got side tracked, yeh I love Thailand, well, certain parts of Thailand anyway. I've so far trekked Bangkok to korat to banlueam to Pattaya and surrounding back to Bangkok to Hua hin to Koh Samui .... Then this year Bangkok to Sam roi yot to korat to banlueam to korat to Sam roi yot again then onto Burma border and all over prachuap kiri khan and finally back to Bangkok. So yeh u could say I know what I'm in for on Thai roads, no issue there.

As far as power goes, umm 600hp turbo 20b rx8 lol. Capable of more quite easily but to be honest, for the street it's plenty. The engine is rare and getting rarer every year, so there's no way I'm parting with it. Spent over 10k building the motor alone.

 

ill take ur advice on the taking time bit to figure who is what etc. we already have a great contact in the area we moving to, like chief of the village and gov official so hopefully we'll get a helping hand.

 

what area u at over there anyway?

[DjSiN]

19 minutes ago, madhav said:

In Australia I had a 96 Mk IV supra with many modifications, I looked into it and it ended up being cheaper to get another type of car with a 2jz already in it. There are quite a few choices out there. The thais are good at retrofitting all kinds of engines in all kinds of cars. Labour is cheap, and the police don't care about anything. I got a A31 cefiro, can pick them up for about 200k with everything already done. Ended up with 540whp on E85. Sold it. Will probably go for a Evo 8 or 9 next.

Oh man yeh that sounds hopeful!, awesome, yeh I recon I'll source a good rolling shell there and just transfer my gear. I don't really wanna put a 20b into anything except another  rx8, theses cars are amazing handling straight from factory, so with just a few tweaks and 3times the stock power ur up and away!

[DjSiN]

8 hours ago, Rdrokit said:

To change an engine you need a reputable mechanic change out the engine. Then he needs to write a letter to the Transportation Dept. saying he changed the engine, list the serial number and to the best of his knowledge it is not a stolen engine. THEN you need to take the vehicle to the Transportation Depart., they make sure the engine in the vehicle matches the serial number in the letter. Finally they change the engine serial number in the Blue book which is like the title of the vehicle. Good luck.

No problem here man, I do all my own work anyway, I'm sure I can get a mechanic to sign off on it for a fee, hehe, then again I don't see the need to tell anyone anyway once it's done, I haven't done so here in Aus either, too many rules n regs in my opinion. Why u think I'm moving to Thai haha.

[DjSiN]

8 hours ago, canthai55 said:

What make and model do you have in mind ?  Search Talarod and 12car to see if they are available here, and what you will have to pay. Then at least you will have a car with a blue book in your name, and just have to register the engine swap with the DLT. Beware that if you have serious mods on it - visually at least - this may cause you some problems when going to do the engine part number change. Each and every DLT seems to be different - no set rules followed around the country.

Mazda rx8. Any series. I only need a complete body and interior, even damaged is fine, I have all the suspension, modified subframe etc, and of course engine. Basically I'll just scout around for the cheapest deal possible and swap over all my gear. Surely I can find what I'm looking for there at a decent cheap price. 

[Don Mega]

1 minute ago, DjSiN said:

Mazda rx8. Any series. I only need a complete body and interior, even damaged is fine, I have all the suspension, modified subframe etc, and of course engine. Basically I'll just scout around for the cheapest deal possible and swap over all my gear. Surely I can find what I'm looking for there at a decent cheap price. 

 

Anything imported wont be cheap unless it is heavily damaged or a dodgy but good luck in your search.

 

If it were me I'd be looking at a cheap Ceffie (saw one last week with a 2j/5 speed in with big single high mount for 120k),  mid 80's 318 BMW or a cheap 2wd pickup.

 

 

[madhav]

Can get RX8 here in Thailand. I have seen them. Not cheap as per usual thai prices. Check here and other facebook groups:

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/Genuine.racing.cars/

 

https://www.kaidee.com/c11a182-auto-car-rx8/p-1/

http://th.priceprice.com/Mazda-RX-8-8241/

http://www.taladrod.com/w30/iSch/SchC.aspx?fno:all+mk:32+md:471+bd:0+ta:0+smd:n+ty:0+cl:0+gr:b+pv:0+y1:0+y2:2016+p1:0+p2:0

 

I have searched extensively what cars are available and almost everything is stupidly and sickeningly overpriced. Only exception I could find was the Evo 8 and 9. For some reason they appear reasonably priced.

Edited December 12, 2016 by madhav

[Don Mega]

5 minutes ago, madhav said:

Can get RX8 here in Thailand. I have seen them.

 

Nobody is sayin they are not here but the OP wants cheap.

Bt.700,000 aint cheap.

 

[Rdrokit]

The problem with RX8s is that they were not assembled in Thailand so were hit with a 300% import tax when they came in country. The chances of finding a rolling chassis is slim and none and slim just left town as there were not that many imported.

Here are some that are available on the used market. Not cheap.

http://www.one2car.com/mazda/rx-8/

[DjSiN]

Bahahaaha that so awesome, slim left town, I actually have never heard that one. I'll use that.

[Rdrokit]

38 minutes ago, DjSiN said:

Bahahaaha that so awesome, slim left town, I actually have never heard that one. I'll use that.

That was one of an old friend in the states favorite sayings. Use it in good health.