jxxxl Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 I'm thinking of buying a 2nd hand car in Thailand and I'm looking for some tips or words of caution. I really don't know what to expect buying second hand in Thailand, but I thought with new auto sales so brisk, there may be some good 2nd hand buys. Also, does anyone know if there is a publication of 2nd hand sale prices, something like the Blue Book in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 Look at this website, I have known people who use him...... www.geocities.com/kfarang/expat_motors SB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 Hi Like other countries ..buyer beware. My ex MP gfs father is a motor cycle mechanic up north...i bought a bike for the mom second hand had 9k on the clock...3 minutes after getting home it was zero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 15, 2004 Report Share Posted February 15, 2004 Yes there are several magazines available dealing with used car prices. One list the year and expected value. When I use that listing, it is considerably lower in price then what dealers are asking for their vehicles. Check the magazine stands, it should save you some money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whosyourdaddy Posted February 19, 2004 Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 www.rodthai.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INTJ Posted February 19, 2004 Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 Hi, The used industry here is completely different to Europe and the USA. The Thai government keeps residual values artificially high by levying a huge tax on imported vehicles. This makes buying a new locally made vehicle the only viable alternative, thus protecting the local industry. There is none of the massive depreciation seen in the west, where there are some fantastic bargains to be had, especially in the higher end of the market. Thailand is at the opposite end of the scale. The general condition of used cars here is appalling. Vehicles deteriorate rapidly on the poor road surfaces, and maintainance is virtually non existant. Many cars have suffered extensive accident damage and been repaired to a very poor standard. It is a common sight to see vehicles "crabbing" down the road, as they have been panelled and painted without the chassis being aligned. Very dangerous ! Mileages can be "intergalactic". I saw a 2002 Mitsubishi G-Wagon a couple of weeks ago for sale with 280,000 km on the clock :: and still asking over 700,000 ! When it hasn't sold in a few weeks, I'm sure it will become an 80,000 km G-Wagon ! Say "Benz" and think of a telephone number, you'll be near the price. A 1990 'E' Class Mercedes is still worth around 700,000, and a 70's 230E around 250,000. And many of these were German taxis, run into the ground in Europe, converted to RHD, shipped over here and repainted. In reality, they are worth nothing, fit only for the breakers yard. But here, its big face for all the Benz owners. Funny old world Some may disagree, but I as I see it you can either buy a new Toyota truck, or a new Toyota saloon car. Nothing else really makes sense (at the cheap end of the market). You get much more metal for your baht with a truck. Brand new Toyota Hilux Double Cab, 4WD, 3 litre D4D Auto, fully loaded (leather, everything) with a 3 year or 100,000 km warranty, 878,000, and, it won't drop like a stone in value. It is possible to buy a brand new low spec truck for around half that ! If you are planning to do most of your driving around Bangkok, a a saloon car would probably be better. The Toyota Soluna Vios is pretty neat and only 659,000 for the top model. Also cheap is the Suzuki "Caribian" jeep, brand new for 380,000. The downside of the jeep is you will look a twat A new "Mini" will cost you 2,700,000, double the price of a new Honda Accord 3.0 V6. And yet, there are mini's driving around :: There are several used car publications, "Datchanee" and "Rot Wan Ni", spend a couple of hours browsing through them and you'll start to get and idea of the prices. They also have the list price of all new cars. As well as the link from WYD try :- www.taladrod.com Good Luck, hope this helps. INTJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jxxxl Posted February 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 Guys, Thanks for the good advice. I've been thinking about buying a car for a while and have been torn over what to do. My wife wants a second hand Benz. In the US, you can buy a two year old MB or BMW from the dealer that have just come off a lease and are warrantied and a great buys. In Thailand though, I just don't have a lot of confidence in buying a second hand car because, for one thing, there is no consumer protection i.e., the reasons INTJ mentioned. Even in the US, there are shops that weld the front and rear halvs (the good parts) of two wreckers together and sell is as intact. I went to the auto show in Bangkok and you could clearly see the premium attached to the imported cars. It just doesn't make sense to buy a car that carries the import tax. Fro example in the US, a Toyota Camery and VW Passat are about the same price. In Thailand, the Passat is about 50% more than the Camery. Having said that, is there a list somewhere containing the various cars that are actually made/assembled in Thailand? Also, if a manufacturer assembles several models in Thailand, does that mean other models from the same manufacturers are free from import tax? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash999 Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 jxxxl said:I went to the auto show in Bangkok and you could clearly see the premium attached to the imported cars. It just doesn't make sense to buy a car that carries the import tax. Fro example in the US, a Toyota Camery and VW Passat are about the same price. In Thailand, the Passat is about 50% more than the Camery. Having said that, is there a list somewhere containing the various cars that are actually made/assembled in Thailand? Also, if a manufacturer assembles several models in Thailand, does that mean other models from the same manufacturers are free from import tax? Buy one or two of the large weekly car magazines available all over town- they have lists of new car prices. The used car prices found inside give you a rough idea of prices. It makes sense to buy used as the depreciation for some models (Jeep Cherokee, all Alfas) is scary- buying a used car can really reduce the total cost of ownership even if you have to make some minor repairs and replace tires/pads/belts/etc. Decide on your budget, then the type of car you're looking for, then look at the pricing for used cars in Thailand and look at which models you want to target. I've bought a couple of used cars in the past few years (a BMW and an imported Toyota) and not had problems, but I've got enough of a mechanical background to avoid major pitfalls. I highly recommend getting someone to help you look for your car who knows the ins-and-outs- that farang motors service seems quite good, though I don't know anyone who has used them. Some decent deals available for dealer demos- with warranty and all. But the pricing won't be as good as what you can find from private sales. Thais are Benz-crazy, so the price of the newest C-class body hasn't come down by too much, at least the last time I checked. A 2001 or 2002 3-series might be a good idea, though bear in mind there will be a new 3-series coming out the end of 2005. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SingaporeSteve Posted February 24, 2004 Report Share Posted February 24, 2004 JXXXL, You could always buy mine !!! No need to describe it as you have been in it !! (I still remember that classic call to the Penthouse Hotel asking for the "Front desk" ) But seriously, anything not Japanese, plummets like a lead balloon here. My car is leased through Daimler Chrysler - they regularly 'take back' benz's from non paying customers and then auction them out. I have it on good authority that they lose a fortune whenever they take them back. Selling price to the punter by dealers is a different story. This impacts all brands but some are worse than others e.g Jeep, Landrover, Alfa, VW, Audi. If you do buy an import or anything not Japanese and you can find a good 1-2 yr old model, they are a steal. You should determine your budget and either buy brand new or buy a car that is less than 2 years old from an imported brand, either way you will get a lot more car for your money than say a 4 year old Japanese model in MHO Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whosyourdaddy Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 Yes I agree with most here If you buy a Toyota Corolla it is quite easy to sell it since Taxi drivers are looking for that model all the time ( civics can not be taxis) For used cars I found the best value to be the Chrysler Neon. ABout 300-400K for a few years old. Izusu Dmax, Toyota Hilux or Toy. Vios are probably the best at keeping there valued as they are highly regarded by the thais as good value , solid autos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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