Buying a car in Thailand - where do we even start?

Purchasing a vehicle in Thailand can be a rather daunting task, especially when you’ve just arrived in Thailand, assessed the road conditions that includes intensity of weaving taxis, motorcycles speeding on opposing lanes and wondered - gosh, how am I able to comprehend what’s going on?

You’ve settled down for a couple of months and feel that it is time to pull the trigger - but where do you even start?

We came up with 5 instances where you can prepare yourself during your hunt for the desired daily drive. This is far from a step by step guide, but rather stages during your decision making process that we feel you might benefit from, after countless hiccups during our own car buying journey!

Window shop at motor shows

This is highly recommended, rather than driving around the city to the nearest dealerships, often at the mercy of terrible traffic. Most of the brands will be situated conveniently to each other and you can get up close with your shortlists. The sales staff are often friendly, not pushy and if they realised that you prefer to converse in English, they could even refer you to an English-speaking colleague. The atmosphere at motor shows are more carnival-like (imagine the automotive version of talad rod fai night market) - and yes sales staff do face pressure to meet targets, but the manner in which they approach prospective buyers is often non-confrontational! Pending lockdowns and restrictions, keep an eye on annual shows like Bangkok International Motor Show in late March / early April as well as Thailand International Motor Expo in December.

Keep an eye on the specification sheet

Source: Toyota Motor Thailand

There could be countless specifications to choose from once you decide on the car model, and some might not even be shown on websites. For example, a top-spec Corolla Altis might offer all the bells and whistles like top-of-the-line safety features, but they might not indicate the bodykit that it could come with, as that often depends on the dealership that you visit. If you want to ensure that your new ride does not come with faux quad exhaust tips and chrome door inserts, do clarify with the sales staff for the exact specs that you will be getting. You might even get a “discount” if you do not opt for the bodykit as they might attempt to upsell a fully-loaded version - reminds us of online subscriptions where you have to uncheck the boxes before purchasing the premium plan unknowingly.

Thai-made vehicles versus full imports are priced very, very differently

Thailand is arguably ASEAN’s largest automotive hub that assembles and exports to neighbouring markets. You might be blown away by the price difference of a brand with a model that is fully made in Thailand (Complete Knocked Down / CKD), versus a model that is fully imported from the home country (Complete Built-Up / CBU). This is primarily due to the 300% import tax slapped on vehicles not made in Thailand (apart from other incentives from a handful of markets like China and Indonesia that receive subsidies) A CKD base spec Toyota Fortuner starts from THB1.3 million, while a CBU Toyota Alphard starts from THB3.9 million. Is the Alphard 3 times as premium as the Fortuner? You be the judge..

You can bid for your preferred registration number for free, but there’s a catch

Sounds too good to be true, and probably so! You can select your preferred vehicle registration number, so long as they are not in high demand. Single digit and “lucky” numbers are off limits, and for good reason as they are often placed in auctions and proceeds from winning bids go to charity. Interesting concept, and perhaps an intelligent scheme that benefits all types of car buyers.

Red plates “belong” to the dealership

Once you have chosen your preferred vehicle registration number, you will be issued with a temporary red-coloured plate. This plate belongs to the dealer and will be placed on all new cars - it will often have the dealer’s address scribbled across the plates. By right, drivers are not allowed to cross provinces when on red plates as your vehicle is not yet officially registered by the dealer. It could take some time for them to liaise with the transport department, but it’s more of a lengthy admin process rather than nudging for approvals. You will receive your new (white) plate when there are no other “competitors” for your preferred number. If there’s another driver eyeing for the same new number, you can opt to wait for another number of your choice, or auto-generate another number - both require time (weeks, or even months!) and you will still be on the red plate. Imagine a Bangkok-registered car driving Southeast through Samut Prakan without realising they are in Samut Prakan as these “borders” are often not easily identifiable. You should be fine so long as you do not venture to the Laos border with a Songkhla-registered red plate..

Happy shopping!