Cheap car?
Cheap car?
Can I get a somewhat decent car for U$5,000 or less? The prices I've been are ridiculous. I don't want anything spectacular. Just a car that runs (and is not ancient). I'm going to be in Thailand for just a couple of years, so I don't want to spend a fortune in a car.
Re: Cheap car?
The short answer: No.
The more detailed answer: Expect cars here (Even used) to be about 4-6 times the price in the US. Would you be happy with a $800-1250 car in the US? (I'm running with US since you used US$) a decent 5-6 year old pick-up will cost between $10-20k depending on model, mileage, 4WD, 4Door, etc. The best bet is to troll the used car sites--prices ARE negotiable, but normally only 10-20k below asking price. Test drives here are normally conducted by the owner with you along for the ride, and they don't like the idea of taking the car to a mechanic...
When you're ready to buy I would suggest going to one of the expat car specialists and getting them to take give the car a solid once-over on-site. We did it for our car (Siam Motor World, if I'm allowed to name the business) and they saved us from buying a lemon. Labor is cheap here, and they can fix any accident up to look good as new--but it may be only cosmetics.
If you've got the time to wait, then the best advice is be predatory. Wait for another foreigner leaving Thailand, and wait for them to get desperate about selling. You probably still won't get anything decent for 5k, but you might be able to get a good find around the 10k mark......
We bought a pickup truck here that is nowhere near as nice as the SUV we sold in the US. We paid 3 times more for it than we'd sold the old one for. Welcome to Thailand!
The more detailed answer: Expect cars here (Even used) to be about 4-6 times the price in the US. Would you be happy with a $800-1250 car in the US? (I'm running with US since you used US$) a decent 5-6 year old pick-up will cost between $10-20k depending on model, mileage, 4WD, 4Door, etc. The best bet is to troll the used car sites--prices ARE negotiable, but normally only 10-20k below asking price. Test drives here are normally conducted by the owner with you along for the ride, and they don't like the idea of taking the car to a mechanic...
When you're ready to buy I would suggest going to one of the expat car specialists and getting them to take give the car a solid once-over on-site. We did it for our car (Siam Motor World, if I'm allowed to name the business) and they saved us from buying a lemon. Labor is cheap here, and they can fix any accident up to look good as new--but it may be only cosmetics.
If you've got the time to wait, then the best advice is be predatory. Wait for another foreigner leaving Thailand, and wait for them to get desperate about selling. You probably still won't get anything decent for 5k, but you might be able to get a good find around the 10k mark......
We bought a pickup truck here that is nowhere near as nice as the SUV we sold in the US. We paid 3 times more for it than we'd sold the old one for. Welcome to Thailand!
Re: Cheap car?
Thanks for the detailed reply. There's just no way I would pay U$10,000 for a used car here, especially since I won't be around for that long. It's just too big of an investment.
Re: Cheap car?
The good news is that used cars really do hold their value here.....the anticipated depreciation on our 500k pickup-truck is 20-25k a year.......
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tonymaroni
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Re: Cheap car?
dotx wrote:Can I get a somewhat decent car for U$5,000 or less? The prices I've been are ridiculous. I don't want anything spectacular. Just a car that runs (and is not ancient). I'm going to be in Thailand for just a couple of years, so I don't want to spend a fortune in a car.
Yes but they are ancient.
Ancient car works for me in Thailand. Mechanics are cheap here. They maintain cars for alot longer than USA. You can buy a $200-400 car in the USA that is on it's last legs. Here it is $2000 for the cheapest cars around and they run good. I bought one for $3000 the air is cold, new paint job, it runs great. I wouldn't spend $10K just to have a newer model.
Re: Cheap car?
Cheaper if you venture into Isaan
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It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
Re: Cheap car?
What would you consider ancient? And can I ask you how did you get your car? Was it a private seller or did you use a shop/company/dealer?
tonymaroni wrote:dotx wrote:Can I get a somewhat decent car for U$5,000 or less? The prices I've been are ridiculous. I don't want anything spectacular. Just a car that runs (and is not ancient). I'm going to be in Thailand for just a couple of years, so I don't want to spend a fortune in a car.
Yes but they are ancient.
Ancient car works for me in Thailand. Mechanics are cheap here. They maintain cars for alot longer than USA. You can buy a $200-400 car in the USA that is on it's last legs. Here it is $2000 for the cheapest cars around and they run good. I bought one for $3000 the air is cold, new paint job, it runs great. I wouldn't spend $10K just to have a newer model.
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dtaai-maai
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Re: Cheap car?
Good point. There was a lovely looking 5-6 yr old Ford pick-up on Classifieds recently for something like 330k. Buy that and use it for 2 years, you'd probably get over 250k when you sold it again.bcrglobal wrote:The good news is that used cars really do hold their value here.....the anticipated depreciation on our 500k pickup-truck is 20-25k a year.......
(No, it's not mine, and this is not a ploy to shift it!!
)This is the way
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tonymaroni
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Re: Cheap car?
dotx wrote:What would you consider ancient? And can I ask you how did you get your car? Was it a private seller or did you use a shop/company/dealer?
tonymaroni wrote:dotx wrote:Can I get a somewhat decent car for U$5,000 or less? The prices I've been are ridiculous. I don't want anything spectacular. Just a car that runs (and is not ancient). I'm going to be in Thailand for just a couple of years, so I don't want to spend a fortune in a car.
Yes but they are ancient.
Ancient car works for me in Thailand. Mechanics are cheap here. They maintain cars for alot longer than USA. You can buy a $200-400 car in the USA that is on it's last legs. Here it is $2000 for the cheapest cars around and they run good. I bought one for $3000 the air is cold, new paint job, it runs great. I wouldn't spend $10K just to have a newer model.
I have a 1989 Honda Accord, bought from a private seller. I see someone selling cars on Phetchkasam Rd. just about everyday. Just before you get to the Weather Station (not far from downtown) heading from airport side of town. Don't know whether it is a restaurant type business or something. Obviously this is someone in business doing this, but not a traditional used car lot. I usually see one rarely 2 cars for sale there. They usually have a little box on top saying for sale 60,000, or 79,000 or whatever.
Tony
Re: Cheap car?
I would even consider taking over finance payments of some one that has fallen on tougher times, this is done here a lot.
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Is Bangkok a place or a nasty injury.......Eric Morcombe.
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Re: Cheap car?
The price of second hand vehicles is ludicrous in general but, as mentioned, they hold their price. So, when it comes to selling them on again, you can ask for an equally ludicrous price later when it's time to part with it.
However, if you are not a car buff then it really is 'Ruskie Roulette' when it comes to buying a vehicle from a second/third hand etc Thai salesman who probably just sees his job description as one of fleecing the most amount of cash for himself out every sale/everyone that he can through deceit/lies. You even get this situation at brand name dealerships when you want to part exchange a car for a new one.
Secondly, it's also a 'crap-shoot' regarding how a used vehicle has been taken care of previously to your purchase as the Thais are not the best at 'preventative maintenance' imo (the old 'fix it when it breaks' MO) and certainly do not inspire confidence on this front in me.
As an aside, that Ford that was up for sale in 'Classifieds' recently, that the owner wanted 330K baht for....well.... that is actually $11k or £6735. It was about 5-6 years old, 150k KM/93 - 94k miles (which is the killer imo), manual, old design style and probably 2 wheel drive. That should give you a good idea of the world they live in regarding vehicles in this country. Be lucky to get £2000 for that in the UK/Europe/US now.
No disrespect to the owner as that is the market here, I'd do the same in a flash. Just a heads up to the OP regarding this one.
If you buy something OK here then you should be able to sell it when you leave for just a little less than you paid for it, even after a couple of years.
It's just the prices are just laughable when you look at it to begin with.
I suppose an interesting question on this subject would be, maybe worthy of a thread itself, if anyone thought the arse will ever fall out of the 2nd hand market for cars here in Thailand like it did many years ago in Europe/the west?
However, if you are not a car buff then it really is 'Ruskie Roulette' when it comes to buying a vehicle from a second/third hand etc Thai salesman who probably just sees his job description as one of fleecing the most amount of cash for himself out every sale/everyone that he can through deceit/lies. You even get this situation at brand name dealerships when you want to part exchange a car for a new one.
Secondly, it's also a 'crap-shoot' regarding how a used vehicle has been taken care of previously to your purchase as the Thais are not the best at 'preventative maintenance' imo (the old 'fix it when it breaks' MO) and certainly do not inspire confidence on this front in me.
As an aside, that Ford that was up for sale in 'Classifieds' recently, that the owner wanted 330K baht for....well.... that is actually $11k or £6735. It was about 5-6 years old, 150k KM/93 - 94k miles (which is the killer imo), manual, old design style and probably 2 wheel drive. That should give you a good idea of the world they live in regarding vehicles in this country. Be lucky to get £2000 for that in the UK/Europe/US now.
No disrespect to the owner as that is the market here, I'd do the same in a flash. Just a heads up to the OP regarding this one.
If you buy something OK here then you should be able to sell it when you leave for just a little less than you paid for it, even after a couple of years.
It's just the prices are just laughable when you look at it to begin with.
I suppose an interesting question on this subject would be, maybe worthy of a thread itself, if anyone thought the arse will ever fall out of the 2nd hand market for cars here in Thailand like it did many years ago in Europe/the west?
Resolve dissolves in alcohol
Re: Cheap car?
Car prices are high but you can still get decent ones at 100 000. A friend of mine bought two cars, the first at 70 000 bahts and the second at 130 000 and he's happy with that. I bought mine nearly for 700 000, second hand 5 yrs old. Yes that's expensive, very expensive for that car but it's the market price. I've got offers of 500 000 from dealers to buy it back, that's mean i can sell it for more than 600 000 or 650 000 at this moment to final buyers, so you won't loose much money even by buying an expensive car if you can sale it back.
Re: Cheap car?
Yes, the 2nd hand car market is crazy here. A year or two ago our neighbors bought a old Suzuki jeep that was a right on banger for 120,000 baht. The later offered it to us or 60,000 because that,s all the dealer were willing to give them, and only once they had actually sold the car. We gave the 60,000 they were asking and then a year later sold it to a well off Thai for 70,000 baht. Back in the UK you would have had to pay someone to come and remove it from your property.......lol.
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Re: Cheap car?
Where are you people finding the 60,000-120,000 cars? Private sellers? If so, how do you find out about them?
Re: Cheap car?
We can't tell you as it's prohibited to post links on the forum for other websites that are doing business. Anyway, out there have a lot of cars from 30 000 bahts to 100 000 bahts.