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Before you buy:
 | Have it clear in your mind what type of
vehicle you want, and the price range. Trucks hold their value better than
other vehicles. |
| Understand that cars maintain their value
much better than you are used to in your home country. |
| Know that Thais are generally hard on cars
and typically maintain them poorly, so consider a new car if you can afford
it, and use extra care in checking for mechanical damage before you buy a
pre-owned vehicle. |
Look for signs of Collision:
| Paint overspray on glass, rubber or trim. |
| Wrinkled metal under the hood. |
| Misaligned bumpers, doors, hood and other
body panels. |
Check the Engine:
| Have someone start the engine while you
look at the exhaust pipe. A little black smoke on start up is OK, but blue
smoke indicates burning oil - don't buy it! |
| Check the engine runs smoothly and idles
quietly. |
Check the Mileage:
| Look for excessive wear on the clutch,
brake and accelerator pedals. Also on the driver's side door hinges. High wear
in any of these areas may indicate high mileage in excess of what the odometer
is showing. |
Title and Registration:
| Check the book that comes with the car. No
Book? Then just run very fast to the next dealership. |
| Compare the chassis number in the book with
the chassis number on the vehicle. |
| Check to see where the car is registered.
If it's registered anywhere but Bangkok, you will have to travel to the city
of registration to transfer the registration to Bangkok. Not much fun if
that's in Chiangmai! |
Get an experienced technician to check for
problems before you buy:
| Once you have checked all of the above
yourself, have the car inspected by an independent mechanic, someone not
associated with the selling party. Tell the seller you want this inspection
done before you buy or commit to buy. Expect small repairs but do not buy
someone else's expensive problems. |
| Buy from a well established dealer. That
way, if you have a problem the chances are that it will be taken care of
quickly. |
Please submit the following form for
additional practical help on buying a car in Thailand:
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