Importing a motorbike to Thai

[moonbeam]

I would like to import my 955cc Triumph Speed Triple to Thai.

 

It was first registered in the UK Sept 2003 and I have owned it for 3 years.

 

Anybody got any info / advice regarding import taxes, costs etc?

[PepeLePew]

I'm watching this with interest. I suspect it will be ridiculously expensive though!

[THAJEC]

I recommend look this web page for thai customs http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/jsp/home/index.jsp or web pages WCO Word customs organization. It is important if you move things during change residence or not. If you change residence you can move some things duty free. But can exist some conditions.

[M.C.H.]

Last year a mate imported his Ducati into this country but not as a complete bike then he reassembled it over here, as to import it here was to expensive, not sure if you can do that now with the new laws they have just passed

[moonbeam]

I recommend look this web page for thai customs http://www.customs.g.../home/index.jsp or web pages WCO Word customs organization. It is important if you move things during change residence or not. If you change residence you can move some things duty free. But can exist some conditions.

Thanks. it is a very good website but quite complicated to work out.

And 1 concerning section states that "the final cost can only be calculated by the Thai Customs when the bike arrives". Obviously, too late to go back.

[GoldCoastJon]

Perhaps send an email off to a freight forwarding company in Thailand, a large multinational one i.e. DHL, Panalpina, Schenker etc to name a few. Explain what you want to do and i'm sure one of their customs brokers can assist.

 

Fore example, if you live in New Zealand and move to australia you can bring out your car or motorbike importing it as 'used' personal effects, there are requirements around this i.e. you must have owned the vehicle for i believe 12 months and you also must sign a declaration that you will not sell it within a certain amount of time after you arrive otherwise all taxes are payable. Im not sure if Thailand does something similar?

 

If you could access a copy of their harmonised tariff then you could look up all the requirements

[moonbeam]

Triumph Speed Triple 955cc - Dynamic International, London shipping agents would charge £700 to ship this bike to BKK. Then it would be up to me to get it thro customs. I could keep the bike in Thai for up to 6 months. Any over stay is charged at 200 baht/d. This has to be paid or the bike confiscated.

My conclusion is that shipping is reasonably priced but the Thai customs will be very bureaucratic. Is it worth it?

[Edge]

Triumph Speed Triple 955cc - Dynamic International, London shipping agents would charge £700 to ship this bike to BKK. Then it would be up to me to get it thro customs. I could keep the bike in Thai for up to 6 months. Any over stay is charged at 200 baht/d. This has to be paid or the bike confiscated.

My conclusion is that shipping is reasonably priced but the Thai customs will be very bureaucratic. Is it worth it?

 

It won't happen I'm afraid.

 

The 2-300% Import Duty is levied on their estimate of value, including shipping and insurance.

 

Then you have to work out how to get it approved and get a Green Book.

 

Then there's also this to consider ....Ban on imports of used vehicles

 

Ironically, aren't they almost entirely Made in Thailand (not that that will help you)?

 

.

[likeaking]

^ Sad but true. You're better off buying in Thailand even with their high tariff related prices. Even if ship if over in pieces you won't get a green book for it. I wanted to ship my Ducati there but several persons who have done so said never again. It's too costly and the vehicle can sit for months until things are $orted and this is before the new laws.

[pubstud]

I've only known one guy who imported his motorbike into Thailand, a Harley, and he imported it over the boder from Malaysia into Thailand. Ended up the Thais gave him a load of bullshit and his bike was confiscated and he never saw it again.

[rpbc]

One thing I've heard is that after you get a Retirement Visa, you have a window of 6 months to bring things in duty free. I haven't checked on this with customs yet as I am not close to RV time. I think I saw a Thai guy on Thai Visa Forum giving his name and phone number for importing a bike. You think you could just bribe a Thai govt dude to clear it for you.

Another thing, what about Triumph bikes, they have that big Building on the left hand side as you are heading to Bangkok. What do they make there? I wouldn't mind getting one of these new Bonnies with the 865cc motor. Or better yet, a Rocket III.

[Edge]

Not sure about personal possessions, but pretty sure the usual 2-300% duty would still apply to a used m/bike, the import of which has just been banned.

 

The Triumph factory makes a lot of parts, but do they assemble them?

Regardless, there is no licence to sell them in Thailand.

.

[M.C.H.]

moonbeam

There is a Triumph 955i Speed Triple 2003 with 26k km on the clock for 265,000bht advertised over here in showroom condition

[dc_publius]

Your question is unclear.

 

Are you living in Thailand and want a motorcycle here forever? If you get retirement visa, there used to be some stipulations that you can import some things duty free. If not, you will pay the very heavy import tax.

 

There are people that sneak in bikes into the country, but that is playing with fire every time you get stopped as you are risking confiscation and fines. You will not be able to get real registration papers for such a bike - only fake papers.

 

But from some of your posts it seems like you are a vacationer. As with any vehicle, there are certain processes to follow and you can travel around that country for a specified period of time without paying import duties. This is why some people also do 'visa runs' for their cars/motorbikes.

 

That said, for a 10 year old bike, I don't see the point. Just buy ER-6 or something similar and you'll save yourself a ton of hassle and expense.

[biggles]

I would suggest you have a look at www.pattayasuperbikes.com. Send the owner an email and I am sure he will be very helpful. From my talk with him in his shop, It really doesn't seem worth the trouble, getting the bike registered with a green book is a hell of a lot of trouble.

[PepeLePew]

I would suggest you have a look at www.pattayasuperbikes.com. Send the owner an email and I am sure he will be very helpful. From my talk with him in his shop, It really doesn't seem worth the trouble, getting the bike registered with a green book is a hell of a lot of trouble.

 

No Ducatis!!

[Velcro]

I know of a guy who imported his Motorbike in to Los, disguised as a Piano !!

He put the bike into a custom made wooden crate and surronded the bike with piano parts, so if custom did look inside they would see the pinao bits first

How cool is that !!

 

The advantage with bikes , if you import it illegally only the police behind you will know as there is no license plate on the front.

The guy who did the paino thing says , when he does occasionly get stopped his just gives them a little cash.. but he rarely does because the police watching the traffic are always in front of him.

 

I'm not advocating importing illegally.. just think its a funny story

[dc_publius]

I know of a guy who imported his Motorbike in to Los, disguised as a Piano !!

He put the bike into a custom made wooden crate and surronded the bike with piano parts, so if custom did look inside they would see the pinao bits first

How cool is that !!

 

The advantage with bikes , if you import it illegally only the police behind you will know as there is no license plate on the front.

The guy who did the paino thing says , when he does occasionly get stopped his just gives them a little cash.. but he rarely does because the police watching the traffic are always in front of him.

 

I'm not advocating importing illegally.. just think its a funny story

 

That's not really that cool...

 

Pianos still get charged 40-50% import duty.

 

As with all cargo, they can't check every container and every box so things get through. But if they do open a box, they don't just eyeball it from the top... they do look very closely and strip it down. It seems like your friend's effort was pretty futile and his container never got checked.

 

The real problem with sneaking bikes into Thailand is not the actual sneaking in. It's getting them registered. Your friend is facing confiscation every time a cop stops him and decides to check things. And as we all know, these rules are getting more and more strictly enforced. So with each year, it's a bigger PIA and higher threat of loss and fines.

 

BTW, this is also why some of the shady "big" bike rentals are not allowed to venture too far from Pattaya or Phuket. The grey imports may be tolerated by crooked local cops, but they can't pay off all of Thailand so they are risking confiscation in they get caught in other areas.