scott@siammotorcycles wrote: Siam Racing Motor cycles .....................
After months of badgering from custermers also shed some light on how it really works and also to respond to a few of the less possative comments on all of us hard done by Motorcycle retailers in Thailand Here's a dealer insight to the machanics of the industry ...............
Make a cup of tea and lets get down and dirty ...........
The below is regarding volume imports not ''suit case smuggled ducati's '' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
95 % of all large capacity motorcycles in Thailand are of a grey import origion almost all coming from Japan . These motor cycles are sourced by licenced Japanese agents who you must use as a purchaser and mediator , that is concrete japanese export law when dealing in volume requirments !!!!
The machines are sourced by trade consolidators from retailers clearing out old stock , part exchanges , last years unsold models ect .These go to 'BLOCK'' along with fianance reposetions ,stolen recovered , insurance damaged claims machines and police siezures .
'Block' is the term used for large export auctions and when i use the term large this is an understatement ......around 5000 machines up to a recent whopping 21,000 bikes where auctioned off for global export every month.
Yes i hear you say ''tell us some thing we dont know'' ..........please bare with me and you will get a fuller picture ..........
Most machines purchased by your approved agent also deals with the freight and shipping who 80 % of the time simply throw them in a container fully assembled to be despached to counrty of purchase .
Thailand however in its almighty wisdom will not allow you to import a fully assembled second hand / used machine complete even if you are willing to pay the full 77% import tax . complete NEW bikes only is the law !!!!!!!! so all bikes bound for Thailand then have to be stripped into parts ..........this is where it becomes expensive as any one who has done business in Japan know the price of labour and its not 200 baht a day !!!! Further expense before leaving japan...............
So we now have our containers (note containers) as the Thai import laws state that a complete machine even in parts is not allowed into Thailand as its import tax evashion so engines in one container , frames in another and yes wheels , seat , plastics ect in another ........thats three shipping costs !!!!
The containers must not be assosiated with each other and all go to differant ports under differant names ,tractors ,cranes ,ATV's ect all done in this manner and have been done so for decades.
Please note a gratuatess enverlope for services rendered is ALWAYS required no matter how small the shippment.!!!!
The import tax for a used parts complete bike works out at approxamtly 28% . If there is any incorrect data or false purchase price information on the shipping manafest and original bill of sale from Japan then you are in for one hell of a roller coaster ride to sort it out from the Japanese end and mistakes are often made.
So once the bikes are here and re-assembled which you need a goverment licence for in Thailand (we have one ) they then can be sold ...........HOWEVER......you can not by law place a vehicle on a show room floor untill it has been registered with the minstry of transport or you posess a licenced ministy of transport trade plate / approval cert which requires you complete the registration in twelve weeks !!!!!!!!!!!.
NOW WERE GETTING THERE ................
It is estemated that there are around 200,000 large capacity motorcycles in Thailand with a large % being imported in the last 10 years . With a population of 66,000,000 these figures are astoundingly low considering the all year weather conditions and the expendable fianance the general public now has access to , bank loans , fianance deals ect ect .
So back to the topic of the ''BOOK'' business. Once the bike has been assembled and you are in possetion of all legal documentation as it takes a while for the customs and shipping companies to release these you may apply for a book , if you are a "Falang" you will need a current valid passport and a valid visa , if you have a dodgey visa or passport BEWARE as these are inspected and not just your current visa but also all previous entries in your passport . We have been in deep water submitting an application to the imagration with illigal visa's which has led to me being dragged into the immigration office with the police demanding the where abouts of the purchaser !!! I have been instructed to asssit in these matters or pack my bags !!!!!!!!
So if all is well we submitt the import papers , copy of passport and visa also approved immagration application to the ''AGENTS'' approved by the minstry of transport or to our ''APPROVED '' agent who works directly in partnership with the ministry of transport office . These are an endangered species here in Thailand as they do not opperate out a Sukhumvit office or have web sites and can only be contacted when they so wish ..........however they do eventually produce the goods after a period of time , now the period of time ''is as long as a piece of string'' , payment is made in full up front for the books .
If there are any anomiliies you are going to find out at this point and this is where the fun starts...........if you have only 2 -4 -6 -8 weeks left on your visa then chances are it wont get processed in time as it needs to go through three differant departments to complete. If you ever want to see Thai efficienty pop to the minsitry of transport office in BKK where registrations are dealt with .............take a camera as your freinds will never belive you !!! 10 inspectors checking a back log of thousands of bikes current details and condition...........oh sorry forgot to mention that the ministry now require the bike for physical inspection and often the bike has to be left for days on end .............
It takes around 16- 20 weeks to register a grey import from start to finish if there are no problems , your buggered if you work offshore and are in and out of the country and are on a 90 day visa , its hard work convincing them to complete it even when they are aware of visa difficulties ........money usually does the job but ''it aint cheap''.
The inspection is done and you will recive a rego plate two to four weeks later along with the road tax certificate , still no book ....yep still no book
it will eventually appear many months later . Now any one who has experianced this wait will know it is a very long wait. If you wish to travel out of thailand on your new bike its a big concern ..............
Most books which are in circulation are of a re- cycled nature , engine numbers , year of registration are miles out .These bikes are from the older generation of imports a few examples are CB 400 S , Steeds ,Bross ,Bandits ,CBR400 ,xjr's ,Transalps most of which where imported for the rental or hire businesess which are scattered across Thailand and as we all know there a lot of them . These books are finding their ways onto newer imported bikes which the ministry are quite happy to re- regiseter for a cost ........ so all you moaning paranoid bikers out there who baught a hundred thousand baht bike dont expect an original book as these cost 55,000 direct over the counter . The recent concern over books can be attributed to one thing ........all the ministry of transports data is now centrally computerised so if you have an old bike it may have been registered in ''Nakonnowhere'' on the back of a fag packet ten years earlier.
All these files are now being dealt with , now for those who are not aware a jolly Thai chap called chewmin (burapa/ shark riders) who is the president he is now in talks with the authorities to call an amnisty so all bikers may take their bikes in and have all irregularaties corrected ,when you see an advert for this campain please please give it your support as it will give bikers and retailers a clean slate to work from as at presant it is a total f#@&%! mess.
All our new imports have new registration plates but problems with the older machines there is little i or any dealer can do about it , if your buying an older bike its sure to have the book data checked at the minisrty where it is registered ...........
Here's a few figures to explain why most of these books are on these re-cycled books...............
A new import 10 year old honda steed from japan costs 50 -55 k a recycled book 35 k . another 5 k for assembling and a full service ,if it needs a tyre ,chain ect then more . we sell these machines at 120,000 - 130,000 baht so as you can see it the profit hardly buys a round of drinks in your local MC club !!!!
Where is does get messy is when a new super bike / chopper turns up with a 10 year old plate , this practice does go on here in Thailand and this is a real problem , i have had my fingers burnt to a crisp with this problem as i have had to refund the custermer in full ,My own fault for not checking with the ministry on whats on the central computer , If any one has the balls to set up a ''vehicle checking service '' i would be your first customer but as we all know this does not exsist at this time due to how the system has worked for many years and what your findings would reviel and who it would incriminate !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you are buying a newly imported bike check the frame and engine numbers ,record them and when you get your book if they dont match ask for your money back , i make a point of telling the buyer if there are any data corrections on the book these days , most people are aware of the pit falls although if the corrections registered on the ministry central pc then there's not a problem.
As a dealer i cannot change the way the motorcycle registration business has been implemented for the past two decades , as lets face the facts the systems in place by the authorities to extract as much moneys in any way possible !!!!!!!!!!!!! The customs get their envolope, the ministry get their envolope and us dealers get hassel of the custom inspection police so they get theirs as well ...........
i often ask myself whats the point !!!
so there you have it ...........
buying an old low cost bike expect the re-cycled book ...........
Buying a new import large capacity bike insist on a new book ................
And on a personal note this is not an easy business as their are many pitfalls and the fact four bike shops have gone out of business in the last year confirms this . there is so much to go wrong with the registering and new name owner ship transfares , lets not even get into false thai ID cards and missing visa's ,angry wifes and worst of all retarded wanna be hells angels who need mental health care not motorcycles ..............
FOR SALE ONE ESTABLISHED MOTORCYCLE RETAIL SHOP ....................
WILL PX PIG FARM ON SATURN .............
If i get any possative feed back , i will be happy to explain any questions you have regarding motorcycles in Thailand ............
Also with regards to Gasahol ...........DO NOT USE THIS FUEL IT WILL SEIZE YOUR CARBS AND VALVES IF LEFT STOOD !!!!!!
Oh nearly forgot starting in end of febuary we are holding Thailands first English speaking motorcycle Auction which shall be the end of every month .
we have an independant auctioneer from the UK with 27 years experiance so if you want to shift that old bike or parts ect ect drop me aline ........................we shall be selling many importers / dealers / police siezures / fianance repo's / private entry bikes through this auction ....................
We aim to change the way you buy and sell your bikes .................
We are talking with the ministry of transport to have a representative presant on auction days to carry out all paper work and transfares...................Buda willing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
An Interesting Time to Come No Doubt???