Thread: Car in Thailand with no documents but very cheap, worth buying?

Hi there all,

I've been offered a 2001 Mercedes CLK 200 Kompressor Convertible through a friend of a friend, the thing is that is has no paperwork at all....It has Thai plates on but nothing else...

I've looked in to it and the same cars at dealerships are selling for around 1.3 to 1.5 Million baht!!! This guy said I can have it for 300,000 Baht if I want it which seems to be a good price...

Now I wouldn't consider driving this around myself as firstly I don't live in Thailand (I live in Lao) And secondly I think I'd be in the shit if I got pulled over or had an accident....I'm was thinking of buying it to sell or break for parts perhaps?

The guy selling it is a foreigner who bought it from a Thai bloke who promised him the logbook but never got it, stupidly he paid all up front and that was it.

I think that it may be from the UK because the speedo is in MPH and it is right hand drive, the guy hasn't a clue where it is from and doesn't know any history of the car.

What does everyone think, is it worth buying? Should be able to sell it on for a profit or break it for bits hey....

You will lose it the first time you're stopped and they ask for papers, or just before your best buddy collects the bounty by making a call.

You could also check out the Thai plate for its status. Could be the docs are lost and a previous owner wasn't prepared to do the hoopla.

If it's from the UK you can check out the VIN. Will cost you whatever it is nowadays but if it has never had papers in LoS wild guess says it's either stolen or a patched up insurance write off.

leave it alone, no matter how cheap it is.

Thanks for the replies guys!

I must admit I didn't think of the VIN Check, I just HPI'd the car and as it has came up with a UK reg number and that it was a previous category D Write off there in the UK, I don't have any idea of how you can check it in Thailand (If you can?)

Seems very strange how it is in Bangkok and has came from the UK yet has no paperwork at all, I thought that it was impossible to import used cars to Thailand? It certainly hasn't been cut in half either as I've looked at it...

It does seem quite dodgy and I certainly wouldn't drive it around myself..Guess I should give it a miss.

You can not turn it for a profit, and are you willing to chop it up for parts? Dont even think about it.

Yeh for sure it would be dodgy driving it around and I wouldn't do, I was just thinking of buying it to make a quick profit...Perhaps I will have an ask around to see if anyone is interested and then only buy it if I have it sold.
The other option could be to break it as I said (I used to break a lot of cars in the UK) But again there would be a risk factor doing that...

If it were left hand drive I would buy it and take it to Laos as it I could get the paperwork for it there but being RHD I cannot...

Regardless of if I buy it or not it fascinates me to as where this car came from and how it got from the UK to Thailand!?

Originally Posted by supernovadw

the same cars at dealerships are selling for around 1.3 to 1.5 Million baht

Originally Posted by supernovadw

I can have it for 300,000 Baht

I can't believe you even started the thread...

Originally Posted by Spin

Using big bike without a green book is one thing but cars are another.

How about a bike with a fake green book like yours? You obviously have no problem buying a bike of suspect provenance- so the only reason not to buy a potentially stolen car is because you might get caught? Don't worry if it's a Benz, though- the cops are happy to give hi-so thieves a miss, I guess...

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

Originally Posted by supernovadw

the same cars at dealerships are selling for around 1.3 to 1.5 Million baht

Originally Posted by supernovadw

I can have it for 300,000 Baht

I can't believe you even started the thread...

Why exactly is that? There is no harm at all in asking for others thoughts is there, I don't even live in Thailand so don't pretend to know the in's and outs of everything so thought I would ask.

A bit dodgy me thinks

And I guess really using a car or bike with no book is the same, I mean I doubt most people on here would drive around in their home country on bike with no logbook would they...

Myself I would buy this car in the UK where I am from with no logbook if the price was right but of course I'm not Thai and don't know the system so it requires a lot more thought.

Originally Posted by diverken

A bit dodgy me thinks

Certainly is a bit dodgy hence why I've not just jumped in and said yes I'll have it.

Originally Posted by supernovadw

Hi there all,

I've been offered a 2001 Mercedes CLK 200 Kompressor Convertible through a friend of a friend, the thing is that is has no paperwork at all....It has Thai plates on but nothing else...

I've looked in to it and the same cars at dealerships are selling for around 1.3 to 1.5 Million baht!!! This guy said I can have it for 300,000 Baht if I want it which seems to be a good price...

Now I wouldn't consider driving this around myself as firstly I don't live in Thailand (I live in Lao) And secondly I think I'd be in the shit if I got pulled over or had an accident....I'm was thinking of buying it to sell or break for parts perhaps?

The guy selling it is a foreigner who bought it from a Thai bloke who promised him the logbook but never got it, stupidly he paid all up front and that was it.

I think that it may be from the UK because the speedo is in MPH and it is right hand drive, the guy hasn't a clue where it is from and doesn't know any history of the car.

What does everyone think, is it worth buying? Should be able to sell it on for a profit or break it for bits hey....

It's obviously a fucking con - stay well away unless you want to lose 300k for a few days in an old merc.

p.s you need to up your game if you still need to ask these type of questions. Not being a fucker but trying to help you not to lose a large wedge.

^ yep walk away.

The guy selling it is a friend of a friend, he owned a bar which he lost through some woman and he's also been conned with this car (Yes he needs to be more careful!) So it's not just from some complete randomer, my friend has known this guy for a long while indeed...

I know I shouldn't really buy it (Technically it is a very bad idea I know) But I cant but help consider it, going from what everyone has said I do think however I will give it a miss unless I can find someone else who wants it and sell it directly to them without buying it myself if that makes sense...

Cheers for the replies everyone!

P.S. Anyone wanna buy a nice merc ha ha

Originally Posted by supernovadw

The guy selling it is a friend of a friend, he owned a bar which he lost through some woman and he's also been conned with this car

Originally Posted by Albert Shagnastier

Originally Posted by supernovadw

The guy selling it is a friend of a friend, he owned a bar which he lost through some woman and he's also been conned with this car

Yep bit of a mess by the sounds of it!

Originally Posted by supernovadw

I do think however I will give it a miss

Good choice.

Originally Posted by supernovadw

unless I can find someone else who wants it and sell it directly to them

Oh dear...

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

Originally Posted by supernovadw

I do think however I will give it a miss

Good choice.

Originally Posted by supernovadw

unless I can find someone else who wants it and sell it directly to them

Oh dear...

Will see how it goes, by the way I think you interpreted from me saying I would buy a car in the UK with no logbook in to me being a criminal which certainly isn't the case as you can buy a car in the UK with no log book very genuinely, simply HPI it to make sure it's not stolen or on finance and if all is OK it is simply £25 for a new logbook.

it's semantics; without the logbook you're asking for trouble, as there's a doubt (maybe no right to sell) about legal ownership. You just wouldn't buy a vehicle in the uk unless the person selling the vehicle had the logbook. You're right that an HPI tells you a lot about the vehicle, but it doesn't tell you about the legal owner and right to sell, etc.

It's clear that this car in Thailand is just dodgy. Did you state early in the thread that it has been a legal writeoff? You'd want proof of repair and relicensing as an insurable vehicle, especially being a sports car, wouldn't you? Would you want the police stopping you, taking the vehicle off you and possible imprisoning you? Basically, you'd be giving away 300,000 baht. Also, you'd be fueling the criminal industry, or at least there's a very high risk you'd be doing so because if the vehicle is legal they'll be documentation.

Tax here is a pain in the arse for cars. But, any time you buy a car anywhere in the world, you'd want knowledge about the history of that vehicle and the relevant documentation. If you are considering paying 20% of a vehicles value for an unregistered car, then I think you are prepared to step into the criminal shadows... Just my thoughts. As I said, you may just be very very naive, but you don't sound so.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

it's semantics; without the logbook you're asking for trouble, as there's a doubt (maybe no right to sell) about legal ownership. You just wouldn't buy a vehicle in the uk unless the person selling the vehicle had the logbook. You're right that an HPI tells you a lot about the vehicle, but it doesn't tell you about the legal owner and right to sell, etc.

It's clear that this car in Thailand is just dodgy. Did you state early in the thread that it has been a legal writeoff? You'd want proof of repair and relicensing as an insurable vehicle, especially being a sports car, wouldn't you? Would you want the police stopping you, taking the vehicle off you and possible imprisoning you? Basically, you'd be giving away 300,000 baht. Also, you'd be fueling the criminal industry, or at least there's a very high risk you'd be doing so because if the vehicle is legal they'll be documentation.

Tax here is a pain in the arse for cars. But, any time you buy a car anywhere in the world, you'd want knowledge about the history of that vehicle and the relevant documentation. If you are considering paying 20% of a vehicles value for an unregistered car, then I think you are prepared to step into the criminal shadows... Just my thoughts. As I said, you may just be very very naive, but you don't sound so.

In the UK I was a motor trader, nothing major but bought and sold between two and four cars per month, I bought a fair few without logbooks and never ever had a problem, the HPI Check also tells you if it is on the police register as being stolen, I know this of course doesn't give proof of the sellers right to actually sell the car but I believe you can usually make a good judgement when going through with the deal.

I HPI'd this car using https://www.hpicheck.com/ which is a UK Website which gave me a UK Reg number and told me that it had been a category D Write off in the UK, I wouldn't be worried about any proof of repair if I bought it as I would check it over myself, I have in fact bought a fair few salvage cars (Damaged repairable) and do bodywork repair so know a good or bad repair.

At the end of the day the car clearly has a dubious history behind it, it really fascinates me how it has came from the UK and ended up in Bangkok with no documentation at all...

In all honesty I don't think I'm going to buy it as it will probably be hassle, of course I could potentially make a good profit on it but is it worth taking the risk...I am not naive as like I say I have always been in the auto trade but granted it is surely very different in Thailand.

Originally Posted by kingwilly

I'm sorry, I'm such a troll aren't I