Temporary importing a USA registered Ferrari into Thailand

[KTMphil]

I'm not sure I would have attempted this with an exotic sports car, but Jim, who has big balls & lots of confidence has done it, he shipped his USA registered, 355 Ferrari from LA, California, to Port Klang (KL), Malaysia, then managed to drive it into Thailand on temporary import! Absolutely amazing!


He has initially planned to ship the Ferrari direct to Bangkok port, I advised him against it as there are 100's of super-cars that transit the Malaysia/ Thailand border and there would be less chance of a paperwork error. Jim is still down south working his way back up to Chiang Mai with the Ferrari, he'll fill us in on all the details when he gets here.


This is what he emailed me today:


"Thanks for your tips the other night,

I have since had numerous talks with Stephen Loh of MMSC Malaysian Motor sports, and Mervin Lee of Malaysian World Commerce.
They have agreed to the basic import charges and that I can drive thru the Thai border!

I do not know if they got reasonable because they saw that I had alternate plans that I would move on, or that I was now asking the right questions and presenting some reasonable answers!

Today I went with *** to CM customs to help me understand Thailand customs costs for my car,

I am already looking at bringing some other vehicles to Thailand.


Thanks again for your help,

Jim"





-Well done Jim - Amazing




The Ferrari 355 in Thailand (with the gorgeous Meow)

Jim with his baby

 

[2wheels]

Show this to Jim!

http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-...ion/3501-we-need-toys-children.html#post26606

 

[KTMphil]

Will do

 

[The Bigfella]

Hey Jim, if you need anyone to do a border run for you... I'm available

 

[LivinLOS]

The key question here that isn't stated is did he leave a cash or bar cheque bond ??

Legally bikes can be brought in on the owners promise.. But cars legally need a security bond left.. Lots of vehicles have come into Thailand with the bond being paid.. I only know of 2 without it.. One a range river bribed in from cambo, after being refused entry at sadao.. Another brought in on an ATA carnet as business goods.. The same as race cars for race meets etc.

If he just drove that in unbonded I have a BMW 330 coupe that can be on the boat next week just sitting in the uk for no good reason.

 

[KTMphil]

I'll get all the details - From talking to him it sounds as though he didn't leave a cash bond, but there were some "unusual" fees.

 

[LivinLOS]

Grrr just lost a long post pecked out on a touchscreen due to crappy internet..

The thing that would freak me out about the legal way is.. your going to need to visa run in 6 months.. well say the next border has a different view.. a Ferrari stuck in Laos, or worse in no man's land.. would be heart breaking.. all down to some border guys idea of how it should be ?

I was close to someone who tried to bring a range rover in legally but without bond down south. and failed.. then had to take it back into Malaysia, then reshipped it on to cambo.. had to pay entry bribes in cambo and bribed it into Thailand.

I would almost prefer to just balls out chance it.. not do the import and then never visa run.. on a lower value car of course.. having crossed sadao a bunch in Thai cars and never presenting papers, I am 99 per cent sure if you did it on a rainy day, no one would come out of the office to get wet.

Sadao is pretty open its sort of up to you to go do your papers, but nothing much stopping you doing your passport like a foot passenger then driving on.. I never once did temp import or temp export on any cars or bikes at that border and must have crossed with vehicles between 5 to 10 times 2 ways. It's totally different than the borders up north.

It's also crazy as Malay cars don't leave a cash bond, like Laos or cambo ones don't. But there seems to be no actual legal exception.. the law says they must but it's simply not practical so they seem to ignore the rules.

 

[Nightrider70]

I feel sorry for the automobile. Now it has to live with bad roads, bad gasoline etc. I wish it a fast and safe return back home to USA.

 

[LivinLOS]

For the first five or more years after I came here, I kept an immaculate BMW 850 csi in storage.. Less than 1000 ever made and a total a1 example.. For years I looked into all kinds of import options, a Thai having lived overseas more than 5 years etc..

Gutted when I sold it.. But fact was you can't even get the premium gas for it.. Not much call for 180 mph car here.

 

[KTMphil]

What about the 100 octane fuel Luke was using for racing?

For the first five or more years after I came here, I kept an immaculate BMW 850 csi in storage.. Less than 1000 ever made and a total a1 example.. For years I looked into all kinds of import options, a Thai having lived overseas more than 5 years etc..

Gutted when I sold it.. But fact was you can't even get the premium gas for it.. Not much call for 180 mph car here.

 

[johnnysneds]

Yeah fuel must be a concern for a car like that over here. I would have thought at least 98RON (not readily available?!?)would be required or else the engine is going to pre det causing all sorts of engine longevity issues. Saying that M3 BMW's and the like with high compression engines I wonder how they've been getting by, octane boosters?
Not very practical having a barrel of 107 to get you around.
Might be worth while contacting one of these garages selling exotic cars for advice (maybe!)
Awesome car though, don't be booting it with 91 in it!

 

[KTMphil]

Jim's reporting that the car is running really hot, it could be the low octane fuel.

 

[crs]

He'll maybe need to get the fuel injection remapped for lower octane fuel... And ethanol mix burns differently. Is it knocking or pinging? He should call Ferrari (in BKK?) and check with them - if he hasn't already. Maybe he's checked/played with running different fuels in it before so isn't worried...

 

[LivinLOS]

What about the 100 octane fuel Luke was using for racing?

You know how much fuel that 5.6 l v12 would go through.. if booting it hard.. you could actually watch the fuel gauge go down visibly..

I fucking loved that car tho.. better than a 993 I used, loads better than 300zx twin turbo.. just day to day useable, would chew through a continent in distance at 140 to 150 mph auto bahn speeds, yet get out the other side you felt fresh as a daisy..

I miss my motors.

 

[LivinLOS]

.

 

[LivinLOS]

I wouldn't even think of running a car like this on gasahol..

Hell I put 95 in my golf when I can.. Let alone a peach like this..

 

[LivinLOS]

I wouldn't even think of running a car like this on gasahol..

Hell I put 95 in my golf when I can.. Let alone a peach like this..

 

[KTMphil]

More from Jim with problems with the Ferrari:


"
[FONT=arial,sans-serif]I am now in Puket with a right rear radiator- ABS 12 blade fan to electric motor shaft connection failure, fan blade has broken loose from the electric motor shaft.[/FONT]
Bkk Ferrari wants 45,000b for new one which they have to order, another Bkk shop has a used one for 25,000b, or I can order a new complete assembly Ferrari one from the USA for 11,000b - $360.
looks like I will be in Puket for a few more days. Too many import costs paying many people and still 3 people to pay, do not have a total. I would not recommend the route I went.


Hope to catch up with you when I return,


Good news, car engine is running strong"!!

 

[LivinLOS]

Still want to know if he left a cash bond..

 

[The Bigfella]

I reckon a local mechanic would figure out how to fix that fan back on the shaft!

Those parts prices are ridiculous. I rarely buy BMW parts here in Oz - I rebuilt my M5 engine after a bit of a track day "incident" and the parts I got from BMA Parts (who do a number of car brands) were 1/5th the cost of the same parts from BMW Australia. Sounds like Ferrari in Thailand have the same pricing policy.

 

[LivinLOS]

But when you have such a beautiful car as that.. do you really want a Somchai mechanic modifying parts ?

Whatever the cost, it's your responsibility to keep it mint.

 

[KTMphil]

All the information I have from Jim currently indicates no cash bond to enter Thailand, will confirm this.

 

[jayc]

No he didn't mate , me and the guys i work with both thai and malaysian sorted the importing in to Thailand for him .

 

[jayc]

Its not just as easy as driving it to the border and they will let you in, first of all only people with tourist visa's are only ment to be able to do this, there is a way as we did for Jim any one wanting there car bringing in can P.M me . cheers

 

[LivinLOS]

So what happens next visa run ?? Can it happen at any border once it's crossed that one for the initial entry..

Interesting tho.. Ml500 anyone ??

 

[KTMphil]

Much to many people's disbelief, Jim took his LA, California registered 355 S Ferrari that has been on temporary import into Thailand 6 months to the Nong Khai, Thailand, Vientiane, Laos international border crossing & was able to renew the temporary import into Thailand without a cash bond

After stamping out of Thai immigration, once across the friendship bridge, the Laos officials wouldn't let him into Laos as he didn't have a front number plate, so he had to turn around and head back over the bridge towards Thai customs, where they isssued him a new temporary import for the vehicle into Thailand.



Photo above is him just arriving back in Chiang Mai