How to Get a Great Price on a Secondhand Bike in Thailand

When living in Thailand, having your own motorcycle is one of the most convenient ways of getting around the city. It’s very affordable and allows you to swiftly move through traffic.

If you’re thinking about buying one, in many cases, you may want to consider buying a secondhand bike for several reasons:

It’s much cheaper.
You can get a bike right away.
You can pay in full with cash instead of financing it.

But do you know there’s a way to get a great deal on a secondhand bike, sometimes for almost half the price of a new one? And the bike can still be in good condition.

Let’s take a look.

Facebook Groups

The best way to buy a secondhand bike is to join a specific Facebook group dedicated to the model of the bike you want to buy.

In many cases, there are groups specifically for buying and selling, such as:

In these groups, you can find many sellers offering their own bikes. Often, the bikes are still in great condition but are 30% to 50% cheaper than buying a new one.

There are good reasons for this:

They can’t continue financing the bike.
They have too many bikes and rarely use the one they want to sell.

Please note that these groups are mainly available in Thai. So, you may need to use a browser like Google Chrome and have it translate everything into English for you.

When buying a bike this way, there are certain things you need to be careful about:

Check the seller’s profile. Make sure it’s an individual and not a bike dealer. In many cases, bike dealers also post bikes here.
Ensure the bike is fully paid off, making it easier for you to buy with cash.
Test the bike thoroughly to ensure it’s in good condition.
It’s always a good idea to bring someone knowledgeable about bikes with you.

When you agree to purchase a bike, a deposit of THB 2,000 to THB 5,000 is typically required. You should also request documents from the seller, including:

A signed purchase contract.
The bike’s registration book.
A signed copy of the seller’s ID.

After that, you can pay in full and transfer the bike to your name. Read this article to find out more. While it’s for transferring a car, the whole process is the same as a motorcycle.

Best Time to Buy a Secondhand Bike

If budget is your big concern, you should buy a secondhand bike during the rainy season, which is from June to October.

Since it’s the hardest time to ride a motorcycle in Thailand, many people decide to sell their bikes during this time, making the cost of a secondhand bike cheaper than average.

In case it’s a new bike, the time of the year doesn’t have any effect at all since prices always stay the same.