525iSE

The reason for BMW Thailand to not change their engine is because of the price of the tax. The 530 have the new engine like everywhere else, but its about 25000 USD more than the 525i with minor differences in options. They keep putting the old engine in in order to have a balance of price and tax. Thats my own opinion. The 190+ HP on the current 525s in Thailand is on the borderline of paying more tax if it reaches 200+ horsepower, according to my knowledge and a info from a few other dealers, they say if they put the new engine in, the price of the car will rise making it harder to sell than it already is.

Sam Q.

Many many E60s (mod) can be find near Sukhumwit Rd, RCA and Thong Lo and these guys are just crazy about their rides, i saw one of the best on Srinakarin BMW Showroom, this guy used both the M5 and the AC S kit along with the 21" wheels, it was just Damn Good,
Replicas are cheap for sure but some of those are of quality made, so maybe we should try some shop and let other forum readers know about their quality and price !

Sam Q.

I think both the 520i and the 525i and 525iSE are available in both the CBU and the CKD options (prices may vary) here in BANGKOK but some showrooms don't keep the stock and you should have to order through the BMW THAILAND at All Seasons place (Wirelesss showroom) as they are the main dealer for BMW and i saw few good modified vehicles at the SRINAKARIN BMW Showroom with the nice mods, I haven't been to PARAGON in the recent past few weeks bcoz of the traffic jam's problem but will try to go there for this beauty's view
What about your Ride, maybe if it's possible then we should contribute some of our ride's pics in here to let other members to join us, i will post mine soon as it's still on the way to completion,

Thanks buddy,

Sam Q.

Hi Freind, Welcome to THAILAND, maybe you are right but now the newly introduced 520I Diesel Engine shows that there is something going on in the factory and maybe soon in the near future we will have some kind of upgrading in the Engines available,

THAILAND has the vast netwrok of highways from East to west and north to south and all the highways are just best (except few under construction), so maybe next time try BANGKOK - KRABI, BANGKOK - CHIANGMAI, BANGKOK - KORAT and many others, i hope you will like it,

Thanks,

clarence

The reason is due entirely to the fact that they had a stockpile of CKD kits at the factory. They don't need any assembly line changes as they already assemble the E90 325i at Rayong (with 218ps Valvetronic engine). Notice that the old engine is a Thai-special with 2.4 displacement, which was designed for the now defunct tax rules.
If u buy a new CKD 525i or 520i in Thailand, then it's still 2005MY if compared to other markets. They hadn't changed to the start button nor leather-topped i-drive controller.

clarence

My ride is only a E34 525i (w/ chipped 2.4 engine). In fact, my family used to live in BKK, but we're now back in Hong Kong, tho we pay frequent visits to BKK & we still have an apartment there. The E34 was bought new from Yontrakit at early 1995, & I knew how shortchanged we were when compared to the lucky guys in Europe or even in Hong Kong. I think things improved a bit when BMW AG took over from Yontrakit, but choice is still limited & prices are still far too high. The situation seems to be improving as BMW Thailand no longer use outdated stuff on their new models (e.g. 520d & E90 3er), but the memory is still fresh when our E34 525i came with a 4sp auto instead of the 5-speeder the German-made cars already had for many years. Even the first E39 523i came with a 4-sp auto, & it's introduction in Thailand was abt 2 yrs after the rest of the world, due to stockpiles of E34.
I think CBU is special order only, maybe for diplomats & embassies, but I think BMW Thailand won't refuse money being given to them by anyone wanting a CBU 523i or 525i (218ps). Anyone here has the Indonesian-assembled 530i? Does the satnav work in Thailand?

RHMax

I grew up in BKK, so can I join? It's kinda nice to see pics from Thailand and here what's going on there. So please post pics regulary. Thanks.

clarence

I thought the Customs & Excise department simplified the tax structure last year, when they moved the 2400cc barrier up to 2500cc, tho the power barrier remains st 210ps. The existing barriers were imposed by connected politicians & the Japanese car lobby during the mid-90s, as there was a brief moment during the early 90's when the Thai car market flourished with the goverment slashing import taxes & liberalised the car market. The tax system then was unified for all private cars (not pickups), & as a result, many new European makers entered (e.g. Audi, Saab, Opel, Renault etc). The Japanese makers, together with their Thai partners, saw a massive threat to they assembly operations & investments, as they don't have any answers to their competitors' products, lobbied for 'protection'. Notice that when those rules were introduced, none of the big Japanese players have anything over 2200cc nor 210ps assembled and on sale in Thailand in big volumes. The Japanese are at it again now, lobbying for a FTA that allows all Japanese made cars to be exempt from duty, putting European makes at a big disadvantage.
Anyway, the current tax situation explains why BMW doesn't make 2.4 version of the E90 325i, when the barrier has already been raised to 2.5. They also chose not to detune it from 218ps to 209ps (easily done), but still manage to sell at a relatively competitive price. I think maybe BMW Thailand will finally fit the 2.5 into the 525i when the current stocks run out, in time for 2007 facelift.
Btw, the difference in terms of equipment levels between a 525iSE & 530i is the 530i has tv, satnav (maybe non-funtional) & logic 7, whereas the 525iSE has Star Spoke 124 & front & rear cameras. Net difference is I guess around 1500-2000 Euros in Germany with those options.

525iSE

Sam here's some quick pics for you:

Sam Q.

I don't find any pic here, i think u missed it, try again please, Nyways today i went to the RPM RAMKHAMHAENG, it's quite a good shop with many stuff for the BMWs and i will go there again maybe tomorrow for some new upgrades on my ride but i found the prices lil higher but let's see, i will keep posted once i get any new information

Thanks,