The market for European cars in Thailand is much much smaller than their Chinese and Japanese counterparts which we covered in the past two posts:
(Chinese: https://motorsportformentalhealth.com/2026/04/05/2026-bangkok-international-motor-show-chinese-manufacturers/
Japanese: https://motorsportformentalhealth.com/2026/04/10/2026-bangkok-international-motor-show-japanese-manufacturers/)
In Thailand non domestically produced vehicles are subject to massive tax (sometimes over 200% or even 300% of the vehicles original value) to promote Thai industry.
However, these high taxes mean that European cars are really seen as status symbols, especially German brands like BMW or Mercedes. If you’re driving around Silom in an E-Class – you’re clearly doing very well for yourself!
As I have just mentioned them we shall start with Mercedes.
To import a classic car into Thailand, it has to be aged 30 and 100 years old, complete and worth at least 2,000,000 THB (about £45,000) (It is also worth noting that classic cars imported are also liable to a tax against the overall value of the car). The Pagoda pictured below is a great example of a eligible car, but it’s pointless having it here if you can’t get parts. Mercedes-Benz Classic have a headquarters in Bangkok to help you source parts!
If you want a modern Mercedes but don’t want to pay the huge import taxes, the EQS is built in Samut Prakan.
I checked, and the EQE is built in Germany and Beijing.
The R232 SL. An AMG only model that comes with two engine options – a hybrid 2.0 inline 4 (SL43) or a twin-turbo 4.0 V8 (SL55).
I know this is a proper old man rant, but back in the day Mercedes badging made sense. If you bought a W202 C-Class for instance, it would have C180 – C being the model, 180 denoting a 1.8 litre engine. Or you may have a C230K – C 2.3 litre Kompressor (Supercharged). Or if you were bougee a C43 AMG – C 4.3 litre V8, tuned by AMG. The naming made sense! A 4.0 V8 should not have a ’55’ badge in my opinion. A 5.5 litre V8 should have the 55 badge like the W209 CLK55 AMG.
The G63 looks rather smart in this pale sand colour.
The W223 S-Class:
The Z223 Maybach ultra-luxury saloon based on an extended W223 platform. I’d imagine the price for one of these on the road in Thailand is eye-watering!
Now moving over to BMW. The M4 is my favourite car in their current line up. This is the CS.
The standard 4-Series coupe is also a smart looking car.
G80 M3:
The G90 generation M5 looks incredibly large for some reason. It’s not really much bigger than the previous generation, but for some reason the design tricks me into thinking it’s absolutely massive.
I think this may have been my first time seeing a G70 7-Series in person. I can’t recall seeing one in the wild.
The new iX3. I’m very torn. The grill and even the front light design is very reminiscent of the BMWs of the 1970s and 1980s which I absolutely love, but the rest of it? I’m not convinced haha!
Audi had a few cars on display:
Porsche had a nice display of cars. They obviously had a 911.
Along with a 718 Boxster. These and the hardtopped Cayman are great little sports cars.
The Macan and Cayenne. These are very popular on posh school runs in the U.K.
The Panamera luxury saloon.
The Taycan does the same job as the Panamera but is electric (and dare I say slightly better looking!)
I was rather fond of the shooting brake body style on the Taycan. I hadn’t seen one of these before.
Volvo had a range of SUVs on display:
Over on the Mini stand they were showcasing the new Paul Smith Edition Mini Cooper. Paul Smith is a British fashion designer, and these new limited edition cars offer unique body and interior colours along with different interior materials.
The 1965 Victory Edition is a celebration of the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally win.
I’ve not seen any Acemans out in the wild yet.
The electric Cooper S
And a convertible.
Finally we have the Countryman – officially the biggest Mini ever. This is the All4, which as the name implies is all wheel driven.
There were a couple of British bike manufacturers displaying too. Triumph had a stand:
As did Royal Enfield:
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this little look around the European cars and bikes presented at the Bangkok International Motor Show.
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