Want to customise your car? There's a problem with plastic bits - Thailand is hot

Due to the skyrocketing petrol prices, the popularity of small and fuel-efficient sub-compact cars is rising dramatically, and this is benefiting the car-accessory market too.

Owners of sub-compact cars like the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris love to dress up their chariots. One of the most popular accessories is the body kit, which can make a car really stand out from the crowd.

Somporn Boonsripitak, owner of Take One Body Part, a leading car-accessory store, says the prices of body kits are much more affordable these days.

The number of body-parts shops is rising quickly, Somporn adds, but he notes that the consumer needs a rough idea of how to choose products wisely.

Factory-fitted body parts are made from ABS plastic, which is flexible and light, but the price is also high.

"Many shops are importing lower-quality ABS plastic parts which cost about half as much as factory parts. However they're much thinner, and can bend out of shape easily in our hot, humid weather.

"So when you shop for body parts, make sure they're not too thin!"

The downside of ABS plastic is that you can't repair it.

"If you do try to repair it, it's never the same as the original," says Somporn.

Another popular material for body kits is fibreglass, which can be repaired if damaged. Fibreglass, however, is twice as heavy as plastic.

"Personally, I would go for fibreglass since, if there's an accident, it can still be remoulded to the original shape," Somporn says. "What's more, it doesn't warp in the heat."