The "Asia Cross-Country Rally 2011" is an FIA certified cross-country rally and is being run for the sixteen times this year.
In 1996, when the Asia XC Rally started, premium events like the Paris-Dakar were well known, but a long way away and too expensive for Asian people to consider. In those days, the Asia XC Rally was intended to be "a real cross-country rally which tested both the entrant's rally skills and the potential of four-wheel-drive vehicles". It was "a cross-country rally for Asian people to enjoy, held by Asian people, in Asia" and it tackled a route through jungles, swamps, river-crossings and desert, and included every kind of challenge that nature had to offer.
 
The first event in 1996, started from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, and took competitors as far as Singapore, before returning to Kuala Lumpur for the finish, a total distance of 2000km. Thirty vehicles from three countries took part, from Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan. While it was run as a cross-country event, it featured a selective section format like those used for normal road car rallies, but in this case through dense jungles and across routes used in true cross-country rally competitions. It proved very successful and made the news in a big way.
In 1997, the route grew in length to 3000km, and again started from Kuala Lumpur, but this time it finished in Bangkok, in Thailand. Thirty-eight vehicles participated, from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and the United States. The event caught the imagination of people who were drawn to off-road competition and grew in stature. In 1998, the same route from Kuala Lumpur was used but extended this time to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. It covered a total of 3200km. Forty vehicles from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, New Zealand and Australia challenged the mountain section in northern Thailand. These first three years represented the formative period of the Asia XC Rally, and led to its international recognition in 1999 when it became a certified FIA cross-country event.
For 1999, a route worthy of the rally's new status was devised, running through three countries over a distance of 3500km from Kuala Lumpur to Thailand, and then to Vientiane, the capital city of The Lao People's Democratic Republic, making it the first FIA event to be run there. However, the extra work required to build FIA certified competition vehicles, meant that the number of entries fell to thirty-two. They came from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, New Zealand and Australia. However, now that it was recognised as an official event, the Asia XC Rally, with its rally flavour, but speed format, become even more attractive to the general public.
In 2000, to celebrate the millennium, the route was extended to 4200km over nine days, from Kuala Lumpur to Jing-Hong in China, via Thailand and Myanmar. It was Myanmar's first FIA event. Twenty-seven vehicles from seven countries, from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand participated in this special contest. And so the Asia XC Rally became a high profile event in Asia, and entered a new stage of development, with Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, now to become the new start of the rally.
In 2001, twenty-three vehicles from Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and Korea started from Bangkok, crossed Laos and drove the 3000km to reach Hue in Vietnam, creating some excitement, as this was the fist FIA event to enter the country. The following year, 2002, twenty-seven vehicles from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and Korea, again started from Bangkok and this time competed on an event that took them all the way to Anchole Wat in Cambodia. It was Cambodiaユs first FIA event.
In 2003, the route saw a repeat of the 3000km route from the second event, back in 1997, but in the opposite direction, this time starting from Bangkok and finishing in Kuala Lumpur. The final selective section was run at the Sepang International Circuit, the first time a circuit had been used for such across-country rally event. All thirty-three participants from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and Korea enjoyed their taste of Sepang.
In 2004, forty-five vehicles from Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, China, Singapore and Korea started from Bangkok, crossed Laos and drove the 2900km, came back to Bangkok, Thailand again. They challenged the mountain and mud section in middle and northern Thailand.
In last 10th anniversary year, there are forty-three vehicles from Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan and Korea. Date of AUTOBACS Asia cross country rally 2005 started in the evening of August 6th at the Royal Palace Square in Bangkok of the Kingdom of Thailand same as 2006. Competing around Thailand clockwise in a loop, the competition route will return to Pattaya in Aug. 12th, the superb beach resort in the Kingdom of Thailand.
In 2006, forty-three vehicles from Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Myanmar and Korea started from Bangkok, crossed Laos and drove the 2500km back to Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand, creating some excitement, as this was the fist FIA event to enter Paxse area, LAOS.
In 2007, twenty-five vehicles from Thailand, Japan and Taiwan started in the evening of August 5th at the Royal Thai Navy Convention Hall, Bangkok of the Kingdom of Thailand. Competing around Thailand clockwise in a loop, the competition route returned to Pattaya in Aug. 10th, the superb beach resort in the Kingdom of Thailand. The following year, 2008, twenty-eight vehicles from Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and China started in the evening of August 10th at Central World, Bangkok of the Kingdom of Thailand. Competing around Thailand, the competition route went south to Phuket in Aug.15th, the superb beach resort in the Kingdom of Thailand.
In 2009, nineteen vehicles from Thailand and Japan started in noon of August 9th at the Central world in Bangkok of the kingdom of Thailand. The route was taken going to Pattaya, the beautiful beach resort, and going north to Chiang Mai, second biggest city in Thailand.
In 2010, seventeen vehicle from Thailand, Australia and Japan started on 7th August from beach paradises at Pattaya. Whether condition was heavy rain every day, all vehicle finish at Phrae, northern Thailand
And so the Asia XC Rally and its participants will once more write a page of history with the "Asia Cross-Country Rally 2011", and then go on to add further pages to this cross-country rally story, as the years go by. This is the way of the Asia XC Rally.