Entering Thailand with foreign registered bike

Apr 15, 2010
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Hi folks,

I am currently in Malaysia and will enter Thailand soon. I decided to use the Betong border crossing.

As far as I know I can only get a maximum stay of 30 days for my bike. If I overstay would it only be the 100 Baht fine per day or more trouble?

Initially I wanted to get a multi-entry 60 days visa and just do a border run to a neighboring country, but Penang does not issue multi-entry visas...

Or could I just ride to a border and renew the 30 days without exiting and re-entering?

Cheers,

Frank
 

Maaka

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Jan 5, 2011
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hiya Frank

you can get 3x 30day tourist visas..each 30 days you will have to cross into Laos,( at Nongkhai is best ) or back into Malaya, get your second 30 days and then re enter..after 3 consecutive 30 day visas you have to stay out of thailand for several months..it is not best to overstay ok..they dont like overstayers, and you could find yourself arrested, and doing time inside a thai jail...that is not a place you want to end up ok..
 

Auke

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Nov 10, 2003
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Apr 15, 2010
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Thank you for that. I had a look at the thai customs website and found following:

A temporary import of personal vehicles for a short visit e.g. a motor vehicle, motorcycle, yacht, sports boat, or fishing vessel, etc. into Thailand by owners shall be grant tax/duty relief provided that they are to be re-exported within 1-2 months but not exceeding six months.

provided he/she does not intend to violate the regulations, a 100-Baht fine per day, but not exceeding1,000 Baht in total, shall be charged from the due date of the Contract.

This means in theory they grant you up to 60 days and the fine is a maximum of 1000 Baht not 2000?

They also have a (dead) link to the carnet de passages. It would be easiest if they accept the carnet.
I have read somewhere they want to stamp you out on the carnet when airfreighting out of Thailand and was advised to get an entry stamp. Can someone confirm this?
 
Mar 11, 2008
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I know at Sadao and (I am told) at Padangbasar you can get 60 days at the offset. Once in Thailand you can extend the 60 day entry, in chunks of 60 days, up to 6 months. At 6 months theres a hard limit where you must leave (there is leeway if the bikes broken down or accident damaged IIRC). If you dont leave the fine is small but you can also lose the bike so the actual risk is considerable.

Also at The malay border they often let you just ride over with no paperwork done whatsoever, its a very 'open' border. This then puts you in Thailand illegally but without a deadline, not a good way to do it !! I know people who visit Phuket without doing paperwork and I never bother to do the export papers when I ride or drive into Malaysia in a Thai vehicle.

The on the ground practice of the rules, and the severity of how they perceive them is very different in the north and south of the country. I know people who have gone years without visa running and just paid a couple of 1000 baht overstay when they left, but if they had an accident the implications are huge !!
 
Apr 15, 2010
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60 days would be more than enough. I do not want to cross at Sadao, I would prefer Betong. In case they do not grant me 60 days, where can I extend it? Any customs office? Is there a charge?
 
Aug 7, 2003
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Overstay for motorcycle is B200 a day up to maximum of B2,000. The website is out of date. The suggestion is not to overstay more than 6 months. It can be a problem (ie.$$$$) if you have an accident and they twig that it is foreign registered with out the correct paperwork. I have overstayed a bike over one year and it was resolved for B2000. I do not recommend it. Thai insurance is required and I have been asked for it at a road block, buy it at the border or close by. Remember the motorcycle entry "visa" temporary import is seperate from your personal visa, ie, you may get 60 days entry and the bike 30 days. You can extend at any customs office in the country for free, usually for 30 days at a time, and sometimes up to 5 extensions. I do not know anyone who has actually had their bike confiscated for overstay, not saying that it could not happen. Up to you and your negotiating skills!
 

Maaka

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Jan 5, 2011
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yes Frank alluded in the original post..that he himself needs a visa, separate from the bike..a tourist visa is 30 days, if the bike permit is longer great...then he can ride to the Nongkhai border, leave the bike on the thai side, cross the bridge in the bus, enter Laos, do an immediate U Turn, bus back over bridge, re enter thailand and get new 30 day visa, pick the bike up and all is sweet...
 
Mar 11, 2008
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Maaka;263924 wrote: yes Frank alluded in the original post..that he himself needs a visa, separate from the bike..[/b]a tourist visa is 30 days[/b], if the bike permit is longer great...then he can ride to the Nongkhai border, leave the bike on the thai side, cross the bridge in the bus, enter Laos, do an immediate U Turn, bus back over bridge, re enter thailand and get new 30 day visa, pick the bike up and all is sweet...

You just hit on something I forgot to post and may be why the border is offering him only 30 days while Sadao does more.

If you only have short term visas they will only give your bike a stamp up to the end time you get a stamp, so that may explain why the guys I know get 60 days and they are not offering that. Tho now land border hops only get 15 days, so wondering as I type how that works. I only know guys doing this on long stay visas.

Like harry (and dont take this as advice on what you should do) I dont know anyone having actually lost a overseas registered bike thats overstayed. I know multiple guys who have done this one whose bike must be 7 or 8 years here now. Among them many have overstayed multiple times and they just pay the small fine. But this also comes down to selective enforcement, and it only takes one bent official to have an eye for your bike and it could be trouble.
 
Apr 15, 2010
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I was not very clear. I have a 60 day visa, but only single entry. As far as I know it is always 60 days for passport holders on the visa exempt list when you apply for a tourist visa at an embassy.

It was just about the bike. I thought they grant 30 days maximum. But even if I don't get 60 days for my bike I can extend it free of charge at a customs office.

So no problem!
 

Maaka

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Jan 5, 2011
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right thats cleared that up...passport holder on visa exempt list, how nice, lucky dog. you must be from Outer Mongolia or somewheres..hahaha