I am sitting in Krabi at present waiting for the weather to improve so i can head further north. A couple of days ago i crossed from Malaysia with an Australian registered bike. The Border Customs signed off on my 12 month Carnet but would still only issue a 1 month Import Certificate. Strange that they will take the Carnet but be restrictive with the Import Certificate. Any input to assist me to counter the Import Certificate would be appreciated.
Temporary Import Problem
- Thread starter Gary D
- Start date
Take a look here for some info that may help
https://www.gt-rider.com/motorcycles-in-thailand/importing-motorcycles-into-thailand
https://www.gt-rider.com/motorcycles-in-thailand/importing-motorcycles-into-thailand
gary, did you ride up from oz? im thinking to head from sydney-darwin-dilli-though indo-penang-thailand-phuket-bangkok-ship bike home to syd....
you documenting your trip at all?
you documenting your trip at all?
Thanks David,
I did fly the bike into KL which turned out to be trouble free, just the problem at the Thai border where they only gave me the one month. I am up as far as Hua Hin at present and heading to Chiand Mai and am watching the floods. At Penang i only arranged a 60 day Tourist visa as i have to fly back to Aus on the 20/9 for a couple of weeks and was going to get a 90 day visa there. I just need to get an extension to the one month up there to keep out of harms way.
I did ride some great roads in Malaysia but it is culturally better in Thai. Am impresssed with Hua Hin. Will catch up when in the north.
I did fly the bike into KL which turned out to be trouble free, just the problem at the Thai border where they only gave me the one month. I am up as far as Hua Hin at present and heading to Chiand Mai and am watching the floods. At Penang i only arranged a 60 day Tourist visa as i have to fly back to Aus on the 20/9 for a couple of weeks and was going to get a 90 day visa there. I just need to get an extension to the one month up there to keep out of harms way.
I did ride some great roads in Malaysia but it is culturally better in Thai. Am impresssed with Hua Hin. Will catch up when in the north.
hey gary - did you ride up from oz? you have a website/blog for your travels...thinking to ride sydney to bkk and ship bike back to syd from there!
I just sent you a detailed information for travel to date but lost it before it was posted so will try again in a few days and get your thoughts racing. Riding in Asia is great, cars are used to riding with millions of small bikes unlike Aus where they want kill you. I am up as far as Hua Hin but the monsoon weather is causing all sorts of problems for Thailand.
so internet there is no good!!??
im planning to be working on route too (web design) so getting some internet sorted would be a big help! plenty of places with wifi tho nowadays even in the middle of nowhere so can work offline and upload files once a day if needed...thinking maby get a pay as you go dongle internet account type thing if they have in indo/thailand...
http://www.phuketvegetarian.com/ always wanted to go to this...you should head on up and check it out!
im planning to be working on route too (web design) so getting some internet sorted would be a big help! plenty of places with wifi tho nowadays even in the middle of nowhere so can work offline and upload files once a day if needed...thinking maby get a pay as you go dongle internet account type thing if they have in indo/thailand...
http://www.phuketvegetarian.com/ always wanted to go to this...you should head on up and check it out!
settings > my settings > general settings > thread display mode > linear oldest first. :smile1:
What visa did you enter on ?? Sadao usually issue you a 2 month entry if you have a visa for > 2 months permission to stay.. Up north they seem much harder on issueing only short entries.
You can get the entry extended at a customs office.. Phukets is very easy about this and extend 2 months (60 days ?) each pop up the max 6 months. I dont have any reports or info on other customs locations.
Many people ignore the entry period (up to 6 months) as the max fine is 2000b.. They just pay the 2000b 'bike overstay fine' on the way out or once every 6 months when visa running, this seems 'tolerated' up north but less so down south. Tho down south they are very easy on extensions, so it perhaps balances, and I havent had any reports on people doing that process up here. Dont ignore the 6 months limit tho, thats a much harder limit and can result in loss of bike. If you can demonstrate the bike is off rd / damaged / being repaired (photos of it in bits) they can grant some short term leeway, as a one off, but thats pushing your luck.
Some guys have kept bikes here for years with this combo of 6 monthly visa runs and either 2000b max fines or 2 monthly extensions.
You can get the entry extended at a customs office.. Phukets is very easy about this and extend 2 months (60 days ?) each pop up the max 6 months. I dont have any reports or info on other customs locations.
Many people ignore the entry period (up to 6 months) as the max fine is 2000b.. They just pay the 2000b 'bike overstay fine' on the way out or once every 6 months when visa running, this seems 'tolerated' up north but less so down south. Tho down south they are very easy on extensions, so it perhaps balances, and I havent had any reports on people doing that process up here. Dont ignore the 6 months limit tho, thats a much harder limit and can result in loss of bike. If you can demonstrate the bike is off rd / damaged / being repaired (photos of it in bits) they can grant some short term leeway, as a one off, but thats pushing your luck.
Some guys have kept bikes here for years with this combo of 6 monthly visa runs and either 2000b max fines or 2 monthly extensions.
Hi Guys,
I have ridden my F650 up to Thailand twice and return.
First in 2004 - 2005 and recently 2008.
The first time Thai customs accepted my carnet and I stayed in SE Asia for 12 months
The 2nd time they wouldn't accept my carnet and would only give me a one month stay for the bike.
Dispite having a 1 year retirement visa.
I was then forced to ride to Sadoa once a month from Samui were I was living at the time.
email me on tomforde_6@hotmail for my trip diary as it is a word document.
Also you can search this web site for my actual original entries from 2004.
Cheers
Tom
I have ridden my F650 up to Thailand twice and return.
First in 2004 - 2005 and recently 2008.
The first time Thai customs accepted my carnet and I stayed in SE Asia for 12 months
The 2nd time they wouldn't accept my carnet and would only give me a one month stay for the bike.
Dispite having a 1 year retirement visa.
I was then forced to ride to Sadoa once a month from Samui were I was living at the time.
email me on tomforde_6@hotmail for my trip diary as it is a word document.
Also you can search this web site for my actual original entries from 2004.
Cheers
Tom
Very interesting.. Did you stay in Thailand a full 12 months ?? As every piece of info I have read has said this isnt possible so its interesting to hear that it was.
Secondly, when on Samui, did you try to extend the bikes time of stay at customs (perhaps in Surat as I think thats the admin capital for Samui ??) rather than do such short hops to the border ??
so basically, you can enter thailand for 3 months (assuming the easiest tourist visa applied for outside thailand) bike gets 1 month but can be extended (phuket no probs) and to stay more than 3 months you need to leave thailand and reapply and do it all over again....
think most happy to do 1 visa run for a few days to get them a 6 month stay...
think most happy to do 1 visa run for a few days to get them a 6 month stay...
Thats sort of it.. But mixing up your visa issues with the bikes visa issues kind of complicates it.. Also as with so much in Thailand local rules may not be the same..
You can bring a bike in temp import, without leaving a cash bond (you give a personal bond / assurance.. So technically liable for a big tax number signed on the form) for 'up to' 6 months.. Depending on the border they will give you 1 month, 2 months (sadao used to if you had a visa, no idea currently) or up to your permission to stay (as they have just reduced land border visa exempt entries to 15 days so maybe that would be used ??) entry time on the bike.
This entry time can be extended at your local customs office... My experiences are its done in 60 day (or 2 months cant remember) chunks.. Failure to do this has a max 2000b fine (so some just ignore it up north) but a bike on overstay is the same as a person on overstay, potential problems if in an accident or other problem. As long as you go to the border in less than 6 months you can pay your fine on exit. Some places are super easy going, others are not, all about local enforcement.
If the bike is in bits or having major work done, you can get another month or so after the 6 months.. But thats really pushing it and is a one off. It was allowed one time on a mates bike that was being repaired and he knew the customs guy well.. He ought to as he saw him every 2 months for years regularly extending his USA regged Harley.
You can bring a bike in temp import, without leaving a cash bond (you give a personal bond / assurance.. So technically liable for a big tax number signed on the form) for 'up to' 6 months.. Depending on the border they will give you 1 month, 2 months (sadao used to if you had a visa, no idea currently) or up to your permission to stay (as they have just reduced land border visa exempt entries to 15 days so maybe that would be used ??) entry time on the bike.
This entry time can be extended at your local customs office... My experiences are its done in 60 day (or 2 months cant remember) chunks.. Failure to do this has a max 2000b fine (so some just ignore it up north) but a bike on overstay is the same as a person on overstay, potential problems if in an accident or other problem. As long as you go to the border in less than 6 months you can pay your fine on exit. Some places are super easy going, others are not, all about local enforcement.
If the bike is in bits or having major work done, you can get another month or so after the 6 months.. But thats really pushing it and is a one off. It was allowed one time on a mates bike that was being repaired and he knew the customs guy well.. He ought to as he saw him every 2 months for years regularly extending his USA regged Harley.
The tax penalty kicks in AFTER the 6 months.. Up to 6 months its 2k max.. But seems more tolerated up north than down south to be fair. I know it was not done to just ignore it down south.. Up here in the north people seem to just pay the 2k fine and no ones unhappy about that.
They used to give 60 days at sadao.. I know that 100% as I went with my mate to do his bike more than once there.. Maybe it was due to him having a non immigrant extension ?? Maybe they have stopped ?? It is now 3 or 4 years since doing it.
They used to give 60 days at sadao.. I know that 100% as I went with my mate to do his bike more than once there.. Maybe it was due to him having a non immigrant extension ?? Maybe they have stopped ?? It is now 3 or 4 years since doing it.