Vietnam - Cambodia - Laos - Thailand - Malaysia Trip Details.

Jul 31, 2012
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Hi guys,
yeah I've just joined the boards because it seemed like the best place to pick brains regarding everything bike and S.E. Asia related and would love some input of seasoned knowledge.

There's a trip me and a couple of mates are planning, we're aiming to start in:
Ha noi (buy bikes under our names), south the Ho Chi Minh City,
cross overland to Cambodia
North through Laos - into Vientiane
Into Thailand (It's where I've gathered it's starts to get a little complicated)
West to Chang Mai, South to Bangkok
And onto cross into Malaysia to then sell our bike (as you can't do so in Thailand?) and fly out.

I've read up on the visas and they all seem pretty straight forward to get, but my biggest concern is how easy and legal is it to sell my bike in malaysia and is there no way to do it in Thailand?

Any other kinks in my plan I'd be more than happy for you to point them out.
 

Rogdog

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Jun 10, 2012
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The first kink I would point out is that you can't register a bike in your name in Vietnam without having residency. So you can purchase them, but all of the documents (except the sales receipt) would be in the name of either a Vietnamese national or someone holding residency. This would make selling them complicated I suspect. Doesn't matter if you are willing to sell at a huge loss and comfortable that the person buying would probably be unable to register (not a legally imported vehicle under Malaysian law I suspect).

Second complication is available models. Keep it under 150 cc, no problem, over 150 cc is scarce and very expensive.

I would suggest that you might consider purchasing or renting in Hanoi, selling in HCMC and purchasing again in Phenom Penh. Cambodia offers better selection than Vietnam and cheaper prices - so even if you can't get proper documentation - selling cheap (and semi-legally) in Malaysia wouldn't be as prohibitively expensive.

I've never tried it, so I'm not an expert and what you are suggesting could possibly be done. But I have bought, registered and imported bikes into Vietnam and I know that you can't register/plate in your name.
 

Rogdog

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Jun 10, 2012
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Sorry... just re-read your title and realized you are leaving Vietnam and returning to Vietnam (so I assume you live here), so the bike would be in your name. Ignore my post!

Did see from a quick internet search that crossing into Malaysia on a motorcycle you are only granted a 3 month temporary importation permit. As the bike is not legally imported and duties are not paid, you would still be selling at a significant loss (also I suspect illegally).
 
Jul 31, 2012
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No I'm actually Aussie, planning to fly into Ha Noi.
Yes I have read that it is difficult (or impossible) getting a vietnamese bike registered under your name, but I've also read that at each country border crossing that is suffices to just have the rego under the vietnamese name.

Hoping to get 125's because I've heard when selling them you tend to make your money back.

I don't mind selling at a loss, as long as there is no $2000 US I've heard thailand incurs.