GT Rider

Border Crossings

Thailand – Laos - Vietnam – Cambodia – Malaysia Border Crossings

GENERAL
All border crossings must be at a legal international crossing where you can get a passport stamped / visa validated and motorcycle temporarily imported.
Legal international border crossings should not be confused with local border trading places, where local residents cross the border on either their ID cards or local day passes.

Take a look at the low resolution borders map – For a guide to the legal international land border crossings in the area, click HERE to download a high resolution copy of the borders map + all the relevant border docs.

Warning Local border crossings: At local border trading passes it is sometimes possible for foreigners to cross, but remember that you are not legally in the country and free to continue. You are in the country illegally, both personally and with your bike, leaving yourself wide open to serious trouble.
I’ve seen it a few times in both Thailand and Laos – riders who thought they were clever sneaking into the country, but when they tried to leave the country they could not produce any papers to show that the bike was legally imported. The Customs officials were not impressed and neither was the rider when he had to pay a hefty fine to leave. I know of another case in Vietnam where a rider foolishly snuck in from Cambodia without papers & it cost him a couple of thousand US dollars to leave with his bike from the North. Silly boy & don’t do it!
So, play it wise & safe – make sure all your border crossings are at legal international crossings where you get your bike import papers properly stamped.

CROSSING WITH A BIKE
To actually cross an international border with a motorcycle you need a passport and a bike. (Not as silly as it sounds.)
Passport: this should be valid & have the appropriate visa if necessary (if the rental shop has your passport as security for the bike then you can’t cross the border.)

Laos Note Entering Laos, your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months, or you can be refused entry, as one poor Singapore tour leader found out in late 2005.

Bike You need to prove it’s “real”, not stolen & have valid docs to support this = proof of ownership, the bike licence / registration.

For a Thai registered bike this means the green registration / ownership book.

Thailand International Transport Permit Confusion exists over this document / book that was once issued & required for motorcycles. The ITP is a small booklet that is basically a passport for your vehicle. A blue one is issued for cars & a purple one was for motorcycles; however it is no longer issued or required for motorbikes, although some misinformed border staff may sometimes think so & try to cause trouble.
The cost was a mere 100 baht and & if you have one, they can make your international border crossings easier.
In December 2007 the ITP for motorcycles was replaced by a Vehicle Registration Certificate. Later on the Vehicle Registration Certificate was also stopped.
ITPs are compulsory for cars crossing the international borders, but for motorcycles they are no longer issued or required.

Thailand Permission To Export: If the bike not registered in your name you need permission from the owner to export the bike temporarily. Otherwise as far as the officials are concerned you could be stealing the bike from the finance company whom you have not paid off yet, or your estranged wife / girlfriend / boyfriend / ex mate who no longer cares about you. Permission from the owner = a written consent Permission To Export form with both your & their & the bike details + signed copies of their valid (not expired) ID card & house registration Download a “Permission To Export” form here along with a full set of border docs.

3. Motorcycle driving licence (although this is very seldom asked for.)

DOCUMENTS DEPARTING THAILAND
You need to complete papers for both Customs and Immigration. Have photocopies of your bike rego / ownership book + copies of your passport to hand over.
First do to the Customs papers. Get the temporary bike export approved, then clear immigration.

1. Bike Ownership

  • Ownership / bike Registration Book (see above).
  • Permission to export from the owner of the vehicle if it is not registered in your name (see above).
  • Owners ID = passport or ID Card.

2. Customs need a Temporary Export / Import form (Official name = Simplified Customs Declaration Form for a car and motorcycle temporarily imported or exported.) You can get this from the Customs office at the border, or be prepared and download a Set of Immigration Documents here. If you’re leaving with a bike from o/seas then you just need to hand in the temporary import form you got at the border on arrival.

Temporary Import / Export Validity is usually for just a month, and there is supposedly a fine of 200 baht a day, with a maximum of 2,000 baht if you return / depart late (up to 6 months). However experience has taught me that enforcement is sometimes arbitrary and probably depends on the duty officer’s mood and financial needs at the time. Some of them also like to threaten you with a huge fine as stipulated in the temporary import / export form. In my case this is 420,000 baht for a 1995 model Honda 750  Africa Twin. Personally I think it is all a bit of a game of bluff, but it can be a bit stressful at the time. Note that the big fine will apply if you overstay 6 months or more = bye bye motorbike!

3. Immigration

Two forms are needed, these are;

  • TM2 Information of Conveyance.
  • TM4 Crew List.
  • TM3 Passenger List, only if you’re riding two-up with a pillion passenger

You can get these forms at the border office, or be prepared and Download a Set Here.

The completed original of these forms is kept at the departure port and you are required to hand in copies of the same 2 forms at the arrival port when you re-enter the country.

Experience has taught me that you are not always asked for these on your return, and often when you depart some slack immigration staff don’t ask you to complete the forms. But, be warned there is a fine for not having the forms on your return and some immigration staff love it when you don’t have copies with you. I’ve had several runs with border staff over this and either way you never seem to win – it’s up to them & their mood of the day. Note too that I’ve yet to pay a fine, so I consider myself lucky.

Overall completing these forms on departure is relatively easy & cost free, provided your bike papers & passport are in order. The customs fees are only stamp duty and there is no fee for the immigration forms.

My biggest troubles have been when returning to Thailand and some smart immigration / customs officer has found something wrong with the forms and wants to make life difficult so he can touch you up for money. Again this can be a bit of a game of bluff, but is stressful at the time – better to have the completed forms with you

THE CROSSINGS
Thailand / Malaysia / Singapore are relatively easy and hassle free, provided your passport, visa, bike registration and ownership papers are all in order. Allow ½ – 1 hour maximum to clear the border each time.

Singapore / Malaysia the legal “land border” crossings are:
1. The Causeway: Woodlands (S) / Johore Bahru (M)
2. The Second link: Tuas (S) / Tanjong Kupang (M)
Of these two the Second link is faster and easier.

Thailand / Malaysia the legal land border crossings are: malaythai_border.gif
1. Sadao (T) / Changloon (M)
2. Padang Besar (T) / Kaki Bukit (M)
3. Betong (T) / Keroh (M)
4. Sungai Golok (T) / Rantau Panjang (M).

Thailand / Laos the eight legal ones are:
1. Chiang Khong (T) / Huay Sai (L). Motor vehicles working days Mon – Frid only.
2. Huay Kon (T) / Muang Ngeun (L)
3. Thai Li (T) / Nam Hueng (L)
4. Nong Khai (T) / Friendship Bridge, Vientiane (L). (Friendship bridge = generally no motorbike entry to Laos. Exit ok)
5. Bun Kan (T) / Pakxan (L). Motorbikes working days Mon – Frid only.
6. Mukdahan (T) / Savannakhet (L). (Friendship Bridge= generally no motorbike entry to Laos. Exit ok)
7. Nakhon Phanom (T) / Tha Khek (L). (Friendship Bridge = generally no motorbike entry to Laos. Exit ok)
8. Chong Mek (T) / Vang Tao, Pakse (L).  Note that Thai Customs officials at Chong Mek are sometimes temperamental & difficult when leaving Thailand.
Note crossing the Mekong: where there is no bridge & you need to use a ferry you can only cross on regular working days. The land & bridge crossings are open 7 days a week.

EXPERIENCE
If you have no experience of  riding in Asia and / or crossing international borders, alone, on a motorcycle, do yourself a favour and make a 2-3 week tour of North Thailand and the Golden Triangle to familiarize yourself with the area and the conditions first. In S E Asia, one of the main complications is communication – the locals don’t speak much English and you probably can’t speak, read or write the local language either. So, how will you converse and deal with an unhelpful official at the border, who is perhaps not so familiar with all the rules and maybe not so interested in your problem? Riding here, is not like riding in the EU or Americas, where you can at least read the language, if not speak it, and the rules are generally clear and available. So get some experience under your belt, before you seriously consider whether you are ready to tackle touring the newimage71.gifer frontiers of S E Asia. If you think you are, then come back next year, don’t attempt these trips without experience. Note that riding in Singapore / Malaysia / Thailand is quite easy and straightforward.

Vietnam is now possible should you apply 3 months in advance & buy a package tour with a guides & back-up vehicle.)
Rocking up at the border & asking politely does not work. Don’t believe me about no entry – then look here Mr Wheezy & Thao & Under 175cc to Vietnam Forget It.

GT Rider