Foreign Bike into Thailand

[Tom Forde]

I entered Thailand from Malaysia through Sadoa, as I had done in 2004.
I have a Carney for Singapore/Malaysia, and know that Thailand doesn't acknowledge it. However, last trip I went through immigration then straight over to the main Customs office were a pretty customs officer stamped the Carney and off I rode into Thailand. (After paying for my 1 year insurance, 500bht)
October 2008, it is the Hindu New Year and the Sadoa Border crossing is teaming with thousands of Malaysians going to Thailand for a holiday.
2 hours wait at Immigration, I hook up with some Malaysian bikers and get to a customs booth and collectively get a 30 day stay, and a computer record of the bike. I asked the customs officer to stamp the Carney or give me 90 days as per my visa.
The reply was, "to busy".
Now I am stuck with a useless Carney and a 30 day visit to a border crossing.
This I done at Mae Sae, I rode across to Burma, cost me 25bht for the bike and 500bht for myself. It took awhile to convince the Thai customs guy to let me through. I got to the Burma side and the customs guy was fast asleep. I convinced him to sign and stamp the Carney, thinking I could start the process once I went back into Thailand.
Wrong! rode around in Burma for about 20 minutes, went through their customs again and got the Carney signed for export, then went to the Thai side. The Carney didn't work, all they gave me was another 30 days, they said I needed to go back to Sadoa to change my situation. Luckily I will be back in Samui at the end of December, so I can do an overnight border run to Sadoa and hopefully sort it.
I will keep you posted on the Carney.
Cheers
Tom

 

[HIKO]

Hi

You don't have to play around with your carnet or go out of the country. You probably have got a "temporary import paper" at the customs and by going to any Custom House in Thailand have your temporary import paper stamped for 30 days more and up to a total of half a year (5 times) The stamp is free. If Your carnet is not properly stamped when you go back home you just go to your local police with your bike and police will give you a stamp that the bike is back and you can collect your deposit for the carnet.

Hiko

 

[Tom Forde]

Thanks for the info Hiko,
I will be in Samui next month, so I will try to up date there, what happens after 6 months?
Cheers
Tom

 

[HIKO]

HI AGAIN.

After 6 months your bike is in principle unlegally in the country. By referring to engine brake down or sickness you may apply for a few more months but it is much more easy to leave the country (if possible) and start the same procedure again. If you don't take out the bike after 30 days and do not stamp your temporary import paper you will be subject to a fine 200 Baht a day maximum 2000 Baht. If your bike overstay more than 6 month you may get more severe problem. but I have handled them before. The problem when you overstay and is caught inside inside the country your bike maybe confiscated even if I never have heard that it actually has happened. When you overstay you cannot normally not normally pay the fine at the border but you must go to the closest Customhouse which can be 50 km away and pay the fine there before you may leave the country. But as always in Thailand by behaving well and remember some tea money the matter can normally be solved also at the border.

hiko