Hi everyone,
I hope you are all doing well. First of all, let me please thank you all for the precious information you all provide on this forum. I have been consulting it for a few weeks now and just created an account...!
I am planning on traveling throughout South East Asia for a few years, starting in about a month or two. I have already been to many SE Asian countries and did rent motorcycles while I was there. However, it was only for day trips. I've recently considered buying a motorcycle in South East Asia as a means to travel. However, from my understanding it seems a little bit difficult to be able to register a bike on your own name with a tourist visa (or the lack thereof) in most countries. Crossing borders seems to be another issue that I should better consider...!
I have read online that the best countries to buy a motorcycle would be Malaysia, Vietnam or Thailand. I am not so sure because it seems that a bike registered in any one of these countries would not be able to get into other countries...
Let me try to sum up what I've understood:
1. MALAYSIA: I can stay in Malaysia for up to 90 days without a visa, which is pretty awesome by the way. Anyway, it seems that tourists have been able to purchase brand new motorcycles in KL and could register the bikes in their own names by using the hotel address as proof of residency...! Seems a bit odd but it apparently worked for some. Have you heard anything on that?
With a Malaysian-registered bike it's apparently possible to cross the Thai border with the bike and take it into Thailand by filling up a temporary import from (if my understanding is correct?) amont other documents, which means that I can stay in Thailand with the bike for 30 days but have to leave by the same border post I got in, is that correct? That would be really annoying because I would like to use the bike to travel in different countries - the more, the better...!
2. THAILAND: I might be able to purchase a second-hand bike in provinces other than Bangkok and get the registration paper. However, can I register the bike in my own name as a tourist in Thailand? And if so, can I easily cross borders, get out and in again as I please?
3. VIETNAM: it's apparently not possible to get into Vietnam with a non-Vietnamese bike, except with some kind of organised tour. So buying a bike in Vietnam could be an option (the only option in which I could include Vietnam in my trip), but I am not sure if I can get it out of the country and then in again...! The registration would probably be on another person's name if I purchase a second-hand bike, right?
I did not include Laos, Cambodia or Indonesia, however if buying a bike in those countries is advantageous, I'd be most interested in your recommendations!
To conclude, I'd like to know the best country to buy a bike in South East Asia - and by "best country" I mean the country which would allow me to take the bike to other countries and then back in without much trouble.
Thank you very much! I look forward to reading your replies.
Peace,
Frankie
I hope you are all doing well. First of all, let me please thank you all for the precious information you all provide on this forum. I have been consulting it for a few weeks now and just created an account...!
I am planning on traveling throughout South East Asia for a few years, starting in about a month or two. I have already been to many SE Asian countries and did rent motorcycles while I was there. However, it was only for day trips. I've recently considered buying a motorcycle in South East Asia as a means to travel. However, from my understanding it seems a little bit difficult to be able to register a bike on your own name with a tourist visa (or the lack thereof) in most countries. Crossing borders seems to be another issue that I should better consider...!
I have read online that the best countries to buy a motorcycle would be Malaysia, Vietnam or Thailand. I am not so sure because it seems that a bike registered in any one of these countries would not be able to get into other countries...
Let me try to sum up what I've understood:
1. MALAYSIA: I can stay in Malaysia for up to 90 days without a visa, which is pretty awesome by the way. Anyway, it seems that tourists have been able to purchase brand new motorcycles in KL and could register the bikes in their own names by using the hotel address as proof of residency...! Seems a bit odd but it apparently worked for some. Have you heard anything on that?
With a Malaysian-registered bike it's apparently possible to cross the Thai border with the bike and take it into Thailand by filling up a temporary import from (if my understanding is correct?) amont other documents, which means that I can stay in Thailand with the bike for 30 days but have to leave by the same border post I got in, is that correct? That would be really annoying because I would like to use the bike to travel in different countries - the more, the better...!
2. THAILAND: I might be able to purchase a second-hand bike in provinces other than Bangkok and get the registration paper. However, can I register the bike in my own name as a tourist in Thailand? And if so, can I easily cross borders, get out and in again as I please?
3. VIETNAM: it's apparently not possible to get into Vietnam with a non-Vietnamese bike, except with some kind of organised tour. So buying a bike in Vietnam could be an option (the only option in which I could include Vietnam in my trip), but I am not sure if I can get it out of the country and then in again...! The registration would probably be on another person's name if I purchase a second-hand bike, right?
I did not include Laos, Cambodia or Indonesia, however if buying a bike in those countries is advantageous, I'd be most interested in your recommendations!
To conclude, I'd like to know the best country to buy a bike in South East Asia - and by "best country" I mean the country which would allow me to take the bike to other countries and then back in without much trouble.
Thank you very much! I look forward to reading your replies.
Peace,
Frankie