Smiley,

you amy have a problem with the documentation - normally to cross any border you need good-looking documentation/registration that shows your name address and serial number of the bike and essentially says you own it.

Then there is the carnet - search the website and HUBB for:

carnet thailand

and

carnet laos

and see what the current situation is on that.

(Will probably take a lot of reading - its a big subject)

If a carnet is required - and I THINK it is for Laos but not sure - you will need to get it - and I don't think you'll get it from China. China MAY have a border treaty with Laos, but I'd be surprised.

I don't think you need a carnet for Thailand, but you will definitely need good docs.

Good luck, I think you may need it. But it's amazing what some people have managed that isn't supposed to be possible...



------------------
Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------

One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Thanks for the input Grant, I'll ckeck on the carnet. From what I've read already, I think I remember someone stating that they used their carnet to enter laos, but as you say I'm not 100% on whether it's required. I'm thinking that if I get a visa for Thailand at the same time as for Laos then the Lao border dudes may go easier if I show my intent to transit Laos. Who knows but for me it's gonna be worth the effort as I can't for the life of me sell this bike here in Cheng du and that means walking away from it when I have to go. So if I don't make it at least I'll have the adventure of riding through Sichuan and Yunnan.

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riding underground...what a view!!

don't know anything about this BUT, if you try to register in taiwan ( which china considers its own) you may be ble to get it into china. just a thought. i lived in taiwan for a year and a half and with my resident visa from there, i was able to make use of all things as a local in the mainland. hong kong may be an option too.
like i said, just a thought!

hiya

Just to let you know i have just been through Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia and no one has asked to see my carnet, which i do have. I flew from kathmandu into bangkok then headed into Cambodia via the crossing near siam reap then through cambodia and crossed into laos in the south at the "there is very little there" border crossing between cambodia and loas, someone told me this was not open to foreigners but all went well and there was no real customs there anyway. Then back into Thailand at the friendship bridge near Vientianne and down south to Malaysia.

Hope this helps.....

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Will

Some day so soon....

Yes thanx, I realised after browsing the trip papers page that a carnet is optional in most SEA countries. Now I just have to get the reggy paper and DL here in China, got a few leads so here's hoping...I'll keep ya posted.

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riding underground...what a view!!

G'Day,
Find pictures at: http://photos.yahoo.com/rdmc_shanghai from our recent Chengdu (Sichuan) to Kunming (Yunnan) ride.

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Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

Hi Butch,
Great shots, and I have been thinking about your trip. I especially enjoyed your shots of our Shanghai to Urumqi Trip. We had a great time. Carol broke her foot out of Korla back to Urumqi. But then that happens in the road ditches!! And yes, John got that BMW fixed after the other accident. Thanks for all you assistance in making the trip fun and getting to see the F1 race!!I love that little camera you have.
Allen(03-18).

G'Day Allen! (@Allen Naille)
good to hear you enjoyed the trip from Shanghai to Urumqi.
we had our fair shares of troubles as well (myself two rear flats and a broken off cockpit bracket, various bits & pieces coming of the BMW LT K1200, one front flat on the Honda and trouble with a Harley battery) but overall a great trip.
thanks god did not take Harley Heritage Softail on this trip, we learned the hard ("funny / strange") way that cruiser type (big bikes like BMW K1200LT) are not the right choice going offroad (actually we were on PRC National Highway #108). that little casio exilim camera came in handy many times, really recommend it (point & shoot). as you know, its a small world and we might meet again somewhere over a or F1 race.

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Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

Hi Guys,

China by motorcycle - forget all the plates and guides and what ever the official requirements are. We've done it succesfully, just by our own and spent almost 3 month and 9000km in China. I guess the most difficult part is to get in, but if you ones in, we had not even one single problem with the police riding in the streets. The people are increadible friendly and interested, but to get used to this unbelivable (no rule) traffic, it really takes a while. Even if the PSB or the police where checking our documents while camping, they never had any questions concerning the ride by ourselfs on the bike through the country.

To read the whole China story (and more will come soon) have a look on our website at: www.lomo-expedition.de

See you on the road.

Lo

Mongolian border seems the only way to enter China without local plates and licenses.
Last month five russian motorbikers tried to enter china from pakistan and were refused.
Offical answer was 'Now transit for the motorbikes!'

Agreed, but it _can_ happen. Just to inject a small amount of hope into the situation, at the end of April I managed to get both into and out of China with few problems, although I needed to try at two borders, from Vietnam, where I shouldn't have really been allowed either.
You can read about some of it at http://hamilton2japan.blogspot.com (as it's a blog, the post order is in reverse - Start at Hanoi, and go more recent)

Has there been changes to China's restrictions on motorcycles coming through their borders?

My parents live in HKG and I may try to get a resident card from there then register my motorcycle through my father's company.

Plus, my wife is from China and was a guide... We will also contact the Chinese embassy in the US to get additional information.

If we find anything, I'll post info to the forum.

Hi i had an offer
of 13000 and one of 16000 USD to enter from Nepal where we have our projects by bike
I refused the offer, in knowing that a staff of our projects works 8 years for this money and in order to support no corruption, i no its idealistic now we are in japan, but sometimes...not the own effort counts
Still i have the mailadresses of the 2 agents in Nepal
the package included four weeks with jeep support (whom we dont wanted too) hotels Route china and tibet (2 weeks each to the mongolian border)
best wishes and greetings
Rocco
Manu & Rocco on Tour
Govinda Entwicklungshilfe e.V. - Hilfe für Waisenkinder und Schulen in Nepal

If people don't mind riding light, I would suggest flying into China, buying a bike and riding. The western provinces of China are not only less populated (which makes them safer) but also astoundingly beautiful and dramatic thanks to the Tibetan Plateau and Takl. Desert.

Getting your own bike in must be possible but can be a hassle just to get in the door. I'm sure you can get a "valid Chinese license" but the amount of money you pay for it and the other documents is a bit outrageous and having an escort on your ass all the time is a pain almost worth considering buy, riding, and selling. But hey, if you've got the dosh, might as well spend it!

Also, I have heard talk of a system to issue temporary licenses to foreigners visiting China. Each province, however, has slightly different rules, regulations, processes and fee's. Sichuan is pretty easy but I could imagine the East coast cities could be more particular.

For more general info and maps and geotagged photos and stuff...check out CarlParker.com - Western China Motorcycle Travel and Photography

Smiley,

I'm also in Cheng-Du. Haven't seen a 4ner buzzing around on a CBR yet. If you see black plates with 76 that'd be me. Stop me and say hey.

I've been doing inter-province travel in China for the past 3 years. Right now, it's not a problem. There are thousands of other Chinese motorcycle tourists who also travel inter-province practically year round.

What's more of a problem is the CBR on certain kinds of roads. I saw a guy on a kawi400 couldn't even make it half way up Balangshan pass (just west of Chengdu). His buddies were waiting for him but the guy was scared sh*tless. Smooth street tires really don't do well in high wind on packed ice/snow. If you choose your route carefully you can have a good time but there are no continuously paved roads heading west from Chengdu and since they won't let you on most new expressways, get ready for some monkey butt moments!

CrazyCarl

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Kazakh border is a passable. I did it last summer by my own Africa Twin (registered in Russia) without chinese guides, plates and licenses. I have had a chinese visa only. I entered china without any bribes, helpers and trucks by my 2 wheels only. I have spent a 2 weeks (8000 kms) in china and Tibet. I have been in Lhasa and Everest base camp without any permits and guides. Noone stoped me during my trip. The PSB helped me to finde a cheap hotel when I stoped at the big chemical plant at night.
Do not take a beaten tracks. Try to do it at small border crossing like Druzhba (Kaz), Taikeshken (Mongolia) without a unnecessary fuss. China is a big country and what is impossible in te west is possible in the east.
I hope it`s an understandable.

Alex

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