hey adv amigos,

Im flying to Thailand next month and figuring out a few things. I could definitely use some first-hand knowledge / advice.

1. Has anyone bought and registered a bike in Thailand and traveled to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar with it? I hear lots of people buying their bikes in Vietnam but im flying in and out of Thailand.

2. Is anyone planning on being there at that time or wanna join up for a little adventure riding??

cheers

Clay D

First of all - to buy a bike in Thailand as a foreigner on a tourist visa is not always a simple procedure. You will need a recidency certificate, and to get that you need a written document from your landlord, guesthouseowner etc. Some embassies might issue a recidency certificate too. And even if you have all your paperwork done it can take weeks/months to get the real ownership papers which you need to take the bike through a border. It took 2,5 months for me to get those papers last year. But some provinces might be faster.

As always rules and laws and enforcing of them are not always consistanr in SE-Asia but the following I belive is as updated and correct news as possible:

Myanmar - any foreign plated bike need a mandatory guide and permits arranged in advance to get through the borders and to ride in the country. No exceptions even for thai plated vehicles.

Laos - has just dusted of an old rule not allowing bikes with less cc than 250 into their country and are enforcing that nowadays, at least on the thai-Laos borders. Thus you will need at least a 250 cc bike to go there. Entering Laos through the Xayabouli province seems to be not possible nowadays. But there are many other options to enter Laos.

Vietnam - is afaik not possible to enter with a thai plated bike unless you got a (very expensive) permition via a Vietnamese travel agency.

Cambodia - seems to be a bit unclear nowadays, sometimes they seem to demand a permit from authorities in Phnom Penh and sometimes they demand a Carnet - different practise in different borders. On a thai plated bike it should be a little easier though.

Malaysia and Singapore should be easy though on a thai plated bike as they have a bilteral agreement with Thailand.

Buying in Vietnam should be much easier afaik - although I have never done this myself. A vietnamese plated bike should be able to enter Cambodia and Laos (although if Laos enforce the 250 cc law on the Laos-Vietnam borders nowadays you might have problems if youre bike is less than that.

Another option is to rent a bike in each country - it will save you a lot of hazzle, the buying/selling period and no bordercrossing issues as your not crossimg any borders. Its possible to rent bikes in Thailand that can be taken legally into Laos. Some rentals do that and arrange all paperwork ahead. It will cost a bit more though...

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Hi Snakeboy,
Regarding Laos rules - will they allow to enter Honda CRF250L which is actually 249cc in papers?

Wysłane z mojego F5121 przy użyciu Tapatalka

I think they will allow a Honda Crf 250 in. I just think they dont want heaps of small cc scooters ridden by foreigners on to their roads. But thats only my thoughts about it and dont take my words as 100 % objetive truth.

__________________
In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

I visited Thailand with a US passport and bought a new CB500X from a Honda BigWing store. To get the required residence letter, I had to visit the US embassy and pay usd100 or so. (It basically says: 'This person came to us and said that he stays at so and so address. We have no idea if that is true and take no responsibility.') I paid the dealership in cash, handed the BS letter, and rest of the procedure was easy. I was able to pick up the bike and documents fairly quickly if not the same day. In about a month, they notified me when the plate was ready and sent it to my address. You don't seem to need a plate in Thailand. The cops have stopped me for this or that reason but never cared about the absence of a plate.

Traveled to Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, & Singapore, but couldn't get into Vietnam. I was told it was due to my Thai plate (and not the 500cc engine displacement). Later I heard about a vehicular passport which could make it possible.

6 months and 16.000 kms later I sold the bike in Bangkok. In the end it cost me ~$15/day. In Chiang Mai, you can also rent a wide variety of bikes at very reasonable prices. Not sure how easy the border crossings would be on a rental, but I've heard it's possible.

Thailand simply is spectacular, the north being my favorite. You'll have a blast

Hope this helps!


PS. Once in Chiang Mai, find "rider's corner" if you're in a hurry to meet expats and other foreigners

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Hi everyone.
We will be travelling through Burma by train in Jan 2018 then have 2 months in Thailand. Starting Chiang Mai where we hope to hire bikes. Will check out Riders Corner.

Hi,

there are several bike Rentals in Chiang Mai. They are all around tha Phae gate. I had some Rentals in Oct. 2016. The North Mae Hon Son Loop and golden triangle Loop are very famous and worth for traveling.

Many rentals in Chiang Mai, POP, C&P, Mr Mechanic, Tonys big bikes and tour and more...

__________________
In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....