It seems it's getting even harder to get a vehicle into Thailand: now it is required that you submit a verified translation of your registration certificate too - and despite Switzerland saying that Thailand doesn't recognise Carnets, Mrs Thip needs that too; this from her yesterday: doh
- car book and carnet (if you have)
- passport
- international driving licence
- moto picture front/side/back
- letter to DLT
- route for entry date and exit day and border
?c?

No translation needed by other agency
 

Received today from one of the other three agencies successfully doing applications for entry permits, www.motoasia.bike:

"JUST ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF REG BOOK NEEDED AS EXTRA NOW"

These new regulations, implementation and fluidity will be a serious topic of discussion at the HU Mini-Meeting January 6-7, 2017 at Rider's Corner, Chiang Mai.

And the IPD must be of the 1949 convention type. The 1968 type is not recognised in Thailand and thus not valid there. But one can get a 1968 IDP converted into a temporary thai driving license at a Thai land department office if I understands this message right....

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1024...8582508530773/

Sounding like a bit of a hassle for foreign bikes these days. FWIW with my Malaysian registered bike, the borders are super easy, no issues. Am living in Penang so the borders only a couple of hours away, handy for weekend trips.

Just don't forget the RM2 in your passport at the Thai immigration otherwise you'll be waiting 10x as long as everybody else ;)

Entering Thailand - 1st hand experience November 2016
 

Hi All,
we entered Thailand on 25th November 2016 with our car. We have a Swiss IDL which is not recognized in Thailand.doh

The whole story on how to successfully overcome all bureaucratic obstacles you may imagine read on out website

jealousyreloaded | Monika and Martin Mayer's Trip From Lesotho to Argenitine

A story making us thinking twice if it's still worth overlanding Thailand.:oops2:

I agree, it's probably not worth it if you only want to tour Thailand.

The thing is, if you're on an overlanding trip coming from India through Burma, or from China through Laos, there's no way around Thailand if you want to reach Malaysia and onward to Indonesia.

Take a good look at the map again - Malaysia and Myanmar do not have any common border.

Costs of guide
 

Does anyone have an idea what the costs of a guide will be for lets say 15-25 days?

Im on my way to Australia and in Dubai at the moment and dont really have the opportunity to divert (where to?) or return home. Crossing Thailand is kind of the only possibility for me.

One of the main companies that are allowed to handle permits from overlanders to thai authorities - Motoasia have now been in a meeting with the Thai DLT and mandatory guides seem to be the new rule from soon on. Applications handled before 23th december and entering Thailand before theend if February 2017 will not need guides.

Copied from the Facebook site: "New regualtions affecting overland travellers":

LATEST NEWS: I had a meeting in Bangkok with DLT today this is what we know:
1. Law will probably be announced re guide requirement next week, they indicated 23rd December, 2016.
2. Applications WITH insurance already completed into DLT before that date and entering before the end of February 2017, should not need a Thai tour company accompanying them. Any permit where entry is March 2017 onwards need a guide.
3. After announcement all applications need guide.
4. Vehicle group less than 5 foreign vehicles 1 guide.
5. 5-15 vehicles 2 guides/ 2 guide vehicles.
6. 15 plus vehicles 3 guides.
7. Permit processing will be available at any Thai DLT office not in Bangkok as is currently.

As from 23rd December, the new regulation is now requiring a mandatory tour guide.

There is a big discussion on the FB page about the pricing to expect, which is, atm, only having one agency having them published. I am waiting for additional numbers to be handed from other agencies in order that the pricings and conditions may be converging into a sweet spot.

Check on the FB page. A new how-to document will be provided as soon as the new situation is consolidated

Cheers

crossing Thailand 2018?
 

Hi guys,
i´m already planing my trip from Germany to New Zeeland since 2 years.
I will start end of April going to Turkey, Iran, Pakinstan and India.
Then the plan was doing a Tour through Myanmar into Thailand.
This will be in Januray 2018! I´m following the discussion about the new Regulation going into Thailand with a foreign bike now for a while and the rules are changing every month. What happens if i come to the boarder leaving Myanmar into Thailand without any Registration done bevor?
If i tell then i will Transit Thailand only going to Laos or Malaysia what will happen? Because for me as Person i don´t need anything, no Visa!

i´m definitively not going with a guid through Thailand. Then i will ship my bike from India to Malaysia and avoid Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

ride save, all the best for 2017!
Michael

Why should someone want to import a bike to Thailand, if one can just rent a local bike in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia for just 5 Dollars per day to explore those wonderfull countrys? http://schoene-motorradreisen.de/?re...ok&design=dark

http://schoene-motorradreisen.de/sma...ng_mai_045.jpg

Hi Michael
I live in China and every year for the past 5 years I have travelled down to North Thailand by Car/Bike.
This year because of the new rules I have taken a plane, so far I have not seen 1 Blue plated car (Chinese) or 1 yellow plated motorbike (Chinese), were by now I normal have seen 100s if not 1000s by now.
If the Chinese are going to come we need to wait until the 27th January (Chinese New Year)
From information, my Chinese wife has by talking to friends who live in Kunming the general consensus is F##K Thailand we will just stay in Laos.
Now my point is already the new law has been modified so IMO by 2018 the new law will be further modified or even scrapped altogether.
When the Thailand government realises how much money they are losing things will change for the better.

Not necessarily if you just rent a bike for 5 Dollars per day in India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia insted and use the public bus to cross boarders with http://schoene-motorradreisen.de/?re..._hong_son_loop

Shiping bikes or flying bikes over Myanmar from India to Thailand was allways an expensive waste of money so if now the government wants their share from the people looking and acting like money on legs its no big wonder. These kind of people with no time but lots of money will still come and rush through to say "if done it" as you can see in China.

Nobody in Thailand will care but you will miss some of the most interesding countrys in the world ;)

It would be nice if one could easily rent a bike in China and Iran as well to save Carnet and Gude costs there too :-)

Hi all,
i dont´t want to rent a bike. I will ride with my one bike free of any guide aroud the world. And if this is not possible in Thailand i will spent my Money in other countrys. The guided Tour through Myanmar is expenseve too.
A flight from Nepal to Malysia is cheaper. Even if i will miss some beautiful countrys like Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. More time in India and Nepal!

Michael