I aim to fly an XT660R in the hold of an Air Malaysia plane with the intention of riding round Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. As I am entering Malaysia by air will I need a carnet for the bike?

Yes, you will definitely need a carnet if you ship into Malaysia by sea or air.

Riding over the Thai/Malaysian land border; well, Customs are a bit more relaxed about the carnet requirement, but this is not the case with the Malay Customs Dept at airports (and seaports) - you will need a carnet at any one of these entry points.

[ .. unless someone knows different! :confused1:]

No carnet needed for Thailand, Laos or Cambodia though.

Cheers

Keith
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Right Way Round ...

Thanks, very much. I suspected as much.

Just had another thought regarding this. My passport is British, my bike is Portuguese registered as Portugal is my home. This won't prove a problem when going through customs in Kuala Kumpur, will it?

No, it shouldn’t be a problem.

I shipped by sea into Penang (Butterworth Docks), Malaysia, from Indonesia. I’m a Brit too, but riding a New Zealand registered bike that I own; registered in my name after buying it down under in December 2006.

It causes a little confusion with Customs officers sometimes when my British passport doesn’t correlate with the Kiwi registration documents, but nothing that I haven’t been able to easily overcome.

I have to ask: where are you going to get your carnet from?
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That's what I was going to ask next. What do you suggest? I would have thought it would have to be Portugal seeing it's on Portuguese plates. What do you know about this, Keith?

Nick

You must apply to a member of the AIT/FIA carnet network. Generally this means your local Automobile Association.

Here in the UK the RAC has responsibility for issuing carnets. In New Zealand it's the NZAA (New Zealand Automobile Association). In Germany it's the ADAC. Etc.

If I were you, I would start by contacting the ACP (Automovel Club de Portugal). Find out if they issue carnets for Portuguese-registered vehicles, or whether they defer this responsibility to another European organisation, e.g. the ADAC.

Certainly, in my opinion, your starting point should be the ACP. Progress your enquiries from there.

FWIW, unusually, the RAC are currently in the process of issuing a carnet to me for my New Zealand-registered motorcycle, which I should receive within the next week or so. This is indeed unusual, as the NZAA should really be issuing the document. However, I have negotiated concessionary terms, insofar as the RAC will issue it instead, only because I am on a one-way trip from NZ to the UK - i.e. the bike will never return to New Zealand. BUT both organisations had to agree to this concession before it could all happen. When I eventually reach England (in just over a year's time) I will re-register the bike with the DVLA.

Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

Regards

Keith

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Thanks a lot, Keith, you're being very helpful. Do you get the cost of the carnet back in full when you've proved you've gone home with the bike?

It depends which automobile association you're dealing with. There is no across-the-board consistency with them.

A proportion of the issuer's fee & charges may also be refundable on your return.

In addition you could:

• Deposit the bond amount with the carnet issuer - a full refund of this element will apply when the carnet is discharged.
• Leave the required bond amount deposited in a bank account - again, essentially a 'full refund' applies as the money stays with your bankers.
• Get your bank to cover the bond amount against some kind of collateral you put up (money, property or shares). Same 'refund' as above.
• Pay an insurance premium to underwrite the cost, typically 3% to 10% of the bond amount. Get a proportion (say 50%) of the premium returned when the carnet is discharged.

There is some useful info and guidance in the Paperwork Section of this website. A Google search will throw-up additional information too. But as I say above, your best starting point is probably the ACP.
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Thanks, Keith, I'll have to check all that out. All rather confusing first thing on a Sunday after a heavy Saturday night. I wasn't sure whether you get an insurance policy to cover the amount or whether you have to stump up the full amount. Regarding the amount if that's what I end up doing, is it the full value of the machine, which I haven't bought yet. I am planning on buying the XT660R new in January. Good choice of bike, I feel. The alternative is to use my Buell Ulysses.

Just had a thought after reading a thread about the problems people are having getting carnets. I have no real interest in seeing Malaysia at all. I only got the idea of KL as an airport of entry to se Asia because I read someone had put their bike in the hold of an Air Malaysia flight from there to Amsterdam. If it is possible to fly it in the hold of an aircraft from somewhere in Europe (northern country for reasons of efficiency) to Bangkok I wouldn't need a carnet. Or would I? The countries I'd be riding through would be Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

No carnet required for Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia.

In that region, a carnet is required for Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Timor Leste (East Timor).

Myanmar & Vietnam - it's still very difficult to get a foreign-registered vehicle into either of these countries, with or without a carnet; but the times, they are a-changin' ..
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Nice one, Keith. And of course Air Malaysia fly to BKK. I only cite AM because I know they'll put a bike in the hold. Other carriers probably would too. I realize you can't just roll up and treat it like hand luggage, though.