writ3r77

Trip summary, in case it helps anyone else going for the first time:

I have a Thai DL and was not asked for an IDP, as per the apparent ASEAN license rule. I never got my DL out of my wallet the whole trip. I may have submitted a photocopy at some point, but the paperwork requirement is manic, so I lost track.

The process of getting through the immigration stations on either side of the bridge is not well explained anywhere on the site. Just park your car, and head for the immigration exit kiosk (no. 4 or 5) with all your paperwork, then I think it is over to kiosk no. 6 for the customs clearance form. Then you can go back for your car and drive through the barriers after a bit of tyre-kicking by lads in various uniforms.

Head off to the bridge itself, pay some tax, and then over bridge to the figure-of-eight roadside swap and Lao immigration. Park up again, do your visa on arrival over on the far left side, do your immigration entry at the kiosk on the right side, car passport paperwork at the kiosk opposite that, then get some insurance from the shops on the far right side. There was another form we had to do in one of those shops but my brain had shut down by then, so I passed control to my better half. Then back to the car, flash some forms at the barrier and you are through.

It took us 2 hours to get all the way through, but we had absolutely no idea what we were doing. I didn't get the forms filled out in advance like I had hoped, and that took up loads of time.

Driving in Vientiane was pretty easy. I don't know if everyone was out of the city for the holidays, but there was hardly any traffic and what cars there were just pottered around at 50 kmh.

Coming back was a matter of just trying to find the right kiosks again and doing it all over again in reverse. We got through it all in an hour on the way back. Our first reaction was "never again", but the first time is the worst. Once you know the bizarre sequence of kiosks and counters to zigzag around to, it is probably not so bad. However, the queues were minimal when we went through. Would hate to try and go through there at peak times.

Wang Nam Khiao vineyard

Wang Nam Khiao vineyard

Wang Nam Khiao sunset

Thanks guys, I am going to skip the IDP. Wife's info from Pantip is the same; licenses issued in ASEAN good for ASEAN. I will definitely get insurance at the crossing. I think I have everything we need; car registration, car passport, T stickers, and will take copies of all ID papers. We have copies of TM2, TM3 and TM4, so will fill those out in advance. Feels like a full-scale operation for a 3-day holiday. Looking forward to going, but starting to look forward to driving back into Nong Khai on the way back. Cheers.

Good to hear. Any reports on how it is for getting a letter of residence? Cheers.

Thanks for the tip about Tokyo Insurance, I will look out for that. Just checking, by IDP I meant International Driving Permit - did you mean that is required, or that insurance is required? I do intend to get insurance at the crossing. Cheers.

Hi, I just want to confirm that an IDP is not required to drive in Lao if I have a Thai DL (5 years). The car is registered in my name and I have the purple car passport.

I have searched the threads, and there are some observations that the IDP is not needed, but nothing really definitive, so I'm just checking. I would just get an IDP anyway, but I don't have a yellow book, so I need a letter from immigration, which my local office (Sri Racha) no longer provides... ????That's a 100km round trip to Pattaya, which I'd rather skip if the IDP is not needed anyway.

Thanks.