Driving to Lao on Thai DL - IDP not needed?

[writ3r77]

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.

[Lee4Life]

Depends on what police officer you are checked by, and you will be checked because the vehicle has Thai plates. I drove our Thai vehicle across the border multiple times and was checked by the police many times before one of them asked me for my Lao Insurance paperwork. I was able to convince the officer to let me go and buy insurance instead of giving me a ticket, my main argument was that there was no signage anywhere at the border crossing advising people they needed Lao Insurance.

      In the old days you could just ask the officer how much and pay them right there, but because of crackdowns on corruption and the fact that you might post it on social media, the Lao officers are likely to impound your paperwork and make you go to the police headquarters to pay the fine to get it back, this makes for a long trip most times. I lived there for a while and found this stuff out the hard way.

       The fact is that the IDP is required, whether or not you can get away without one is questionable.

By the way, Tokyo Insurance right next to Lao immigration at the bridge crossing is your best bet for Lao vehicle Insurance.

Edited December 18, 2018 by Lee4Life

[writ3r77]

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.

[Matt the Cat]

8 hours ago, writ3r77 said:

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.

No not needed but they did ask to see my visa in addition to the driver's license. I would highly recommend buying insurance at the border as if you get in an accident without it you will be up a creek without a paddle, as they will impound your car or worse. And of course, you will need ownership papers and your car passport that is issued in Thailand before crossing the border. Have a safe trip. 

[alant]

Thai licence good for all ASEAN I believe.

[HAKAPALITA]

Why does anyone want to drive there.?.Its awfull.

[writ3r77]

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.

[scoupeo]

As we do in Cambodia, just do not put a number plate on the front of your car, you won't be stopped.

 

 

[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.