foreigner with 5-year Thai driving license and personally owned car to Laos

[atmjr]

Hi, I am planning to visit Laos for less than a week and would like to drive across the border (Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge No.2).

I'm a foreigner working in Thailand and have 5 year Thai driving license and a personal car with blue book named to me.

Can I drive my car to Laos and back with those documents only? 

Please advise if I need other requirements than those...

[KhunBENQ]

You find some useful info in the thread from 2019 linked below.

There are many threads about the topic, some very old but seems nothing has really changed.

The main thing that is missing from your list is this "vehicle passport" (purple color as I remember).

And at the Laos border you need to do a special insurance.

Some easier requirements for Laos: no romanized plate required and no "T" sticker.

 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by KhunBENQ

[kwilco]

Driving into Laos from Thailand is both easy and enjoyable....

 

you need as many documents as you can lay your hands on and a CAR PASSPORT - the purple book. -

For the car passport you will need….

 

A copy of your house book or some proof of residence

A copy of your ID Card./passport

A copy of log book, showing the owners name and address and another showing the road tax paid page.

If you have the right paperwork it should only take a couple of hours to get the book

 

If I remember correctly a new book is about 100 baht (or was it 250?) and a renewal 50 baht – prices may have risen

You get “T” plate stickers for front and rear – I put mine on the back and the other in the windscreen/dashboard

 

(If the car is not registered to you then a power of attorney signed by the registered owner giving permission to take the car out of the country.)

 

I’ve entered Laos from Thailand at around half a dozen crossing points – they can all be a little different.

To begin with I usually park up the truck and carry a folder with my papers before proceeding trough – you have a long form to fill in on the Thai side and then you’ll be guided from one officer in a booth to the next, eventually go back to your car and drive on to the Laos side.

This doesn’t take long especially once you’re familiar with the process – 15 minutes or so.

Remember you are processing your car and yourself so you’ll need your passport stamped as well as the car’s.

There will be a fee to pay – about 200 baht. There’s sometimes a week-end or overtime “surcharge” 20 to 50 baht.

You’ll leave with a few bits of paper – don’t lose them especially the export permit – they cost thousands to replace on re-entry.

You should tell them if you intend to return over a different border crossing – They have never bothered if I turned up at another totally different one.

 

Then you drive on to the Laos side (yeh!)

Here you need to hand in your passport and fee for your VOA and process the car (Actually the car people will usually process you passport too which means you will actually cross quicker than foot passengers as you may avoid their queue!)

 

Park up

Get the appropriate form to bring a car into Laos from an immigration officer.

Passengers if they are not Thai, may or may not be required to go separately trough the foot passenger visa queue.

Fill in the forms and then go to an  immigration officer at a desk who will check your documents and may ask you some info about the car and your trip.

Sign on the dotted line. If you passport is also done you will have paid all the fees (I think VOA is about $35 US (more in Thai baht or Kip) Return to your car and proceed through into Laos, there is usually a final box to check your completed paperwork  from your car window.

 

I love it when I get to the point with my bundle of papers and ask “Where do I go now?” – and they smile and say “Now you go to Laos!”

 

 

You need to purchase a car insurance for one month at 400 baht unless your existing car insurance policy is sufficient. (call your Thai insurance company)

 

You can usually buy insurance for Laos after you have completed entering Laos. There will be an office near the exit. I actually bought my cover by the year as I was driving into Laos that much.

 

 

The first time in can be a bit daunting but just be patient and polite – both Thai and Laos officials have always been very helpful with me. I think when you have done it once you appear on the relevant computers and it smooths the way through.

I first entered Laos via Vientiane, the  friendship Bridge from Nong Khai – A very important looking official invited me into his office and asked me why I was going to Laos – I explained I wanted to eat REAL Laab Moo… this made him laugh and after that it was all plain sailing.

 

Coming back….

 

The Laos checkpoint is pretty quick

Get your passport and car docs stamped OUT  and go on to the Thai side

Usually park up for the Thai part do the normal immigration stuff -  give passport and the car green form to  immigration.

I had a B visa but I’ve crossed with a tourist and visa exempt in the car.

 

Pick up car and go on into Thailand your car and proceed through into Thailand.

 

 

I absolutely adored driving round Laos – I used a modified 4x4 truck and encountered all sorts of roads, mud, landslides, dirt roads, old wooden ferries across rivers, local tribes people etc etc….. sometimes I took a group but more often than not I drove on my own.

In subsequent 5 years I hardly ever used the Vientiane crossing as there are so many interesting places to cross – some are almost deserted – I once had to wake up a guy who then had to ring up to other officials to come in an process my papers.

I think I’ve crossed on all the bridges and a few more land crossings, never had a serious problem.

 

 

These days they only allow your car into Laos 30 days at a time (it’ll show on your car passport)I worked in Savannakhet  for a few months and  frequently would have to cross back into Mukdahan – from the centre of Savannakhet to Big C in Mukdahan would take about 35 minutes each way.

Edited July 3, 2023 by kwilco