Driving a Thailand registered car into Lao. Anyone done this recently?

[grain]

Next Nov I want to go to Pakse and 4000 Islands for approx 1 week. I'd like to drive my car from Ubon across into Lao, and return to Thailand the same way. I've never driven my car into Lao before but have taken it into Cambodia several times. It's my own car, registered in my name and I have the current documentation (blue book + insurance)

 

So what's the procedure? Is it fairly straight forward (as it is for driving into Cambodia)? Anyway I need to know about in advance?

[zzzzz]

not recently but from what i hear its the same
I did it a few times pre covid
book must be in ur name< needed cars passport ( get from same office u pay ur cars tax each year) it will be stamped in an out same as ur passport > 
pay for temp permit, buy insurance ( a MUST ) i was stopped a few times and they only asked for the insurance paper
Drive on>  great country to drive around, been all over an have exited once from 4,000 islands to Cambodia

[grain]

52 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

not recently but from what i hear its the same
I did it a few times pre covid
book must be in ur name< needed cars passport ( get from same office u pay ur cars tax each year) it will be stamped in an out same as ur passport > 
pay for temp permit, buy insurance ( a MUST ) i was stopped a few times and they only asked for the insurance paper
Drive on>  great country to drive around, been all over an have exited once from 4,000 islands to Cambodia

 

Many thanks ZZZZZ, so in my case I live in Pakthong Chai, Korat, so first I have to go to my local transport office in Pakthong chai, that's where I pay my rego every year. And I'll get the car PP there? Is that correct? And the temp permit and insurance I do that at the border at the time I'm actually leaving Thailand and entering Lao? Is that correct?

[zzzzz]

i got mine in phuket cause my car is phuket registered 
cost 50 baht, took a day.  just bring ur book with ya

Yes, temp import and some other paperwork done IN laos as well as buying ur insurance 
leaving Thailand u will be stamped out and will need get ur temp export doc , same as u did for Cambodia

Edited March 2 by zzzzz

[grain]

2 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

i got mine in phuket cause my car is phuket registered 
cost 50 baht, took a day.  just bring ur book with ay

My car's got Chonburi plates but I moved to Korat about 7 years ago and since then have been renewing it in Korat. I'm off to Australia next week, for 3 months, so when I return I'll check with the Pakthong Chai transport office. Thanks for the info.

[HungDonger]

I wouldn't recommend it if you only have a sedan. The road conditions in most areas are very rough compared to Thailand.

[Upnotover]

3 hours ago, HungDonger said:

I wouldn't recommend it if you only have a sedan. The road conditions in most areas are very rough compared to Thailand.

 

I wouldn't be worried where the OP is going, I was riding a motorbike around the same area earlier this year and all the regular roads are fine, mostly better than many in the UK I must say.

[Thailand J]

On 3/2/2024 at 12:48 PM, grain said:

My car's got Chonburi plates but I moved to Korat about 7 years ago and since then have been renewing it in Korat. I'm off to Australia next week, for 3 months, so when I return I'll check with the Pakthong Chai transport office. Thanks for the info.

My car has a Chonburi plate I got the purple book at Udon Thani land transportation office next to route 2 before entering Laos.

[grain]

1 hour ago, Thailand J said:

My car has a Chonburi plate I got the purple book at Udon Thani land transportation office next to route 2 before entering Laos.

Cheers mate. Yes a friend of mine does the same thing. Anyway, I'm starting to go off the idea now, it seems like a lot of stuffing around just for 1 week. I can leave my car securely in Ubon city, so I'm swinging towards that now.