Taking Car To Laos

[Kees5]

From another thread> We were able to get the purple book (International Transport Permit) and vehicle stiickers in Nong Khai for 300 baht. (Car title book and owner's passport required.) <

Is it possible to get those forms in Pattaya, prior to departure? I want to travel to Laos soon. My car is fully owned in my name, an I just recived my new plates. Can I get the required documents here, so I don't have to stop and search for the office and forms in Nong Kai.

What is required, and where do I get it? Maybe same office as driving licence (or is that too simplistic?)

[Kees5]

From another thread> We were able to get the purple book (International Transport Permit) and vehicle stiickers in Nong Khai for 300 baht. (Car title book and owner's passport required.) <

Is it possible to get those forms in Pattaya, prior to departure? I want to travel to Laos soon. My car is fully owned in my name, an I just recived my new plates. Can I get the required documents here, so I don't have to stop and search for the office and forms in Nong Kai.

What is required, and where do I get it? Maybe same office as driving licence (or is that too simplistic?)

From yet another thread: >Just remember to take Blue Reg book and Yellow Tabien Baan.<

I did get a reg book, but what is the yellow tabien ban? Where do i get it?

[Spaniel]

From another thread> We were able to get the purple book (International Transport Permit) and vehicle stiickers in Nong Khai for 300 baht. (Car title book and owner's passport required.) <

Is it possible to get those forms in Pattaya, prior to departure? I want to travel to Laos soon. My car is fully owned in my name, an I just recived my new plates. Can I get the required documents here, so I don't have to stop and search for the office and forms in Nong Kai.

What is required, and where do I get it? Maybe same office as driving licence (or is that too simplistic?)

I know you said you are planning to drive to Laos so I offer this info just as a suggestion in case you are unaware of it. If you are only planning to visit Vientiane you may want to consider leaving your car on the Thai side and take a taxi into the city. Aboout 100 m before you reach the bridge on the right side behind the row of shop house there is a large enclosed secure parking lot where you can leave your car for B80 per day. Last year when we drove up tp Vientiane we left our car there for a few days.

[Kees5]

From another thread> We were able to get the purple book (International Transport Permit) and vehicle stiickers in Nong Khai for 300 baht. (Car title book and owner's passport required.) <

Is it possible to get those forms in Pattaya, prior to departure? I want to travel to Laos soon. My car is fully owned in my name, an I just recived my new plates. Can I get the required documents here, so I don't have to stop and search for the office and forms in Nong Kai.

What is required, and where do I get it? Maybe same office as driving licence (or is that too simplistic?)

I know you said you are planning to drive to Laos so I offer this info just as a suggestion in case you are unaware of it. If you are only planning to visit Vientiane you may want to consider leaving your car on the Thai side and take a taxi into the city. Aboout 100 m before you reach the bridge on the right side behind the row of shop house there is a large enclosed secure parking lot where you can leave your car for B80 per day. Last year when we drove up tp Vientiane we left our car there for a few days.

thanks Spaniel.

I have lived in VT for 3 years, and may want to travel beyond VT. But thanks about the parking suggestion, just in case something goes wrong

[wcr]

You can get your car passport from the Transportation office on Route 36 prior to leaving. The best thing to do is go down and see them with a Thai, and ask what is needed to get the car passport.

I did this a while ago now, and took my car to Laos, no problems. But as rules can change overnight (TIT) it is better to check first.

I have also left my car at the border and gone across on the bus.

[Kees5]

You can get your car passport from the Transportation office on Route 36 prior to leaving. The best thing to do is go down and see them with a Thai, and ask what is needed to get the car passport.

I did this a while ago now, and took my car to Laos, no problems. But as rules can change overnight (TIT) it is better to check first.

I have also left my car at the border and gone across on the bus.

Thank you. I did just that. Only, I went alone (speak some Thai and a bit more Lao, the last is always good for a laugh with so many Isan people living this way).

For those who want to do this themselves, a few notes.

The Purple car book is obtained on the ground floor, the driving licenses are on the floor above. On the ground floor, straight opposite the entrance door is a wooden desk with two staff, who handle enquiries and check if you have the right documents.

I explained that "jaak pai thiaw taangprateet, pai lao. Ao ekkasaan LoT Jon pai taangprateet." (I want to go travel abroad, to Laos. I need the documents for car to go abroad)

I showed my brand new blue car book, my passport, Thai driving license plus copy of my condo title deed to show my residence. Also had photocopies of all those documents.

She smiled and said "You must go to Immigration in Jomtien and get a document." (In Thai, immigration was the only English word she used).

Bugger, that meant I had to go all the way back to Jomtien. That took the rest of the morning, immigration (Jomtien Soi 5) prepared the declaration of residence or domicile 200 bt,(Button nine on the ticket machine I think ) ready later that afternoon.

Back to transportation office this morning, all documents complete (bring a book, it can be busy). The friendly man at the info desk checked my papers, and helped me fill out the Thai only form.

Window 3, take a ticket from the machine, handed in the papers. She had to ask someone, then found a folder with other similar request forms, and copied info from it onto my form. paid another 200 Bt I think, told to come back that afternoon.

Ready later that afternoon, including a statement that my car was complying with all road safety regulations for Thailand (She didn't see or inspect it, but saw from the papers it was brand new. that safety letter is valid for a year, the actual car passport for 11 months, until one year of car registration date, not just until expiration of my visa next April.

Really quite simple, just remain patients and polite at all times.

[Kees5]

Further to Laos:

I just got back. Papers were not a problem, everything was in order. You get two documents at the Thai side, which you need to guard and hand in on the way out. Then you get a green document on the Laos border, and also many stamps in the little book.

Then, insurance, 48000 Kip for a week. a bit over US $ 5.-

The entire process of border crossing took about an hour and 15 minutes, mainly due to the woman in the Laos custom office not having entered details from a falang owned Thai car into her computer before, and needing to verify every written detail I provided with me, then with her collegue.

Out via Savannakhet, took ten minutes in total.

Brought back two crats of Beer Lao, and 2 kg of coffee.

[Chaichara]

Golly, thanks for all this, I've been trying to find out how to take my car into Laos for 3 years although I speak fluent Thai, live 30 mins away from the Nong Khai border, leave my car in the car park and dodge across to the DF shop about once every 2 months.

The posters above have done a good job, but it was a bit like extracting a tooth