Driving From Thailand To Vietnam

[davehowden]

Hi,

I am a Farang and I own a Thai registerd car.

Does anyone know/ had exprience of driving to Vietnam, like is it allowed, what visas are required or is it just a no no?

Thanks

[gotlost]

Driving a Thai register car into Lao is no problem. Driving that same car in to Cambodia can be an adventure and not recommended but no way is Vietnam going to let you drive into Vietnam with the car.

[SantiSuk]

Small contribution of knowledge.

Relatively easy to take a car into Laos - forms to be filled in and fees to be paid. Sorry I do not have more details than that but I have met travellers who have done just that.

The issue will be whether you can get insurance for your motor. In Cambodia I understand from other TV posters that it is not possible and the advice is that the driving standard is atrocious (I think that is a bit exaggerated but certainly it is worse than Thailand) so don't bother taking your precious vehicle into Cambodia.

If you find that you cannot easily get insurance for Laos then my advice would be that it may be worth the risk of driving uninsured - because: you can get through Laos in a few hours; the roads are wide open and there is very little traffic. To get through Laos as quickly as possible your best bet would be the Bridge at Mukdahan/Savannakhet. From Savannakhet to the Vietnam border at Dansavanh/Lao Bao is 2-3 hours drive on good roads. That border is well used by travellers so should be no hiccups there. Of course this would be your call and value of vehicle and your ability to stand a loss would be relevant.

I live closish to both Laos and Cambodia borders and have travelled a fair bit in both countries. I would take a risk with my own vehicle in Laos but not in Cambodia. On the other hand with buses and other lighter forms of transport being so plentiful and cheap in both countries there has been little point in bearing the admin hassle and cost of exporting my motor. EG an (AC and tolerable) bus from Savannakhet to Vietnam border - about $4. Plus I like the adventure. Even hiring taxis for your entire journey from the Thai border and back will probably be cheaper than the 3 sets of import fees you will bear on a return journey with your own transport. You should have no trouble getting a taxi at the Laos side of the Thai border and the Vietnam side of the second border but you should expect to pay much more than you would in Thailand when in Laos. I would hazard a guess that it would cost $50 (they would ask $100) to do the short crossing of Laos that I describe above.

[samran]

the department of land transport claim to me they have a 'car passport' which allows for driving to Vietnam.

Now, i have no doubt that such a car passport exists (similar to the one you use for Laos, and they issue letters for Malaysia/Singapore).

But, i have real doubts that the VN authorities 'on the ground' will know what the heck they've been given.

Even if you got in, I beleive you will require a VN issued drivers license for VN.

[SantiSuk]

"International Driving licences are not valid in Vietnam ... in practice most foreign residents and visitors drive without a license" Source well-known travel guide used widely by independent travellers.

[bdenner]

This was just posted on UdonMap.com Here

I've just had a very amusing telephone conversation with the Vietnamese authorities and the answer is 'extremely problematic'. They told me to not even bother contacting their Chinese counterparts.

Looks like I'll only be exloring Isarn and Laos now.

[dddave]

the department of land transport claim to me they have a 'car passport' which allows for driving to Vietnam.

Now, i have no doubt that such a car passport exists (similar to the one you use for Laos, and they issue letters for Malaysia/Singapore).

But, i have real doubts that the VN authorities 'on the ground' will know what the heck they've been given.

Even if you got in, I beleive you will require a VN issued drivers license for VN.

Just for the record the proper name of the vehicle "Passport" is "Carnet"

[harrry]

the department of land transport claim to me they have a 'car passport' which allows for driving to Vietnam.

Now, i have no doubt that such a car passport exists (similar to the one you use for Laos, and they issue letters for Malaysia/Singapore).

But, i have real doubts that the VN authorities 'on the ground' will know what the heck they've been given.

Even if you got in, I beleive you will require a VN issued drivers license for VN.

Just for the record the proper name of the vehicle "Passport" is "Carnet"

In this case it isn't...It is a purple translation of the car's blue book which you need to enter Laos also but you do not need it to enter Burma Burma.

[samran]

the department of land transport claim to me they have a 'car passport' which allows for driving to Vietnam.

Now, i have no doubt that such a car passport exists (similar to the one you use for Laos, and they issue letters for Malaysia/Singapore).

But, i have real doubts that the VN authorities 'on the ground' will know what the heck they've been given.

Even if you got in, I beleive you will require a VN issued drivers license for VN.

Just for the record the proper name of the vehicle "Passport" is "Carnet"

I know what a Canret is. What I'm talking about isn't a carnet. This doesn't require a bond.

Basically, it is a passport for the car which has all the vehicles details - chasis number, license, colour etc. They have come about by bilateral agreement between respective countries and is only valid between the two - in this case a Thai vehicle into Laos. No further. In the case of Thailand and Laos, the passport is purple in colour and issued by the Department of Land Transport.

The DLT also issues you a letter for taking your car to Malaysia and Singapore.

I've driven my car to Malaysia and Laos.

From what I've been told by the DLT, Thailand also has agreements for China, Vietnam and Cambodia, though I've not seen them.

[tampasailor]

I was in Vietnam a few years ago and rented a motorbike no problem. I had US and International Drivers Licence but I think they only wanted my passport, I had it for a week in Vung Tau. I had crossed the Red River up North from China and took the train into Hanoi then flew to HCM and high speed ferry to Vung Tau. No problems anywhere. I had been there as Canadian Engineer late 60's and knew my way around.

My Viet Visa stated where I was to cross and what day and walked across the Red River Bridge beside bicycles carrying chickens etc and when told Border people who I was they had my papers there waiting. In like flint and had a nice time in Hanoi but wanted to take the train slowly south and make stops but flooding had the tracks 10 feet under water so I flew to HCM and took an old Russian Hydrofoil down the Mekong to Vung Tau where I once lived for two years.

I would like to take my Thai wife there overland by bus. More intersting and not a long trip and no hastles of a car. Maybe this year if my health recovers.

[Tomtomtom69]

the department of land transport claim to me they have a 'car passport' which allows for driving to Vietnam.

Now, i have no doubt that such a car passport exists (similar to the one you use for Laos, and they issue letters for Malaysia/Singapore).

But, i have real doubts that the VN authorities 'on the ground' will know what the heck they've been given.

Even if you got in, I beleive you will require a VN issued drivers license for VN.

For Vietnam, forget it. They won't let in Thai cars, period. Previously only if you came in a tour, but that is about to end too. The Vietnamese don't want Thai RHD vehicles tearing up their roads and are now about to make it more difficult for any foreign registered vehicles to enter.

Even a VN driver's licence doesn't work. I have one and it's only good for driving Vietnamese registered vehicles. The new rules about to go into effect allow a foreign registered driver's licence to drive a foreign vehicle, but that's the least of your worries. Getting the car in is about to get really difficult and you'll need an escort vehicle the entire time you're there and not with a Thai vehicle.

The Thai land transport department is thus very optimistic. The Vietnamese don't allow Thai vehicles and the Thais don't allow Vietnamese vehicles in, as confirmed by a Vietnamese consular worker in Khon Kaen and Vietnamese driving forums on the web.