Drive My Own Car From Thailand Into Cambodia

[Antaro]

is anyone experienced with driving his own car from Thailand into Cambodia.

i do have the car passbook and want to travel inside Cambodia (not only the border provinces)

[Antaro]

i have crossed border at Koh Kong province last year. they did not accept the a asean car pass book. they only allowed me the to stay in koh kong province. when i was trying to enter shianoukville with my car i got stopped by the police at the first traffic light and had to pay myself out of the situation.

Edited June 25, 2012 by Antaro

[jombom]

i have crossed border at Koh Kong province last year. they did not accept the a asean car pass book. they only allowed me the to stay in koh kong province. when i was trying to enter shianoukville with my car i got stopped by the police at the first traffic light and had to pay myself out of the situation.

If you had paid your gratuity (into the police box) at the Koh Khong border, you would have been given a receipt with the magic stamp. If you produced this at the checkpoint, probably you would have been waved through.

On a more serious note, it is virtually impossible to get insurance in Thailand for crossing into Cambodia, and other countries also. ----- much easier and potentially cheaper to hire a car with driver. Up to you !!!

[Antaro]

@jombom

i did pay the gratuity ...and got a big colorful sticker for my car...in khmer language...but find out only in shianoukville (at the first crossroad/policecheck) that it was only for Koh khong province...

[bubba]

Given the driving style of Cambodians and the road conditions, I'm not sure I would want to drive a right-hand drive car on the right side of the road in Cambodia.

[Antaro]

i know what you mean :-)

but i don't mind the driving, actually enjoy those kind of challenges...

[Surin steve]

You can do it with your own car as long as it's in your name ie the log book has your name on it you need to go to the custom offices usually near which ever border you are crossing at and fill in a couple of forms these papers get you across into Cambodia there you have to fill out more papers for your car permit they charge you so much per day and will fine you double that per day if you are late it's not alot a couple of dollars per day I beleave the border points I am talking about here are poi pet (Aran) and o'smach (Chong chom) surin the other border at kho khlang I'm not sure but I know my mate claudio tried to get across on his motorbike at Chong s'narm (si sa keat

[Surin steve]

Sorry pressed the post button by mistake

My mate tried si sa keat border woth his motorbike he did all the paperwork and got though the Thai side no bother but they wouldn't let him into Cambodia they told him he didn't have the paperwork to bring into Cambodia and told him to leave his bick there and go get the papers in phnom pehn so he just turned around and came back the helpful Thais !!!! Then told him he should have gotten a import form from the Cambodian embassy so maybe it's just because it's a very small border point and they didn't really know the rules there I don't know

[Antaro]

thanx Steve, thats good info !

[TwoDogz]

Been told also that you need the paperwork from Phnom Pehn, presume that is what post above refers to.

Just driving through without it and paying a fee can lead to issues later on.

Wondering if anyone does know who can do insurance into Cambo ?

[Gettingaround]

My experience is as follows. Border point Aranyapathet/Poipet. August 2012. I obtained a 'car passport' in Thailand for my Thai car. You can do this at the Transport Office where you live in Thailand. At the Thai exit border everything was fine. At the Cambodian entry border my passport was stamped for entry and I was told to take the car to the Immigration Office. After a good deal of confusion and referral upwards I was informed that it was impossible for me to take my car into Cambodia because it is right hand drive (RHD).

Cambodia drive on the right and so my car was not suitable! I enquired whether there was a "special permit that I could buy". No there wasn't. I returned to no man's land, parked at a casino and proceeded into Cambodia on foot and got a taxi. (It was only $55 to Phnom Penh which is 250 km away).

I subsequently found out that Cambodia made it illegal to drive a RHD car around 2002. The Khmers had been given a year's notice to get their cars converted. This was a big joke as the cost was about the same as most people's annual salary. So the law has never been enforced for Khmers driving Cambodian cars. It has, though, been enforced for new arrivals. A friend of mine had a little more luck when he crossed at Trat. He was given temporary red number plates and told he could only drive locally. I imagine that this means within the province. For my trip I needed to get to Phnom Penh which meant going through several provinces so this may also have played into my refusal. Looking back I am glad I didn't take my car. Most of the roads in Cambodia are abysmal. Even the National Roads have stretches of big, deep potholes. Better to have the taxi driver wreck his suspension.

I hope this helps others.

[Rooo]

My experience is as follows. Border point Aranyapathet/Poipet. August 2012. I obtained a 'car passport' in Thailand for my Thai car. You can do this at the Transport Office where you live in Thailand. At the Thai exit border everything was fine. At the Cambodian entry border my passport was stamped for entry and I was told to take the car to the Immigration Office. After a good deal of confusion and referral upwards I was informed that it was impossible for me to take my car into Cambodia because it is right hand drive (RHD).

Cambodia drive on the right and so my car was not suitable! I enquired whether there was a "special permit that I could buy". No there wasn't. I returned to no man's land, parked at a casino and proceeded into Cambodia on foot and got a taxi. (It was only $55 to Phnom Penh which is 250 km away).

I subsequently found out that Cambodia made it illegal to drive a RHD car around 2002. The Khmers had been given a year's notice to get their cars converted. This was a big joke as the cost was about the same as most people's annual salary. So the law has never been enforced for Khmers driving Cambodian cars. It has, though, been enforced for new arrivals. A friend of mine had a little more luck when he crossed at Trat. He was given temporary red number plates and told he could only drive locally. I imagine that this means within the province. For my trip I needed to get to Phnom Penh which meant going through several provinces so this may also have played into my refusal. Looking back I am glad I didn't take my car. Most of the roads in Cambodia are abysmal. Even the National Roads have stretches of big, deep potholes. Better to have the taxi driver wreck his suspension.

I hope this helps others.

Thank you very much. I have been saying this for a while, that they won't let you take your car in. But I have also been told that you have to have the paper work from Ministry ? in PP.

There was another thread running about this . I will try & find it.

http://www.thaivisa....s/#entry5388260

Perhaps also contacting the Cambodian consulate might give you a clearer picture.

[phuketrichard]

in MY EXPERIENCE I took my car in at Osmach in August.and will head back there in a couple of weeks an post the results.

My friend tired the poi Pet border in August an was above was stopped but he hung around a few hours an then they just told him to go an he did. Drove into SR an spent 5 days an drove back out at Poi Pet. In sept i exited at Poi Pet an drove right past customs on the Cambodian side

U see plenty of rhd cars up north ( battambang an such ) but in all my trips to Cambodia have seen but a handful of Thai license plates on the roads and i have traveled the whole country

They will let u in via Trat/koh kong but charge u 100 baht/day and tell u ur only to drive in Koh Kong Provence, At least they did in 2010 the last time i used that border.

Law is get the permit BEFORE u arrive at the border from Phnom Penh but i have yet to speak to anyone that has :-)

Edited December 1, 2012 by phuketrichard

[Kiipus5]

You CAN drive your car to Cambodia thro O'Smach border. Easy as 1-2-3. We did it 2 days ago with Malaysian registered car. No paperwork involved. We did it as follows: We get stamped out from Thailand and went to Thai customs booth to surrender customs document what we get when entered to Thailand from Malaisya. Drove to Cambodia border and filled out arrival/departure card(visa optained advance from Bangkok embassy). Get stamped insida Cambodia and we where told to drive to customs "hut" what is prox 400 meters from border. At customs they asked where we are going( Siem Reap) and that was it. No paperwork! Custom officer did mentione tho that that dont have agreement with Thai's to use that border for cars. So we are inside and go tomorrow to Phnom Penh for proper paperwork from Ministry of Tourism. It should be also easy. We heading to Laos and hopefully to Vietnam after that and will drie to get correct paperwork to gome bck to Cambodia from Vietnam or Lao side.

So just use O'Smach border and you will be fine. We started driveing from Bangkok at 6 in the morning and arrived to Siem Ream at 3 afternoon. New roads all the way!!!

[phuketrichard]

as above;

when i entered last July had to wake the customs guy up as he was passed out in his hammock behind the hut :-)

heading back this way in July.

Entering Laos has more paperwork involved PLUS u 100% have to buy insurance!!! For a thai car u need the purple registration book which is issued by the transport office ( where you get your license plates)

You can not take ur car into Vietnam

u drove from Bangkok to Surin and than SR?

last exit i made in Sept with car was SR-Poi Pet- Pattaya 7 1/2 hours

[Kiipus5]

Yep, we drove thro Suri. We did lots of stops on the way and drove also 80km/per hour. Ther's lot of police check points near Cambodia border on Thai side.

I should mentione that we are driveing Malaysian registerd car what is on my name. Vietnam should be possible if we go to Hanoi first with bus and get all the correct paperwork done before entering to Vietnam with car.

I did find in my internet search this good site for that O'Smach border and will keep posting here for uptade for Laos and Vietnam

[phuketrichard]

Laos is easy

we entered last year at Chiang Khong and drove thru to Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang, Vientiane to Savenkeit and re-entered Thailand , down to Surin, entered Cambodia 2 months driving everywhere ( lived there in 2008) and then exited at Poi Pet before returning to Phuket.

this year heading back up to Laos an will visit the plain of jars.

You can get some excellent maps of north Thailand an Laos at http://www.gt-rider.com/maps-of-thailand-laos-maps

This is my last years trip in photos, Long trip to Laos/Cambodia

Love northern Laos by car!!

[Nerone]

I have done it 10 years ago at poipet. Been told that I need a permit by the transport office in Phon Phem. The road at that time was real 3 rd world. Looks like the situation isn't changed much. Amazing asean!

[Eesat]

@jombom

i did pay the gratuity ...and got a big colorful sticker for my car...in khmer language...but find out only in shianoukville (at the first crossroad/policecheck) that it was only for Koh khong province...

What are the chances of that then?

[phuketrichard]

they give you a red plastic license plate and tell you right there ts ONLY valid for use in Koh Kong Provence.

Once your in Cambodia your free to go wherever you wish

NOTE they take ur Thai exit papers there an ask for 100 baht .day that your going to stay in Koh Kong,

if u over that limit when u exit ur charged 200 baht/day for every day over.

I have entered via Koh Kong a few times but have never exited there.

[Kiipus5]

Cambodian police stopped us in Phnom Penh. Asked driving licence. Then asked international driving licence and i told you are holding it in your hands Then they asked abouth my car number(because its Malaysian and dont look at all as loal) and i handed over copy of my car registration. Then they asked what kinf of car is this and i told International That was it. Have a good day and i was on my way. No bribe no nothing.

Driving to Lao from Cambodia is easy. At the border Cambo side first is Customs booth. Stopped there. They asked where is mu declaration form what i had to et when i entered. I told them i did not get one and that was it. They waved us to go forward for passport stamping. Stamp "service charce" was 2 dollars On Lao side there was same stamping "fee" and one guy sold us mandatory insurance. 15 days was 87thousand kip. Then we where told to drive 2 kilometers inside Laos where was Customs on right side of the road. Stopped there. They asked our car papers and my passport as the owner of the car. Then officer filled up some form inside of the computer and handed me receipt for 25thousand kip for customs fee. I asked 30 days for a car and they did give 30 days. Everything took on both sides together prox 1 hour. Easy!

Cambodia road situation from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is bot so good prox 60km on Phnom Penh side. Major road works and some parts missing road alltogeter now. Progres is painfully slow. The road to Laos porder is half good. Prox 80-100km starting from Kratie the road is sometimes non existent. Avarage speed was 35km/h. After that section its good without any holes. We are now in Pakse and Laos roads so far has been really good.

[phuketrichard]

you'll love the roads all the way to Vientiane and onwards to Luang Prabang, then they get dicey :-)

[Tomtomtom69]

You CAN drive your car to Cambodia thro O'Smach border. Easy as 1-2-3. We did it 2 days ago with Malaysian registered car. No paperwork involved. We did it as follows: We get stamped out from Thailand and went to Thai customs booth to surrender customs document what we get when entered to Thailand from Malaisya. Drove to Cambodia border and filled out arrival/departure card(visa optained advance from Bangkok embassy). Get stamped insida Cambodia and we where told to drive to customs "hut" what is prox 400 meters from border. At customs they asked where we are going( Siem Reap) and that was it. No paperwork! Custom officer did mentione tho that that dont have agreement with Thai's to use that border for cars. So we are inside and go tomorrow to Phnom Penh for proper paperwork from Ministry of Tourism. It should be also easy. We heading to Laos and hopefully to Vietnam after that and will drie to get correct paperwork to gome bck to Cambodia from Vietnam or Lao side.

So just use O'Smach border and you will be fine. We started driveing from Bangkok at 6 in the morning and arrived to Siem Ream at 3 afternoon. New roads all the way!!!

With a Malaysian car you won't get into Vietnam, except if you are traveling as part of a caravan tour. Entering Laos shouldn't be a problem though; I've seen numerous Malaysian cars in Laos, mainly in Vientiane.

[crocken]

I tool my car into cambodia 7 days ago at the osmach/surin province border crossing no problems.Drove down to Siem reap 3 days then Angkor wat and then home via hwy 6...then 5 then hwy 57 to Pailin.

[phuketrichard]

Pailin is one of the easiest exits in Cambodia , Only trouble i ever have is 2 times forgot to get stamped out an had to walk back 5555555

[Sydebolle]

Laos is easy

we entered last year at Chiang Khong and drove thru to Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang, Vientiane to Savenkeit and re-entered Thailand , down to Surin, entered Cambodia 2 months driving everywhere ( lived there in 2008) and then exited at Poi Pet before returning to Phuket.

this year heading back up to Laos an will visit the plain of jars.

You can get some excellent maps of north Thailand an Laos at http://www.gt-rider.com/maps-of-thailand-laos-maps

This is my last years trip in photos, Long trip to Laos/Cambodia

Love northern Laos by car!!

@phuketrichard

for my - in my name registered and fully paid - car I am holding a ITP for the last seven years with all-English Thai plates and a Thai driving license for 25+ years.

What you say is entering at O'Smach, driving to Phnom Penh, then upto to Kratie and leaving at Dong Kralor/Cambodia into Veung Kham/Lao can be done without any hustle, i.e. some Cambodian forms and fees and that's it? I am aware about the easiness of Lao but Cambodia remains "messy" in all those blogs.

Thanks for letting me know as I intend to do such a trip next month - Cheers

[phuketrichard]

Laos is easy

we entered last year at Chiang Khong and drove thru to Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang, Vientiane to Savenkeit and re-entered Thailand , down to Surin, entered Cambodia 2 months driving everywhere ( lived there in 2008) and then exited at Poi Pet before returning to Phuket.

this year heading back up to Laos an will visit the plain of jars.

You can get some excellent maps of north Thailand an Laos at http://www.gt-rider.com/maps-of-thailand-laos-maps

This is my last years trip in photos, Long trip to Laos/Cambodia

Love northern Laos by car!!

@phuketrichard

for my - in my name registered and fully paid - car I am holding a ITP for the last seven years with all-English Thai plates and a Thai driving license for 25+ years.

What you say is entering at O'Smach, driving to Phnom Penh, then upto to Kratie and leaving at Dong Kralor/Cambodia into Veung Kham/Lao can be done without any hustle, i.e. some Cambodian forms and fees and that's it? I am aware about the easiness of Lao but Cambodia remains "messy" in all those blogs.

Thanks for letting me know as I intend to do such a trip next month - Cheers

Last year did the Laos/Camboida trip again and use Osmach, July 2013 trip

I have the the english thai plates as well but have never used them

i have never exited Cambodia to Laos but have heard from some motorcycllst that have>

If you do this PLease let us know.

BUt unless u really want to go to PP why not just head from Siem rep across ( via Kulen- Preah vihear city) to Stung Treng?

I am heading back to Cambodia via Surin again in late june and plan on visiting Rattanakiri ( east of Stung Treng) and Mondulkiri this trip

Happy trails

[questionsreplies]

How much did you pay ?

And can we cross now to go to sanookville ?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789531-driving-a-thai-car-into-cambodia-car-passport/

Thank you.

i have crossed border at Koh Kong province last year. they did not accept the a asean car pass book. they only allowed me the to stay in koh kong province. when i was trying to enter shianoukville with my car i got stopped by the police at the first traffic light and had to pay myself out of the situation.

[phuketrichard]

Hat Lek/ Koh Kong charges you 100 baht/day your going to be there an when ( if) you exit there they will charge you any additional days,

just did that border in Nov

DO NOT DRIVE DOWN EKAREACH STREET IN SHV, you will be stopped and have to PAY

DO not need car passport, which is ONLY needed for driving into Laos

[amjamj]

On 6/25/2012 at 11:17 AM, Antaro said:

i have crossed border at Koh Kong province last year. they did not accept the a asean car pass book. they only allowed me the to stay in koh kong province. when i was trying to enter shianoukville with my car i got stopped by the police at the first traffic light and had to pay myself out of the situation.

 

 

How much did you pay ? I just didn't stop when they tried to call me, and no problem.