Bringing Your Own Car Into Laos

[erg]

We are planing a week in laos thrue Chiang khong and think its comfortable to bring our own car to luang Nam Tha and Boten.

Does anyone has any experience in this matter?

thanks erwin

[mcgriffith]

See this page from gt-riders.com for info about crossing from Thailand to Laos (and other countries) with your Thai registered vehicle:

http://www.gt-rider.com/touring-information-overview/s-e-asian-border-crossings

[AjarnP]

Erwin

PM me your email and I'll send you my travelogue from this trip.

It's very easy to do and great fun

[Chris and Dan]

Hey Erwin! I was going to look you up this trip ( I was in Chiang Rai for 2 weeks in Jan./ Feb.) but I ended up 'tour guideing' a group of friends and family around and didn't have any 'free' time.

About Lao: Chris and I took the truck up to Boten (China Border), Phongsali,Xien Kok (Burma border),Sop Hun (Viet Nam border)and down past Luang Prabang a ways and back to Chiang Khong. This was 30 days from the last week in October 2008 (I think) on. Thought it would be the end of the rainy season, but had about 10 days of heavy rain. Warning do not attempt this with a 2 wheel drive vehicle in the rainy season like I did! A lot of the roads are dirt, and some of the most slippery clay surfaces I have ever encountered, and I have driven in the mud a lot! Slid sideways downhill over 200 feet hanging on the edge of a cliff coming back from Phongsali! But still, it was a GREAT trip! Sorry I don't have any more current info,but the GT Riders info seems to be up to date. You have to bring your vehicle ownership papers, and every other document you can think of, to the Motor Vehicle office (out by the airport) and get a "Vehicle Passport" - that's how they translated it into English. When you get off the vehicle ferry on the Lao side they will spend a couple of hours examining and stamping all the papers,you having to go from office to office. And having to go to the 'people' immigration office over where the long tail boats cross for you own visa stamp.Get across early and do not cross on a Sunday either direction. Best to cross on a weekday. Laos immigration keeps short,and strange, hours, and if you are there during non-office hours they charge you "overtime", and more than double, on Sunday, including the ferry. Cost almost 100 USD to get across on a Sunday! You have to buy Lao vehicle insurance from a different office near the vehicle port Immigration/ Customs offices. Unless it has changed, you only get a 2 week 'visa' for your vehicle, but you can extend it to 30 days for an extra fee. The woman who sold us the insurance motorsai'd into some government office in town and got the extension, for a fee. We had Nok, the tour guide, along for the crossing day to help translate, or we would still be there. But you with your fluent Thai should have no problem, right? Hey if Chris and I, with our "nit noy-nit noy passat Thai" could do it, you can, too. You get lots of stares and second looks at your license plate. I don't think many farang drive their own vehicles across Laos. We did get stopped at one roadblock and a very stern cop (immigration police?) made a very thorough check of all our documents, asking us dozens of questions in Lao, but he finally tired of our "do not understand" and let us go on. It was a lot of fun, and I want to go back on a motorcycle sometime. You will enjoy it too, I am sure. Dan (Dan and Chris)

[RubbaJohnny]

How much was the insurance and would it actually cover you if worst happened,car stolen,written off ,recovery home etc?

[Chris and Dan]

As far as I could tell it was only liability insurance, covering any damage you do to other vehicles and property. Like most things in Asia, it was at your own risk. Did not worry much about them stealing the truck, we were not very far from it at the places we stayed, or they had a gated parking area for vehicles with a security guard. Kind of hard to make off with a truck, especially with Thai license plates on it. If we were on the motorcycle I would be more worried about theft. Can not remember how much it cost, but it was not too expensive, or I would have remembered.

Edited March 6, 2013 by Chris and Dan