proof of residence for British passport renewal

[webfact]

BORDER TRADE
Boost for checkpoints on Laos border
Piyanart Srivalo
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thailand and Laos will soon forge closer cooperation in promoting trade by upgrading two border checkpoints, adopting the single-stop inspection system and implementing a single visa.

The Foreign Ministry proposed to the Cabinet yesterday the draft agreement for the Second Joint Cabinet Retreat between Thailand and Laos on Sunday in Chiang Mai.

The signing of the joint statement by the two foreign ministers will be witnessed by the prime minister.

Under the agreement, two temporary border passes will be upgraded to permanent status. The Phu-doo checkpoint between Uttaradit in Thailand and Xaignabouli in Laos will be opened permanently next year, while the Baan Sob-Rouk checkpoint connecting Chiang Rai and Bo Kaew was already opened last July.

To facilitate the movement of goods and people, Thailand will soon adopt the single-stop inspection system at the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge between Nong Khai and the Laotian side of the mekong near Vientiane. The system will reduce time for truck transportation.

Thailand and Laos have also agreed to promote the utilisation of Routes 8 and 12. Thailand will encourage more companies to invest along those roads.

The two nations have agreed to promote tourism in the region by adopting the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy's single visa in the near future.

The two countries will tighten cooperation to survey and post boundary markers and ensure peace along the common frontier. They will also cooperate in preventing trafficking in women and children and protecting them from hazards.

Thailand aims to solve the illegal migrant workers problem by agreeing to extend the opening of the One Stop Service Centre for Laotian workers to prove their nationality by 120 days. The two nations have agreed to work closer together on drug suppression and to exchange information to reduce crime and crack down on drugs.


-- The Nation 2013-05-15

[Sydebolle]

Well, I've travelled all border points open to vehicle and can tell you, that the paperwork on the Thai side considerably more complex is. I have international car registration plates (all in English) and the violet ITP (international transport permit).
Still I have to issue/sign a "temporary import certificate" on EXPORTING the car whereby I sign a liability that I will return the vehicle within X days/months, otherwise I will be forced to pay import duties again. There is no way around it. Furthermore there is a vehicle export document and a passenger manifest (no joke) to be completed. I once returned with one passenger less (as he flew onwards) and it kept me for hours.
As a Swiss, a European, a Farang I can tell you that driving in SEA remains a very tedious affair. In Singapore you have to leave with 75% of your gas tank filled or you get fined, in Malaysia window tints over 10% mean scraping them off at the border, the Cambodians do not know a legal transit of Thai vehicles (well, there is one but it takes 7 ministries and approx. USD 800 in fees), while the Vietnamese do not allow (I got an exception though) right-hand driven cars in their country. The Chinese (so happened at the border Mengla/Boten between Laos and China) need ORIGINALS from Beijing and Myanmar is closed too.
The insurance part is not even mentionable in this context!

I do NOT compare to Europe but leaving Helsinki for Lisbon does not require a single piece of paper and the insurance is covered wherever you go.

Way to go - everywhere and a lot to do in the ASEAN context of free movement of people and their vehicles! Luckily the Thai driver license is valid throughout ASEAN except with a corrupt Philippino policeman who tried (and failed) it!

[IsaanUSA]

AEC

[Tomtomtom69]

Well, I've travelled all border points open to vehicle and can tell you, that the paperwork on the Thai side considerably more complex is. I have international car registration plates (all in English) and the violet ITP (international transport permit).

Still I have to issue/sign a "temporary import certificate" on EXPORTING the car whereby I sign a liability that I will return the vehicle within X days/months, otherwise I will be forced to pay import duties again. There is no way around it. Furthermore there is a vehicle export document and a passenger manifest (no joke) to be completed. I once returned with one passenger less (as he flew onwards) and it kept me for hours.

As a Swiss, a European, a Farang I can tell you that driving in SEA remains a very tedious affair. In Singapore you have to leave with 75% of your gas tank filled or you get fined, in Malaysia window tints over 10% mean scraping them off at the border, the Cambodians do not know a legal transit of Thai vehicles (well, there is one but it takes 7 ministries and approx. USD 800 in fees), while the Vietnamese do not allow (I got an exception though) right-hand driven cars in their country. The Chinese (so happened at the border Mengla/Boten between Laos and China) need ORIGINALS from Beijing and Myanmar is closed too.

The insurance part is not even mentionable in this context!

I do NOT compare to Europe but leaving Helsinki for Lisbon does not require a single piece of paper and the insurance is covered wherever you go.

Way to go - everywhere and a lot to do in the ASEAN context of free movement of people and their vehicles! Luckily the Thai driver license is valid throughout ASEAN except with a corrupt Philippino policeman who tried (and failed) it!

Boten, Laos to Mohan, China is easy enough if you drive a Lao vehicle. You will simply need a yellow car passport BUT driving is permitted only in Sipsongbanna unless you have a Chinese guarantor who can vouch for your car allowing you to pass the checkpoint north of Jinghong and drive up to Kunming. Note this only applies to Lao cars as far as I can tell - were you referring to Thai cars?

BTW in Myanmar 3rd party insurance does not exist - perhaps this is one of the reasons why transiting Myanmar in a foreign registered car is so restricted (although this should hopefully change before 2015).

[Tomtomtom69]

As per the OPs article, I have never heard that the Sop Ruak crossing can be used by foreigners. Maybe in future it can be, but it would be news to me if it already can be as I have never heard of foreigners crossing there. In any case there isn't much need to cross there as Chiang Khong is merely 70-80km away and the bridge there is opening in July.