Hi Guys,

I originally posted a mix of visa and car import questions in the visa forum, but now separated them out - and here hoping for some advice regarding the car !

My questions deal with how to get use of my Malaysian registered car in Thailand for up to 6 month period starting in December. During the 1/2 year we will travel somewhat around both by car and by air to neighbour countries, but not planned yet (and I would prefer to have some degree of freedom for spontaneous travel).

Familily is me (55 yr old Danish citizen), my thai wife and our 7 year old daughter (Danish passport). Car is my personally owned Hyundai i30 with normal Malaysian registration from 2010.

I have brought the car over Malay border now 3 times and Thai customs alway permitted 30 days stay for it - while only15 days for me. There has never been problems with the car (while I had one overstay).

1. According to Thai custom regulations I should be able to temporarily import the car for up to 6 months. Has anyone experience with that, and how should I apply? (should have asked last X-mas when crossing, but holiday plans were not materialised yet...). Would this be possible/easier if car is registered in my wife's name?

2. If the car can only get 30 days, can I then take it over another country border (Camphucea or Laos - or even Myanmar), and get another 30 days (for the car)? Or does it have to exit same border from where it entered?

3. At the end of the holiday period, instead of selling the car back in Malaysia for a lousy price, I might later try to convert to permanent import and let family use it up here...Malaysian car prices are higher than Thai, and perhaps I can gee Malaysian tax redemption which will more or less pay for the Thai import taxes...But I probably postpone solvation of that part until later.

Another option is of course to sell the car in Malaysia before holiday starts and then fly to Thailand and long term renting car (perhaps on and off when travelling by air). This option is the "fall back" one, and will not be cheap not either permit flexible border crossing by car...

Nice KL-registered i30 u have there and cute daughter too!

Sent from my i-mobile IQ XA using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

There's the easy way and there's the hard way....but why do so many people want to do it the hard way?

There's the easy way and there's the hard way....but why do so many people want to do it the hard way? 

Hard way more challenging?

Sent from my i-mobile IQ XA using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Easy way? Means selling off car in Malaysia first and rent in Thailand?

Would then mean good bye to our storage of short lasting goods from the house we exit in KL (as will not pay air overweight or separate transport to bring with us beer, canned food etc). And can't to my knowledge bring rental car over border to other countries. So I see a complicated, but cheap and flexible way vs an easy and expensive way also reducing our "adventures".

But I am listening to good advices...

Sent from my HTC One S using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Why on earth would you want to bring beer and canned food here when there is an abundant supply of everything here?

We are moving out of a house in KL and I don't like to throw out all the accumulated food etc. so plan is to fill up the car. Rest of household goes into container to DK and will be stored 1/2 year. Its simply about economising, but of course we will try to match the storage of shortlived goods so empty when its time to move...

I forgot to mention that we also plan to smuggle in our dog instead of going through tedious and expensive quarantine procedure if flying. The puppy was originally brought in from Thailand same way...

And your daughter's education whilst you're having a 6 month holiday? Homeschool?