Car Passport

[ubonrthai]

I got my passport and stickers for my truck today. They gave me a sticker for the outside and one for the inside. Are they supposed to be placed in a specific location on the vehicle? Also, can someone give me a quick overview of the order of steps to enter Laos from Chong Mek? (i.e. get passport stamped in building, get back in car and drive across, etc.)

[challenger99]

You need use only one "T" sticker ... up to you if you want stick behind (if you have a pick-up with cab) inside at the read window or at the front window (but not in the dark anti sun part, will be not visible from outside or you stick the "T" at your back at the car body. No specified rule.

First time when you come to the border you have to fill our few papers and the lady copy this into the computer. So if you come again next time just show the violet ITP, they stamp, print out the form and you go. For the printed paper you pay few bath (I not remember but less 100). This was on Friendship bridge Nong Khai

Chong Mek is in Ubon Ratchathani Province in Isan, if they have already computer certain will be same procedure!

Have a good trip

P.S: take care that they also stamp your passport, it's not the same officer otherwise you can get in trouble when you come back, it happen once to me, I had only stamped ITP when I left

Edited October 14, 2013 by challenger99

[qdinthailand]

I can't say for sure about Laos, but I've crossed about 50 land borders with a motorcycle.

Not sure what your car passport is - I had a Carnet de Passage document, had a page for each border crossing. Its a Customs document, not an immigration document (passport). Had 2 perforated tear-off portions on each page, a third portion that remained in the Carnet document.

You're looking for customs office usually - not in immigration office itself, maybe same building, but usually a separate place after you go through immigration. They'll stamp top portion in the "entry" area, and remove the bottom portion (usually, not always, but if not, they fill out their own form and retain that) for their records.

The 2nd tear off portion is removed when you exit the country; they stamp the top portion again in the exit section. Stamp on entry, stamp on exit.

When I was done and returned vehicle to home, I returned the completed Carnet to the issuing office to get my "deposit" returned. They look at every page used (you should have some unused pages) for every country entered, for a stamp in, stamp out. If something's missing, they'll keep it until somehow it is cleared up, or they may contact the country, give them some or all of your deposit, depending on their customs duty.

Hope this helps.

Edited October 14, 2013 by qdinthailand

[challenger99]

I can't say for sure about Laos, but I've crossed about 50 land borders with a motorcycle.

Not sure what your car passport is - I had a Carnet de Passage document, had a page for each border crossing. Its a Customs document, not an immigration document (passport). Had 2 perforated tear-off portions on each page, a third portion that remained in the Carnet document.

You're looking for customs office usually - not in immigration office itself, maybe same building, but usually a separate place after you go through immigration. They'll stamp top portion in the "entry" area, and remove the bottom portion (usually, not always, but if not, they fill out their own form and retain that) for their records.

The 2nd tear off portion is removed when you exit the country; they stamp the top portion again in the exit section. Stamp on entry, stamp on exit.

When I was done and returned vehicle to home, I returned the completed Carnet to the issuing office to get my "deposit" returned. They look at every page used (you should have some unused pages) for every country entered, for a stamp in, stamp out. If something's missing, they'll keep it until somehow it is cleared up, or they may contact the country, give them some or all of your deposit, depending on their customs duty.

Hope this helps.

when I read your description "qdinthailand" I believe for car and motorbike is different. For car you have the violet ITP some people call them also as passport for car and they just stamp in this the entry and when you come back. This violet ITP has a paper beside in size A4 which is just a translation of your "green book"! There was never request for any deposit, guarantee or addition insurance! But you must be owner of car!!!

The exact procedure is ... your drive as close as possible to the immigration both get your stamp in personal passport and walk to the next booth for car declaration. If everything finish you take care and at the exit you show to the custom officer the stamped papers. After on Lao side they just make his own paper for which they ask a fee less 100 Bath! That's it.

Some national as me even no need any LAO visa and this is he moment we could forget let stamp the personal passport it's clear for me now.

attached some page of violet ITP and translation of green book which have be shown together

[dinger]

Make sure that when you come back you get your car stamped out of Laos not just your self. The last time I came back I thought I was properly stamped out, but wrong. The next time I tried to enter Laos they wouldn't let my car in as they said it was already in Laos, this due to a lack of the proper computer entry showing that the car had indeed left the country

[ubonrthai]

Here's a quick overview of Chong Mek. I was dealing with our toddler so I don't know what all paperwork was used for the car. We got our car passport in about 10 minutes one afternoon in Ubon and left the next morning. At the border they had us park in front of the number 2 entrance on the left side of the immigration building. I ran into immigration to get my passport stamped and hopped back in the car though I later learned that I could have just stayed in the car. My wife was told to go into immigration with the car documents. I'm not sure if they always do that or if it's because there was a driving rain storm and they didn't want to open the booth window. You then drive over to the Laos side and turn right behind their immigration which is just down the road on the right. Don't go straight like we did or you'll get fined 300b. If you do it correctly, you turn right upon entering Laos, they spray your tires, give you a receipt and then you go park at immigration. The whole place is a dump right now without signs to tell you where to go so it's a little confusing but just follow any other cars or busses you see. At immigration there's also car insurance people waiting out front. Then you deal with the car passport and documents at one window. Then you can fill out the entry card, pay and give them your passport. Then you can keep moving and there will be one more gated stop where you have to show your car documents again.

On the way back you stop at the gated entrance which is obvious to show them your car documents. Then you can park around all the duty free shops, get your passport stamped, and head into Thailand. Entering Laos took about an hour. Entering Thailand took about 15 minutes.

[Tomtomtom69]

Here's a quick overview of Chong Mek. I was dealing with our toddler so I don't know what all paperwork was used for the car. We got our car passport in about 10 minutes one afternoon in Ubon and left the next morning. At the border they had us park in front of the number 2 entrance on the left side of the immigration building. I ran into immigration to get my passport stamped and hopped back in the car though I later learned that I could have just stayed in the car. My wife was told to go into immigration with the car documents. I'm not sure if they always do that or if it's because there was a driving rain storm and they didn't want to open the booth window. You then drive over to the Laos side and turn right behind their immigration which is just down the road on the right. Don't go straight like we did or you'll get fined 300b. If you do it correctly, you turn right upon entering Laos, they spray your tires, give you a receipt and then you go park at immigration. The whole place is a dump right now without signs to tell you where to go so it's a little confusing but just follow any other cars or busses you see. At immigration there's also car insurance people waiting out front. Then you deal with the car passport and documents at one window. Then you can fill out the entry card, pay and give them your passport. Then you can keep moving and there will be one more gated stop where you have to show your car documents again.

On the way back you stop at the gated entrance which is obvious to show them your car documents. Then you can park around all the duty free shops, get your passport stamped, and head into Thailand. Entering Laos took about an hour. Entering Thailand took about 15 minutes.

Entering Laos at Vang Tao took me no more than 10 mins, although I came back to Laos with a Lao truck, rather than a Thai one. On the way into Thailand at Chong Mek, the paperwork for processing a Lao truck took no more than 10-15 mins either on both occasions that I have crossed there. Of course you must drive on the right as soon as you cross the border gate (it's clearly visible where that is) and in the opposite direction, move to the left as soon as you find yourself on Thai territory as there is no proper changeover point at that crossing (unlike at most other Thai-Lao border crossings, including Nam Heuang-Tha Li, where you start driving on the left while still on Lao territory using a roundabout to switchover).

[MeMock]

Must have been because of the rain they made you go inside. Last few trips I did, I did it all outside. Yes I agree that the Lao side is a mess and it was only by lots of trial and error that I figured out how to do it with the least amount of hassle.

Hope you had a great trip.

[Jen03]

Can you tell me please where the transport department is in, or near BangNa to get a car passport?

Thanks

[SantiSuk]

Useful info thanks. Will be doing similar to get non-O visa from Savannakhet within the next week or so. Will post any different info regarding Mukdahan/Savannakhet/Thai Friendship Bridge III crossing thereafter. I may go across at Chong Mek and drive up the Laos side of the Mekong though.