Driving your own car from Thailand to Vietnam?

[dagling]

We own car and has blue book. We intend to cross the border up north east Thailand (Mukdahan) down to Da Nang.

What problems will this provide us with assurances and border crossings?

Someone who has experience and who will share tips and advice?

[happynthailand]

Vietnam,doesn't let people with right hand drive cars into their country.you will be stopped at the border in Vietnam.

tryed it,no go.just one of their laws

[cumgranosalum]

THat seems to be the general experience....however at some point they will have to change to comply with ASEAN conventions.

[Assurancetourix]

Vietnam does not recognize foreign driver's license even accompanied with an international license ;

You must have a vietnamese license to drive in this country

[scoooooby]

Buy a bike at the border and do a 'Top Gear' run lol

[recom273]

THat seems to be the general experience....however at some point they will have to change to comply with ASEAN conventions.

Is there a time scale on when this will happen ? I'm thinking more about a bike trip, it will be amazing to boot through Laos and end up in Danang in time for tea then up to the north on your own Thai registered bike.

[thailandforumaddict]

How retarded they must be !

And then they wonder why they have only 1 million tourists a year ?

Wish US had done the job properly to bring civilization and education there !

Edited July 8, 2015 by thailandforumaddict

[SantiSuk]

How retarded they must be !

And then they wonder why they have only 1 million tourists a year ?

Wish US had done the job properly to bring civilization and education there !

What a troll you must be!

[mutha289]

I saw an interesting show a while back called "GlobeRiders Indochina Expedition" it documented a motorcycle trip from Saigon through Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and ending in Singapore. If interested I believe you can watch it online through this link, I see there is a $3.00 charge:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6J2jMumpTU

http://www.travelvideostore.com/asia-travel-dvd-videos/vietnam-travel-dvd-videos/globeriders-indochina-expedition/

[Sharpasatack]

I drive in vn quite often, most recently this past Monday. The car is a left-hand drive car from vn. I have been stopped and fined by the police 2 times, both for lane violations. Fines have been 500,000 (23 USD) and 1,000,000 (46 USD) vnd coffee money. First offence I showed them US drivers license as well as International Drivers License. I am sure they could not read either. Second time, I figured since they cant read it anyway, I gave them a A US state-issued ID card. I did not want to be without my real drivers license in case they decided to confiscate it. It worked well and the only imperative is to carry a few million vnd with you in case you get stopped.

Driving is very slow in vn and the roads are even bumpier than Thailand

[Jimbolai]

Vietnam does not recognize foreign driver's license even accompanied with an international license ;

You must have a vietnamese license to drive in this country

Not true. VN does recognize most foreign licenses. I do not know about registration.

[kg1947]

How retarded they must be !

And then they wonder why they have only 1 million tourists a year ?

Wish US had done the job properly to bring civilization and education there !

-------------

Vietnam need to upgrade a lot of things before they can draw mass tourism

like in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia. Their ENTRY VISA system looks simple

but once you arrived at the airport - unless you have paid for VIP SERVICE,

YOU WAIT IN LINE for a long time . TV - don't have English News program ,

so you're basically BLIND about the outside world after arriving here .

COST of living at the tourist level is high, SERVICE at the stores sully &

non interested, maybe high end is different or just a language barrier.

Double tier pricing exist everywhere, don't kid yourself. People seems not

happy or suspicious to Asians , don't know if that's because they're jealous.

Public transport is way behind what Thailand & Singapore offered, taxi is

MORE expensive than in BKK and their knowledge level doubtful - get ready

with your Google Earth app. you need that a lot. .... and I am traveling with

my Vietnam girlfriend around !!!

[BORRISGOODENUF]

Hi, ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, "YOU CAN NOT".

I MADE AN ATTEMPT TO DO THIS TRIP EARLIER THIS YEAR.. MY EMAILS TO ALL RELEVANT VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, TWO VN EMBASSIES, ALL MET WITH, "ONLY WAY TO DRIVE IS TO TRAVEL IN AN ORGANISED CARAVAN".

THAI AUTHORITIES DID NOT KNOW. TOURIST POLICE ETC WERE UNABLE TO ASSIST.

TRAVEL THROUGH LAOS IS NO PROBLEM ONCE YOU OBTAIN CAR PASSPORT FROM IMMIGRATION, COST MAY BE 50 BAHT.

BUT VIETNAM DO NOT RECOGNISE THE THAI DRIVING LICENCE. I HAVE AN AUSTRALIAN LICENCE, A CALIFORNIA LICENCE, BUT AUTHORITIES

THERE DO NOT LIKE THEM..

BEST WAY TO TRAVEL IS THE VIP BUS FROM SAVVAKHET. NOT ANY OF THE SLEEPER BUSSES. YOU CAN ALSO FLY, IF YOU CHECK VIETNAM AIR PRICES YOU WILL FIND ONLY RETURN TICKET FLIGHTS, BUT AFFORDABLE. GETTING TO DANANG DIRECTLY IS DIFFICULT, AS YOU WILL SEE.

ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THE LAST 40 OR SO KLS FROM LAOS TO THE BORDER THE ROAD IS NOT GOOD. IN VIETNAM MUCH OF THE MAIN HIGHWAY BEFORE HUE AND BETWEEN HUE AND DANANG IS UNDERGOING RECONSTRUCTION AND IS VERY DUSTY AND ROUGH.

ENJOY YOUR TRIP. I ALSO STAYED AT VIAN HOTEL ON "PHAM VAN DONG" WAS EXCELLENT. TAXIS ARE CHEAP. BUT WATCH FOR THE MOTOR BYKE MAFIA AND SCAMMERS.
ENJOY!

[off road pat]

How retarded they must be !

And then they wonder why they have only 1 million tourists a year ?

Wish US had done the job properly to bring civilization and education there !

So much nonsenses in just 3 lines....!

Edited July 9, 2015 by off road pat

[giddyup]

How retarded they must be !

And then they wonder why they have only 1 million tourists a year ?

Wish US had done the job properly to bring civilization and education there !

You mean instead of getting their butts kicked and sent packing?

Edited July 9, 2015 by giddyup

[off road pat]

How retarded they must be !

And then they wonder why they have only 1 million tourists a year ?

Wish US had done the job properly to bring civilization and education there !

-------------

Vietnam need to upgrade a lot of things before they can draw mass tourism

like in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia. Their ENTRY VISA system looks simple

but once you arrived at the airport - unless you have paid for VIP SERVICE,

YOU WAIT IN LINE for a long time . TV - don't have English News program ,

so you're basically BLIND about the outside world after arriving here .

COST of living at the tourist level is high, SERVICE at the stores sully &

non interested, maybe high end is different or just a language barrier.

Double tier pricing exist everywhere, don't kid yourself. People seems not

happy or suspicious to Asians , don't know if that's because they're jealous.

Public transport is way behind what Thailand & Singapore offered, taxi is

MORE expensive than in BKK and their knowledge level doubtful - get ready

with your Google Earth app. you need that a lot. .... and I am traveling with

my Vietnam girlfriend around !!!

I guess we both have different experiences about Vietnam,....I have been there some 8 times in the last 20 years and every time travelled around the country for a month....Backpacked around the country every time, Couldn't get enough of it. the last time was with my wife 3-4 years ago, to show her the beauty of this wonderful country....!

We had nothing but good experiences , I have to say Vietnam is changing fast and not always for the better....!

If you know how to travel ? Vietnam is similar in costs to Thailand food and guest houses / Hotels were cheaper, or a bit more expensive depending on location.

To travel from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh Citty by bus, would be a lot cheaper than Thailand...

I would recommend travelling in Vietnam only to some of my best friends that know how to travel !...to the others ? just stay home...don't pollute this wonderful country with your presence...!

Best regards, Off Road Pat.

[Assurancetourix]

Wish US had done the job properly to bring civilization and education there !

Hanoi Vietnam's capital is only a little bit more than 2.000 years old ..

How many years about USA ? less than 300 years old ...

[off road pat]

How retarded they must be !

And then they wonder why they have only 1 million tourists a year ?

Wish US had done the job properly to bring civilization and education there !

You mean instead of getting their butts kicked and sent packing?

Oh, Yessss,... So Good....!!, and by a bunch of pyjama's and flip flop wearing peasants without anything as a air force...!!!

Edited July 9, 2015 by off road pat

[thailandforumaddict]

Monkeys exist since many more years and still haven't improved so much also...

Wish US had done the job properly to bring civilization and education there !

Hanoi Vietnam's capital is only a little bit more than 2.000 years old ..

How many years about USA ? less than 300 years old ...

[lawley]

The International Driving Permit is not officially recognised in Vietnam. I like to carry a valid one though, along with an expired Australian D/L (also do this in Thailand). So long as they see your picture on an official looking document, there happy. A buddy and I hired 135cc scooters in Saigon (HMC) and rode up to Dalat, then across to Natrang, and in a round about way, made our way back to Saigon (covered 2500k's). A great experience, and looking forward to returning to do a ride out of Hanoi. We found very few Vietnamese spoke English once out of Saigon, though in the major centres those working in hotels and business houses generally new enough to get by. Hotels were definitely cheaper than Thailand. I'm also confident of a dual pricing system, especially on petrol. They simply add a zero to the price on the pump. It generally cost around 6000 VND to fill the bike, but at every place we stopped for fuel, whatever the pump price, a zero was added, so 6000VND became 60,000, hence petrol is rather expensive. Very impressed with the countryside. Hardly spotted any rubbish on the side of the road, wherever we travelled. Size matters on the roads in VN. On a bike, you simply don't rate and they will not think twice about pushing you off the road.

[Tomtomtom69]

THat seems to be the general experience....however at some point they will have to change to comply with ASEAN conventions.

They might have to, one day....but please tell me where in the ASEAN conventions is cross-border road traffic mentioned? I think nowhere. Nowhere does it state that AEC 2015 will make crossing borders any easier than it currently is. Vietnam will thus probably continue to restrict foreign registered vehicles (in particular RHD ones) for years to come.

I therefore wouldn't be making any plans for driving a Thai car into Vietnam any time soon. You might be able to go on a tour, but according to ttrweekly.com, a recent article simply mentioned that despite an easing of regulations, Vietnam will continue to strictly enforce the restriction on RHD vehicles. Even if you're one of the 0.001% of Thai registered vehicles with LHD, the Vietnamese still won't allow you in, as there is no agreement between Thailand and Vietnam to allow the entry of vehicles into each's others territory.

The best you can do right now is hire a Lao registered LHD vehicle from AVIS Laos and then drive to Vietnam. That is permitted and has been done for many years now.

[Tomtomtom69]

Vietnam does not recognize foreign driver's license even accompanied with an international license ;

You must have a vietnamese license to drive in this country

Actually, according to Tuoitre, a major Vietnamese newspaper, international driver's permits from a number of countries are NOW accepted in Vietnam, since the beginning of the year.

But what driver's licence you possess is of little relevance here. You could show up at the border with a Vietnamese licence (as I have) and still have your car refused entry. On the other hand, if you can manage to find someone to allow you to drive their car (or a rental car, which is very rare without a driver in Vietnam) then you will find that legally speaking, international driving permits accompanied by your foreign licence are indeed now accepted.

[Tomtomtom69]

THat seems to be the general experience....however at some point they will have to change to comply with ASEAN conventions.

Is there a time scale on when this will happen ? I'm thinking more about a bike trip, it will be amazing to boot through Laos and end up in Danang in time for tea then up to the north on your own Thai registered bike.

No, there is not. The idea that AEC member countries will have to comply with some kind of imaginary regulations on cross-border transport is mere speculation and hearsay. There is absolutely no evidence that AEC will make crossing borders by car or motorcycle easier than is currently the case. A few token gestures might be made between direct neighboring countries (such as between Thailand and Cambodia and Cambodia and Vietnam), the latter recently did make it easier for each other's vehicles to pass but that's about it.

So if you're waiting to drive a Thai motorcycle into Vietnam unrestricted I suspect you'll have to wait many more years. In the meantime, you could go anytime if you register your intentions with a travel agency and then go in with a guide and permits. That can be done already as long as you apply at least a month in advance. It's not cheap though, but the more riders you have, the cheaper it gets per bike.

[Tomtomtom69]

How retarded they must be !

And then they wonder why they have only 1 million tourists a year ?

Wish US had done the job properly to bring civilization and education there !

Actually they have 8 million tourists a year and the fact they restrict foreign registered vehicles from entering is hardly a deterrent for most visitors, many of whom fly in from other continents. How many tourists would even be interested in driving in a country with so many motorcycles, such poor quality roads and such congested cities where parking is so difficult to find? Very, very few. Even in Thailand where the road infrastructure is much better, you can bring your own car or hire one locally not many tourists choose to drive themselves.

Vietnam is simply concerned that it doesn't have the resources and infrastructure to cope with foreign motorists in mind, and especially they don't want to encounter difficulties like what happens in the event of an accident etc.

[Tomtomtom69]

I drive in vn quite often, most recently this past Monday. The car is a left-hand drive car from vn. I have been stopped and fined by the police 2 times, both for lane violations. Fines have been 500,000 (23 USD) and 1,000,000 (46 USD) vnd coffee money. First offence I showed them US drivers license as well as International Drivers License. I am sure they could not read either. Second time, I figured since they cant read it anyway, I gave them a A US state-issued ID card. I did not want to be without my real drivers license in case they decided to confiscate it. It worked well and the only imperative is to carry a few million vnd with you in case you get stopped. Driving is very slow in vn and the roads are even bumpier than Thailand

I also drive in VN often. I've driven both Vietnamese and Lao registered vehicles, all LHD of course.

I have rarely been stopped, though my Vietnamese friend has been on a number of occasions. Whenever I've been stopped, I have never been fined, but my friend nearly always has been. Indeed the fines are much higher than in Thailand and that ensures greater compliance with the road traffic laws there. In Thailand you can drive at 160km/h on the expressway and you probably won't even get a fine (because there are rarely any speed cameras) but in Vietnam it's going to be a steep fine or your ride may be confiscated for a while. If Thailand could enforce it's road rules are strictly as Vietnam, we would probably see a huge reduction in the road toll here. But as they say in Thailand "mai pen rai".

[Tomtomtom69]

How retarded they must be !

And then they wonder why they have only 1 million tourists a year ?

Wish US had done the job properly to bring civilization and education there !

-------------

Vietnam need to upgrade a lot of things before they can draw mass tourism

like in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia. Their ENTRY VISA system looks simple

but once you arrived at the airport - unless you have paid for VIP SERVICE,

YOU WAIT IN LINE for a long time . TV - don't have English News program ,

so you're basically BLIND about the outside world after arriving here .

COST of living at the tourist level is high, SERVICE at the stores sully &

non interested, maybe high end is different or just a language barrier.

Double tier pricing exist everywhere, don't kid yourself. People seems not

happy or suspicious to Asians , don't know if that's because they're jealous.

Public transport is way behind what Thailand & Singapore offered, taxi is

MORE expensive than in BKK and their knowledge level doubtful - get ready

with your Google Earth app. you need that a lot. .... and I am traveling with

my Vietnam girlfriend around !!!

I guess we both have different experiences about Vietnam,....I have been there some 8 times in the last 20 years and every time travelled around the country for a month....Backpacked around the country every time, Couldn't get enough of it. the last time was with my wife 3-4 years ago, to show her the beauty of this wonderful country....!

We had nothing but good experiences , I have to say Vietnam is changing fast and not always for the better....!

If you know how to travel ? Vietnam is similar in costs to Thailand food and guest houses / Hotels were cheaper, or a bit more expensive depending on location.

To travel from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh Citty by bus, would be a lot cheaper than Thailand...

I would recommend travelling in Vietnam only to some of my best friends that know how to travel !...to the others ? just stay home...don't pollute this wonderful country with your presence...!

Best regards, Off Road Pat.

To kg1947, actually VTV4 and the other major news channels have English news and even French, Russian and Chinese news with presenters that speak far more fluent English (and these other languages) than their Thai counterparts. While English is not widely spoken by ordinary citizens and those not either working in the tourism industry or those who live in big cities like Hanoi or Saigon, when Vietnamese do speak English it's far better than the Thailish spoken by most Thais. Even educated Thais struggle with their English relative to their Vietnamese counterparts.

Dual pricing is far more prevalent in Thailand than in Vietnam, at least as far as dual pricing at tourist attractions and the like is concerned. In Vietnam, a small handful of places practice it, mainly in central Vietnam, whereas in Thailand it's ubiquitous at everything from privately owned theme parks, to national parks, museums and some temples - probably hundreds of places throughout the country. The difference in Thailand is that they rip you off with a smile, whereas in Vietnam it's more of a dubious smile, perhaps they try to extract a few extra Dong from you at a market, but that can be avoided by simply going to another stall. Whereas in Thailand it's not easy to lower the 400 Baht national park entry fee down to the local price or even something in between, as it's fixed in price.

So with that in mind I would not put down Vietnam too much. They have started from a much lower base than Thailand, but are catching up fast. One also finds fewer scams and fewer reports of trouble between foreign tourists and locals in Vietnam compared to Thailand. One doesn't need to go any further than right here on Thaivisa.com to find countless stories of problems that foreigners find themselves in in Thailand on a daily basis, which simply doesn't occur in Vietnam to the same degree. There is simply no comparison.

[Tomtomtom69]

Hi, ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, "YOU CAN NOT".

I MADE AN ATTEMPT TO DO THIS TRIP EARLIER THIS YEAR.. MY EMAILS TO ALL RELEVANT VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, TWO VN EMBASSIES, ALL MET WITH, "ONLY WAY TO DRIVE IS TO TRAVEL IN AN ORGANISED CARAVAN".

THAI AUTHORITIES DID NOT KNOW. TOURIST POLICE ETC WERE UNABLE TO ASSIST.

TRAVEL THROUGH LAOS IS NO PROBLEM ONCE YOU OBTAIN CAR PASSPORT FROM IMMIGRATION, COST MAY BE 50 BAHT.

BUT VIETNAM DO NOT RECOGNISE THE THAI DRIVING LICENCE. I HAVE AN AUSTRALIAN LICENCE, A CALIFORNIA LICENCE, BUT AUTHORITIES

THERE DO NOT LIKE THEM..

BEST WAY TO TRAVEL IS THE VIP BUS FROM SAVVAKHET. NOT ANY OF THE SLEEPER BUSSES. YOU CAN ALSO FLY, IF YOU CHECK VIETNAM AIR PRICES YOU WILL FIND ONLY RETURN TICKET FLIGHTS, BUT AFFORDABLE. GETTING TO DANANG DIRECTLY IS DIFFICULT, AS YOU WILL SEE.

ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THE LAST 40 OR SO KLS FROM LAOS TO THE BORDER THE ROAD IS NOT GOOD. IN VIETNAM MUCH OF THE MAIN HIGHWAY BEFORE HUE AND BETWEEN HUE AND DANANG IS UNDERGOING RECONSTRUCTION AND IS VERY DUSTY AND ROUGH.

ENJOY YOUR TRIP. I ALSO STAYED AT VIAN HOTEL ON "PHAM VAN DONG" WAS EXCELLENT. TAXIS ARE CHEAP. BUT WATCH FOR THE MOTOR BYKE MAFIA AND SCAMMERS.

ENJOY!

Never rely on the Thai authorities to answer your questions regarding neighboring countries, their answers are almost always theoretical, overly optimistic and most of all, wrong.

If you were to go to any LTD office, they might claim you can use your car passport in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and southern China. Ha! The only country out of these which currently accepts a car passport is Laos and that also happens to be the only country out of these where you can enter without restrictions (except time, 30 days) and exit at any Thai-Lao crossing. Myanmar only allows Thai cars in near the border on day trips (or for up to a week or two at Tachilek) and then without insurance. Cambodia allows Thai cars and motorcycles in at 3 crossings, but only for travel within the border province entered and without insurance. Only commercial vehicles will have proper insurance and travel along set routes to the interior of the country according to a bilateral agreement. Private vehicles may be next but not sure when.

As for Vietnam and southern China? Forget it, that's theoretical at best. Both countries signed, but never entered into force the GMS agreement from 2003 on the movement of cross-border traffic from the 6 member states. A Thai vehicle will only get into China on a pre-registered caravan tour, while Vietnam is off-limits to RHD traffic from Thailand and other countries altogether (although tours with escort vehicle have been allowed in the past; in 2012 I saw a Thai caravan tour driving near Mui Ne).

[off road pat]

How retarded they must be !

And then they wonder why they have only 1 million tourists a year ?

Wish US had done the job properly to bring civilization and education there !

-------------

Vietnam need to upgrade a lot of things before they can draw mass tourism

like in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia. Their ENTRY VISA system looks simple

but once you arrived at the airport - unless you have paid for VIP SERVICE,

YOU WAIT IN LINE for a long time . TV - don't have English News program ,

so you're basically BLIND about the outside world after arriving here .

COST of living at the tourist level is high, SERVICE at the stores sully &

non interested, maybe high end is different or just a language barrier.

Double tier pricing exist everywhere, don't kid yourself. People seems not

happy or suspicious to Asians , don't know if that's because they're jealous.

Public transport is way behind what Thailand & Singapore offered, taxi is

MORE expensive than in BKK and their knowledge level doubtful - get ready

with your Google Earth app. you need that a lot. .... and I am traveling with

my Vietnam girlfriend around !!!

I guess we both have different experiences about Vietnam,....I have been there some 8 times in the last 20 years and every time travelled around the country for a month....Backpacked around the country every time, Couldn't get enough of it. the last time was with my wife 3-4 years ago, to show her the beauty of this wonderful country....!

We had nothing but good experiences , I have to say Vietnam is changing fast and not always for the better....!

If you know how to travel ? Vietnam is similar in costs to Thailand food and guest houses / Hotels were cheaper, or a bit more expensive depending on location.

To travel from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh Citty by bus, would be a lot cheaper than Thailand...

I would recommend travelling in Vietnam only to some of my best friends that know how to travel !...to the others ? just stay home...don't pollute this wonderful country with your presence...!

Best regards, Off Road Pat.

To kg1947, actually VTV4 and the other major news channels have English news and even French, Russian and Chinese news with presenters that speak far more fluent English (and these other languages) than their Thai counterparts. While English is not widely spoken by ordinary citizens and those not either working in the tourism industry or those who live in big cities like Hanoi or Saigon, when Vietnamese do speak English it's far better than the Thailish spoken by most Thais. Even educated Thais struggle with their English relative to their Vietnamese counterparts.

Dual pricing is far more prevalent in Thailand than in Vietnam, at least as far as dual pricing at tourist attractions and the like is concerned. In Vietnam, a small handful of places practice it, mainly in central Vietnam, whereas in Thailand it's ubiquitous at everything from privately owned theme parks, to national parks, museums and some temples - probably hundreds of places throughout the country. The difference in Thailand is that they rip you off with a smile, whereas in Vietnam it's more of a dubious smile, perhaps they try to extract a few extra Dong from you at a market, but that can be avoided by simply going to another stall. Whereas in Thailand it's not easy to lower the 400 Baht national park entry fee down to the local price or even something in between, as it's fixed in price.

So with that in mind I would not put down Vietnam too much. They have started from a much lower base than Thailand, but are catching up fast. One also finds fewer scams and fewer reports of trouble between foreign tourists and locals in Vietnam compared to Thailand. One doesn't need to go any further than right here on Thaivisa.com to find countless stories of problems that foreigners find themselves in in Thailand on a daily basis, which simply doesn't occur in Vietnam to the same degree. There is simply no comparison.

Exactly, and very well said.

[balo]

My trusty steed.jpgThe International Driving Permit is not officially recognised in Vietnam. I like to carry a valid one though, along with an expired Australian D/L (also do this in Thailand). So long as they see your picture on an official looking document, there happy. A buddy and I hired 135cc scooters in Saigon (HMC) and rode up to Dalat, then across to Natrang, and in a round about way, made our way back to Saigon (covered 2500k's). A great experience, and looking forward to returning to do a ride out of Hanoi. We found very few Vietnamese spoke English once out of Saigon, though in the major centres those working in hotels and business houses generally new enough to get by. Hotels were definitely cheaper than Thailand. I'm also confident of a dual pricing system, especially on petrol. They simply add a zero to the price on the pump. It generally cost around 6000 VND to fill the bike, but at every place we stopped for fuel, whatever the pump price, a zero was added, so 6000VND became 60,000, hence petrol is rather expensive. Very impressed with the countryside. Hardly spotted any rubbish on the side of the road, wherever we travelled. Size matters on the roads in VN. On a bike, you simply don't rate and they will not think twice about pushing you off the road.

I would never accept that so driving in VN is off my list.

[cumgranosalum]

THat seems to be the general experience....however at some point they will have to change to comply with ASEAN conventions.

Is there a time scale on when this will happen ? I'm thinking more about a bike trip, it will be amazing to boot through Laos and end up in Danang in time for tea then up to the north on your own Thai registered bike.

No, there is not. The idea that AEC member countries will have to comply with some kind of imaginary regulations on cross-border transport is mere speculation and hearsay. There is absolutely no evidence that AEC will make crossing borders by car or motorcycle easier than is currently the case. A few token gestures might be made between direct neighboring countries (such as between Thailand and Cambodia and Cambodia and Vietnam), the latter recently did make it easier for each other's vehicles to pass but that's about it.

So if you're waiting to drive a Thai motorcycle into Vietnam unrestricted I suspect you'll have to wait many more years. In the meantime, you could go anytime if you register your intentions with a travel agency and then go in with a guide and permits. That can be done already as long as you apply at least a month in advance. It's not cheap though, but the more riders you have, the cheaper it gets per bike.

Tosh! as a free trade org with aims similar to the EU they will have to allow movement of goods and people...