Border crossing to Cambodia and Vietnam

[khieawrider650]

Greetings everyone. It's an honor to join this community.

I'm an Indonesian working in Thailand. Just bought a Versys 650 and planning to do ASEAN border crossing and my first destination in mind is Cambodia and Vietnam, with the route starts from Bangkok to Trat, Trat to Phnom Penh, and Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City. There are a few questions I would like to ask.

1. I never seen any thread discussing about Khlong Yai - Cham Yeam Border. Is it hard to go pass that border?
2. I want to ask regarding the driving license since I heard that Indonesian driving license is valid in all ASEAN countries, even Cambodia was the first coutries that recognizes it. Do I still have to register an IDP to cross?
3. If IDP is required, I am taking care of driving license transfer from Indonesian to Thai. For the IDP, should I register for Indonesian IDP or Thai IDP?
4. Is it true that if we want to cross Vietnam we should go with a travel agency?

Sorry for long post and thank you.

 

[Capss]

Welcome to the forum
I believe your Indonesian licence is valid in all ASEAN countries, my Malaysian friend has ridden all over Thailand and other SE Asia countries using his with no IDP

I think you may struggle getting a big bike into Vietnam and if I am not mistaken you will also have to go through an agency/tour operator to get travel permits and maybe even a guide

Wayne

 

[khieawrider650]

Welcome to the forum
I believe your Indonesian licence is valid in all ASEAN countries, my Malaysian friend has ridden all over Thailand and other SE Asia countries using his with no IDP

I think you may struggle getting a big bike into Vietnam and if I am not mistaken you will also have to go through an agency/tour operator to get travel permits and maybe even a guide

Wayne

Thank you for the answer. Really nice to know that ASEAN countries driving license do valid in each other.

Do you know any tour agency that I can contact?

 

[Capss]

I am not sure on the latest agency's. Sent you a PM

Wayne

 

[blackwolf]

Greetings everyone. It's an honor to join this community.

I'm an Indonesian working in Thailand. Just bought a Versys 650 and planning to do ASEAN border crossing and my first destination in mind is Cambodia and Vietnam, with the route starts from Bangkok to Trat, Trat to Phnom Penh, and Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City. There are a few questions I would like to ask.

1. I never seen any thread discussing about Khlong Yai - Cham Yeam Border. Is it hard to go pass that border?
2. I want to ask regarding the driving license since I heard that Indonesian driving license is valid in all ASEAN countries, even Cambodia was the first coutries that recognizes it. Do I still have to register an IDP to cross?
3. If IDP is required, I am taking care of driving license transfer from Indonesian to Thai. For the IDP, should I register for Indonesian IDP or Thai IDP?
4. Is it true that if we want to cross Vietnam we should go with a travel agency?

Sorry for long post and thank you.

A Thai car crossing into Cambodia from Thailand or from Laos is straightforward these days. A motorcycle on the other hand is not always guaranteed, but should, in theory, be permitted to cross into Cambodia via Hat Lek/Koh Kong.

Register on the Cambodian customs app and purchase cross-border insurance (soon to be mandatory) and you should be OK. Cambodian customs is in a hut right there on the right, just after the barrier. They've mellowed considerably since Cambodia finally introduced a proper customs system and was ordered by the government to allow vehicles in without the silly restrictions they used have, prior to Covid. That being said, coming from Laos, motorcycles seem to be a bit of a no-no in both directions now. Vietnamese motorcycles are definitely out, but I don't like the chances of Thai motorcycles being able to cross unaided either. You haven't mentioned going to Laos but just wanted to give you a heads up.

Getting into Vietnam requires a tour; they're very strict and officials are aggressive and unfriendly. Don't even attempt it without one, you'll probably be denied exit by Cambodia anyway, but even if you asked Vietnamese officials for permission, it would be a firm NO without a tour.

If you're working in Thailand, you should get a Thai license. An Indonesian license is good for up to 90 days, but you're supposed to apply for a Thai license upon taking up residence in the Kingdom.

In theory, an Indonesian, like a Thai license, is accepted in Cambodia and all ASEAN countries, without the need for an IDP. In practice, corrupt Phnom Penh police will ask for a bribe if you don't have an IDP accompanying it or a Cambodian license.

For Vietnam, they're even less likely to accept any foreign license. I've been threatened by the Vietnamese police for showing a Thai DL after being caught speeding. They said they'd impound the vehicle (a car) and charge me 21 million Dong. In the end, I got off for 1.3 million Dong after 45 minutes of heated negotiations with my Vietnamese friend present and a senior officer overruling the junior one, who wanted to throw the book at me for what is a minor "offense" in any other regional country.

BTW I recently drove (in my Thai car) from Bangkok to Vientiane-Pakse-Phnom Penh-Bavet (Vietnamese border)-Phnom Penh-Koh Kong-Trat-Bangkok. It was smooth as silk BUT of course, I didn't try to cross into Vietnam with my vehicle as I knew that wouldn't be permitted. Even Cambodian vehicles can't cross (with the exception of cross-border buses of course), except with some special paperwork and then they're not going any further than 15km from the border. Therefore, I parked at a casino (which is kinda dodgy, although like last time I did this, I paid a guard. On returning to my car, some tuk-tuk driver shakes his head at me, so I give a different guard an extra dollar, after which I receive a gleaming smile from the tuk-tuk driver). I had been in Ho Chi Minh for 4 days.

 

[blackwolf]

Just on the IDP matter; I don't think you can apply for an IDP on the basis of your Indonesian license without returning to Indonesia. Obviously, you would need to apply for one on your Thai license. It costs 505 Baht and the usual docs must accompany it BUT in theory, you need a 5-year Thai license. Therefore, apply for a 2-year Thai license now (they won't give you a 5-year one until you've first held a 2-year one) and see if they'll issue a 1-year IDP on that.

I'd still get an IDP for Cambodia if possible, though all police officers outside of Phnom Penh (even on the outskirts of the city) have been fine with my Thai driver's license.

However, if the answer is no, then just use your Indonesian license for now, which seems to be fine in most cases. How long is it valid for?

BTW, in Phnom Penh, you can avoid the police if you don't drive down Monivong or Norodom boulevards or don't use these boulevards until after around 8pm. To cross over the Mekong towards Bavet, use Koh Pich. No police there, not to mention it's faster, shorter and has less traffic.