It's good but I'm over N/Vietnam now ! - Gunna hopefully do both N/Thailand & some of Laos

[johnybrando]

Hi again all..... especially BSA Bob & Pounce... if your still out there ( hope your fit & well ) I returned again Sydney to Hanoi-N/Vietnam last Nov for another months ride there ( on yet another new XR150 = US $20 /day ! ) ... yeh, a bit small but they do every thing quite well & there light when laying on their side haha...... had another great time & ride 4K Klms again & no issues other than about 100 close calls ! haha = std in Vietnam aye ! Well, now I'm over Vietnam & but would like to go back to Asia & do some new adventure riding in N/ Thailand and or some of Laos . I've got some general ...I've never been there before questions for you ....... which I'm hoping for some guidance & advise on please . Seems both Bob & Pounce were smitten with Laos but I must say Northern Thailand looks interesting too & Bob seemed very taken with his home based explorations into N / Thailand.

Seems some outside influences may dictate the start & finish location.......i.e. Where best I should fly into & rent the bike from ? so I'd appreciate what you'd think on that first of all , as I'd be flying in from Sydney & I don't quite know the best route into either Laos or N/Thailand ??? I'm sort of guessing I'd fly into Singapore then change flight from there to maybe Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai ..it seems like the best Bike rental Choice & deals opportunities are at Chiang Mai & also it reads like the Airport there is perhaps 2nd to Bangkok ??? so I'm guessing that would be the better place to start & finish the ride ???..please advise me on this !
It seems the best time for both weather & riding for me would be Mid Jan to Mid Feb this seems to be the coolest & driest time of year there ???

Looks like to me the weapon of choice is likely a CRF 250 Honda ? seems 800 B a day is the norm every day rental charge ....any idea of what sort of improved deal I'd likely get for a one Month rental ?? Any particular good or bad outfits to choose or avoid in renting a bike from there ? "ll be traveling on my UK Passport with my Australian Full car and motorcycle license in tow ....I read that both of those are OK there in Thailand & with a British Passport I get an automatic 30 day free visa in Thailand but are both of those OK in Laos too ? I'm not sure about that yet...so if you know please advise me ??? thanks.

Crossing borders from Thailand in & out of Laos with British Passport & rental bike OK ??? or is there much drama at the border ? must i get a Laos visa in Thailand first or doe's my UK Passport give the same 30 day free visa privilege in Laos as it does in Thailand ???
Insurance 'accident-medical ' a must have or compulsory or don't bother ? easy to do ? cost of ? normally covers both bike & personal injury ? or Don't bother ??? - as in Vietnam apparently it was a waste of time & money..... as you really had to be a National living there or it was worthless !.......but of course - they wouldn't tell you that there......you had to find that out the hard way yourself.....I got Bronchitis there Mmmm !!!!!

I'd like to be riding as remote & Mountainous where ever possible . I'm not looking for super challenging rides .. .or super easy one's either... but some off road & tracks & or small back roads winding up and over mountains & hill with nice scenery would be my prefered favourite .... don't get me wrong I don't mind some challenging off road climbs & river crossing etc ....just not too extreme as I'm still fit .....but not in my Thirties any more .....I'm an old Git now !!!

I'd bringing my riding gear & smallish soft panniers & a small tank bag , & a tool kit, insect repellent & guess I should bring my small sleeping bag too ' it compress's right down'....... but my small One man tent ??????? what do you think ? ...I never took that to Vietnam & I had to ruff it a few times under the Stars there .....do you recon it's worth dragging it around there ? , I'm not too keen to bring it ......it just takes up good valuable space in the panniers.... but is you say you think you would ..then thats good enough for me.

Ok thats enough burdening questions ........once I start ...I keep thinking of more ..sorry ! Appreciate what ever bones you throw my way . Cheers Johny Brando.

 

[bsacbob]

Hi Mate, good to have you back, will answer your questions as best I can but you didn't state when you plan to travel it could affect your whole trip plans.

Bike rental, CM or CR both have reputable rental shops although you have to pay a premium if you want to cross into Laos, to cover the cost of recovery if you get into difficulties.

Honda CRF 250L is the perfect choice reliable and parts are so cheap, but most companies will give you a stock of spares to carry and tools sometimes.

Crossing at Chiang Khong, just crossed a few weeks back, no issues at all, visa on arrival @$35.

Riding in Laos is not generally over challenging but fun none the less, no need for tents or sleeping bags, unlikely you be that far away from a village etc for a bed for the night.

Any other questions fire away.

 

[Snakeboy]

Im sure the more experienced guys will chime in with a lot of information. In the meantime I can mention what I know...

For flights Sydney to Thailand I know that Airasia had some really cheap flights Sydney-Kuala Lumpur, and from there connecting flights directly to Chiang Mai. It was a couple of years ago but they still might have them. Worth a check at least.

Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai would be your best bets to find good rentals. Several options both places.

For Thailand Visa excemption of 30 days at the airport upon arrival - free. Can be extended for another 30 days at any Immigration offices for a fee of 1900 baht.
For Laos its visa on arrival of 30 days. Cost is somewhere between 30-40 USD depending upon your nationality. Almost all bordercrossings have this facility of visa on arrival in Laos.

A rental bike needs additional paperwork to be taken into Laos. But any rental company that allow you to take the bike into Laos will know this and give you the right paperwork (hopefully) Its a bit more expensive to rent a bike if you take it into Laos.

Third party insurance for Laos can normally be purchased upon arrival in Laos. How much insurance the rental bikes in Thailand have - I must admit I dont know. If you break anything on the bike you normally have to pay it yourself. But what happens if you damage other vehicles with a rental bike I dont know...

Tent/Camping - well if you like to camp you should maybe bring your tent. Personally I find it not neccesary in northern Thailand and Laos. There are normally many cheap options for accomodations almost anywhere. And there are an awful lot of mosqitoes, ants, flies, bugs, snakes, scorpions etc in these countries. But of course - there are people who camp indeed in Thailand and Laos so its really up to yourself...

 

[The Bigfella]

What you might need to check is your timing... a land border crossing back into Thailand may only give you a 14 day visa back here.

Take a look at my Laos in September thread over in the Laos Ride Reports if you're up for a bit of fun.

 

[prince666]

The only point to consider from my end is.
Who every you rent from, check the rental company has connection or friends in or near the Laos / Thailand border.
Sometimes shit happens ?
Have a great time.

 

[johnybrando]

The only point to consider from my end is.
Who every you rent from, check the rental company has connection or friends in or near the Laos / Thailand border.
Sometimes shit happens ?
Have a great time.

Great info & I'll do exactly that .... Thanks for that great tip . Cheers

 

[johnybrando]

What you might need to check is your timing... a land border crossing back into Thailand may only give you a 14 day visa back here.

Take a look at my Laos in September thread over in the Laos Ride Reports if you're up for a bit of fun.

Great info & if you never mentioned that ...I bet they "at the border " wouldn't !!! Thanks a lot bud . O yeh- Sept haha yeh ...rain- rain & deep Mud .........NO THANKS !

 

[johnybrando]

Im sure the more experienced guys will chime in with a lot of information. In the meantime I can mention what I know...

For flights Sydney to Thailand I know that Airasia had some really cheap flights Sydney-Kuala Lumpur, and from there connecting flights directly to Chiang Mai. It was a couple of years ago but they still might have them. Worth a check at least.

Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai would be your best bets to find good rentals. Several options both places.

For Thailand Visa excemption of 30 days at the airport upon arrival - free. Can be extended for another 30 days at any Immigration offices for a fee of 1900 baht.
For Laos its visa on arrival of 30 days. Cost is somewhere between 30-40 USD depending upon your nationality. Almost all bordercrossings have this facility of visa on arrival in Laos.

A rental bike needs additional paperwork to be taken into Laos. But any rental company that allow you to take the bike into Laos will know this and give you the right paperwork (hopefully) Its a bit more expensive to rent a bike if you take it into Laos.

Third party insurance for Laos can normally be purchased upon arrival in Laos. How much insurance the rental bikes in Thailand have - I must admit I dont know. If you break anything on the bike you normally have to pay it yourself. But what happens if you damage other vehicles with a rental bike I dont know...

Tent/Camping - well if you like to camp you should maybe bring your tent. Personally I find it not neccesary in northern Thailand and Laos. There are normally many cheap options for accomodations almost anywhere. And there are an awful lot of mosqitoes, ants, flies, bugs, snakes, scorpions etc in these countries. But of course - there are people who camp indeed in Thailand and Laos so its really up to yourself...

Thank you Snakeboy-
Great info ...you covered just about ever thing there ..well done ! I'd had a bit of a look at flights & saw the KL connections were good / better value ...but it seemed using them & trying to get a good price in most cases meant a total extended flight time in most cases of about 10 hours or more in transit ....guess thats the price you pay for a cheap flight aye ! I will probably take that option as I'm retired & budget is the biggest problem for me .....not time, as it for most people " so I'm lucky that way ! " VOA at borders = great news as I thought that might be possible but in my experiences it's normally done at primary airports ..I always wondered about it's availability elsewhere, so thanks for clearing that up too as thats really handy quality info .
Seems I may likely stay within Thailand now, as the extra Laos- Bike Hire charge -Insurance- Visa etc may well end up being a game changer there. Shame .... but I guess we can't always do every thing we want aye !
If you happen to be Bike wise well traveled there in Northern Thailand & can relate to the sort of ride & locations I'm seeking out there ...I'd really appreciate it if you have the time .....to perhaps recommend a suitable mud-map route for me . I'm looking to cover up to about 4000 Klms & I will have about 4 weeks to do that in ........the distance covered is really immaterial to me as conditions dictate that aye & I'll almost certainly ride every day & hopefully Mid Jan - Mid Feb should give me the best riding conditions.... but I don't care if I can only cover about 2000, so long as I enjoy the ride & experience , so a suitable adventure route would be a very real bonus to me. I understand thats a difficult request because what is good to one person isn't necessarily always good for another but you'd for sure have a better idea than me ! Thanks either way ...as you've been a great help . Cheers.

 

[bsacbob]

Lots of ride reports in Thailand on the forum, take a look at what you like and i can help you with GPX files.

When do you plan to arrive?

 

[johnybrando]

Hi Mate, good to have you back, will answer your questions as best I can but you didn't state when you plan to travel it could affect your whole trip plans.

Bike rental, CM or CR both have reputable rental shops although you have to pay a premium if you want to cross into Laos, to cover the cost of recovery if you get into difficulties.

Honda CRF 250L is the perfect choice reliable and parts are so cheap, but most companies will give you a stock of spares to carry and tools sometimes.

Crossing at Chiang Khong, just crossed a few weeks back, no issues at all, visa on arrival @$35.

Riding in Laos is not generally over challenging but fun none the less, no need for tents or sleeping bags, unlikely you be that far away from a village etc for a bed for the night.

Any other questions fire away.

Hey Bob ..good to be back too ! Glad your OK mate & still keen & riding too . Thanks very much for the reply all within was much appreciated & Tents now definitely out too ....thanks for that .
CRF 250 L sounds great then .. .Wher abouts there are you Bob ..I cannot remember ! Seem best for me to likely try & fly into Chiang Mai as it being the main hub up North it may ? have better Flight & bike availability or am I wrong there Bob ?? I like the bit you stated about some supply a bit of spares pack, as they'd know what could & would probably bite you ...right in the middle of nowhere, aside from punctures that is ! What about bike rental &.......who or who not to use ' got any recommendations there Bob ? ' and rental for a CRF250 seems to be about 800/day ....but Monthly rates seem to appear to bring that down some what ....have you any idea on what I might be able to negotiate there ...do you have contact with an outlets there that you'd use if you were me...any chance of maybe perhaps sounding them out - deal wise on a ' months hire' for me, I'm looking at being there mid Jan to mid Feb as that seems to be the best riding time there.
I'm sure your off road experience level would totally eclipse mine in every way but none the less if you were me & lets say reasonably competent in the saddle on dirt ..but I'm getting on in years ....although i don't carry any extra weight & I 'm very fit in general & I don't mind a bit of challenge or two ...then any chance of you perhaps ruff mapping out some sort of route that would incorporate all the good ....must do spots & rides that you can think off . I cannot think of any one that would have a better knowledge of adventure riding in North Thailand than you mate ! I'd really appreciate your kind assistance in that department .....please ? Cheers mate . leeshelford1@gmail.com

 

[bsacbob]

Hi Mate, i'm in Chiang Rai, will drop you a mail, off to see the Yellow Leaf People now

 

[BobS]

On this thread, there have been some statements made about visas.

"For Thailand Visa exemption of 30 days at the airport upon arrival - free. Can be extended for another 30 days at any Immigration offices for a fee of 1900 baht."

ASFAIK, this extension option is only for 1 week, not 30 days.

"What you might need to check is your timing... a land border crossing back into Thailand may only give you a 14 day visa back here."

Immigration policy has been that you get an unlimited number of 30 day entries when you fly in, and you get 30 day entries at a land border - but only 2 per year.

Now, this is Thailand and things can change - or be "interpreted" differently at different offices. Is this the case here?

 

[Snakeboy]

On this thread, there have been some statements made about visas.

"For Thailand Visa exemption of 30 days at the airport upon arrival - free. Can be extended for another 30 days at any Immigration offices for a fee of 1900 baht."

ASFAIK, this extension option is only for 1 week, not 30 days.

"What you might need to check is your timing... a land border crossing back into Thailand may only give you a 14 day visa back here."

Immigration policy has been that you get an unlimited number of 30 day entries when you fly in, and you get 30 day entries at a land border - but only 2 per year.

Now, this is Thailand and things can change - or be "interpreted" differently at different offices. Is this the case here?

A visa extension is normally given for 30 days in Thailand. I have done more than 10 of those and have always been given 30 days, minus one time back in 2005 or 2006 where I got 20. But its all ip to the immigration officer that handles your application.
Those 7 days you are mentioning is probably something you might get if you seek an extension of an extension.

Land border crossings into Thailand - for some years some nationalities were given only max 14-15 days. But that was changed 1th January of 2016 (me think it was) and nowadays all nationalities are given a 30 day visa excemption upon crossing a land border into Thailand.

All entries into Thailand are of course given upon the discretion of the immigration officer that handles your entry and each and every rule and law can indeed be interpreted differently by different individuals at different locations.

 

[johnybrando]

Hi Mate, i'm in Chiang Rai, will drop you a mail, off to see the Yellow Leaf People now

OK Bob thank you !

 

[johnybrando]

A visa extension is normally given for 30 days in Thailand. I have done more than 10 of those and have always been given 30 days, minus one time back in 2005 or 2006 where I got 20. But its all ip to the immigration officer that handles your application.
Those 7 days you are mentioning is probably something you might get if you seek an extension of an extension.

Land border crossings into Thailand - for some years some nationalities were given only max 14-15 days. But that was changed 1th January of 2016 (me think it was) and nowadays all nationalities are given a 30 day visa extension upon crossing a land border into Thailand.

All entries into Thailand are of course given upon the discretion of the immigration officer that handles your entry and each and every rule and law can indeed be interpreted differently by different individuals at different locations.

Thanks Snakeboy..... I am intending & hoping to start & finish my trip in N / Thailand and possibly venture into Laos .....if bureaucracy and associated rental surcharges & insurance & visa requirements don't weigh it all down too much & just make it too much of a drama !
Thanks for your input & advise above on Visa's etc ... the system there seems to be all a bit wishy washy & a lot of vagueness & questionable interpretation ! As I stated I'd be going from Thailand into & out of Laos for possibly or probably 14 days ...I don't know if thats it better or not "as I'm a bit confused now " Cheers.

 

[Snakeboy]

Thanks Snakeboy..... I am intending & hoping to start & finish my trip in N / Thailand and possibly venture into Laos .....if bureaucracy and associated rental surcharges & insurance & visa requirements don't weigh it all down too much & just make it too much of a drama !
Thanks for your input & advise above on Visa's etc ... the system there seems to be all a bit wishy washy & a lot of vagueness & questionable interpretation ! As I stated I'd be going from Thailand into & out of Laos for possibly or probably 14 days ...I don't know if thats it better or not "as I'm a bit confused now " Cheers.

All laws and rules in this area of the world are a bit wishy washy as you call it - and can indeed be interpreted in many ways. But you must be quite unlucky to get problems with visas to Thailand and Laos. You fly in to Thailand and you will get 30 day visa excemption - free. You cross the border to Laos you get a visa on arrival for 30 days which cost 30-40 USD. Then when you cross back into Thailand you will again get 30 days visa excemption for Thailand and its free.

You asked about route suggestions earlier on, but Im not a hardcore offroad rider so cant help you much there. If you want scenic and interesting routes and places all of northern Thailand, and Laos too are great. The provinces of Mae Hong Son, Tak, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Nan, Phrae, Lampang, Uttaradit, Loei, Petchabun etc are full of scenic roads and places. Its actually hard to go wrong.

 

[johnybrando]

All laws and rules in this area of the world are a bit wishy washy as you call it - and can indeed be interpreted in many ways. But you must be quite unlucky to get problems with visas to Thailand and Laos. You fly in to Thailand and you will get 30 day visa excemption - free. You cross the border to Laos you get a visa on arrival for 30 days which cost 30-40 USD. Then when you cross back into Thailand you will again get 30 days visa excemption for Thailand and its free.

You asked about route suggestions earlier on, but Im not a hardcore offroad rider so cant help you much there. If you want scenic and interesting routes and places all of northern Thailand, and Laos too are great. The provinces of Mae Hong Son, Tak, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Nan, Phrae, Lampang, Uttaradit, Loei, Petchabun etc are full of scenic roads and places. Its actually hard to go wrong.

That clears up ! Thanks for that .....Great info & much appreciated. Cheers.