Laos Crossing Updates ?

[CraigBKK]

A few weeks ago I tried to exit Thailand and cross the Friendship bridge III at Nakhon Phanom and was flatly refused. I rode down to Mukhdahan to try my luck with Friendship bridge II and after a phone call and some discussions I was allowed to cross with my Thai registered bike.

The problem however is that Thai Customs refused to give me the white temporary export paper, even after requesting it. So I official went through Immigration and was allowed to leave Thailand with my bike but without the official documentation, the consequences of which I didn't initially consider as I had ridden from a Udon Thani to Mukhdahan via Nakhon Phanom and was just glad to be finally leaving Thailand for Laos.

The Lao Customs initially did not want to allow the bike into Savannakhet without the Thai export document but again after some time and negotiations (in Lao), and 250฿ I received the green Lao import paper for the bike and given 30 days for the bike.

As I came to realise that bringing the bike back to Thailand was going to be problematic with the missing Customs temporary export paper, yesterday I re-entered Thailand at Mukhdahan. Immigration initially couldn't understand how I had been allowed to leave and cross in the first place as the agreed rule between both countries is that bikes cannot cross the bridge there. I showed them I had and that I told them I was refused the export paper when requested. They weren't happy with Customs and begrudgingly stamped me into the country (after three attempts they finally gave me the correct date to exit Thailand) and told me to see the Customs booth. After another long explanation (in Thai) and some bemused expressions, the Customs officers accepted my account and said no problem.

A friend with his Thai registered bike who had exited Thailand at Chong Mek and had all the correct documents accompanied me on my return, exited Laos at Savannakhet, crossed the bridge and entered Thailand at Mukhdahan without issue.

 

[Lone Rider]

A few weeks ago I tried to exit Thailand and cross the Friendship bridge III at Nakhon Phanom and was flatly refused. I rode down to Mukhdahan to try my luck with Friendship bridge II and after a phone call and some discussions I was allowed to cross with my Thai registered bike.

The problem however is that Thai Customs refused to give me the white temporary export paper, even after requesting it. So I official went through Immigration and was allowed to leave Thailand with my bike but without the official documentation, the consequences of which I didn't initially consider as I had ridden from a Udon Thani to Mukhdahan via Nakhon Phanom and was just glad to be finally leaving Thailand for Laos.

The Lao Customs initially did not want to allow the bike into Savannakhet without the Thai export document but again after some time and negotiations (in Lao), and 250฿ I received the green Lao import paper for the bike and given 30 days for the bike.

As I came to realise that bringing the bike back to Thailand was going to be problematic with the missing Customs temporary export paper, yesterday I re-entered Thailand at Mukhdahan. Immigration initially couldn't understand how I had been allowed to leave and cross in the first place as the agreed rule between both countries is that bikes cannot cross the bridge there. I showed them I had and that I told them I was refused the export paper when requested. They weren't happy with Customs and begrudgingly stamped me into the country (after three attempts they finally gave me the correct date to exit Thailand) and told me to see the Customs booth. After another long explanation (in Thai) and some bemused expressions, the Customs officers accepted my account and said no problem.

A friend with his Thai registered bike who had exited Thailand at Chong Mek and had all the correct documents accompanied me on my return, exited Laos at Savannakhet, crossed the bridge and entered Thailand at Mukhdahan without issue.

The problem, at least that is the way I see it, is that every Thai border crossing has its own rules with regard to what papers are required, what photocopies are required, if the blue/green book is required or only the ITP, etc. At the same time quite a few of the officials come up with their own interpretation of how the rules should be applied. At the Lao side the rules are uniform and you know what is required.

I have found the Nongkhai to Vientiane crossing by far the easiest - as long as you have a valid ITP and a valid passport things have been OK and no photocopies are required while also no additional fees are required (except for over-time).

 

[clemo]

Can anyone throw any light on the Nam Phao - Cau Treo international border crossing from Vietnam in Laos .
Most is about Thai or Cambodia into Laos .

Is this because Vietnam is Fine .. or is it because its not possible .
I read on another thread about groups of bikes .
We will be a self driven tour of 10 on Vietnamese bike not in our names .

should we become 2 smaller groups ?
With or without Visas already purchased in our Passport ( will this ease our crossing or hinder it)
We are planning to cross on April 11th which is Monday morning . is this a really busy time to cross ? in our favor or not ?

Any information good or bad greatly received

Many thanks

Dave

 

[Lone Rider]

I assume that you won't see a lot on Laos-Vietnam border crossings as entering Vietnam with a foreign plated bike is difficult to say the least (expensive and time consuming to get the permits) due to the rules of Vietnam and most people don't want to jump through all the hoops to bring their bike into Vietnam. What seems to be possible, although there are also some reports that this is getting also more difficult is to cross the border with small (less than 250cc bike) with a Vietnamese registration. As far as I know you cannot take a Lao-plated bike into Vietnam unless you are the registered owner of the motorbike.

In the past I have seen a lot of Vietnamese small bikes in Laos being used to transport/sell all kinds of household goods (pots and pans, clothing, etc. etc.) with the merchandise brought in by Vietnamese who sell it in the small villages in Laos while you see also the opposite with Vietnamese buying iron scrap in Lao for sale in Vietnam. Most of these traders use the local border crossings (Vietnamese and Lao citizens only) but some are using the larger crossings so taking a Vietnamese small bike into Laos is certainly possible.

Crossing in a large group. There seems to be an official ruling that a group of more than 5 people (foreigners) need to hire someone from the Tourist Police Department to accompany them during the trip. Not sure if this rule is always applied but it is something you have to keep in mind that, in case the Lao side wants to make problems, they may cite this rule why you can not enter into Laos.

Crossing on 11 April - almost the traditional New Year (Pii mai) in Laos and roads might be busy and people may throw water at you although I am not sure if that happens a lot near the border areas but it is certainly the case in Luang prabang and Vientiane. In addition, many people will be in party mode so expect a lot of Beer Lao and stronger stuff being consumed by the locals which may make the roads a bit more unsafe than they normally are. Don't think that it will have an influence on if you are or not allowed to cross the border or if this will smooth out potential problems.

Below is a list of border crossings compiled by someone who was last year travelling on a Vietnamese plated small bike in Vietnam and Laos and who crossed the border both ways. Remember, if you are turned away at one crossing you can always try another crossing where they might be nore flexible.

Sop Hun / Tay Trang
The Northern-most border in between Muang Khua on the Lao side, and Dien Bien Phu in the Vietnamese side, we have been told that this border crossing is either not possible, or expensive, with a motorbike. The guys who we bought our motorbikes off of in Luang Prabang tried to cross the border here and were not permitted to exit Vietnam with them. We have also heard from other riders that when they rode to this border crossing the immigration officials tried to extort a large amount of money from them.

Na Maew (Na Meo) / Nam Xoi
This border crossing near the Lao town of Sam Neua allows for taking Vietnamese-plated bikes in between countries. When exiting Vietnam you are required to pay US$20 for an ‘import form’ which is supposedly meant to be handed back to customs when you leave Laos with your bike. They also charge a very inflated price for a Lao visa (US$45). As of January 2015, the road on the Vietnamese side is in a terrible state, with very thick mud making the journey quite hazardous. Leave yourself plenty of daylight hours if trying to make this crossing.

Nam Can / Nam Khan
In between the large towns of Phonsavan in Laos and Vinh in Vietnam, the Nam Can border crossing is open to international tourists. We met two guys in January 2015 who took their Vietnamese motorbikes from Laos back into Vietnam at this crossing with no problems.

Nam Phao / Cau Treo
A convenient crossing point near Vinh and Lak Xao in Laos, we have also heard stories of people successfully crossing at this border. We have not met anyone who has done this personally though.

Dansavanh / Lao Bao
This border crossing is not too far from the city of Hue in Vietnam. We have no credible information on the possibility of crossing the border with a motorbike at Lao Bao, although we have heard stories that it is possible. Personally we would not hesitate in attempting this border crossing ourselves.

Bo Y / Ngoc Hoi
This border crossing is between the major towns of Attapeu in Laos and Kon Tum in Vietnam. It is a remote crossing, with the road on the Laos side being a beautiful mountain pass. Watch out for logging trucks on this road. We crossed from Laos into Vietnam at Bo Y with no problems. The border officials in Laos and Vietnam did not ask for any bribes, fees or extra money to cross. No one asked for the import permits that came with our bikes.

 

[clemo]

Thank you Lone Rider for your reply .
Just to clarify we are going from Vietnam into Laos ( Vientiane for the new year then do the loop and drop down to the water crossing x2 in Nam Kading NPA and then onto bombed out bridge water crossing ) If all goes well.

If not then i guess we could try Nam Kanh up by Phonsavan . This would take us a bit of time if we are on mopeds but i guess thats our next best option says my GT rider LAOS map

I think smaller groups will be the best option , But I'm guessing the guards aren't stupid ... 2 groups of riders turning up within hours of each other ... but hey ..

That is very sound advise on the state of other road drivers too.

We are planning to stay of many of the main roads ... but our main route in is on a very main road i presume ?

I will do a report / update when we try to cross .

Thanks once again ..

 

[bsacbob]

Receiving reports some overland travelers exited from the Mueng Nguen (Nan Crossing) this week without any issues, no reports to confirm if entry into Laos is permitted yet.

 

[blackwolf]

Receiving reports some overland travelers exited from the Mueng Nguen (Nan Crossing) this week without any issues, no reports to confirm if entry into Laos is permitted yet.

As of December, Phu Doo was OK for entry by motorcycles IF they go on a tour. I saw two Thai motorcyclists when I was there. Processing them took a long time, presumably because they had to wait for their Lao guide to pick them up on the Thai side. Thai customs confirmed motorcyclists are allowed through with a tour. Some previous reports suggested not even tours were permitted, though I think that applied only to Mueang Ngeun.

 

[blackwolf]

The problem, at least that is the way I see it, is that every Thai border crossing has its own rules with regard to what papers are required, what photocopies are required, if the blue/green book is required or only the ITP, etc. At the same time quite a few of the officials come up with their own interpretation of how the rules should be applied. At the Lao side the rules are uniform and you know what is required.

I have found the Nongkhai to Vientiane crossing by far the easiest - as long as you have a valid ITP and a valid passport things have been OK and no photocopies are required while also no additional fees are required (except for over-time).

I have found that all Thai border crossings almost invariably require the original green book for motorcycles or blue book for cars, especially if a foreigner is the individual riding or driving across the border.

Regular border crossers may get away with a photocopy at some Cambodian and Myanmar borders but not Laos for sure. The reason for this is that only the original registration booklet verifies the ownership of the vehicle and that it is allowed to exit the country because finance companies keep these booklets until their loans are paid back. Additionally, according to Thai customs rules at the Lao crossings due to the Thai-Lao international transport agreement, it is a requirement to present both a blue book and the international transport permit if driving a car across. No blue book and you're not entering Laos. I've read many stories of people who "forgot" their blue books and were refused exit out of Thailand. Similarly, not bringing along the original green book for motorcycles is only going to make your life more difficult.

Customs on the Thai side I have found to be consistent and professional, while on the Lao side they are generally fine too, though sometimes rather slow. Whereas it might take only 5-10 minutes to process an outbound vehicle on the Thai side, the Lao side may take 30 minutes.

Photocopies are such a minor issue it's not even worth discussing - even the smallest border crossings have photocopy machines nearby. Some borders require copies others don't the worst that can happen if you're missing copies is spending some time making them at the border. To avoid inconvenience, it's best to always carry a few spare copies.

In conclusion, I would never attempt to travel across a border without a complete set of documents for my vehicle. For Laos, this means a blue book + international transport permit for cars and the "T" sticker front and back on the car and for motorcycles, know the border crossings you are allowed to cross and bring your green book + English translation letter.

 

[Lone Rider]

The Laos - Cambodia border crossing

Since a few days this border crossing (Voenkham - Dong Kralor) has been closed on and off due to some skirmishes about areas which have not yet been demarcated properly.

From The Phnon Penh Post Thu, 6 April 2017 - After a two-hour meeting, Cambodian and Lao provincial military and border officials yesterday reached an agreement to draw back forces from two undemarcated zones where the building of outposts had recently sparked military stand-offs, according to a general in the area.

Svay Nhan, the Stung Treng provincial military commander, said the "understanding" was reached yesterday after a joint delegation from the countries inspected the sites in Thala Barivat district's O'Svay commune and nearby Samaki commune in Stung Treng district.

The sites, known as Dong Kralor Chas in Samaki and Deum Lvea in O'Svay, are among three un-demarcated "white zones" that have sparked border frictions recently, with Laos's attempts to upgrade a military outpost in the former and plans by Cambodian police to do the same in the latter provoking stand-offs between forces.

Cambodian soldiers inspect the Cambodia-Laos border during a meeting over recent tensions between the two sides in Stung Treng province yesterday.

Analysts questioned why national leaders had continued to let the dispute fester. "The tit-for-tat is snowballing quickly and could spark a violent confrontation, especially given that Cambodia's parliamentary opposition might publicly ask why the government is not standing up to Laos," said regional expert Paul Chambers, of Thailand's Naresuan University.

Carl Thayer, an emeritus professor at the Australian Defence Force Academy, said he found it "absurd" that the dispute hasn't been snuffed out by decisive diplomacy by both countries, calling the conflict "unbecoming of ASEAN members".


Source: Cambodia-laos-draw-back-troops-bid-avoid-escalation-border

 

[akhzander]

A few weeks ago I tried to exit Thailand and cross the Friendship bridge III at Nakhon Phanom and was flatly refused. I rode down to Mukhdahan to try my luck with Friendship bridge II and after a phone call and some discussions I was allowed to cross with my Thai registered bike.

The problem however is that Thai Customs refused to give me the white temporary export paper, even after requesting it. So I official went through Immigration and was allowed to leave Thailand with my bike but without the official documentation, the consequences of which I didn't initially consider as I had ridden from a Udon Thani to Mukhdahan via Nakhon Phanom and was just glad to be finally leaving Thailand for Laos.

The Lao Customs initially did not want to allow the bike into Savannakhet without the Thai export document but again after some time and negotiations (in Lao), and 250฿ I received the green Lao import paper for the bike and given 30 days for the bike.

As I came to realise that bringing the bike back to Thailand was going to be problematic with the missing Customs temporary export paper, yesterday I re-entered Thailand at Mukhdahan. Immigration initially couldn't understand how I had been allowed to leave and cross in the first place as the agreed rule between both countries is that bikes cannot cross the bridge there. I showed them I had and that I told them I was refused the export paper when requested. They weren't happy with Customs and begrudgingly stamped me into the country (after three attempts they finally gave me the correct date to exit Thailand) and told me to see the Customs booth. After another long explanation (in Thai) and some bemused expressions, the Customs officers accepted my account and said no problem.

A friend with his Thai registered bike who had exited Thailand at Chong Mek and had all the correct documents accompanied me on my return, exited Laos at Savannakhet, crossed the bridge and entered Thailand at Mukhdahan without issue.

Hi,

I had entered Lao at Chiang Kong (1st of March 18) with a Thai registered R1200GS and a Thai girl and it was the same long show with 3 times copies of everything and paying 500 baht to get accompanied by a Thai immigration car over the bridge (that is ridicules). If I had arrived the 3rd Friendship Bridge close to Thakhet (7th of March 18) I got a long speech (in Thai for sure) that I as a foreigner I am not longer allowed to use this check point. I have to use either Chiang Kong or Nong Khai. All other international check points are not allowed for big bikes and foreigners any more or only allowed if you travel in a group. Anyhow because I had a Thai girl on my passenger list she just stamped the papers without extra payment (I really expected a fine or fee) and let me in because she is not allowed to reject a Thai national. Luckily I had all documents right and the green book with me.This border crossing gets more and more confusing.....

Greeting Andreas

 

[blackwolf]

Hi,

I had entered Lao at Chiang Kong (1st of March 18) with a Thai registered R1200GS and a Thai girl and it was the same long show with 3 times copies of everything and paying 500 baht to get accompanied by a Thai immigration car over the bridge (that is ridicules). If I had arrived the 3rd Friendship Bridge close to Thakhet (7th of March 18) I got a long speech (in Thai for sure) that I as a foreigner I am not longer allowed to use this check point. I have to use either Chiang Kong or Nong Khai. All other international check points are not allowed for big bikes and foreigners any more or only allowed if you travel in a group. Anyhow because I had a Thai girl on my passenger list she just stamped the papers without extra payment (I really expected a fine or fee) and let me in because she is not allowed to reject a Thai national. Luckily I had all documents right and the green book with me.This border crossing gets more and more confusing.....

Greeting Andreas

Do you mean to say that the 2nd and 3rd friendship bridges are not allowed for big bikes if ridden by foreigners? I understand big bikes are not allowed at all, except if said bike is transported on the back of a pickup truck or you have a permit in advance (such as if going on a tour). Coming back to Thailand by motorcycle on these 2 bridges may be allowed, but the information I have is conflicting. I have recently crossed on the 2nd bridge but in my own car, everything went smoothly as one would expect. It's a pity bikes are treated this way, but well that's the way things are in this part of the world.

Chong Mek is also fine for bikes, of any size. On my recent trip to Laos by car, I exited at Chong Mek and even saw some Singaporean big bikes entering there. Their plan was to drive up to Boten and then exit at Chiang Khong. They obviously did their research and knew that Chong Mek is one of the 3 Thai-Lao entry points permitted to be used by motorcycles.

 

[Snakeboy]

According to the facebookgroup «Laos Adventure Raiders» the Vang Tao/Chong Mek border is a nogo for bikes nowadays, unless in a group with permits etc.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/870835779699819/permalink/1551433671640023/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/870835779699819/permalink/1566056606844396/

 

[blackwolf]

According to the facebookgroup «Laos Adventure Raiders» the Vang Tao/Chong Mek border is a nogo for bikes nowadays, unless in a group with permits etc.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/870835779699819/permalink/1551433671640023/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/870835779699819/permalink/1566056606844396/

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Oh no, I didn't realize that. It was still allowed back in January otherwise those 2 Singaporean riders wouldn't have been allowed in - I doubt they had a permit. Must be a very new regulation.

 

[FritzTheCat]

I have recently crossed on the 2nd bridge but in my own car, everything went smoothly as one would expect. It's a pity bikes are treated this way, but well that's the way things are in this part of the world.

i cannot understand, that someone make this big difference between cars and motorbikes! we are travelling since years in our car with thai-plates without any problems at all - no fines - only in chiangkhong/houaysai you must pay some money - alot of money - without bill (UTM...!) so we use now other borders to drive in and out laos and thailand!

 

[Lone Rider]

i cannot understand, that someone make this big difference between cars and motorbikes! we are travelling since years in our car with thai-plates without any problems at all - no fines - only in chiangkhong/houaysai you must pay some money - alot of money - without bill (UTM...!) so we use now other borders to drive in and out laos and thailand!

Yes, on the Lao side of the Chiangkhong/Houayxai side you are charged 200 Baht for a "Foreigner Registration" form. Tried to give this form back at another crossing when leaving Laos but they looked at it and did not want it. It seems to be a not so subtle way of extorting money from the farang as the many Thai drivers of the trucks were not charged.

On the Thai side you are charged 200 Baht basically for them to fill in the forms even though I have all the forms pre-prepared. So the last time I gave them the blue book (for my truck) and they filled in the forms, made photocopies, etc. so at least I made them to "work" for it.

 

[blackwolf]

i cannot understand, that someone make this big difference between cars and motorbikes! we are travelling since years in our car with thai-plates without any problems at all - no fines - only in chiangkhong/houaysai you must pay some money - alot of money - without bill (UTM...!) so we use now other borders to drive in and out laos and thailand!

The reason is that Thailand and Laos share a cross-border transport agreement covering cars, buses and trucks. Motorcycles are not covered, that's why.

By contrast, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore share an agreement only for private vehicles including cars and motorcycles. That's why motorcycles can be taken across any Thai-Malaysian border or even to Singapore, with no distinction being made with cars.

 

[blackwolf]

Yes, on the Lao side of the Chiangkhong/Houayxai side you are charged 200 Baht for a "Foreigner Registration" form. Tried to give this form back at another crossing when leaving Laos but they looked at it and did not want it. It seems to be a not so subtle way of extorting money from the farang as the many Thai drivers of the trucks were not charged.

On the Thai side you are charged 200 Baht basically for them to fill in the forms even though I have all the forms pre-prepared. So the last time I gave them the blue book (for my truck) and they filled in the forms, made photocopies, etc. so at least I made them to "work" for it.

Not sure how this is different from any other crossing. I've re-entered Thailand at the 4th Friendship Bridge but haven't exited for Laos there yet. Wasn't charged anything on the Thai side. However, at every Lao port of entry, I'm always hit up for around 50,000 Kip or so (around 200 Baht) for the green form. There is also an extra passenger charge if you enter during hours considered to be "overtime". Hence I often end up paying 300-400 Baht depending on how many passengers I have with me in the car. Upon exiting, there is sometimes a 25,000 Kip fee too. The most I've been charged on the Lao side was at Phu Doo with 4 passengers and it was 700 Baht.

It's a similar situation with Lao cars entering Thailand. Before I bought my current car I would often rent Lao cars to drive to neighboring countries for my business as there is only one car rental agency in all of SE Asia that allows their cars to be driven to other countries and it's located in Vientiane. The Lao side would charge a nominal fee for issuing the paperwork, usually around 25,000 Kip and then the Thai side would always charge 200 Baht. There are usually no charges on the Thai side for Thai vehicles. Either way, it's always going to cost you a nominal amount to cross the Thai-Lao border in a car or motorcycle.

 

[Lone Rider]

Crossing from Thailand to Laos with a small bike <250 CC in Nonglkai only

From the grapevine and might vary depending on who is in charge at the border - This info is based on a post on the Facebook group "Motorcycle in Laos" and is only valid for small bikes (<250 CC) for the Nongkhai to Vientiane Crossing.

According to the poster, best is to cross in a group with a tour but in case you want to cross with 1 or 2 bikes this seems to be the procedure. On the Thai side you should have no problems (green book and passport) while on the Laos side, as long as you have crossed the border before (i.e. your bike is in their computer system) you should have no problem getting into Laos. For those who are crossing for the first time with the bike, you will need to "buy a tour" (costs vary but probably around 2500 Baht) as they are afraid that you might sell the bike in Laos.

 

[Lone Rider]

From the grapevine and might vary depending on who is in charge at the border - This info is based on a post on the Facebook group "Motorcycle in Laos" and is only valid for small bikes (<250 CC) for the Nongkhai to Vientiane Crossing.

According to the poster, best is to cross in a group with a tour but in case you want to cross with 1 or 2 bikes this seems to be the procedure. On the Thai side you should have no problems (green book and passport) while on the Laos side, as long as you have crossed the border before (i.e. your bike is in their computer system) you should have no problem getting into Laos. For those who are crossing for the first time with the bike, you will need to "buy a tour" (costs vary but probably around 2500 Baht) as they are afraid that you might sell the bike in Laos.

Another bit of the puzzle of crossing with small bikes: Friendship Bridge IV (Chiangkhong/Houayxai) - Only bikes of and above 250 CC can cross here - small bikes (smaller than 250 CC) can not cross here. Apparently if in a small group (1-4) there is no need for a tour but above this you need to be in a tour group.

 

[Lone Rider]

Some more news about border crossings from Thailand to Laos. Apparently the Lao authorities are starting to enforce a ruling that MOTORBIKES can only enter Laos as part of a caravan (group) of 5 or more bikes. At the moment this seems to be valid for the border crossing at Thakhaek, Savannakhet and Pakse (Ubon Ratchatahani / Chongmek). The border crossing at Nongkhai to Vientiane still seems to be OK although I have seen messages on FB forums that here the rules are also being tightened - A message posted yesterday in Motorcycle in Laos about crossing at the Nongkhai to Vientiane crossing: Update 19-20 / 5 / 2018 - Buying a tour is not sufficient to be able to cross as at least 5 -10 motorbikes are needed to cross here as a caravan.

Chiangkhong to Houayxay is still OK at least last week as 2 of my friends crossed there last Thursday into Laos.

At the same time Laos is celebrating the "VISIT LAOS YEAR 2018" so it looks like that there is not much coordinates between the different government organizations with the Tourism Department promoting Laos as a tourist destination while the Customs Department is making live more difficult for motorbike riders to visit Laos.