A possible entry into vietnam??
 

I have been doing alot of reaserach on the internet, what i found was this web site telling you to get a permit to temporally import your motorbike into the country.

Transport means on exit or entry

it says if you have a baned bike you have to apply to the prime misister.

here is another web site that also gives you the same sort of information.

http://www.business.gov.vn/licensedetail.aspx?id=1458&LangType=1033

I emailed the New Zealand Embassy - they told me to send the application to Hanoi Police Department at 86 Ly Thuong Kiet Str, Hanoi.

So has anyone tried doing this?

I am going to give it ago - i will post my results later in the year.

Banned vehicles
 

"Banned"..."left handed steering wheel"????
I thought they drove on the right side of the road in Vietnam. It was a French colony, not British.
Anyone know the answer?

Charlie

@m37charlie : must be an error in the translation, they do drive on the right side of the road (with automobiles with left-hand steering wheel. (sorry for the first post, this one has been edited :confused1:)

@maximondo :

thank you for keeping us posted, would be nice to see how things change over the years (if they ever do) in that country. A lot of red tape to expect, but anyway good luck !

Hi maximondo,

In Islamabad we met Jayjay, an Indonesian guy riding a 1150GS going RTW (now that's not a common occurance) and he had gone through Vietnam!. So it is possible I said, wow, tell me how I asked? He did exactly what you describe but he did say he wrote 'many' letters. Don't know if this means he was repeatedly rejected but kept trying and finally wore them down, of if they wanted more info about his trip. Maybe his indo passport helped too? Who knows.

But I know it is possible... May I suggest you come up with a good reason why you want to visit VN on your bike, not just 'cause I want to' type reason, something that would appeal to a politician/bureaucrat.

good luck, we will all be watching your progress.

And we haven't had that beer yet....
John

letting big bikes in
 

hi
i forget the thread but there was one on hear a while ago that said they were changing the laws on the engine sizes in vietnam and going to allow the big bikes in, and that some rental agents have even ordered some big bikes ready for when it happens, any one heard any more on this? if it is true then there will be no need to write any letters!
travelingtrev

Looks like the official text was published at least since 1st of June 2007.

SaigonTimes, in a business brief dated 1st June 2007, has relayed here Tin Tuc, a vietnamese language newspaper :

http://www.saigontimes.com.vn/daily/...siness%20brief

* Import of motorcycles of 175cc or higher licensed automatically
The Trade Ministry’s latest circular guiding the import of brand-new motorcycles of 175cc or higher allows the automatic licensing of motorcycle imports in line with Vietnam’s commitments to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Tin Tuc reports.

Several links can be found on the Tin Tuc online edition (my keywords search : 175 and WTO), but we need a translator:

http://tintuconline.vietnamnet.vn/vn/xe/141577/
http://tintuconline.vietnamnet.vn/vn/xe/141415/

Anyone ?

I found an online translator VN => English

http://vdict.com/?autotranslation

but this is far from being intelligible.

Better is to find the official text ... and to carry a copy with you when showing up at border gates :thumbup1: trying to sneak in.

The way I read this the text refers to permanent import, rather than tourists. I'm not holding my breath quite yet.

Agree with previous poster...
 

Yep, heres another one who believes that this news only regards importing NEW big bikes to Vietnam, and tourists bringing their own ones in thru their land borders, is another matter altogether (read: WONT get in).

Sorry to think this way, but theyre a communist system, and they just dont like the idea of falangs roaming freely around their land. Will only believe it when I see it, that they actually have lifted their ban on foreign bikes. BTW, my own experience is that it doesnt even matter if you have a smaller/bigger than 175cc bike, you still wont get in. The only way is to buy a bike in Vietnam, then go to Laos, Cambodia, etc, then bring it back, but otherwise is a big problem.

Hey Danielle, any update on this? Thought I would pick your brains before you take off without me!

Glen

I can tell you what I've been told by Joe who's managed to:

It's shitloads of work!

I talked to Joe of Joes' Bikeshop in Chiang Mai while I stayed there, ok repaired my bike there, and he's been into Vietnam with 3 or 4 friends with big bikes. He said it was a 3 month process to get everything done (maybe he said 4, not sure) You could contact him, he'll know all you need.