Carnet for Thailand

[mauro]

Hi There,
i got to Thailand and the Bangkok customs has been the easiest thing ever. They asked me for the carnet, i said i dont have one, they told me to sit down in a sofa, i waited 2 hours they came back with all the papers ready so all i had to do was to go to the cargo hunger pay 350 bath ( about 9 $) for storage and get my bike . No hassle of anykind, my bike got to Bangkok at 10.20 am, the airlines gave me the paper (AWB and some other) at 2.30pm at 6.30pm my bike was out of the airport, they also provided me a place to assemble it and gave me 2 guys to help me out, they went and purchase 2 liters of fuel, made me a map on how to get to the center of town all with a big smile ... FANTASTIC ...
Thanks to all of you you have been giving information and support , i am now enjoying Amazing thailand , and thanks to HU
Mauro
The permit is valid for 25 days. But i think is the same even if u have a carnet.

[beddhist]

Great news! Can this permit be extended?

------------------
Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

[vincent danna]

india : CPD needed.

thailand : they don t recognize / use the CPD. at the boder/customs when you get in (by air : bangkok airport or land : poipet, i experienced both), you fill a declaration called "simplified customs declaration form (for motor car and motor cycle temporarily imported or exported) -i have the paper in front of me-. they calculate the value of your bike and if you break the agreement stated , i guess you have to pay the fine = the value calculated.

lao : same as thailand, declaration called "laissez-passer" (i have the paper in front of me). i crossed by land near the golden trinagle.

cambodia : at the lao-cambodia border near 4000 islands, i did no declaration process.

vietnam : when i was in lao, in pakse, i went to the vietnamese consulate : they told me no bike over 100 cc is allowed in vietnam and i didn t push my luck / go. see other posts for "sucess" stories.

in thailand and lao, i think i asked and they gave me more than a month, 3 months possible i guess (i can t read correctly the 2 declarations anymore).

this info is from early 2004. things may have changed. all those declarations were free or 1-2-3 usd.

nota bene : countries mentionned where i ve been : no vehicle insurance required or compulsory, national or/and international driving license required or recommended.


[This message has been edited by vincent danna (edited 12 June 2005).]

[tomforde]

Hi, I just come back from 11 months in SE Asia, on my F650 Dakar, 38,000k. The Carnet definately makes a difference.
I had a 1 year, multi entry visa for Thailand, which I used as a base. Travelling through Laos, Cambodia,Malaysia, Singapore then Indonesia, then back to Australia. The Carnet give me the flexibilty to travel without having to take my bike over the border every 30 days to renew visas. The Carnet allows you to leave the bike in any country,so you are free to get your visa renewed without the hassle of taking your bike. This is a problem with alot of expats that live in Thailand, their bikes are not Thai regestered.
The only place that realy didn't want to know about the Carnet was Cambodia, it is still the wild west.

[Mombassa]

Originally Posted by tomforde

Hi, I just come back from 11 months in SE Asia, on my F650 Dakar, 38,000k. The Carnet definately makes a difference.
I had a 1 year, multi entry visa for Thailand, which I used as a base. Travelling through Laos, Cambodia,Malaysia, Singapore then Indonesia, then back to Australia. The Carnet give me the flexibilty to travel without having to take my bike over the border every 30 days to renew visas. The Carnet allows you to leave the bike in any country,so you are free to get your visa renewed without the hassle of taking your bike. This is a problem with alot of expats that live in Thailand, their bikes are not Thai regestered.
The only place that realy didn't want to know about the Carnet was Cambodia, it is still the wild west.

Aha ... this is an answer I had been looking for. As a Canadian, I don't need a visa for the first 30 days, but I would like to stay in and around Thailand for a 60 day period. I will duck over the border to renew the 30 day status. How did you get away with no their paperwork and the stamps in your passport, showing you have a bike and preventing you from leaving, and using the carnet?

[skidder]

Hey Mauro

Well done.
Who did you use for sending your Bike? I'm headed north to Bankok in a day or two and will want to fly my bike to India. Any contacts or tips?

Thanks
Tim

[mmaarten]

Thailand does (officially) recognize the CDP (Carnet de Passage) but..... There is a diferance between the (official) law and the "policy" that is made by the customs-officials.
The temporary import permit can also be isued for 60 day's... but policy is "only 30 day's" no matter what your visa say's
If you can not hand over the "import permit" at the exit point, you might get into more trouble then you like (or can handle).

My advice is to leave with the bike every 30 day's or make ABSOLUTELY sure that your import permit is vallid for the time you are there.

Keep in mind that the Thai cunstitution (which by the way is momentairely suspended since we now live under a military junta ;-) ) does NOT support "innocent untill proven guilty". In most casses the police (or customs) has no obligation to prove your guilt.

If in doubt and in trouble, your best bet is to smuggle your bike out. This is not to hard at the borderpost "padangbesar" (near Hat Yai in the south) or crossing the mekong to Laos in a boat.

There is a law that state's that for the bike you can pay the same fine as for a person with a maximum of 20.000 bath... but I also heard of a few conviscated bikes and one guy in jail. So make sure you know what you are doing BEFORE you show up at the border.

Maarten (who's bike is iligal for a year now)

[skidder]

Maarten

Are you in Bangkok?

I'd love to meet for a . I'm stuck now as my bike goes to the shipping agent tomorrow, to get ready for it's flight to India.

Give me a call if you're around. 0848611391

Tim