Can I buy a motorbike in Thailand and travel around the world on it?
 

Hi, I am an Englishman who has travelled halfway around the world using trains, buses and donkeys, but now I really fancy buying a motorbike and doing the rest of the trip on two wheels.

I may have found a suitable bike, but it is Thai registered. Can anyone tell me what I would need to do to make such a trip possible. The obvious questions that I can think of are as follows, but please let me know if I am missing any. I would be travelling East, ie towards Australia and the Americas.

- Do I need a Carnet?
- If so, where and how do I get one?
- How much will this cost (is it a multiplier of the vehicles worth and how is this determined)?
- Do I keep the Thai plates or do these need to be changed at some stage?
- Once back in England, can I register the bike in England?

Any help would be hugely appreciated.

T

Carnet - this all depends what countries you're going to. Check the carnet link (Paperwork) on this site or RAC website.

Registering in UK - Yes, I had to do this with my Aussie bike.

Maybe PM Bheddist, I'm pretty sure he/partner bought a bike in Thailand and rode to NZ.

Hi,

You say you are buying a Thai bike, before any other questions can be answered will you be buying it legally, with the green book in your name? To have the book in your name you need an 'O' visa and proof of address such as house book or rental document, although different provinces do sometimes change the rules depending on what side of the bed the officer got out of that morning.

Joyce
UK living in Thailand

Carnet from Thailand
 

Thanks for the swift replies. I will be buying it legally and transferring it into my name (I have an educational visa), so it is just a case of whether I can get a carnet on the bike from here. Would I need to apply for one in England or in Thailand? I also realise not all countries require one, but I would imagine there will be quite a few that will, so I think I'll need one either way.

Any further help would be really appreciated.

T

PS I tried to PM Bheddist, but the username wasn't recognised. Am I doing something wrong or is the spelling different?

carnet
 

Hi there,i did something similar 2 years ago but on a UK registered bike.I had to use a carnet for Malaysia and also Indo,although the Malay border authourities told us we didn´t need it on the way in...they wouldn´t let us out again without our carnets.It didn´t make much sense but encountering border officials who don´t know how carnets work is common...well it was for me anyway.I had a similar problem with Loas border.
Anyhow,you will most definatley need a carnet for Australia.Not sure how to get a carnet for a Thai registered bike but try contact Paul Gowan from the RAC in London: pkgowen@rac.co.uk.This guy is a specialist at this,he organized me a new carnet when i was in Malaysia a few years back so if anyone will know what the rules are its him.Good Luck!

Yes, spelling counts with user names. You were lucky I just happen to spot this topic.

Yes, my wife is Thai and rode her bike to NZ. It is possible, but requires a little work and it is illegal. That is because when a Thai vehicle leaves Thailand it requires a - wait for it - Temporary Export Permit, valid for max. 30 days. However, since you are not going back you don't need to worry about that one.

Thailand, Laos and Cambodia haven't signed the convention governing carnets, so they can neither issue nor accept them. (That doesn't stop some customs people who don't know what they doing from stamping them, but Thai customs can't claim against them.)

Step 1: once your bike is legally reg'd ask the Transport Dept. where you can obtain a translation of your Green Book. If your bike is reg'd in Central Provinces you will probably have to go to Bkk. Su is not sure about this, as her bike is reg'd in Bkk. This is just a white A4 page showing all the usual vehicle details. You will have to show your passport and original GB.

Step 2: get a carnet from the RAC. Do this close to the departure date, as it can only be post-dated 1 month and expires after 1 year. All countries you cross until Oz require the carnet. For the Americas you don't need it. You can also try to get a carnet from the Malaysian AA. Try emailing erly {at} aam.org.my

You are now good to go. You keep the Thai plate, but it will be translated into Roman letters in step 1 and that is what (more or less) appears on the carnet.

When entering Malaysia you must:

• get your carnet stamped
• buy insurance
• get a romanised licence plate sticker from the insurance office, which you stick on the front of your bike (h/l cowling or mud guard)
• obtain a Road Transport Permit (free for bikes), showing all the above

For crossing to Indonesia see previous posts (search for "Cakra Shipping"). On Java give all main highways and big cities a wide berth. Stick to the South coast as much as possible for an enjoyable ride.

Enjoy your trip!

Many thanks...
 

I really appreciate the advice, thanks everyone.

T

Oops, sorry Peter!