I recently went through all this with an Australian registered bike. As far as first entry goes I believe an agent is necessary to obtain the requisite Temporary import Permit from Bangkok which usually has a 5 day turnaround time. Although the agent I used did it in 2 hours and required payment only after I had successfully entered Thailand.


Renewal after the first 30 days does not require an agent ( and $250 fee despite what my otherwise helpful agent claimed). As my 30 day visa on arrival visa expired I renewed at the Chiang Mai immigration office as per normal with a legislated fee of THB 900 (I think, but my memory hazy). With that 30 day extension for myself in hand I rode the bike to Chiang Rai customs just this side of the Friendship Bridge Border Crossing and personally requested a 30 day extension of the bike TIP to match my visa extension.


The additional 30 day TIP was processed and given to me for free within about 30 minutes. Easy Peasy.


And he Customs staff also helpfully explained the reality behind some agent bullshit people seem to believe (as I did). Vehicle TIP’s are always only granted for 30 days maximum, less if your visa has less than 30 days left. So if you only had 14 days on your visa they’d only give you 14 days TIP extension for your vehicle.

But, the exciting good news was that there is legally no limit to the number of times you may request both a TIP or a subsequent extension to your TIP. Commonly agents say your vehicle may enter Thailand only twice per calendar year. Or they say only one entry and one extension because law limits foreign vehicles to 60 days per calendar year.


The Chiang Rai officials explained to me that they work to enforce the legislation and that legislation has no limit on either number of TIP’s or TIP extensions BUT each is limited always to a maximum of 30 days.


I’m not sure what would happen if you got a 60 day tourist visa from the Thai embassy in your country and then tried to obtain TIP. I suspect it would still be 30 days but you would extend it at Customs office halfway through your two month visa.

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Malo periculosam libertatem quam quietam servitutem

Thanks for the info.

Much appreciated.

Update:
No FB PM reply from Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

I sent an email instead to the Kuala Lumpur Thai Embassy.

That’s not very good, let’s hope you get a reply from the email

Wayne

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The Balkans
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/poi_entity/8417

If I don't get a reply from the Thai Embassy at Kuala Lumpur I will try to call the embassy and see if I can make some headway.

I still have an alternative plan of crossing into the Indonesian border at Kuching, Sarawak to Pontianak, West Kalimantan and rent a bike to go all the way to East Kalimantan.
ha....ha......

Have not received any reply from the Thai embassy at Kuala Lumpur despite 2 emails.
I have also tried calling the KL embassy but no one answers the phones.

I emailed the Thai consulate at Penang just now and got a reply in 5 minutes!
Have emailed back asking for more information.

Hopefully the Thai consulate at Penang will respond back promptly.

That’s not very good and does not bode well for tourism in Thailand which they are so keen to promote

Wayne

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The Balkans
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/poi_entity/8417

Hi, what was the agent that you used to enter Thailand?

Are you riding into Thailand from Malaysia?

Many have entered Thailand from Malaysia land borders without using an agent.