Entering Vietnam from Cambo with a motorcycle

[KTMphil]

Entering Vietnam from Cambodia with a motorcycle



A friend who shall remain nameless, has entered Vietnam several times (without a permit) from Cambodia with a 400cc motorcycle and the below strategy has worked every time, do at your own risk - read-on


"Vietnam Here We Come! The Latest on Riding into Vietnam from Cambodia

The unpredictable Vietnamese customs officials are at it again- being unpredictable, that is. Open for bike crossings, closed, will be open, will not, she loves me, she loves me not...

We recently got turned away at the Prek Chak crossing in Kampot's Kampong Trach district, and also at the Phnom Den crossing, on the very south end of Highway 2 in Takeo province. Possible Victor Charlie's (Viet Cong officials) were not playing friendly and were not biting on our efforts to just let us slide through.

So, back to my old reliable crossing, Kaom Samnor, at the far south end of Kandal province next to the Mekong River, west side. To get there, take Highway 1 from Phnom Penh, leaving across the Monivong Bridge, which is located at the far south end of, you guessed it, Monivong Ave., and also on the far south end of Norodom Blvd.

Go east-southeast on Highway 1 for about 55 km to the Mekong River and the Neak Luang ferry crossing, BUT, do not cross the river, rather head south on the small road near the river (this leads into the main paved road to the border- which you go south on- you could also have turned right, south, onto this same main road about 1 km before the river-ferry landing). The Vietnam border is about 43 km from Neak Luang.

Here is the strategy that I have used each time I've crossed into Vietnam at the Kaom Samnor crossing: Crossing when the customs boys are out to lunch, at about 12:30 pm.
Is there a problem crossing when they are at their post? Maybe not, but why take chances, I figure, as this strategy has never failed me.

The Cambodia Immigration post is not on the main paved road that you arrive on, but rather on a dirt road right next to the river, about 100 meters east of the paved road, then about 1.3 km north of the crossing. Stamp out first, tell them you know you can get in when they say you probably will not be able to, then go for lunch, coffee, karaoke, whatever, but kill some time until 12:30. Then go back to that same dirt road and go south to the little crossing- this is the official locale. The building over the water that looks like a ship is the Vietnam Immigration office where you stamp yourself in, then just walk back to your bike, hop on, and follow the dirt road through the small Viet village, winding back west a bit to the main paved road.

You will most likely be going to Chau Doc town first (Chau Dop is how the Viets pronounce it), and you follow a series of small paved roads and a couple of ferry crossings to get there. Then it's Hello deep South provinces with their Cambodian influences and temples, Phu Quoc Island, Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh cities, the coast, and beyond. Nobody ever checks for papers on the bike, I have found.

But, if you are concerned about going into Vietnam without official customs papers on the bike, show up at the border at a time other than lunch break (12:00- 2:00 pm, or maybe 3:00 pm if the boys are really having fun at the karaoke shop that day) and take your chances at being allowed in.

This has been my strategy over the years when wanting to ride into Vietnam. You will, of course, have to be responsible for whatever way you choose to try your luck at crossing.
Happy Trails-"

 

[Grathiam]

This method may well work, but it seem like a lot of unnecessary hassle and risk,
especially when you can enter Vietnam, from Cambodia, legally and the 15-day Vietnam visa is free.

The entry into Vietnam (below) was first accomplished last May, by a friend and I. However, even with this
method as well as KTMphil's, there is increased risk of a fine or much worse, the further you travel in the mainland.
Vietnamese police can be tenacious!

we-took-big-bikes-into-vietnam-legally-t391.html

 

[LivinLOS]

This method may well work, but it seem like a lot of unnecessary hassle and risk,
especially when you can enter Vietnam, from Cambodia, legally and the 15-day Vietnam visa is free.

The entry into Vietnam (below) was first accomplished last May, by a friend and I. However, even with this
method as well as KTMphil's, there is increased risk of a fine or much worse, the further you travel in the mainland.
Vietnamese police can be tenacious!

we-took-big-bikes-into-vietnam-legally-t391.html

I read that with some interest.. But can you then get from the island to Vietnamese mainland without being bothered.

I assumed from your initial report it was just because it was a special economic zone.

 

[KTMphil]

Jay - What do you think the % odds of you leaving the free zone and being allowed legally to enter mainland Vietnam were?

This method may well work, but it seem like a lot of unnecessary hassle and risk,
especially when you can enter Vietnam, from Cambodia, legally and the 15-day Vietnam visa is free.

The entry into Vietnam (below) was first accomplished last May, by a friend and I. However, even with this
method as well as KTMphil's, there is increased risk of a fine or much worse, the further you travel in the mainland.
Vietnamese police can be tenacious!

we-took-big-bikes-into-vietnam-legally-t391.html

 

[Grathiam]

You check out of Cambodia at Prek Chek Immigration and enter and Vietnam and obtain you 15-day free visa.
At this point you _are_ in mainland Vietnam and continue riding onto to Ha Tien.

Both Ha Tien (mainland Vietnam) and Phu Quoc island are part of the economic zone. We were unsure
of that when I initially wrote the report, but later added an addendum at the bottom of the report.

LivinLOS wrote: ..'But can you then get from the island to Vietnamese mainland without being bothered.'

Yes, no problem at all! My ride report said 'not to mention you are going to the island'...but that was a _rumor_
we had been told prior to going there. As we were the first to make the journey on bikes, we carried some
unfounded rumors with us.

KTMphil wrote: ..'What do you think the % odds of you leaving the free zone and being allowed legally to
enter mainland Vietnam were?'

There is nothing to prevent you from heading further east into mainland Vietnam from Ha Tien.
If it wasn't for my riding partner anxious to get back to his wife in Cambodia, we would have tried it.
I regret we didn't!!
However, while we were not warned at Viet Immigration not to ride further into mainland Vietnam,
the visa is only for the economic zone, hence you could explore further east, but at the risk of
being stopped by the police. I can only imagine what would happen if the police stopped you and you
didn't have _any_ visa for Vietnam, such as on KTMphil's ride! OTOH, if the police stopped us, at least with
the visa for the economic zone, we could at least plead ignorance and hopefully just be sent back to Ha Tien.
If we had ridden further east there is one problem to be aware of: I you tried to overnight at any accomodations
outside the economic zone, the guesthouse owner upon seeing your passport and economic zone visa,
would notify the police, otherwise the owner would likely face severe punishment!

 

[LivinLOS]

No you dont actually have a valid visa for Vietnam yourself ?? Not the bike but the immigration / person..

 

[Grathiam]

No you dont actually have a valid visa for Vietnam yourself ?? Not the bike but the immigration / person..

Your question is somewhat confusing...
The visa is obviously valid for Vietnam, as you're literally _in_ Vietnam, and like any visa it's for the individual. However, it may be _specifically_ for the economic zone. Maybe (hypothetically) one might be able travel further into Vietnam (without personal transportation) on that 15-day visa?? Just speculation..one would need to clarify that with Viet Immigration.
They were never concerned about nor inspected the bike(s) when we entered.
BTW, you could also enter with a passenger car of truck.

 

[Jake]

A FREE 15 day visa in Vietnam for a big bike rider? Ah, hum...we get what we pay for over there...
Let me try to clarify what the original post said:
You of course ARE legal when you arrived at the Kaom Samnor and Viet side checkpoints, because you wanted to ride Vietnam, which of course means you got a real visa before showing up at a border crossing. You should already have a 30 day visa because you got it at a Vietnam embassy, which is that country's requirement for touring about different areas. The special economic zone visa is only valid in Ha Tien, period, and you are not legal outside of that area, so the subsequent point made by a site reader about the original post giving an illegal idea sort of contradicts itself here, it seems like, as he/she later advocated that you can go anywhere in Vietnam, there is nothing to stop you. Oh, contrare. Your visa will be checked by any hotel you choose to stay at in Vietnam, with very few or no exceptions along the way. And who wants to only go to Ha Tien and skip the opportunity for adventures elsewhere? Usually not most riders, but for a gel-out trip, OK, fair enough.
Next, you are legal with a 30-day visa, and since you don't work for Vietnam Immigration, how do you know, as a rider, what the procedure is or is not? In other words, the original post implied that upon showing up, he/I got stamped in, with the immigration officials not caring about the bike, and saying nothing at all about a possibly needed customs form...Cambodia requires no customs form, so it seems that we may have reasons for not even thinking about inquiring, and also because inquiries in Indochina can result in a made up opportunity for an official to take some tea money.
I too have taken my big bike to Phu Quoc, back in 2003. I entered at Kaom Samnor, the same as the original post suggested, and no papers were required by customs, at about 1:00pm. And during that entire trip, which included the entire deep south, nobody ever asked for any bike papers, as they have not the many other times I've rode Vietnam...never. So are we illegal? Let's recap: We have a valid 1 month visa that we got prior at a Viet embassy. If nobody tells us to get customs papers, how should we know that they are required? As I said earlier, we don't work for Vietnam customs, we are just passing through. Scary stories about bikes being confiscated by Viet officials? How? Is it your fault nobody told you they were needed. It won't hold water if they make a play like that, unless one were to give them a freebie by acting intimidated. That kills travelers in 3rd world countries. Trying to go outside of the Ha Tien special economic zone with a 15 day go-nowhere but Ha Tien pass? Of course it can easily be done. But good luck checking in at the hotels outside of the zone with that pass. By the way, I am the guy that made the post. I did not omit my name, but the very considerate site administrator thought that I may want to.
And believe me, it isn't at all complicated to have coffee or fried rice and wait to cross until 12:30 pm, or so. Why not try to work the angles a bit, if possible? I know that when I show up I want to cross and have an adventure. So I like to try to stack the deck maybe a bit more in my favor, if possible, because the Viet authorities have no qualms about trying to stack things to their personal benefit. Should we be afraid of the little border thieves in uniform on either side of the border? That's what they hope for and make much extra cashola because of. Happy Trails-

 

[KTMphil]

Fantastic, invaluable info - Thanks so much for taking the time Jake, many will benefit from this i'm sure.

 

[Grathiam]

This thread started with a post of KTMphil entering Vietnam and not needing documents for his bike.
Jake also elaborated [below] on his similar experiences and indicates it's perfectly _legal_.
As a counterpoint, while due to evidently sanctioned gov't laxity at Kaom Samnor and Ving Xuong immigration, easy entrance can be had with just a visa, yet I maintain that _technically_ this is illegal per the laws of Vietnam

Jake wrote and my replies appear in blue:
A FREE 15 day visa in Vietnam for a big bike rider? Ah, hum...we get what we pay for over there...
***Ah, but as it's an economic zone, created by the Vietnamese increase tourism in that area, the _normal_ restrictions for entering Vietnam with a vehicle, be it car, truck or bike are not enforced! Besides, who doesn't like...free??

You of course ARE legal when you arrived at the Kaom Samnor and Viet side checkpoints, because you wanted to ride Vietnam, which of course means you got a real visa before showing up at a border crossing. You should have a 30 day visa... which is that country's requirement for touring about different areas.
***A visa grants permission for the visa holder (a person) to enter and tour the country. Nowhere does Vietnamese, or Thai law for that matter, say that a personal visa is _also_ permission to enter with a vehicle not licensed for that country. Evidently, Viet Immigration at Ving Xuong is more lax, and affords the opportunity to enter Vietnam with your motorcycle. I've no problem with that; the point is that _technically_ the bike did not have the documentation enter legally, regardless of what you alledge.

The special economic zone visa is only valid in Ha Tien, period, and you are not legal outside of that area, so the subsequent ...advocating that you can go anywhere in Vietnam, there is nothing to stop you.
***Best you re-read the original post more carefully! I said nothing about, nor advocated going 'anywhere' in Vietnam! I did post that from Ha Tien 'you could explore further east, but at the _risk_ of being stopped by the police'.
Next, you are legal with a 30-day visa, and since you don't work for Vietnam Immigration, how do you know, as a rider, what the procedure is or is not?
***Following that logic, how did you even know the procedure even required obtaining a visa?? Ignorance of a country's laws, feigned or otherwise, is not a viable excuse. One may..or may not...have to suffer possible consequences. Times past I've brought more than the allowable one bottle of liquor, from Cambodia, back into Thailand. Illegal, yes, but fortunately it's never been a problem.

I too have taken my big bike to Phu Quoc, back in 2003. I entered at Kaom Samnor [didn't you mean Ving Xuong?], the same as the original post suggested, and no papers were required by customs, at about 1:00pm. And during that entire trip, which included the entire deep south, nobody ever asked for any bike papers, as they have not the many other times I've rode Vietnam...never. So are we illegal?
***By the letter of Vietnamese law, yes, you were technically illegal, as then it wasn't then a designated economic zone.
Trying to go outside of the Ha Tien special economic zone with a 15 day go-nowhere but Ha Tien pass? Of course it can easily be done. But good luck checking in at the hotels outside of the zone with that pass.
***This was also stressed in my earlier post!

--------------------------
There are many posts by riders on Adventure Riders, Horizons Unlimited and other sites which indicate the efforts some had to take to LEGALLY enter Vietnam and tour throughout the country with their foreign licensed motorcycle(s). I'm not referring to those who enter an 'economic zone'. There are also some posts, such as the OP's, which relate experiences of entering Vietnam without needing to do the excessive paperwork needed, not obtaining a licensed Viet tour guide and the requisite permits, as required by the gov't. Some may also circumvent the system and obtain these docs from a high-level gov't contact or fixer. The OP was technically entering Vietnam ILLEGALLY, as evidently the Gov't has tacitly allowed lax enforcement of the existing laws at this crossing. Similarly, surely there are likely some who have entered Thailand with a foreign licensed bike, and skirted the law. Possibly due to lazy Immigration officials, graft, just plain luck at the border.

The one thing, in addition to other regulations, which both Thailand and Vietnam laws have in common, is that they _require_ an Import-Export document to LEGALLY enter and exit the country with foreign licensed vehicles. To believe otherwise is either naive or foolish. I've no problem taking advantages of Immigration checkpoints with lax enforcement and do so knowing that the level of enforcement can change. I applaud you, Jake, for pointing out an area where easy access can be had into Vietnam. Yet, there are potential risks, the further inland one ventures. I'd be curious to read if you were to ride from Chau Doc, north to Hanoi and back, with only a Vietnamese 30-day visa...and it was accomplished...without incident.

Jake...An invitation: if you can produce copies or links to the Vietnamese law which specifically says you _don't_ need an Im-Ex doc, amongst other requirements, to bring a foreign registered bike legally into the country, I'll gladly 'eat my words', otherwise I rest my case! Otherwise, we can just agree....to disagree :-)

 

[LivinLOS]

Nowhere does Vietnamese, or Thai law for that matter, say that a personal visa is _also_ permission to enter with a vehicle not licensed for that country. Evidently, Viet Immigration at Ving Xuong is more lax, and affords the opportunity to enter Vietnam with your motorcycle. I've no problem with that; the point is that _technically_ the bike did not have the documentation enter legally, regardless of what you alledge.

The one thing, in addition to other regulations, which both Thailand and Vietnam laws have in common, is that they _require_ an Import-Export document to LEGALLY enter and exit the country with foreign licensed vehicles. To believe otherwise is either naive or foolish. I've no problem taking advantages of Immigration checkpoints with lax enforcement and do so knowing that the level of enforcement can change. I applaud you, Jake, for pointing out an area where easy access can be had into Vietnam. Yet, there are potential risks, the further inland one ventures. I'd be curious to read if you were to ride from Chau Doc, north to Hanoi and back, with only a Vietnamese 30-day visa...and it was accomplished...without incident.

While riding on 250 rentals no one, at any point, asked for papers or wanted to inspect anything.. I think once in the country, if you dont have an accident, things wouldnt be too tough.

But what happens when you try to leave, via a different border.. Not having the paperwork for temp import and trying to get the bike out, at other border points, could become a mega headache. In fact the guy / fixer we spoke with had said something along these lines, someone with a bike 'stuck' in Vietnam that cost a lot of bribes to get out but I dont remember the details.