Important new requirements for taking Thai registered motorcycles into Laos

[KTMphil]

Wanted to wait until we had the facts before posting about the new regulations regarding Thai registered motorcycles entering Laos.


To take a Thai registered motorcycle into Laos, you now need a valid "Vehicle Registration Certificate" issued by a Thai Provincial Land Transport Office. This will be issued/ translated in English.


If you are planning on getting a vehicle registration certificate issued in a different province to where the motorcycle is registered, it can take up to one week to process - VERY IMPORTANT.


A copy of a vehicle registration certificate is below, it might be useful to take a copy of this with you to the Provincial Land Transport Office to stop any confusion & show them what you need.

What I foresee happening, is Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya riders arriving at Chiang Khong and not having knowledge of this. We've been told that the nearest Provincial Land Transport Office to Chiang Khong that can issue a Vehicle Registration Certificate is Theong. Most likely their bikes will not be Chiang Rai province registered, so the issuance of the Vehicle Registration Certificate could take up to one week, looks like this will all turn rather messy.

 

[bsacbob]

Thanks Phil, there has been lot's of rumours around of late and this will clear things up nicely.

 

[brake034]

Here is the Thoeng DLT Office: https://maps.google.nl/maps?f=q&sou...=VqPdnZflWC1txYeK2svAkQ&cbp=12,141.22,,0,5.03>
This is a small office and I believe nobody there speaks decent English, one elderly lady just a few words.

In two or threee weeks I will go there to check how long it will take to get such a document for my DR650, registered in CM.
I need to go there anyway to renew my driving licenses.

This DLT office is about 500 meters away from my house.

 

[BobS]

There is another question that I have about these certificates - do they expire?

The last bit of information on the certificate lists the Road Tax Renewal date. So - are they valid after that date?

I would suspect that a green book showing that the tax is up to date would cover this issue, but hey - TIT.

 

[brake034]

I think it's free of charge, so you just pick it up every year when you do the tax?

 

[skeedary]

Am I missing something here. This new certificate for Thai registered bikes, is it for the Thai side in order to book out of Thailand or is it the new requirement of Laos to allow passage into Laos. I have been following the recent case of Thai riders riding through the Laos border point without stopping and causing untold problems for everyone else. The Laos authorities apparently were being instructed to refuse entry of Thai registered bikes without new additional paperwork. Are these two scenarios related or should we be aware of more problems when crossing.

 

[brake034]

Actually this document is not new, seems that it replaced the original International Transport Permit in 2008.
I think Laos never enforced the document untill recently.

I am not sure if you need this document or an ITP for a car?

 

[Lone Rider]

You can still get an ITP for a car - I have one for my truck - but the LTD stopped issuing them for bikes. However, the LTD does supply translations of the green book in the form of the letter shown in the first post. They have to do this as countries like Malaysia and Myanmar only accept English language versions of the registration book.

As the ITP and the translation are basically the same (both are translations of the original green or blue registration book) it seems reasonable that the Laos authorities will accept the translation in letter in lieu of the ITP.

 

[BobS]

@brake034 - Marcel, they are not free, but the fee is nominal. It was 25 baht a few years back, and took a day or two to get one in Chiang Mai for a Chiang Mai registered bike. Since it is not a simple thing to "pick it up every year when you do the tax", I was asking if they expire or if the certificate is valid past the tax expiration date. The ITP has pages for "Period of Validity", which go by the tax payment date. There is the original page, and two renewal pages - then I would guess that you would have to get a new ITP.

@Auke - I got ITP's for my bikes in the past, but after 2008, they would not renew them or issue new ones. The last time that I took a bike into Laos was 2011. I had the Vehicle Registration Certificate as well as the expired ITP - and the Lao official used the ITP instead of the Certificate (probably because the ITP has both Thai and English)

 

[bsacbob]

OK just to update, got mine from the local DMV in Chiang Rai today.

Requirements:

Copy of passport
Copy of visa
Copy of yellow house book or letter of residence
Your green book, no copies

Cost 25 baht.

My guess is they will propose you to have a purple book and a vehicle passport as they already have for cars and pickup in the near future.

 

[brake034]

Thanks BobS, 25 baht is almost free , soon I will try to get one myself and report back.

 

[BobS]

@bsacbob - Bob, the ITP (International Transport Permit) that is mentioned above is the purple book/vehicle passport that you refer to.

I was getting them or extending them with no trouble up through 2008. Then the DMV stopped issuing them for bikes.

This was because of a change in the vehicle code, not just the whim of any particular office. I was shown the revised code by the head guy at the main DMV in Chiang Mai. I doubt that they would change the law back, but you never know.

 

[Goran Phuket]

I always bring this document (pic post 1) with me no matter what country I go to. It is also required by Burmese when crossing into their country too. Take a note of this.

 

[bsacbob]

Just to confirm, called to pick up my certificate from the license office today.

It's only valid while your Por A Bor is valid so it needs renewing each year.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

[Lone Rider]

Just to confirm, called to pick up my certificate from the license office today.

It's only valid while your Por A Bor is valid so it needs renewing each year.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

Yes, that is consistent with the ITP which needs to be renewed each year at the same time as the renewal of the car registration and government insurance (Por-a-bor)

 

[Nightrider70]

This is not new but they may have started to enforce it harder.

http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-...icle-registration-certificate-laos-entry.html

 

[Lone Rider]

This is not new but they may have started to enforce it harder.

http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-...icle-registration-certificate-laos-entry.html

Yes, that might be true but it also depends on which official you meet at the border - some are more flexible than others and this week someone crossed at Chiangkong to Huayxai without anyone asking for the ITP/letter from the Land Tansport Department so you never know. Best is therefor to get this letter from the Land Transport Department so you are covered.

 

[Nightrider70]

Yes, that might be true but it also depends on which official you meet at the border - some are more flexible than others and this week someone crossed at Chiangkong to Huayxai without anyone asking for the ITP/letter from the Land Tansport Department so you never know. Best is therefor to get this letter from the Land Transport Department so you are covered.

That is my experience too. I have only been asked for it at one time described in the thread linked to. Now I make sure to pack one. Don't let the issue of 25 bath be a show stopper.

 

[brake034]

In two or threee weeks I will go there to check how long it will take to get such a document for my DR650, registered in CM.
I need to go there anyway to renew my driving licenses.

This DLT office is about 500 meters away from my house.

Went in Thoeng DLT office today to do the annual renewal/tax and applied for the Vehicle Registration Certificate.
In fact the VRC was made while waiting and issued the same day! Even with the Suzi registered in Chiang Mai!
Application form for the VRC is in Thai language only.

 

[phuketrichard]

Just had this paper issued in Phuket for my car 3rd year in a row took overnight, cost 25 baht , copy of passport index ( pictire ) page an visa page,

I always travle with this paper an my IDP as u never know,

SO far ONLY laos has asked for the IDP
and only Malay the paper