Jing Hong, China to Chiang Saen, Thailand, port of entry, motorcycles on a ship

KTMphil

Senior member
Joined
Jan 11, 2011
Location
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Bikes
2007 KTM 990 Adventure Suzuki DRZ 400
Well, this is something i've often thought about and now its actually been tested. Putting motorcycles on a Cargo boat in Jing Hong, China and transiting down the Mekong River to Chiang Saen, Thailand.


Photo below is from on the boat headed downstream through China towards Myanmar, Laos & Thailand

IMG-20160306-WA0004.jpg by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr


Below map gives you an idea of the Mekong River's route


jh to cs by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
It takes about 24 hours to get from Jing Hong, China to Chiang Saen, Thailand on the slow cargo boats. The Mekong is too treacherous to navigate at night, so the boat pulls over on the Laos shoreline around dusk and waits for dawn to navigate once again.


Morning mist on the Mekong


IMG-20160306-WA0001.jpg by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Going under the new bridge that will link Laos to Myanmar on the Mekong River


IMG-20160306-WA0002.jpg by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



IMG-20160306-WA0000.jpg by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
Arrival in Chiang Saen, Thailand was pretty easy. Being opposite the Chinese Casino's that the Chinese have leased for 99 years from the Laos side of the river, there are hundreds of tourists going back and forth getting their passports stamped. They had NEVER seen motorcycles arrive before and of course the phone calls started to figure out what to do. There was additional confusion that one of the riders didnt have an exit stamp in his passport and 15,000 Bht was asked for to fix this problem. It was eventually negotiated down to 8,000 Bht. Apparently timing was bad. As of 1st March, 2016, Chiang Saen, Thailand is no longer a port of entry for vehicles (thats what they were told) and the bikes would have to be unloaded on the Laos side of the Mekong. So off the Cargo ship goes across the Mekong so that the motorcycles could be unloaded on the Laos shore at the Chinese casino's. The Thai Customs wouldnt allow the bikes to be unloaded on the Thai shore and then transit the Mekong on the car ferry.


Unloading the bikes on the Laos shore


12823514_10153487376701089_3720661014460035518_o.jpg



Bye bye Chinese cargo boat, hello Laos


IMG-20160306-WA0003.jpg by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr


Then to deal with the Laos entry. More phone calls, Laos Customs said this wasnt a port of entry and wanted 10,000 Bht a bike to "solve" the problem. Once this was paid they were told to ride quickly to Houay Xai, Laos (the international border crossing with Chiang Khong, Thailand) where the bikes were cleared in and out of Laos and they could then ride across to Thailand.


So it is kind of possible!!!!
 
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