Motorbiking in Asia forum

Great site. Thanks. Looks like I can cross if I am part of a tour... not much help I'm afraid. But appreciate the site. Has other good info on it too.

But I think the answer to my question is - I can't drive across the border and ride up the Laotian side, which is what I wanted to do. That kind of sucks.

Well, aside from the author's rather odd view of things, there are some great pics in that story.

Friendship Bridge II - as in Mukdahan-Suvanakhet right? Yes there have been reports that foreigners can't ride their motorbikes across this bridge. Exactly why who knows. You should be able (with a little help) to roll it into a songthaew for the trip across then do your Laos paperwork and start riding.

I've taken my Thai-registered motorbike (110cc Suzuki actually) into Laos twice this year (and ridden back across the Friendship-1 bridge)- one entry at Chiang Kong/Huay Xai and again at the more obscure Huay Kon/Muang Ngeuan border (Nan province into Xayabouli). Minimal paperwork and pretty quick, good idea to bring at least a couple extra photocopies of everything (relevant pages in book, purchase receipt) and complete the 1-page customs declaration form (they'll usually do everything except your signature). Of course many accounts of taking a Thai bike to Laos on the GT-Rider site.

You should remember Madmac that you are a guest in another country. If you don't want to abide by their laws and customs you shouldn't go, or if you do and you ignore them don't whine about the consequences. What you think is right or normal is of no consequence. Try to keep that bike upright.

Don't let this be you

Oh and the feet thing. OK, no stepping over food or people. No kicking someone (unless your a dance instructor and trying to move someones foot). This is true in Thailand. But I have observed MANY Thais sitting with the soles of their feet exposed. Before I came here I read this in dos and don'ts only to find out it was overblown crap. I asked my friend about it and he said the exposure has to be deliberate to be an insult. In Laos are they more sensitive about this than Thais, or is it overblown crap there too?

i crossed on a motorbike in northern vietnam. the vietnamese side is named dien bien phu. i have a ri\ussian minsk 125 that is registered in vietnam to the original owner.as per the papers. i have an australian drivers licence (licence is not required).
the crossing is easy and there are standardised fees. arround $10 on the vietnamese side and $5 on the laos side.
the temporary import export lastes the length of your visa for laos.
you can exit to other countries (ie i continued on to thailand) or return to vietnam.
i only have experience at this border but if you show up at any border i beieve you could get through....potentially witha few $20USD notes at appropriate times.
hope this helps. from someone who has actually done it...not just heard about it!

I'll be trying in March. We'll see how it goes.

Just a little more info of crossing at Chiang Khong.

There is no bridge, but a ferry service instead. The ferry is large enough to take in 2 lorries on one go. It cost 500 bh per bike.

On return into thailand, we took the same crossing, but this time a little wiser,.. instead of taking the ferry, we took the long tailboat. It cost only 250bh each. As we travel on lighter bikes, 150cc,.. thus 2 bikes can go at a time.

AA

Abg
I am only driving from Nong Khai to Vientiane, so I am not too concerned about the Laos roads.

Hello, I ride a Vietnamese registered 110cc bike, with the original registration and a notarized (Vietnamese stamp and seal) bill of sale from the original owner. I crossed into Laos from Cambodia (there's only one crossing) without incident in 2008. I exited to Viet Nam at Na Meo crossing, again, no problem. I crossed from Viet Nam into Laos at Lao Bao crossing in 2009 with some minor resistance from the IMMIGRATION officials, who felt I probably shouldn't be crossing. They finally sent me back to customs, who just shooed me on across the border. I exited later at the crossing near Dien Bien Phu. In October 2010 I was firmly turned away by the Lao at the Lao Bao crossing from Viet Nam. There was no sign of interest in a "negotiated fee" or "deposit" or any such nonsense. Just a firm refusal to let a 3rd party national enter the country with a Vietnamese bike. It fouled up my Vietnamese visa when I turned around, but I eventually got my "used" visa extended again, though it took 10 days for the paper work to round trip from Hue to Hanoi and back. The Lao official who turned me away said he had no objection to my touring Laos on a bike, but it couldn't be a Vietnamese bike. He said to take a bus to Savannakhet and rent a bike there. Sigh. I go to a lot of trouble to keep my Vietnamese bike in proper shape for the road and I don't want to take chances on a rental in the remote areas.

how you ended up eventually?
sucessfully crossed the boarder at lao bao?


do any of you guys think I will be encounter the same problem if I pick the northern boarder on a Vietnamese registered bike?

A rational hope is that the officials at the crossing near Dien Bien Phu may be more agreeable, since they routinely run a "you have committed a violation and the fine is X0,000 kip" sort of side business, though if it's a national directive they may be firm no matter. If you got through there however, it could turn out to be a mixed blessing. The first 65 km of the road over the Lao border there was truly horrendous in 2009 and some of the streams probably are not ford-able except in the dry season. You could end up mired down, or your bike drowned out a very long ways from anywhere!

The gentleman who turned me away at Lao Bao, whose English was quite understandable really, told me that the traffic police would stop me in any event, riding the bike in Lao with the Vietnamese plates. I definitely didn't have the feeling that he was looking for a bribe. He also emphasized that I could take the bus to Savannakhet and rent a bike there and ride all over Laos. The "bus and rent a bike" advice might be the best we can do for a while.

hey, im thinking of heading to saigon in july and would then like to go through laos and cambodia and finally thailand.. though it could get longer or shorter depending. the thing is i was planning to this on a vietnamese registered bike and now it seems a problem. i have a european licence plus idp and a vietnamese licence but i havent been there in a while and dont want to rock up to the border with nothing but a smile and a fiver.. any advice?

also.. ken preston, do you live permanently in vietnam? if you dont mind me asking..

cheers..

Cheers Ken,

I had planned to get the multiple entry visa but not for that reason, its a good point so I'll definitely get it now. The plan is a little shaky so far, it came into being after a few the other night, we're going to head to Saigon and pick up the bikes which will be registered in a mates name with the forms for permission to take them abroad. I found the docs for entry and exit of Nam and Thailand and it seems that Cambodia can be picked up at border, not sure I like this idea, but I've no idea about the entry and exit forms for Laos or even if its possible but if not we'll head for somewhere else then hop the border by bus and get rentals. That's about it. We'll see what happens.

If anyone has definite info on border crossings I'd be much obliged.

Ken, I'll let you know if I find a legit way into Laos.

Later,

-will-