Travellers who wish to cross the border to a neighbouring country should know the rules and laws regarding prohibited goods and contrabands.

The laws prohibit any dealings in all narcotics such as amphetamines, heroin, marihuana, ketamine, metamphetamine (ice), opium, etc.

Obscene objects, fake sexual organs, pornographic printed items and movies as well as pirated goods and items such as clothes, handbags, belts, shoes, pens, eye glasses, watches, key chains, and VCDs, are also prohibited.

Any items with badges and decorations of national flags, money, warrants, valuable coins, and fake official stamps are also prohibited.

To take the following items in and out of the country, you have to get approval from concerned authorities.

1. Telecommunication radios and spare parts – Post and Telegraph Commission
2. Guns, ammunitions, explosives, firecrackers, fake weapons – Interior Ministry
3. Drug, cosmetics and instant food – Public Health Ministry
4. Buddha statues, religious items, antiques – Fine Arts Department
5. Protected animals, remains of animals – Livestock Department, Wildlife Protection Department and Fishery Department
6. Plants, rubber plants, natural rubber plants or plant remains – Department of Agriculture

Items that have tax exemption are:

1. Liquors, beers and wines, not more than one litre
2. Cigarettes – 200 rolls
3. Cigars or pipe tobaccos – not more than 250 grams each. A combination of them are allowed, but weight should not exceed more than 250 grams or exceed 200 rolls.

Those who import or export the said prohibited items violate Customs Act BE 2469 and are liable to a fine of four times the item’s value or a jail term of not more than 10 years or both.

Travel Documents

1. Passport: All nationals who have visas of Laos and Burma can visit those countries for 15-30 days.

2. Temporary border pass: Thais who have residence in Thailand can use the pass to go to Burma. Their children, not aged more than 12, can jointly use the pass.

The pass is for a single trip and its holder is allowed to stay in Bor Kaew province of Laos for 15 days and Ta Chilek in Burma for 7 days. Their entry and exit points have to be the same. Travelling beyond the said areas will be punishable by the laws of Burma and Laos.

Required documents:

1. Fees and application – Bt30
2. Copy of identity card or others issued by official authority
3. Photo is required for travelling to Laos, while it is not required for entering Burma.

You can apply for the documents at Chiang Khong, Chiang Saen and Mae Sai district office as well as authorised individual offices.

Cross-border basic information

1 The Thai-Burmese border is open from 6.30am to 6.30pm

2 Thai and Burmese people are allowed to travel for tourism purpose not beyond 5 km from the border

3 Thai nationals require copy of identity card to go to Burma. Required documents for cars and motorcycles are a car registration.

4 Fee for cross-border pass on Thai soil – Bt40 each

Fee for cross-border pass on Burmese soil – Bt10 for Thai and US$5 for foreigners

5 Fee for bringing in a car to Burma – Bt60 and Bt10 for each passenger

6 Fee for bringing in a motorcycle ­– Bt10

7 Main currency in Ta Chilek town is the baht

8 Traffic in Burma keeps to the right.

Driving a car to Laos

From June 11, 2008, people or transportation-related business operators who wish to drive a vehicle to Mekong countries – Cambodia, Burma, Laos, Vietnam and southern China (Yunnan and Kuangxi) must attach to their vehicles licence plates and car registration documents in English. They are required to show name of the country, number of the licence plate, indexes and provinces’ codes. The requirements have been agreed upon by the countries involved in cross-border transportation.

Vehicles that are allowed in the Mekong countries are sedans, vehicles with not more than seven seats, vehicles with more than seven seats or mini-vans or pickup or taxis, tourism vehicles, vehicles for renting, mini-cars, inter-provincial service cars, vehicles of diplomatic corps or international organisations in Thailand.

Vehicle’s owner or transportation business operators, who wish to bring vehicles to the Mekong countries, can apply for licence plate in English version at provincial transportation offices or at the branch under whose jurisdiction the car is.

They are required to submit car registration documents, copy of identity card or certification documents of legal identities. In case they are not able to apply by themselves, they have to issue a document assigning authority to ones who act on their behalf. The vehicles permitted under the rules are for tourism purpose or transportation from the country of origin only.

Thai nationals who visit Laos for a few days do not need a visa. Thai nationals are allowed to stay in Laos for 30 days without a visa by if they have a passport (the validity of which is not less than 6 months). If they want to extend their stay for 30 days more, they have to apply for a visa from the embassy or Laos consul offices in Thailand. The fee is Bt600.

In case of emergency, they can apply for “Visa on Arrival” at the international border checkpoints.

Thai nationals can apply for Border Pass at any Thai city halls of provinces that have joint border with Laos. They are required to present identity card and its copy, 2 photos and a fee of Bt40.

A border-pass holder is allowed to stay in Laos for 3 days (2 nights) and travel in and to areas permitted by Laotian authorities only. For example, a border pass for travel from Nong Khai to Vientienne cannot be used for travel beyond Vientienne.

A border-pass holder can enjoy visiting Laos not more than 3 days and 2 nights.