Required documents:

Procedure I: Preparation of documents

Regulations of applying for passport for vehicle

All vehicles are required to have passport for vehicle for inspection while travelling in a foreign country. They should have a sticker with “T”, an abbreviation of Thailand, to be attached to the windshield.

Those who want to have passport for vehicles can apply at provincial transportation offices.

For normal people:

1. Copies of identity card and house registration
2. Copies of vehicle registration book and annual tax payment pages
3. Letter of authorisation in case owner of vehicle is absent

For company limited, company and public company limited or vehicle hypothecated to a finance company:

1 Letter of ratification from companies

2 Copies of house registration and identity card of authorised company’s executives

3 Copies of vehicle registration book and annual tax payment pages

4 Letter of authorisation

Procedure II: Submission of documents at immigration checkpoint of exit point

An applicant fills up application of details of vehicle (Tor Mor 2) and of passengers (Tor Mor 3). An application for a vehicle has to have two sets of Tor Mor 2 and Tor Mor 3 for entrance and exit.

Required documents are:

1 Copies of vehicle registration book and annual tax payment pages

2 Copy of driving licence of driver

3 Passport for vehicle in case traveling to Laos

4 In case owner of the vehicle is not the driver or the vehicle is with finance company, a letter of authorisation with Bt10 revenue stamp, copies of house registration and identity card of the authorised person are required.

In case the vehicle is with a finance company, copies of legal identity of the finance company ratified by authorised executives.

All the documents, including Tor Mor 2 and 3 can be submitted at the immigration office at the exit point during office hours. The applicants have to pay an extra Bt100 for each vehicle in case the documents are submitted during weekend or not during office hours.

Procedure III: Submission of documents at Thai customs office at the exit point

Officials will give a special document for those who want to enter and return to Thailand at different point. The special document is to be returned to officials when returning to Thailand. There is no service charge for the procedure, but you can pay if you prefer.

Checkpoints in the north

Mae Sai, Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai; 0-5373-1008-9

Chiang Khong, Chiang Khong district, Chiang Rai; 0-5379-1332

Mae Sot checkpoint, Mae Sot district, Tak;

0-5556-3000

Checkpoints in the northeast

Nong Khai checkpoint, Muang district, Nong Khai 0-4241-1605

Thalee checkpoint, Thalee district, Loei 0-4288-9208

Mukdahan checkpoint, Muang district, Mukdahan 0-4261-1074

Nakhon Panom checkpoint, Muang district, Nakhon Panom 0-4251-1235

Chongmek checkpoint, Sirindhorn district, Ubon Ratchathani:  0-4541-1108

Checkpoint in the central region

Aranyaprathet checkpoint, Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaew 0-3723-1131

Checkpoints in the South

Sadao checkpoint, Sadao district, Songkhla; Tel 0-7430-1107

Padang Bazaar checkpoint, Sadao district, Songkhla; Tel 0-7452-1020

Sungai Kolok checkpoint, Sungai Kolok district, Narathiwat; Tel 0-7361-1231

International Driving Licence

Applicant is required to submit

1 Passport or its copy

2 Copy of House Registration

3 Copy of identity card

4 Permanent or five-year driving licence and a copy

5 Two 2-inch or 2.5-inch color or black-and-white photos

6 Marriage registration for female applicants

7 A fee of Bt505

Those who wish to apply for documents to ratify driving permission have to prepare one more set of required documents.

The application process is quite simple and will take about one to two hours because an applicant does not need to have tests of traffic laws and driving. One just submits the documents and then gets the licence. The licence will become invalid after one year and a holder who wants to have the extension but is not able to apply by himself can assign another person to do so on his behalf. Please ensure a proper letter of authorisation is given.

The applicants can use copies of the documents required, but they are requested to show the original documents of driving licence and passport along with the copies. They have to sign up all copies to ratify the copies. They can apply at Land Transportation Department, Phaholyothin Road, Bangkok, and at provincial land transportation departments.

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.