a solo 7000-mile Indochina ride [ SG-MY-TH-LA-KH-VN ]

[tabernacle]

most welcome. I see you are also preparing for a long trip across Indochina.

I look forward to reading your trip report soon !

 

if I can be of help, feel free to contact me. Cheers, Daniel

 

Thanks Daniel for the very wonderful, inspiring, and engaging trip report. The GPS coordinates and the prices of all the hotels you been to were especially useful, so thanks alot for that! =) Much appreciated.

[tabernacle]

no worries bro.

I wasn't in a rush anyway that day.

 

hope to catch you in town one of these days. Cheers!

 

great write-up daniel...

 

we met at mtechnik on the day you return from your great trip..so sorry you could not get your oil change that day as chan was busy on my gs

[PolarisX]

I was awed and amazed by your trip. The photos are incredible, and kudos to you for going the distance travelled by the few and the brave.

[tabernacle]

Yes you are right bro. I did rode through this stop and stopped by the rows of Chinese restaurants for breakfast. But I didn't go all the way to the actual checkpoint though. Hopefully the next time I am there, it will be to cross into china with all the legal permits required

 

Great report. Still haven't finish reading it....

 

 

 

 

Many riders have the wrong impression that this is your last stop without permit but actually you can just ride through this checkpoint....

 

The laos-china checkpoint looks something like this....it's a few more km down the road...

[cougar]

wah one solid adventure.

[silverstx]

Nice trip bro, just out of curiousity you enter by ha tien

but where do you exit bro.

[adesmond2]

nice trip report!

 

Bro.. just wan to check.. to go in Vietnam no need "escorts" rights?

& what's the charges for passing thru all these custom?

 

thanks in advance,,

Edited May 7, 2012 by adesmond2

[ORen]

Excellent report, love it love it !!! Beautiful photos, really makes a difference to have photo skills haha

Thanks a lot for taking the time to share all this with us, it's really a great read you've gifted us with !

(Makes me want to get off my lazy butt and do my ride report..)

 

About entering Vietnam, I saw the passport stamp you took a photo of, looks like it's valid for a year.

Back in October 2011 we were told the free economic zone stamp was only 15 days for "big" bikes. And that it was only to stay around Han Tien.

But you went to HCMC without troubles, did they give you any sort of custom papers for the bike along with the passport stamp ? Any Visa sticker on the passport as well ?

Do you think you could've crossed back out from a more northern border crossing in Vietnam ?

 

This is the most recent, most accurate info I've read on crossing into Vietnam, and indeed great news for riders who want to explore Vietnam with their bikes.

Did the European riders cross in with also 1 month visa on their passport ? Were their bikes registered at home back in Europe or in Thailand or SEA ?

 

So, what's the next trip , where do you now dream or plan to go to ?

[adesmond2]

Excellent report, love it love it !!! Beautiful photos, really makes a difference to have photo skills haha

Thanks a lot for taking the time to share all this with us, it's really a great read you've gifted us with !

(Makes me want to get off my lazy butt and do my ride report..)

 

About entering Vietnam, I saw the passport stamp you took a photo of, looks like it's valid for a year.

Back in October 2011 we were told the free economic zone stamp was only 15 days for "big" bikes. And that it was only to stay around Han Tien.

But you went to HCMC without troubles, did they give you any sort of custom papers for the bike along with the passport stamp ? Any Visa sticker on the passport as well ?

Do you think you could've crossed back out from a more northern border crossing in Vietnam ?

 

This is the most recent, most accurate info I've read on crossing into Vietnam, and indeed great news for riders who want to explore Vietnam with their bikes.

Did the European riders cross in with also 1 month visa on their passport ? Were their bikes registered at home back in Europe or in Thailand or SEA ?

 

So, what's the next trip , where do you now dream or plan to go to ?

 

bro.. what's free econmic zone? and can we go in without any escorts or "arrangement" before hand?

 

Thanks in advance..

 

I'm making plans for 2014 now..

[tabernacle]

thanks for your compliment.

i am just an ordinary guy... you can do it too if you make an effort. Just need to be committed to make it happen that's all.

 

cheers, daniel

 

I was awed and amazed by your trip. The photos are incredible, and kudos to you for going the distance travelled by the few and the brave.

[tabernacle]

i entered and exited from the same border of Ha Tien.

 

Nice trip bro, just out of curiousity you enter by ha tien

but where do you exit bro.

[tabernacle]

I didn't use escorts as i went in via the free economic zone of Ha Tien.

There is supposedly no charge for entering, but customs officials like to scam bikers for some pocket money, so it depends on your luck and negotiation skills.

 

nice trip report!

 

Bro.. just wan to check.. to go in Vietnam no need "escorts" rights?

& what's the charges for passing thru all these custom?

 

thanks in advance,,

[tabernacle]

bro,

 

glad you enjoyed the trip report.

my visa stamp is for 30days, not 1 year

this is only a stamp, no visa sticker.

 

15days are for non-ASEAN passport holders. For people in ASEAN countries like us, we get 30days visa when we enter Vietnam.

The visa stamp is only applicable for the human being, not the bike

So, this is where the ambiguity comes in, and the Vietnamese immigration officials are okay to let the big bike enter if the rider stays within the free economic zone, and will leave Vietnam from the same border.

 

I decided to venture out of the zone and went into HCMC without any legal documents, and fortunately did not get stopped or harassed by the police there. So, do this at your own risk.

 

The other 2 european riders that I met are riding Thailand-registered bikes. They are living in Pattaya.

They only get 15days visa.

 

My next ride will be Kunming China. Planning to rent a dirt bike there and ride around the Yunnan area.

 

Cheers, Daniel

 

 

 

Excellent report, love it love it !!! Beautiful photos, really makes a difference to have photo skills haha

Thanks a lot for taking the time to share all this with us, it's really a great read you've gifted us with !

(Makes me want to get off my lazy butt and do my ride report..)

 

About entering Vietnam, I saw the passport stamp you took a photo of, looks like it's valid for a year.

Back in October 2011 we were told the free economic zone stamp was only 15 days for "big" bikes. And that it was only to stay around Han Tien.

But you went to HCMC without troubles, did they give you any sort of custom papers for the bike along with the passport stamp ? Any Visa sticker on the passport as well ?

Do you think you could've crossed back out from a more northern border crossing in Vietnam ?

 

This is the most recent, most accurate info I've read on crossing into Vietnam, and indeed great news for riders who want to explore Vietnam with their bikes.

Did the European riders cross in with also 1 month visa on their passport ? Were their bikes registered at home back in Europe or in Thailand or SEA ?

 

So, what's the next trip , where do you now dream or plan to go to ?

[tabernacle]

bro,

 

glad you enjoyed the trip report.

my visa stamp is for 30days, not 1 year

this is only a stamp, no visa sticker.

 

15days are for non-ASEAN passport holders. For people in ASEAN countries like us, we get 30days visa when we enter Vietnam.

The visa stamp is only applicable for the human being, not the bike

So, this is where the ambiguity comes in, and the Vietnamese immigration officials are okay to let the big bike enter if the rider stays within the free economic zone, and will leave Vietnam from the same border.

 

I decided to venture out of the zone and went into HCMC without any legal documents, and fortunately did not get stopped or harassed by the police there. So, do this at your own risk.

 

The other 2 european riders that I met are riding Thailand-registered bikes. They are living in Pattaya.

They only get 15days visa.

 

My next ride will be Kunming China. Planning to rent a dirt bike there and ride around the Yunnan area.

 

Cheers, Daniel

 

 

 

Excellent report, love it love it !!! Beautiful photos, really makes a difference to have photo skills haha

Thanks a lot for taking the time to share all this with us, it's really a great read you've gifted us with !

(Makes me want to get off my lazy butt and do my ride report..)

 

About entering Vietnam, I saw the passport stamp you took a photo of, looks like it's valid for a year.

Back in October 2011 we were told the free economic zone stamp was only 15 days for "big" bikes. And that it was only to stay around Han Tien.

But you went to HCMC without troubles, did they give you any sort of custom papers for the bike along with the passport stamp ? Any Visa sticker on the passport as well ?

Do you think you could've crossed back out from a more northern border crossing in Vietnam ?

 

This is the most recent, most accurate info I've read on crossing into Vietnam, and indeed great news for riders who want to explore Vietnam with their bikes.

Did the European riders cross in with also 1 month visa on their passport ? Were their bikes registered at home back in Europe or in Thailand or SEA ?

 

So, what's the next trip , where do you now dream or plan to go to ?

[Elan7891]

Bro only one words for you...RESPECT !!!!

 

Nice write up and great photo !!!!

[sambora67]

just read , thumbs up;)

[robokp]

bro, well done

RESPECT!

[ah_veo]

Cool !! *Salute*