Trip Issues 11 - Required Documents for Indochina (UPDATED)

A number of posts back I did special about documents required in Indochina. The data was a summary of my research.  Well, the research was not as accurate as I had hoped, and was woefully inaccurate.  Below is the updated version of what actually transpired during the trip.




Requirements

Carnet de Passage - Carnets can be expensive and costs vary by country to enter and what country you are a citizen,  Additionally, the carnet book and coupons MUST be returned to the issuer on time (365 days) or the cash bond ($10,000 in my case) is forfeited.

Tour Guide  - Due to political requirements, heavy lobbying by the tourist industry, or a countries desire to keep additional drivers from their roads, some countries require tour guides to enter,

International Drivers Licence - Essentially a language translation of your state issued drivers licence.  Everyone should have one when traveling through Indochina. Mine is only good for a single year, but not a single country seems to mind that it expired a while ago. 

Country Summary

Burma/Myanmar - Required: Tour Guide - Through the HUBB bulletin board, I contacted a tour guide and together we assembled a plan to cross the country.  The trip took 5 days and cost $430 to include tour guides, tour vehicle, hotel and breakfast  We assembled a total of 9 vehicles (7 motorcycles, an SUV and a RV).  The tour guide has his hands full, as one motorcycle and the RV broke down.  Only extra charge for both parties were the repair costs.  Borders Controls Stations Utilized: Moreh, Tachileik.

Cambodia - Required: Nothing - Went right through border control, no customs check.
Borders Controls Stations Utilized: Cham Yeam, Phsar Phum.  Do not use Poi Pet, your vehicle will be confiscated until you go to Phenom Phen to get your tour guides licence.

India - Required: Carnet, International Drivers Licence.  Avoid Airports if possible, customs can take three days and hundreds of dollars of import fees.  Overland border stations were relatively pain free.
Borders Control Stations Utilized: Banbasa, Birgunj, Moreh

Laos - Required: Carnet (country specific not required),  Be careful, Customs is not that familiar with the process, I had to walk them through the carnet to show them what portions to sign, to keep, and what stamps to use.
Borders Control Stations Utilized: Freedom Bridge (Vientiane), Kenethao (denied entry),  The Kenethao Border Crossing is limited to cars and trucks only, no motorcycles, bicycles, or pedestrians.

Malaysia - Required: Carnet. Border controls stations have a history of allowing vehicles in without a carnet, then not allow them out.  Make sure they take a carnet when entering.

Nepal - Required: Carnet (country specific not required).  Very low key, processing took 5-10 minutes
Borders Control Stations Utilized: Banbasa, Birgunj,

Thailand - Required: Carnet (country specific not required). Insurance,  Entrance from Burma is very difficult and restrictive.  The other bordering countries appear to be quite passable.
Borders Control Stations Utilized: Tachileik, Freedom Bridge (Vientiane), Cham Yeam, Phsar Phum.

Vietnam - Only on a tour (90 days advance notice), Since it is not necessary to pass through Vietnam when crossing Indochina, most either skip the country or park their vehicles and either fly or take a bus.  There is an underground market inside the country where motorcycles are sold and purchased.

Cambodia - The Good, The Bad and the Very Ugly

Cambodia is a country that is still recovering from the days (1975-79) of the Khmer Rouge, where upwards of 25 percent of the country was annihilated through the systematic takeover and systematic murder of its people by an internal faction.  Nowadays, the State has much to offer the world, but a tyrannical dictator (Huen Sen), who was once a Commander in the Khmer Rouge, seized power in 1993, and through corruption, intimidation and murder, has set himself up as leader for life.  Once that task was completed, he looted Cambodia of much of its wealth and resources, leaving the people all the more poorer.  That being said the Country still has allot to give and there are reasons to visit, for now anyway.



The Good

Cambodia is flush with scenery, beaches, history and wonderful smiling people.  The riding in Cambodia is straight and sometimes taxing, but the views to either side can be just gorgeous.  The one thought that does pop into your mind is the scenery is similar to many of the Vietnam movies that are out there.  Cambodia is of course home to Angkor Wat, a city of a thousand temples.  The Country is also blessed with some beautiful white sand beaches and decent reefs for diving and snorkeling.   The people are some of the nicest I have encountered, which is nothing less than astonishing after the hell they have been put through since the start of the Vietnam War.  How nice are they, well if you leave a tip, they will chase you down the street to return your money, as tipping in not customary in Cambodia.

The best part of Cambodia, from a motorcyclists perspective, is the bike is very easy to get into the Country, which is a challenge in this part of the world..  Through the Phsar Phrum Border Control there were no customs at all, just buy a visa, get your passport stamped, and drive in.  Same goes for the Cham Yeam Border Control.  DO NOT go through the Poi Pet Border Control, they will require a tourist licence that will take a week (and a round trip bus ride to Phnom Phen) to get, all while your bike is locked up in customs jail.  And yes. it is very much stranded as Thailand will not allow you back in. 

The Bad

The biggest bad on the list without a doubt is the infiltration of the Chinese.  The Chinese have inked a deal with the Cambodian Government (i.e. Huen Sen) to lease 20 percent of the Cambodian coastline for the next 99 years.  The Chinese are starting to build another "Macau" along the coast, although here it is named Sihanouk.   They have "bought" the land through illegal (by any standard that is not Huen Sen's) land deals, brought in their own workers, and will not allow Cambodians into their buildings.  Further, they have set up their own shopping markets, entertainment venues, and refuse to support the local Cambodian economy.  The locals flat out hate the Chinese and they will let you know.

The Very Ugly

No easy way to say this, but the Country s run by a Dictator of Putin, Jinping or Jung Il levels.  Huen Sen has these poor people in his corrupt and murderous grips for decades, and indicate that he is getting worse as his paranoia grows.  His opponents are gunned down prior to elections (similar to Putin) and their families killed (practice common with the Khmer Rouge), he has closed down all press outlets that are not under control of his own party (like Cuba, Eritrea and China), and he is prepping his son to take control of the country upon his demise (North Korea),  The government monitors social platforms for posts that are not complimentary to Huen Sen or the Government.  Just recently, an 18 year old boy was sentenced to 18 months in jail for a single unflattering sentence posted on Facebook.  Democracy is dead in this country. These people deserve so much more than what they are getting, 

One of Thousands of Huen Sen's Propaganda Signs

Leg Distance: 1,028 mi ( 1,658 km)

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 34,565 mi (55,750 km)

Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China (for 20 seconds), India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia