Singapore into Malaysia
Things you should have for a Singapore registered car.
1. A topped up cashcard with at least $10 in it
2. 3/4 tank of petrol
3. An immigration white card for Malaysia (available just before the immigration booths in Malaysia)
4. A Touch n Go card for Malaysian highways (buy one when you get across, it will make your life easier)
You have two crossings to consider. The Woodlands Checkpoint and the Tuas Checkpoint.
Malaysia into Thailand
This will be for the crossing from Bukit Kayu Hitam in Malaysia to Sadao in Thailand
Things you will need
1. Your vehicle log card. It should bear your name as it will be shown in conjunction with your Passport.
if the vehicle is not in your name, you'll need to produce a letter from the owner authorising you to use the car.
Steps needed.
1. Head to the immigration checkpoint. Similar to Malaysia you will see immigration booths for the cars to stop at and an immigration building to your left where bus passengers will process. The booths do not work in the traditional sense.
2. You will need to pass the immigration building and the booths and turn left into the carpark behind the immigration building. Park car there and come out. (you can leave luggage in car. no one bothered to check when i went through)
3. Walk over to the Immigration booths (where the cars should be stopping) and line up to process your immigration.
4. Once all passports are processed, Car owner should go to the Customs booth (next to immigration booth) and process the temporary importation of the car. Here you will produce your vehicle registration card / book / printout (if Singaporean) and passport. Customs officers will process the information and return you a computer print out with your cars details stating the brand, model, engine, chassis number etc and it also contains a declaration that you will remove the car within 6 months otherwise you're liable to pay the a fine.
5. Move to the next window (on the left) with the printout, hand it over and they will ask you to sign the print document as well as their log book.
6. Now go back to your car, you may exit the carpark and proceed into Sadao.
7. As soon as you enter Sadao purchase vehicle insurance for your car as it is required by law.... and youre on your way
8. Further down the road, you will be diverted to another officious looking building that looks like their old immigration building. Just go through it slowly and it will rejoin the main road.
Additional notes:
There are two petrol variants in Thailand, 91 octane and 95octane E10 petrol. E10 is 10% Ethanol/90% Petrol. You could safely use E10 in your car esp if manufactured from the 90's onwards.
Thailand into Cambodia
This is for the crossing between Aranyaprathet and Poipet
Things you need
1. Vehicle documents
2. Temporary importation permit from Phnom Penh (for cars) or Passage Du Carnet
IMPORTANT: Cambodian immigration closes at 8pm. Customs closes at 6pm. be in before 6
1. Arrive at outward immigration area of Thailand in Aranyaprathet. You should see an immigration building on your left and right and a customs sentry in the the middle (of the road) (like a guard house)
2. Park your car in the middle of the road just in front of this guard house. Driver proceed to the sentry post and you should see two un-uniformed fellas sitting on a desk in front of the guard house window. They will assist with the paper work. Pass them your passport and computer generated documents when you entered Thailand. They will take it from you and make copies of it and fill in some forms. You'll pay them their fee (cannot recall, maybe 20 THB or something) then when done you will pass the set of documents to the customs person (uniformed) at the sentry window. You may already have your passport returned to you.
3. after you give customs the paperwork, you can then proceed to the immigration building to clear immigration. (again, you can leave all your bags in the car.. just bring yourself and your passengers)
4. Clear immigration and return to the car. Visit the customs man again check everything is in order and then proceed forward.. You've now cleared Thailand.
5. Welcome to the surreal no mans land of Casino Town. In between Thailand and Cambodia are about 6 casinos.
6. Drive through casino town and arrive at the cambodian immigration. Find a place to put the car. Possibly in the middle of the road again and proceed to the immigration building on the right. (traffic has now swapped direction)
7. Settle immigration, At peak periods you may be asked by a customs officer in uniform whether you want to speed up the process for a fee of 200THB. you can say yes. or you can queue. when i entered no one approached me.
8. get back into the car and drive on, around the circle, Customs is on your left after the circle. Park car in the customs compound and look for some officious person to settle the entry. From here on i have no further information. I didnt have the permits from Phnom Penh so I got turned back and no one asked for a bribe. I did meet a group of Singaporean motorcyclist. I am told that motorcycles have an easier entry because they don't have the left/right hand drive issue.
Cambodia to Thailand
Coming soon
Thailand to Malaysia
Coming Soon
