After the police checkpoint there is a duty free shopping area on the left. Rather underwhelming, it nevertheless sells all the usual duty free items and is a good place to stop and stretch the legs. After this at the top of the rise is the Thai immigration checkpoint.

Immigration
   For Thai immigration & customs you will need 3 documents: The Thai arrival/departure card, your passport, the car log card and a completed manifest. These forms are available at a kiosk on the left immediately upon entering through the gate. The documents are in Thai & English and are straightforward. Fill them in now. At this point rejoin the queue and as the car passes by the immigration booth, have one of the occupants jump out and queue up. If you are on your own, you will need to pass through and pull the car over near by – do not however leave the area.
   At Immigration passports are stamped en-masse with tourist visas. It can be a little chaotic. The very next window is Customs where the car documents, along with the passport of the owner or designated driver, need to be handed in.

Customs
   The Thais’ approach to car tourism is a historical one based on import tariffs and protection – so this makes the documentation look a little odd. For instance you will not be driving into Thailand for a holiday but rather "Temporarily Importing a Motor Vehicle for the purposes of Tourism". These days the required permit is issued automatically at the border. One of the things you do at customs is guarantee that you will re-export the car – failure to do so will mean a fine equivalent to the amount stipulated on the declaration. I am told that if you bring a foreign registered car in by plane or ship you are required to post this bond based on custom’s valuation in advance. A land crossing is clearly easier.
   At the Customs window, hand the documents in. Here the customs officer will produce for you a simplified customs declaration form. They may inspect your vehicle and will need to see it. You will then be asked to sign the bottom of this form to guarantee to export the vehicle out of Thailand. You will end up with two forms; The simplified customs declaration form and a stamped document from customs indicating that your vehicle has been inspected. This last form needs to surrendered at the customs post at Sadao a couple of kilometres down the road.
   If you wish to exit Thailand via another border crossing you need to inform the Thai authorities now. Documentation is entirely paper based and the record of your entry will be kept at this crossing. These documents will need to be sent to the crossing you indicate – allow them at least a couple of days to do this and try to ascertain how long exactly they need.

Insurance
   You will need to buy 3^rd party insurance for Thailand. Just outside the border shed is a small booth that sells insurance. The cost varies based on vehicle type, engine size and duration of cover. For a car under 3 litres staying for 9 days the cost is 270 Baht (216 plus 54 tax ).
   You will get a receipt, a disc for the windscreen and a plastic holder.
   This insurance is extremely basic. It is recommended that you seek more comprehensive insurance when planning your trip as many Singaporean insurance policys do not cover Thailand. Unless it is stipulated your comprehensive coverage typically ends in peninsular Malaysia. I use Keppel who give me 21 days cover for Thailand in my Singaporean policy.
   You can purchase temporary comprehensive insurance from Viraya Insurance in Thailand.

Coming soon
Thailand and Laos border crossing - just let me get there first!

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