India to Thailand Road Trip Checklist

“I climb behind the steering wheel… I drive off immediately without once looking back; it’s a long journey but it leads to freedom.” – Corinne Hofmann

Packing bags and driving away for a long road trip, there is no feeling like this… There is no adventure like this, isn’t it? The best part of road trips is the freedom to stop where ever, take a detour whenever, and taking the full control of your journey through your steering!

If you are embarking on a road trip from India to Thailand via Myanmar then here is a mandatory checklist of all the paperwork you need to do and all the documents you must carry with you. This is going to be a long trip, across 3 countries, so it is better to make sure everything is in order.

Suggested Route

India -> Tamu La border Checkpoint(Moreh border checkpoint) -> Myawaddy Border Crossing Station -> Thailand

Note: Carry enough cash for road taxes(Indian Rupees, Kyats, and Thai Bahts) and other emergencies.

Mandatory Documents to Carry

1. International Driver’s Permit(IDP/IDL)

You can obtain IDP the same day or maximum by the next day from your regional transport authority.

DOCUMENTS:- An application for an International Driving Permit (IDP) shall be made in Form-4A and shall be accompanied by-

(a)    Copy of valid driving license
(b)    Valid medical certificate in Form – 1A
(c)    Valid proof of passport
(d)    Valid proof of visa, wherever applicable
(e)    Four copies of recent passport size photograph

(f) Prescribed fee (Rs. 1000)

Know more here.

2. Carnet

This document is procured for your car. A carnet is a guarantee to custom authorities that goods(car) are temporarily imported and will back in time within the boundary.

It is mandatory to apply for a Carnet when exiting India from Myanmar and re-entering India. It is easy to apply but it is expensive. The fee is in accordance with the price of your car, refer to the following fee structure:

So, if your car is worth 10 Lakhs then you will have to pay Rs.25000 for 2 countries(which is our case) + delivery charges(if express delivery required) + taxes. Check out the delivery options:

India to Thailand road trip carnet delivery

Apart from the processing fees, you will also have to deposit a security amount, equivalent to the highest duty and taxes + 10% of the amount. This security money is refundable but can take up to 6 months.

Apply or know more here.

3. Car Papers

Make sure you have all your car papers with you, like the following:

Registration Certificate(RC)
Pollution under control certificate
Driving Licence(DL) along with International Driving Permit (IDP).
Insurance papers

You must get your car serviced so that all the car oils and machinery are thoroughly checked. Check Stepney. Also, keep emergency numbers like road assistance handy.

Tip: If you don’t know how to change a tyre then you must learn how to do it.

4. Visa Requirements

Both the countries provide Visa on-arrival as well but I encourage you to apply eVisa to avoid all the paperwork during the visit. It will help you to avoid long queues, eVisa is different from visa-on-arrival and both the cases are entertained at different desks. With eVisa you can just skip the visa sticker queue and move to the immigration desk.

India – Myanmar border: Tamu La border Checkpoint(Moreh border checkpoint)

Apply the eVisa online, it takes around 3 working days to get the eVisa. There is also another option for express delivery.

You will have to fill online application for eVisa. Keep the following things in mind:

The validity of the eVisa approval letter is 90 days from the issued date. If it is expired, the entry will be denied.
Length of stay is (28) days from the date of arrival in Myanmar.
eVisa service is non-refundable.
You will receive an email acknowledgment within 1 hour after successful payment.
The processing time is 24 hours for Tourist Visa Express Service. In all cases, processing time starts when the application acknowledgment e-mail is sent after application is submitted and online payment is successful.

Get the eVisa printed(mandatory), a black and white copy is also fine. Show it to the immigration officer and you are done.

Know more about eVisa here and visa on arrival here.

Important: It is mandatory to hire a travel guide, licensed by the Myanmar ministry, till the time you reach the Myanmar – Thai border. Also, you must have a confirmed hotel booking.

Myanmar – Thailand Border – Myawaddy Border Crossing Station

19 countries have an option to avail on-arrival visa but it is advised to get a visa beforehand to avoid longer routes. You can apply for a Thai visa here. You will need the following documents for applying for the visa:

a. On-arrival visa is only valid for 15 days.

b. Passport should be valid for more than 30 days.

c. Confirmed hotel details

d. Currency exchange invoice

e. 2 Photographs (Matt photograph with 80% face on white background)

You can apply for the visa on arrival as well with all the above-mentioned documents.

Currency

Burmese Kyat (1 INR = 22 MMK)

Pronunciation is “chat”. Most of the places in Myanmar accept US Dollars. 1 USD = 1000 Kyat (approx).

You will easily find money changers in the tourist areas. Rates all over the country are almost the same, it is okay to convert at the airport as well.

Withdrawing from ATM is also an option, you can withdraw around 300,000 MMK per day but you will be charged some fees around 4000-5000 Kyat.

Note: Credit cards are accepted at limited places only.

Thai Baht (1 INR = 2 TBH)

You must carry 10,000 Thai Baht/person or 20,000 Thai Baht/family. You can be asked to show proof(like exchange invoice).

You should exchange currency in the local market. It is okay to carry USD instead of Thai Baht.

Tip: Carry at least some Baht(like 1000 Baht) with you with USD.

There will be many stretches where you will not get a mobile network, you must download offline maps or carry a guide book with you. Definitely, carry a power bank and a car charger.

It is a good idea to get trip insurance done. I advise this always. You can check out some more other general but really useful travel tips.

Coming up next: India to Thailand Road Trip guide

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