Preve Trip to Hat Yai, Thailand - Part 1

Last September 2014 we went for a three days family trip to Hat Yai, Thailand driving up from KL in our Proton Preve CFE.  We went to Jitra for overnight stay at my brother's place before resuming the trip to Hat Yai the following morning.  From Jitra to Hatyai is just over an hour trip including the border formalities.  A lot of us are not too familiar with what need to be done for the drive up north.  Here are the formalities that you have to go through:

• Bring 2 x Photostat copy of your car registration paper.
• 2 x Phostat copy of  the car owner's Malaysian IC
• If the owner is not accompnying the car then before the trip the driver and the owner has to go to closest JPJ office to certify owners release letter stating that the owner is allowing the driver to drive the car to Thailand.
• On the way to Bukit Kayu Hitam stop at one of the shop that sells Thailand car insurance.  Don't worry as there are many shops along the way advertising this service.  It will cost you RM16 for a week of car insurance.  Also ask them to fill in the entry immigration slip.  That will cost you another RM2  per person.

Thailand Car Insurance valid for one week

•  Then after clearing Malaysia border post at Bukit Kayu Hitam proceed to Thailand border about 500 metres up.  Park your car at the big parking space on the left side of Thailand border post.  Don't just drive through!!!.  You will be chased back..ha ha.

Sadao, Thailand border post

• Exited from your car and together with your occupants with passports in hand walk up to the immigration booth
• After clearing your's and your occupants  immigration formalities (i.e stamping the passport) the owner and the driver of the car should now proceed to the car clearance booth which is nearby.  You need to visit two booths here.
• At the first booth you have to produce your car registration, car owner's IC and Thailand car insurance papers that you just purchased at Bukit Kayu Hitam.  The officer will key in all your car and owner's detail into the computer.  If all are OK then the officer will print out for you the Thailand's Temporary Imported Car licence which are valid for 30 days.  Then the owner have to put signatures on the print out licence.
• Then you have to just walk up to the second booth which is just beside the first booth for your Thailand's Temporary Imported Car licence to be stamped and approved.  No payment is required. All the paper works to bring your car to Thailand are now completed.

Thailand Temporary Car Importation licence valid for one month

• Walk back to you car with all of your occupants.  Drive through the immigration booth.  Show the car importation documents to the inspecting officer at the entry gate.  Now you and your car may enter Thailand the Land of Smiles.
• But don't forget on your return journey back to Malaysia you MUST hand in back the Thailand's Temporary Imported Car licence to the officer at one of the booth.  This is to confirmed that the car has exited Thailand. It is at different booth than the one that you stamped your passport.  If you don't do this,  then on your next journey back to Thailand you might have to pay a hefty fine.

Sadao town

To my surprise the roads in Thailand are very good.  It is wide and and of high standard.  Reminds me of European highways.  It is an enjoy to drive and the best of all unlike in Malaysia it is toll free.  But please don't exceed the speed limit, as you may end up in trouble in foreign land.  Please take note that the population in Thailand has minimal fluency in English and Malay.  You might ends up to resorting to a lot of sign language, hand waving and head nodding.  Enjoy your trip because we certainly enjoyed ours.