Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [645]
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BOAT
You can cross into and out of Thailand via public boat from the west coast of Malaysia. For visa-run purposes you can do a one-day crossing from the Andaman coast town of Ranong to Myanmar’s Victoria Point (also known as Kawthoung).
All foreign-registered private vessels, skippers and crew must check in with the relevant Thai authorities as soon as possible after entering Thai waters. Although major ports throughout Thailand offer port check-ins, most leisure-boating visitors check in at Phuket, Krabi, Ko Samui, Pranburi or Pattaya. Before departing from Thailand by boat, you must also check out with immigration, customs and the harbourmaster.
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LAND
Thailand shares land borders with Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia and Myanmar. Travel between all of these countries can be done by land via sanctioned border crossings. With improved highways, it is also becoming easier to travel from Thailand to China. See right for specific border crossing immigration points and transport summaries.
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Bicycle
Many visitors bring their own touring bicycles to Thailand. No special permits are needed for bringing a bicycle into the country, although it may be registered by customs – which means if you don’t leave the country with your bicycle, you’ll have to pay a customs duty. Click here for more information about travelling by bike. It’s advisable to bring a well-stocked repair kit.
Bus, Car & Motorcycle
Road connections exist between all of Thailand’s neighbours, and these routes can be travelled by bus, shared taxi and private car. In some cases, you’ll take a bus to the border point, pass through immigration and then pick up another bus or shared taxi on the other side. In other cases, especially when crossing the Malaysian border, the bus will stop for immigration formalities and then continue to its destination across the border.
Private passenger vehicles (eg cars, vans, trucks or motorcycles) can be brought into Thailand for tourist purposes for up to six months, provided that you have a valid International Driving Permit, a passport, vehicle registration papers (or in the case of a borrowed or hired vehicle, authorisation from the owner) and a cash or bank guarantee equal to the value of the vehicle plus 20%. For entry through Khlong Toey Port or Suvarnabhumi International Airport, this means a letter of bank credit; for overland crossings via Malaysia, Cambodia or Laos a ‘self-guarantee’ filled in at the border is sufficient.
Train
If everything goes according to plan, Thailand will soon have a new international rail link with Laos. Slated for completion in April 2009, the extended 3.5km rail line will go from the Nong Khai station in Thailand across the Thai-Lao Friendship bridge to Ban Tanalaeng, which is just north of Vientiane. The rail line offers very little advantage for passenger service as surface roads are faster and easier ways to cross the border, but it may help expedite cargo transport.
Other rail services that travel across international borders can be found on the western part of the Malay peninsula between Thailand and Malaysia. The two countries’ state railways meet at Butterworth (93km south of the Thai–Malaysian border), which is a transfer point to Penang (by boat) or to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore (by Malaysian train).
There are several border crossings for which you can take a train to the border and then switch to automobile transport on the other side. The Thai–Cambodian border is accessible by train from Bangkok to the border town of Aranya Prathet. There is talk of restoring the train line on the Cambodian side all the way to Sisophon, though little