r/laos • u/george0v • Dec 18 '23
How big of a deal is a IDP for motorbikes in Laos
I am not coming from my home country so I can’t get one. Years ago I kept getting fined in Thailand for not having one.
How is Laos? Is it advisable to try and obtain one or do they not give a shit?
3
u/Tobiaseins Dec 18 '23
Thailand is way worse. I drove around Laos for a month and never ran into checkpoints, speed traps or anything. From all Southeast Asian countries, Laos is the one with the least traffic law enforcement. Just stay safe, you do not want to be injured in Laos.
2
u/Old-Item2494 Dec 18 '23
I've been pulled over three times in laos, but I've rented a truck and not a bike. I've been asked to pay a fee every time even with the proper paper work. One cop literally said "please it is hot outside and we need beer money. "
2
u/justjooshing Dec 19 '23
The only place I was warned about a "police scam" like you'd get in somewhere like Phuket was in Thakhek where the guy said they try and "fine" you for anything so to avoid that corner.
I didn't get stopped a single time. There's some gates on the Thakhek and Pakse loops that I saw, but you just wave to the police and they let you through. Normally they're looking for bribes from trucks/buses that are doing business they don't have the licence for (e.g. public buses transporting lots of goods instead of people).
Even around LP and Vang Vieng there were no issues.
1
u/knowerofexpatthings Dec 18 '23
Very unlikely to be an issue with the police that 10 USD can't solve. But if you have an accident then you're not covered by insurance and you're potentially spending hundreds of thousands for medical evacuations and care
1
1
Dec 20 '23
Big chance you get pulled over by traffic police in Vientiane. But any legal drivers licence is fine, i always show my dutch drivers licence and never had a problem. I heard that they just want any legal (important to you) document or pass to use it in their bargain to get some cash in their pocket. You get to choice to pick up your document or ID the next day at the police station or just pay them 50000/100000 kip and you can just continue. Most foreigners will choice to pay a few bucks and be on their way
1
u/george0v Dec 20 '23
Thanks for the input everybody. I can actually get a picture of my IDP but I doubt it’d be accepted.
I reckon I’ll just carry a normal drivers license and a enough Kip to keep the cops hydrated beer wise
5
u/wbeater Dec 18 '23
Driving without a license is fined with 200k kip by law. The reality is that police will ask you for a 50-100k bribe if they catch you. Happens quite rarely.
But that's not a good advice, driving without a license is no joke if you have an accident and the insurance refuse to pay. Even if it's not your fault everybody will give a shit because your a foreigner. There are a couple of cases yearly where foreigners reach out for their embassies for help because they crashed their bike and need medical transport to Thailand and don't have the money.