So some background info for most would not know about this mysterious Carnet De Passage En Douane (CDP). Short version, its like a passport for the vehicle travelling overseas.
Long version i will leave it to https://www.riderchris.com/info/carnet-de-passage-malaysia/ which was the main source of information for me anyway. Thanks Chris.
Anyway, technically i do not need a Carnet if i was to only go South East Asia for they were not recognized in these countries but then again, these days and age and especially in SEA, somethings are like the US currency ... its not official but once the people understand the system, they use it.
So based on many forums, private facebook overlanding group, some personal message here and there, it was known within the small community of crazy people like me who wants to travel by their own vehicle, although its is nor formally recognized, the Carnet is understood and sometimes used by the custom officials in Malaysia,Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam so if i have one ... i basicly have Bluey’s passport all set to go.
Not official but good enaugh to cross over without hassle. Or what i was thinking is ... better to have some sort of papper than empty handed trying to cross a border with a motorbike.
Time to get a Carnet ....
It all started on Tuesday morning 7 August 2018, it was time to get to work and kick off all the red tape item so i can set off for the trip ... my estimate was, I would need 2 weeks to sort out everything before I am on the road again. So down I went to Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) to enquire information for application of Carnet De Passage En Duoane
Searching the place at Shah Alam was easy enaugh with google maps and once there, the reception desk immediately directed me to thrid floor and Ms. Woo. So i guess this was going to be stright forward and not wandering around like a lost puppy.
I met Ms. Woo which was a charming lady with load of adventure stories. I mean kinda expected it since if you do Carnet for a living ... only the crazy idiots and the big dreamers go for those stuff and Carnet was not something people think of unless you try to do overlanding in loads of countries.
Before we begin i got a warning .... No more Carnet to Issue they said.
Huh ??? what .... ?? means what ??
So apparently they run out of stock for the Carnet Booklet and wont be able to issue me a Carnet unless the new stock comes in.
And when will that be?
No idea was the reply. *roll eyes*
I could already see all the problems popping up in my head and all the hassle i would have to do to make this trip work, but also at the same time my head was running all kinds of scenario and alternative travel plans ...
The boon and bane of having such flexibility in travel but still it was a f*cking stab to my heart that the Carnet was not available now ... with no idea when it will be available ....
Sometime this year i asked ???
Dunnu ???
Early next year ??
Dunnu ??? It's out of her hands ..... and apparently mine too ...
If inside my heart i wanted to scream and started bulldozing like a anyone would do in Singapore, i kept a super cool composure thinking that yea sure i can make do with anything that comes my way.
For an hour Ms. Woo kept talking, taking me through the procedure of Carnet which mostly i already knew thanks to Chriss details post (link above) ... interlace with the instruction was stories, stories of how people had no idea of the inner working of Carnet and would come to her only to have their dreams blown away.
Some stories i remember was
A group got a Carnet and started their travel but during travel only got entry stamps and no exit stamps ... so their big bucks deposit is stuck since it was half done ... good luck to them
Some joker got his licence and immediately bought a bike and came to get a Carnet for he wanted to travel tomorrow .... no go for that one as well
Another thought the deposit is determine by the owner and not AAM malaysia, so a BMW deposit would be roughly RM 55000 ... awww ... no money for deposit ... dreams cancel ...
Funny thing was ... all her stories and information was already expected by me and so i was really good to go .... minus the fact she does not have the booklet to give me...
How long is the waiting list ???
Very long ...... f*ck ...
Never did think it was that popular ... guess i am not the pioneer of crazy.
So there it is ... I am stuck now ... no Carnet unless by some miricale the booklet stock arrive and all the waiting list has other commitments that i get to jump queue and by the merciful Ms. Woo would still remember me, I would get a carnet within this few months.
I am more or less f*cked .... sigh
So i have a few options left ....
1. Wait ... and PRAY .... Hope that by some Miricle i will get a Carnet in the next one month ...
2. Time to visit all the Embassy and get the permit one at a time ... so much red tapes to cross with this path
3. Just risk it ... start the journey ... reach the border and somehow ... somehow ... continue my journey ....
to be continue ......
Anyway, technically i do not need a Carnet if i was to only go South East Asia for they were not recognized in these countries but then again, these days and age and especially in SEA, somethings are like the US currency ... its not official but once the people understand the system, they use it.
So based on many forums, private facebook overlanding group, some personal message here and there, it was known within the small community of crazy people like me who wants to travel by their own vehicle, although its is nor formally recognized, the Carnet is understood and sometimes used by the custom officials in Malaysia,Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam so if i have one ... i basicly have Bluey’s passport all set to go.
Not official but good enaugh to cross over without hassle. Or what i was thinking is ... better to have some sort of papper than empty handed trying to cross a border with a motorbike.
Time to get a Carnet ....
It all started on Tuesday morning 7 August 2018, it was time to get to work and kick off all the red tape item so i can set off for the trip ... my estimate was, I would need 2 weeks to sort out everything before I am on the road again. So down I went to Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) to enquire information for application of Carnet De Passage En Duoane
 |
| Automobile Association of Malaysia |
Searching the place at Shah Alam was easy enaugh with google maps and once there, the reception desk immediately directed me to thrid floor and Ms. Woo. So i guess this was going to be stright forward and not wandering around like a lost puppy.
I met Ms. Woo which was a charming lady with load of adventure stories. I mean kinda expected it since if you do Carnet for a living ... only the crazy idiots and the big dreamers go for those stuff and Carnet was not something people think of unless you try to do overlanding in loads of countries.
Before we begin i got a warning .... No more Carnet to Issue they said.
Huh ??? what .... ?? means what ??
So apparently they run out of stock for the Carnet Booklet and wont be able to issue me a Carnet unless the new stock comes in.
And when will that be?
No idea was the reply. *roll eyes*
I could already see all the problems popping up in my head and all the hassle i would have to do to make this trip work, but also at the same time my head was running all kinds of scenario and alternative travel plans ...
The boon and bane of having such flexibility in travel but still it was a f*cking stab to my heart that the Carnet was not available now ... with no idea when it will be available ....
Sometime this year i asked ???
Dunnu ???
Early next year ??
Dunnu ??? It's out of her hands ..... and apparently mine too ...
If inside my heart i wanted to scream and started bulldozing like a anyone would do in Singapore, i kept a super cool composure thinking that yea sure i can make do with anything that comes my way.
For an hour Ms. Woo kept talking, taking me through the procedure of Carnet which mostly i already knew thanks to Chriss details post (link above) ... interlace with the instruction was stories, stories of how people had no idea of the inner working of Carnet and would come to her only to have their dreams blown away.
Some stories i remember was
A group got a Carnet and started their travel but during travel only got entry stamps and no exit stamps ... so their big bucks deposit is stuck since it was half done ... good luck to them
Some joker got his licence and immediately bought a bike and came to get a Carnet for he wanted to travel tomorrow .... no go for that one as well
Another thought the deposit is determine by the owner and not AAM malaysia, so a BMW deposit would be roughly RM 55000 ... awww ... no money for deposit ... dreams cancel ...
Funny thing was ... all her stories and information was already expected by me and so i was really good to go .... minus the fact she does not have the booklet to give me...
How long is the waiting list ???
Very long ...... f*ck ...
Never did think it was that popular ... guess i am not the pioneer of crazy.
So there it is ... I am stuck now ... no Carnet unless by some miricale the booklet stock arrive and all the waiting list has other commitments that i get to jump queue and by the merciful Ms. Woo would still remember me, I would get a carnet within this few months.
I am more or less f*cked .... sigh
So i have a few options left ....
1. Wait ... and PRAY .... Hope that by some Miricle i will get a Carnet in the next one month ...
2. Time to visit all the Embassy and get the permit one at a time ... so much red tapes to cross with this path
3. Just risk it ... start the journey ... reach the border and somehow ... somehow ... continue my journey ....
to be continue ......
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