Hi from UK (I ride UK to China) & hope also China - UK

Hi, Great to find a good China moto forum! I've rode to China from UK, (also driving my moto support truck) UK to China - UK,
(Xinjiang to Beijing as well as down to Laos & Thailand) Will be nice to share some stories, photos, info with other travellers in / going to / from China
I'll be travelling through Bishkek, to the Torugart Pass & Kashgar, in September 2017, supporting some moto riders who are going to ride through China. Also looking to help organise and assist any China based riders who might want to ride their bikes from China to Europe, aim to do this each September time. I know it's hard to plan such a journey, (i've been doing these trips myself since 2009) especially using the smaller cc bikes. I'd love to look at some projects to do a smaller cc trip as well. I run a support truck, carry all the spares, bike tools, tyres etc, hope it will make it more possible for some more riders to ride their bikes from China to Europe & UK! here's the 800 I first rode there, 2009.Attachment 19081

You're riding between China and UK regularly since 2009?!?!?

Yes, missed an odd year! but there's always a few riders do the trip, UK to China, try to run it once per year, we always leave UK early August, take 30 days ride to China, via Russia/Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan, 27 days to ride through China, this year guys will exit to Laos & Thailand.
I just go up to China, at Torugart this year, then turn round and travel back (via Georgia/Turkey & the Med/Balkans)

Impressive annual ride! What do you do to deal with all the paperwork? I understand it is easier than a few years ago to get a bike into China, and back out, but since '09? I recall several people here on mychinamoto and Horizonsunlimited buying a Chinese bike and riding that around without a proper Chinese license since there were less bikes overall meaning less police hassles combined with many police officers not hassling tourists; that seemed to change when bikes became (too) popular and many people were getting injured and killed riding them. Not to mention pollution. By '09, you must have worked out the hassles (I am writing about '05/'06)?

This is amazing! I'd love to do that ride too. I'v always wanted to visit China and I've been learning a little Mandarin. Do you stay in hotels or do you camp?

Thailand changed the rules/regulations on vehicles overlanding through Thailand starting from approx. June 2016. Motorcycles must apply approx. 6 weeks minimum in advance for approval to enter Thailand subject to a number of requirements including obtaining comprehensive insurance, an approved travel guide, and more. The maximum time allowed for the foreign plated/registered motorcycle in Thailand is 30 days.

There are provisions through reciprocal agreements that allow some freedom of movement of motorcycles plated/registered from neighbouring SE Asian countries where there are legal agreements in place e.g. Malaysia.

Ch!na doesn't have such an agreement with Thailand. This past 2017 Chinese New Year and Spring Festival saw few if any PRC plated vehicles in northern Thailand, which is quite a contrast to previous years.

During the 2017 Chinese New Year there were many PRC plated vehicles being driven around Laos (more so than previous years), or parked in large parking lots near the Laos-Thailand international border crossings such as Chiang Khong. The occupants of the latter group took buses into Thailand, though I wonder how significant the numbers were, given the new Thai regulations.

Understandably the Thailand Authority of Thailand (TAT) has worried how the new regulations might impact the Chinese tourists overlanding (self drive) from the PRC and have attempted to have the relevant Thai authorities relax some of the policies.

There are fairly lengthy threads on the subject on other forums...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bikerdoc

Motorcycles must apply approx. 6 weeks minimum in advance for approval to enter Thailand subject to a number of requirements including obtaining comprehensive insurance, an approved travel guide, and more. The maximum time allowed for the foreign plated/registered motorcycle in Thailand is 30 days.

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Enraging that they make this kind of hoop jumping bureaucracy for motorcycles when the reason that the laws were implemented was due to thousands of honking, myopic self-centered Chinese car/SUV driving twats causing death, injury and mayhem in northern Thailand.

'We're here to kill your cat'.
'Why?'
'Dog attack in the Park, a small child was torn apart'.
'But I own a cat not a dog!'
'Shut up, its got teeth and claws'.

^I'm with you on that ZMC888 and we're not alone in that thinking. Many overlanders have been caught out with the implementation of the new laws/regulations.

Unfortunately the Thailand authorities couldn't be seen as singling out one cultural or ethic group which would smack of discrimination, therefore the rule change had to be all encompassing.

It seems that in pursuit of capitalist returns (money) many are willing to turn the other cheek where once this wouldn't have been the case.

It seems many of us are willing to sell our souls to the middle kingdo0m... for what?

More of the same BS emanating from the middle kingdo0m. It's going to come at a price.
Are we the collective willing to pay the price.
It seems so.
Like a juggernaut on steroids with no brakes...

YMMV

Interesting thread.
But let's not take this thread to far and people getting all excited about this guy riding from the UK to China every year for the last donkeys years ?
Just check out when he joined MCM and when was his last activity was?

Looks like 1 more passing train in the night who "could " be talking a load of bullshit.

I think Culcune got the size of this guy back in January but was just being nice with his post.