Overland Journal Day 173–185: Crossing the Border & Central Thailand Road Trip

Overlanding Thailand and crossing the border from Cambodia with your own car isn’t easy. But thanks to good prep, we make it through to continue our overland expedition to Singapore. We dive into Bangkok life while the 4Runner gets an upgrade, head north into monsoon rains for waterfalls and night safaris in Khao Yai National Park, and explore ancient, crowd-free temples in Ayutthaya. But after days of rain, it’s time to chase sunshine again. On to the islands!

Strict rules for overlanding Thailand

It might sound easy, but driving your own car into Thailand comes with a lot of rules. Since 2016, the country has regulations similar to China’s: technically, you need a guide, a local car insurance and a stack of paperwork to enter.

In reality? Those rules aren’t always enforced. Many overlanders take their chances and show up at the border, hoping for the best. So do we. Please note: we entered Thailand in September 2024. From what we’ve heard, it’s gotten a lot trickier since then.

Luckily, we come prepared. With help from David Goodchild of The Plodd Stop – an overland campsite in Thailand – we sort out all the required documents beforehand. He knows the system inside out and tells us exactly which border post to try. It changes all the time, so local advice is gold. On his tip, we aim for a small countryside crossing in northwest Cambodia. Other overlanders got through here recently. Let’s hope we’re next.

Crossing the border into Thailand with your own car

At the Cambodian side, we’re turned around right away. A stamp is missing from our car’s import form. “Just grab it at the customs office down the road,” they say casually. Turns out “down the road” means 15 kilometers away in another village. Two hours later, stamp in hand, we try again. Step one: done.

Now the real challenge begins. At the Thai side, we’re bounced between desks while officials eye us and our foreign car with suspicion. A few even try to squeeze out a “fee.” But we hold our ground. No bribes here. Eventually, they give in and start processing our paperwork the official way.

One catch: copies. Lots of them. Every document needs to be duplicated multiple times. So off we go to the local supermarket, where we spend several hours battling a cranky copy machine.

Three hours of bureaucratic chaos later, we’re cleared. Surprisingly, no final inspection, no gate, no security check. We’re driving our Dutch car in Thailand! It’s surreal. Thousands of kilometers from home, and somehow we’re cruising on the left side of the road past signs that say, “Caution, elephant crossing.” Hello, Thailand.

Cockroaches, doctors and car workshops in Bangkok

With One Night in Bangkok blasting from the speakers, we roll into Thailand’s capital. Finding a hotel takes hours. We’re looking for good reviews, metro access, and enough space for our 4×4. Eventually we spot something that sounds almost too good to be true. And well, it is.

The place looks great at first, but it doesn’t take long before we notice the problem. Dozens of baby cockroaches are running around the room. We grab our stuff and get out as fast as we can. In the end, we stay a bit further from the city center. It’s not ideal, but at least there’s room for the car.

The first few days in Bangkok are all about hospital visits. Luckily, a good ENT doctor quickly figures out what’s going on with Charelle’s ear. The pain finally starts to fade.

At the same time, we try to arrange some maintenance for the car. That turns into a massive headache. In two days, we visit six different car workshops. Everywhere, we’re either turned away or completely misunderstood. Hardly anyone speaks English and no one wants to touch a foreign vehicle. It’s clear we’re not getting anywhere.

Just as we’re about to give up, we spot a huge Ironman 4×4 shop by the road. Of course we pull over. The suspension we had fitted in Turkey was Ironman 4×4 too, so who knows what we might find here. At the very least, it could give us some fresh inspiration.

Saved by Ironman 4×4 Thailand

What a lucky find this turns out to be. The owner speaks fluent English, is excited about our overland trip from the Netherlands, and is happy to help with everything we want done to the car. While we’re at it, we also swap out the rear shocks and springs – at half the price we paid in Turkey and a third of what it would cost back home.

Here’s what we get done:

• Rear shock absorbers and springs replaced
• Front and rear stabilizer bar bushings replaced
• Right rear wishbone replaced
• Rust removed and rear door + bumper resprayed
• Full polish of the entire car

Total cost? Just €900. All in. Yep, really. You just have to drive to Thailand for it…

The 4Runner’s in the shop for a few days, so we’ve got time to soak up Bangkok all over again. It’s our second visit, and honestly? This city might just be our favorite on the planet. One minute we’re sipping iced lattes in a trendy little café, the next we’re wandering barefoot through golden temples. Rooftop bars buzz after dark, while street stalls dish out steaming Pad Thai for the price of a bottled water back home. Bangkok’s got everything. We catch ourselves thinking that we could totally live here. One day, maybe.

Khao Yai during monsoon season

After two weeks in Bangkok and with the 4Runner back in top shape, we hit the road again. Destination: Khao Yai National Park. The only problem? It’s the middle of rainy season, and that becomes clear from the first kilometer. Buckets of rain pour from the sky as we drive north.

Khao Yai turns out to be full of cheeky macaques, chilling on the road like nothing’s going on. We stop for a short hike to a wild, roaring waterfall with the ominous nickname “The Elephant Killer.” In the past, elephants were swept away by the current and plunged sixty meters down. These days, there are sturdy poles in the river to prevent that from happening. Still, the name sticks with us.

Our plan to do a night safari seems doomed. The skies open up completely. No drizzle, no shower, but full-blown tropical chaos. Power outages, strong winds, thunder, lightning. But the rangers are not impressed. We’re handed ponchos and sent off into the storm in a safari car.

No elephants in sight, but plenty of other wildlife. Deer, porcupines, hornbills, and foxes cross our path. Despite the weather, the jungle feels alive. We sleep in a lodge deep inside the park, surrounded by jungle sounds. When we wake up, we’re greeted by a massive family of monkeys. And no, we’re not talking about each other.

Temple hopping in Ayutthaya

Khao Yai marks the northernmost point of our overlanding Thailand road trip. From here, we start heading south again, with Singapore still as the final destination. Just a few hours down the road lies Ayutthaya, the former capital of Thailand.

To be honest, we don’t know much about it before arriving. Temples, sure. Some ancient ruins, okay. But can anything still impress after Angkor? Turns out, yes!

Across the city’s historical center, we find beautifully crumbling temple ruins. They rise up between regular buildings like reminders of a different time. Thanks to the rainy season, the streets are quiet. We stroll past weathered stone towers and calm Buddha statues, often with the place entirely to ourselves. Temple after temple surprises us. Each with its own charm.

By late afternoon, the rain really starts coming down. So we take it as our cue. Enough temples for now. Time to head south, where the forecast looks a little brighter. Tropical islands are calling.

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