Buying a car in Cambodia vs Vietnam

[brownexile]

I intend to travel frequently between the 2 countries.

Which is a better place to buy a (used) car in?

And what paperwork would I need when driving to either country from the other?

[starkmonster]

You are better off buying it in Vietnam. They are way more expensive there, but the Cambodian side will let Vietnamese cars in, the Vietnamese only allows a small number of Cambodian registered cars in per day and those spots are reserved for Cambodian big wigs.

I've never known anyone who has successfully taken their Cambodian registered car to Vietnam.

[YaTingPom]

More expensive!

Oh my bhudda.

[lurcio]

Don't know if it will interest you but Angkor Air are starting flights from SHV to HCMC on 17th June from $95.50 return.

[black69wolf69]

You are better off buying it in Vietnam. They are way more expensive there, but the Cambodian side will let Vietnamese cars in, the Vietnamese only allows a small number of Cambodian registered cars in per day and those spots are reserved for Cambodian big wigs.

I've never known anyone who has successfully taken their Cambodian registered car to Vietnam.

That contradicts what I've been told and personally observed. While one can usually spot the odd Vietnamese registration in Phnom Penh, it's relatively rare - driving around the city I usually spot at most 2 or 3. According to customs at Moc Bai, even armed with the right documents to exit Vietnam, one needs to pay a lot of money, reportedly something like $200 to enter Cambodia with a Vietnamese car. There may be exceptions for those known to customs, but for your average joe, you can't just show up and expect to be allowed to cross without some difficulties. At least at Moc Bai. No idea about smaller crossings, which may or may not be easier.

Yet I always see numerous Cambodian registrations in Vietnam, including quite a number driving in and out of Vietnam at the Moc Bai crossing, many of which are driven by ordinary looking Cambodian men and women driving used Lexuses and pickups, rarely anything fancy. My Vietnamese friend claims the only official way of driving a Vietnamese car to Cambodia is to get a document called a "Laos-Cambodia-Vietnam car passport" that requires one to also pass through Laos in at least one direction. This sounds odd and fraught with uncertainty, because the Cambodian customs people at the Laos-Cambodia border make it quite difficult for any non-Cambodian vehicle to enter there, exiting for Laos seems to be more straightforward.