Importing hardwood/old wood from LAOS PDR

[aircut]

I wonder if anyone had have the experience of importing raw materials from laos and would be willing to share tips and sources.
thanks

[cymru]

before it was illegal to import un-processed wood from Laos, only process wood was allowed like furniture etc, they did have a few ways around this, putting 4 legs on a 20ft long log and calling it a outdoor bench, money still had to pass under the table

Not sure if it is still the same but was not easy before (this was about 4 years ago)

[the dogcatcher]

The only thing I've ever imported is valium and ganja.
Smuggle it by boat from Samphana to Sangkom.
Have to pay the police though.

[Necron99]

A dark road, a moonless overcast night, a big fast black truck and lots of brown envelopes.

[jamescollister]

Live on the Lao land border, border soldiers, police and forestry road blocks. Get caught with un documented lumber, you go to jail.
Can't pay everyone off, can drop a bit off grease to a local cop or border soldier to move wood from one village to another. Any distance and they are not interested, you may get stopped by another agency, then you and the person you paid go to jail, cop or soldier no difference. The guys from BKK come up and they don't care what local uniform you wear.

Would say 5 to 10 locals from our village go off to the monkey house every year, one off the cousins is on bail at the moment. He's looking at 12 months.

Another thing to remember is Thais unlike western crimes give everybody up, Jim

[MeMock]

I have transported logs across the border from Laos to Thailand before. I organised a CITES certificate before hand. It was a bit of a hassle but doable. No money changed hands at the border.

I have also brought smaller pieces across with no CITES (A pick up load) played dumb and got it across although I wont do that again. Once again no money changed hands.

[Ratchaburi]

Welcome MeMock it is good to see you posting again.

[jamescollister]

I have transported logs across the border from Laos to Thailand before. I organised a CITES certificate before hand. It was a bit of a hassle but doable. No money changed hands at the border.

I have also brought smaller pieces across with no CITES (A pick up load) played dumb and got it across although I wont do that again. Once again no money changed hands.

You got lucky. we had a lot of outside cops/ forestry or what ever out here. mid last year. Channel 3 news had been up filming a show on illegal logging. They arrested everyone, presume you drove the 2248 home. Just recently had a bunch of cops doing road blocks on the 2248, never seen them before. Look like normal cops, guns and pickup police cars. Turn out to be agriculture police, some bird flue scare.
they detained a few illegal wood movements.
Luck comes into it.

By the way Memock, been banned from TV for life, posted some facts about one of their sponsors. Jim

[Necron99]

Can't leave it at that James, spill it.

[jamescollister]

Can't leave it at that James, spill it.

Probaly would be banned from here as well. One of TV sponsors
on the legal side. Is not only giving advice on home ownership, that could see the farang in handcuffs, but is also a convicted killer [ not in Thailand ] When I and another poster put some facts up, they were deleted in minutes. We were banned for posting the truth. Jim

[Necron99]

Have to step pretty far off the reservation to get banned here.
I liked your posts here and there, keep it going. How's the eye?

[Prem]

Can't leave it at that James, spill it.

Probaly would be banned from here as well. One of TV sponsors
on the legal side. Is not only giving advice on home ownership, that could see the farang in handcuffs, but is also a convicted killer [ not in Thailand ] When I and another poster put some facts up, they were deleted in minutes. We were banned for posting the truth. Jim

===========================
Ah , that law office in Esan again. What was the name again of that office.
At least that owner had some practical experiences.

[MeMock]

I have transported logs across the border from Laos to Thailand before. I organised a CITES certificate before hand. It was a bit of a hassle but doable. No money changed hands at the border.

I have also brought smaller pieces across with no CITES (A pick up load) played dumb and got it across although I wont do that again. Once again no money changed hands.

You got lucky. we had a lot of outside cops/ forestry or what ever out here. mid last year. Channel 3 news had been up filming a show on illegal logging. They arrested everyone, presume you drove the 2248 home. Just recently had a bunch of cops doing road blocks on the 2248, never seen them before. Look like normal cops, guns and pickup police cars. Turn out to be agriculture police, some bird flue scare.
they detained a few illegal wood movements.
Luck comes into it.

By the way Memock, been banned from TV for life, posted some facts about one of their sponsors. Jim

I got lucky at the border the 2nd time yes. As you know I have driven the 2248 many times but never have I been stopped.

The other time with my CITES paperwork I just needed a lot of patience. Took me four attempts to cross the border and had to spend an extra night in Vientiane. On one page in my passport I have four Laos exit stamps but only one entry into Thailand stamp.

Yes I heard on TV that you got a nose or 2 out of joint. Do a search on teak door for the murdering lawyer you were talking about as I remember a while ago there been quite some discussion about him.

[mikem]

Before the border was open we used to bring in yellow colored timber across the small border river in Loei. Anything went then & I believe it still does.

[aircut]

mikem, can you expand on the legal way to do so? would it be much cheaper than getting the wood here in thailand?

[MeMock]

Can you get CITES for your wood aircut? If so, then you should not have any problems. If you are only doing it for a small amount of wood to save a few $$ then I wouldn't bother with it.

[mikem]

mikem, can you expand on the legal way to do so? would it be much cheaper than getting the wood here in thailand?

There was no thought of doing it legally as there weren't any border controls. That area around ThaLi is still wide open. It used to be used for everything such as snake skins for the boot stores down on Sukamvit I believe it it used to bring in drugs now.

One way of getting timber cheaper in Thailand is to buy a timber home. There are still old homes for sale up around eastern Payao area, Pong etc.

[jamescollister]

mikem, can you expand on the legal way to do so? would it be much cheaper than getting the wood here in thailand?

There was no thought of doing it legally as there weren't any border controls. That area around ThaLi is still wide open. It used to be used for everything such as snake skins for the boot stores down on Sukamvit I believe it it used to bring in drugs now.

One way of getting timber cheaper in Thailand is to buy a timber home. There are still old homes for sale up around eastern Payao area, Pong etc.

Won't work out here, you can transport un documented hard wood even if it is a 100 year old stilt house.
Don't know the go in other areas, but here you can commit murder and one cares, but moving lumber, get caught and you go to jail.

Shoot to kill policy for illegal non Thai loggers here and down on the Cambo border. Think I read the body count was 52 for the Cambodia side, no one keeps count on the Lao side. Jim