InReach Mini in SE Asia?

Hey everyone, I’m traveling to Laos this summer for work and want to bring my InReach Mini 2 with me as I may be traveling around the countryside. Garmin notes on their website that satellite phones and GPS devices are illegal or restricted in certain countries. Thailand and Vietnam are on this list, and all flights to Laos connect through Bangkok or Hanoi. I’m not keen on getting arrested, so does anybody have experience with local rules there? I’ll only be having a layover in either airport, and I won’t have access to the InReach as it’ll be in my checked luggage. I was thinking of contacting both embassies to get some sort of exemption letter since I am only transporting it to Laos and it will never leave the customs area in Vietnam or Thailand. What do you guys think? Should I just leave it at home?

If you’re not going through customs it shouldn’t be a problem, but keep it in your carryon (batteries in checked luggage is an actual issue).

In the very unlikely case that you need to go through customs or otherwise get searched, just play the dumb tourist. Unlike DPRK/Iran/Russia they aren’t looking to lockup tourists on a technicality for hostage diplomacy. The absolute worst they’ll do is confiscate it.

I haven’t been to Thailand recently, but the last time I was there customs didn’t even inspect my bags. 

By "both embassies" do you mean the US embassies in Bangkok and Hanoi? If so, it might make more sense to contact a Thai or Vietnamese consulate (or the consular section of the Thai/Vietnamese embassies to this country) . I wouldn't expect a Thai or Vietnamese customs person to be too impressed by an exemption letter from the US government.

Ship(mail) the inreach to wherever you are staying in Laos and have the shipper deal with customs if necessary. 

I ran into that issue flying thru India a few years ago. Carry-on bag was never searched. Very unlikely it will be an issue. Trying to get embassy permission sounds like way more trouble than it’s worth.
I had a month in Thailand on that same trip but didn’t know about the restrictions, ignorance is bliss. 

mark felber wrote:

By "both embassies" do you mean the US embassies in Bangkok and Hanoi? If so, it might make more sense to contact a Thai or Vietnamese consulate (or the consular section of the Thai/Vietnamese embassies to this country) . I wouldn't expect a Thai or Vietnamese customs person to be too impressed by an exemption letter from the US government.

Consular section at Thai and Vietnamese embassies in DC

Eli W wrote:

If you’re not going through customs it shouldn’t be a problem, but keep it in your carryon (batteries in checked luggage is an actual issue).

In the very unlikely case that you need to go through customs or otherwise get searched, just play the dumb tourist. Unlike DPRK/Iran/Russia they aren’t looking to lockup tourists on a technicality for hostage diplomacy. The absolute worst they’ll do is confiscate it.

I haven’t been to Thailand recently, but the last time I was there customs didn’t even inspect my bags. 

Thanks, I didn’t realize that it has a lithium battery instead of AAA or similar. Sounds like they are likely not too concerned.

Jared Angle wrote:

Consular section at Thai and Vietnamese embassies in DC

My bad, I misunderstood your original post.

Dear All

 As I am an admin for Sattelite Phone user group in Thailand.  I am using Isatphone 2 and no one care about import or export at all.  Isatphone 2 is selling on the commercial website in Thailand too.

https://www.marinethai.net/en/product/isatphone-2/
http://www.isystemonline.com/products_detail/view/6903220
https://www.lazada.co.th/products/inmarsat-satellite-phone-model-isat-phone-2-pre-paid-i4249282323-s16813330257.html?spm=a2o4m.tm80167383.2074280300.1.319dEiQhEiQhS0.319dEiQhEiQhS0
https://shopee.co.th/product/51098766/1620560125?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwbitBhDIARIsABfFYIKH0ZGi0ZGRwhx4VYTpqraw8PICYxFZ-fMBfz98uhf20Qt0MVBbRDgaAutrEALw_wcB

So NBTC (Like FCC in US) they never check all these store about this device at all.