An Afghan border-patrol officer looks suspiciously at Kitti Nilthanom, his team and their vehicles and asks them if they are carrying drugs or ammunition over the border. Kitti struggles desperately to explain to the guard that they are passing over the border to travel the world by car. The guard returns an almost comical look of disbelief.

This is the life of Kitti, now managing director of Transasia Route. He started his company as a result of a dream to travel the world. At the Afghan border he was finally allowed to cross with the help of a translator, who explained their intentions to the border patrol. It is this sort of courage that helped Kitti make the decision to start his travel company.

Tranasia plans driving routes for its customers from Thailand to anywhere in the world. The company provides support with staff and also rents out its vehicles to customers. Most of the routes now undertaken by the company are from Thailand to nearby destinations like Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Tibet, Burma and Vietnam, but Kitti has also organised trips to South Africa. Customers fly to a certain country and then start driving there.

"Over 12 years ago I started off-roading on weekends while working in a bank. After doing that for over two years I wanted to travel further. One day I came across a sign at the Thai border that read '700km to Kunming in China', and I started wondering if it was that easy to cross national borders by car. I then started doing trips to nearby countries. Later a dream grew within me to travel the world by car," Kitti says.

In 2000, Kitti struggled to find sponsors to support his trip, but finally - with four friends and after selling his car - he set out to see the world on four wheels.

The trip saw him travel through to India, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the United States and Canada. The last part of the trip to Australia and New Zealand was cancelled due to lack of funds.

"If it weren't for this trip, I wouldn't be brave enough to start this company and quit my job at the bank, which actually paid me quite well. For me it was important to follow my dream, although almost everyone I knew stood against me. Now it is six years since I formed my company, and I want to show my customers the beauty of other lands. Due to my in-depth experience, travelling customers can be assured that safety will be guaranteed," Kitti says.

The biggest problem with travelling by four wheels over borders is the documentation that is required for the vehicles. Some countries are very strict about this, and knowing what is needed and how to pay off a border patrolman is crucial. Another problem is a vehicle breaking down in a country you are not familiar with.

Packages offered by the company range from Bt7,000 to Bt200,000 per head, depending on the distance and the type of hotels that customers would like to stay at. Most common trips are taken to nearby places like Laos and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Most customers use their own vehicles to travel and let the company handle all the documentation required for border crossing.

Kitti adds that although plenty of customers want to go on such a trip, many cannot find the time to do so. Some trips take more than 40 days to complete.

He says the Thai mentality also creates a barrier for customers and many hesitate to go, as they cannot speak English. But he says this is not a problem, as tour guides will accompany the team the whole way.

Due to limited time, customers who want to drive to distant countries fly to them and then drive around there. The company manages all the logistics required for the trip.

According to Kitti, among the most beautiful places that are worth visiting on four wheels are southern China for its natural untouched beauty, India for its vibrant culture in each state, Lhasa in Tibet for its mystical nature and Canada for its lakes and mountainous landscape.

 The Tranasia team consists of only seven people and extra employees are hired as freelancers when large projects are taken up. Kitti - who has invested more than Bt10 million in the business - says that as they pass through every country a local guide in the region always joins them.

Kitti adds that his dream is to be the first choice when someone thinks of taking a trip outside Thailand by vehicle. The main problem is that the business has to build by word of mouth and very few people know about it, though more are becoming open to the idea.

More information about the packages provided by Transasia can be found at its website, www.transasiaroute.com, and the company can be contacted at (02) 926 1503.

Vijo Varghese

The Nation