How reliable are public transportation options compared to owning a car in Thailand?

[Conan The Barbarian]

I'm planning to buy a car in Thailand but I'm wondering if it's worth it. How is the maintenance and traffic? If anyone owns a vehicle here, please share your experiences and advice.

[KannikaP]

I own a vehicle here which I manage to maintain, and drive through traffic OK. I am sure there are other members here who do the same.

No wonderful experiences, or crashes, or break downs, because I always have it serviced at Main Dealer on time, every time.

A Bht 500k electric will be much cheaper to run than a 5 litre Lamborghini.

 

Now where's the sarcasm button gone !  555

Edited August 6 by KannikaP

[Will B Good]

We live in the sticks so a car is essential......if we lived in BKK I wouldn't even consider keeping it.

 

Public transport is fine within and to and from the cities.

 

If you need a car once in a while, hire one....cheap as chips.

[josephbloggs]

16 minutes ago, Conan The Barbarian said:

I'm planning to buy a car in Thailand but I'm wondering if it's worth it. How is the maintenance and traffic? If anyone owns a vehicle here, please share your experiences and advice.

It would help if you mentioned where you live. And are you single or do you have kids etc. Those two bits of information would have a huge bearing on the advice you will get.

[Conan The Barbarian]

15 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

It would help if you mentioned where you live. And are you single or do you have kids etc. Those two bits of information would have a huge bearing on the advice you will get.

I live in Bangkok currently with my family. I do have kids 
Thank you

[MalcolmB]

20 minutes ago, Conan The Barbarian said:

I live in Bangkok currently with my family. I do have kids 
Thank you

You don’t need a car.

trains, buses, taxis and wins are plentiful 

[josephbloggs]

57 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

You don’t need a car.

trains, buses, taxis and wins are plentiful 

With a family, I disagree. Although Bangkok has great (and cheap) transportation and you don't need a car, if you have one you could not imagine ever living without one again.

Off to the supermarket for a big shop. Just get in the car and go, no trying to hail taxis with bags full of shopping. Fancy taking the kids to the water park, playground, museum (yes, Bangkok has some decent ones for kids), just get in the car and go. Want to go for a weekend away, off you go. Also on the weekends away you are not reliant on how mad / tired / crazy any taxi might be, you are in control, and you have your own car seats if the kids are small.

Also consider how long rainy season lasts. You get a taxi to the supermarket, you come out and it is raining and there are no taxis to be seen.

As a single guy in central Bangkok I probably wouldn't bother. But with a family I wouldn't be without one.

[kwilco]

9 hours ago, Conan The Barbarian said:

I'm planning to buy a car in Thailand but I'm wondering if it's worth it. How is the maintenance and traffic? If anyone owns a vehicle here, please share your experiences and advice.

 

Having a car (i've owned 2 pickups and 2 motorcycle since 2003) is the best thing ever!

 

I've travelled all over the country and visited places most foreigners don't even know exist. - I also used it for work extensively every day.

 

In BKK you don't need a car for getting around town  but you do for getting OUT of town. In BKK you just need a place to keep a car when not using it.

 

Car ownership in Thailand is also relatively cheap - repairs and fuel costs are very low - and road tax and insurance are also reasonable compared to Europe.

Edited August 6 by kwilco

[Srikcir]

As an option you don't have to own a car but lease one.

Adjust to the car you need as your family dynamics change. Leasing company (Google them for Thailand) provides maintenance, insurance, registration, etc. inclusive in monthly lease. Available for ICE and EV vehicles.

[KhunLA]

If remaining in BKK, you should never really need a car, just a lot of patience.  When we visit BKK, we park our car and use public trans.   Traffic isn't worth dealing with.

 

For others not living in BKK ...

 

It's all location relative.  First 2 years here, I didn't own a car, and didn't need one.  Did have a MB, since living 16 kms outside of town, Udon Thani.   A bicycle would have been enough, as a couple local markets were there, even 24 yrs ago.   Now there's a couple 7-11s, so no real need even for a MB.

 

If owning a new car every 5-7 years as I did, or less, then it is one of your most expensive conveniences per month, just to have & operate.

 

Of course if you can drive a MB, cuts cost considerably, down to just pocket money.  Or 2nd hand car/truck, a keeper that you maintain for long time, to get money's worth.  Always bargains out there, same as everywhere in the world.

 

If in a metro area, then bus system is more than enough to get around, with a little patience.  We could easily live without a car, but it is convenient, as we still live a bit rural, sort of.

 

The only real reason we ever needed one, was convenient for daughter to go to private school, which was in town.   Lived in 2 different houses/areas while attending school, both about same distance from town/school.   Last couple years, actually had a van service take here back & forth, but had to me them, 5 kms away, on the main road to town.  Saved dealing with in town rush, and a lot of petrol costs, as daily commute was 60-70 kms a day, without the service.  Mere 20 kms a day using the van service.

 

It's all much cheaper now, car ownership with BEV.  Buying in is cheaper, car is better, operating & maintenance cost is cheaper.

 

Buy in is ~550k, instead of ~700k.

Energizing (PEA/MEA) is 12k a year, instead of 54k for petrol (20k kms yearly @ 14 kpL)

No oil changes or  tune-ups.

Edited August 7 by KhunLA

[Drumbuie]

If you live in BKK, download the BKK Rail app, Viabus for (duh) buses, learn where the canal boat bus piers are, and hook up a Grab account to your Thai bank account. 

Use the trains whenever you can ( you need a Rabbit card, an MRT card and an ARL card, then load them up) and a Grab when you can't. And the canal boats when you have time - 20 baht maximum fare :)) 

You'll see much more of Bangkok and its people, and possibly breathe less diesel fumes. Plus you'll get a little exercise. A lot of shops deliver ( Villa, Makro) or you can use GrabMart for bulky stuff.

Your kids will enjoy travel much more than being stuck in the back of a car in an almost permanent traffic jam, glued to an iPad. 

[connda]

It depends where you're driving.

If you live in a city like Bangkok I'd opt for public transportation or a motorcycle.  Traffic is horrid.  I lived in a condo in Laksi.  Short walk to catch a bus to the Skytrain.  I took public transport and walked a lot.  But that was when I first got here in 2007 and I was in exploration-mode.  I hadn't decided to actually live here.

In Chiang Mai I owned a car and a motorcycle.  Virtually all of my driving in Chiang Mai was on a motorcycle with the exception of shopping trips.  Also used the car to travel to our home in Lamphun (We had an apartment in CM - oh and "we," yeah, hooked up with the Thai gal who is now my wife of 16 years).  But for in-city driving a motorcycles gets you where you want to go significantly faster than in a car.

Now we live full time in rural Lamphun.  We need a car for weekly excursions to Big C, Makro, local trips to the Amphur and to local markets, temples, etc., outside of the village, and traveling to Chiang Mai, and for occasional day-tours and vacations such as driving down to Cha-Am.

So like I said - it depends.

 

 

Edited August 7 by connda

[oldestswinger]

21 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

You don’t need a car.

trains, buses, taxis and wins are plentiful 

I don't agree. I live on an estate in Bangkok and there is no public transport of any type within 4 kilometres. And try getting a taxi or Grab etc. during rush hours and you'll wish you had a car.

[connda]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

If remaining in BKK, you should never really need a car, just a lot of patience.  When we visit BKK, we park our car and use public trans.   Traffic isn't worth dealing with.

 

For others not living in BKK ...

 

It's all location relative.  First 2 years here, I didn't own a car, and didn't need one.  Did have a MB, since living 16 kms outside of town, Udon Thani.   A bicycle would have been enough, as a couple local markets were there, even 24 yrs ago.   Now there's a couple 7-11s, so no real need even for a MB.

 

If owning a new car every 5-7 years as I did, or less, then it is one of your most expensive conveniences per month, just to have & operate.

 

Of course if you can drive a MB, cuts cost considerably, down to just pocket money.  Or 2nd hand car/truck, a keeper that you maintain for long time, to get money's worth.  Always bargains out there, same as everywhere in the world.

 

If in a metro area, then bus system is more than enough to get around, with a little patience.  We could easily live without a car, but it is convenient, as we still live a bit rural, sort of.

 

The only real reason we ever needed one, was convenient for daughter to go to private school, which was in town.   Lived in 2 different houses/areas while attending school, both about same distance from town/school.   Last couple years, actually had a van service take here back & forth, but had to me them, 5 kms away, on the main road to town.  Saved dealing with in town rush, and a lot of petrol costs, as daily commute was 60-70 kms a day, without the service.  Mere 20 kms a day using the van service.

 

It's all much cheaper now, car ownership with BEV.  Buying in is cheaper, car is better, operating & maintenance cost is cheaper.

 

Buy in is ~550k, instead of ~700k.

Energizing (PEA/MEA) is 12k a year, instead of 54k for petrol (20k kms yearly @ 14 kpL)

No oil changes or  tune-ups.

Compared to the West, maintenance costs are dirt cheap because labor cost are dirt cheap.

Then it depends on what type I car you want.  So many people want to drive status symbols.  But what is a car?  It's something to get your from point A to point B.  I drive a Suzuki Celerio.  Cost 360K new.  I paid cash.  Get's the equivalent of 50+ miles per gallon.  Cruises easily at 90 to 100.  It's small enough to easily get around in the city when we do visit Chiang Mai.  Maintenance has been dirt cheap.  Highly reliable. So I'd recommend some type of a city car.  Easy on the pocketbook, gets you where you want to go. 

[connda]

3 minutes ago, oldestswinger said:

I don't agree. I live on an estate in Bangkok and there is no public transport of any type within 4 kilometres. And try getting a taxi or Grab etc. during rush hours and you'll wish you had a car.

Then you need a car or a motorcycle.

[Ralf001]

22 hours ago, Conan The Barbarian said:

I'm planning to buy a car in Thailand but I'm wondering if it's worth it. How is the maintenance and traffic? If anyone owns a vehicle here, please share your experiences and advice.

 

Have a car licence already ?

[OneMoreFarang]

I always had a car back home. And I never had a car in Thailand. I don't need one and IMHO it is more headache then useful - at least for me.

 

I live in the middle of Bangkok. Mostly I use my own motorcycle. Sometimes I use motorcycle taxis and seldom I use taxi cars.

If I have to transport anything I prefer taxis. Just pick one and go. And at the destination go out, done. No parking problems, ever.

And it is easy to take a motorcycle one way and a taxi, with something to transport, the other way.

 

A friend visited golf courses all over the place and he bought a car to conveniently get there and back. That sounded reasonable.

[KhunLA]

13 minutes ago, connda said:

Compared to the West, maintenance costs are dirt cheap because labor cost are dirt cheap.

Then it depends on what type I car you want.  So many people want to drive status symbols.  But what is a car?  It's something to get your from point A to point B.  I drive a Suzuki Celerio.  Cost 360K new.  I paid cash.  Get's the equivalent of 50+ miles per gallon.  Cruises easily at 90 to 100.  It's small enough to easily get around in the city when we do visit Chiang Mai.  Maintenance has been dirt cheap.  Highly reliable. So I'd recommend some type of a city car.  Easy on the pocketbook, gets you where you want to go. 

If my back was a bit more flexible, and less highway driving, I'd get a NETA V, they're 429k now, or 409k if you can find old stock from CH.

 

If NETA V wasn't so cheap, could even get a Wuling AIR, 375K I think, but lower spec'd and for a few baht more, step up to the NETA.   Transportation just doesn't get much cheaper, unless going the scooter route, which we went with E-MC for that.  Even cheaper and a pleasure to drive.

[connda]

13 minutes ago, connda said:

Compared to the West, maintenance costs are dirt cheap because labor cost are dirt cheap.

Then it depends on what type I car you want.  So many people want to drive status symbols.  But what is a car?  It's something to get your from point A to point B.  I drive a Suzuki Celerio.  Cost 360K new.  I paid cash.  Get's the equivalent of 50+ miles per gallon.  Cruises easily at 90 to 100.  It's small enough to easily get around in the city when we do visit Chiang Mai.  Maintenance has been dirt cheap.  Highly reliable. So I'd recommend some type of a city car.  Easy on the pocketbook, gets you where you want to go. 

 

Note the laughing emoticon posted by someone who drives a status symbol     👆👆👆👆
Dude is probably paying off a couple of million THB of car debt plus interest.
Me - I take my saving from purchasing an inexpensive car and invest in stocks and bonds.
Me when I think about people who are highly in debt for no good reason 👉  😁
He who laughs last laughs best! 

[connda]

2 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

If my back was a bit more flexible, and less highway driving, I'd get a NETA V, they're 429k now, or 409k if you can find old stock from CH.

 

If NETA V wasn't so cheap, could even get a Wuling AIR, 375K I think, but lower spec'd and for a few baht more, step up to the NETA.   Transportation just doesn't get much cheaper, unless going the scooter route, which we went with E-MC for that.  Even cheaper and a pleasure to drive.

Hey KhunLA.  Do you know anything about really inexpensive electric cars for village driving.  Those Micro-compact EVs.  I've seen them on the road but have no idea the make or where to buy them. 

[KhunLA]

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I always had a car back home. And I never had a car in Thailand. I don't need one and IMHO it is more headache then useful - at least for me.

 

I live in the middle of Bangkok. Mostly I use my own motorcycle. Sometimes I use motorcycle taxis and seldom I use taxi cars.

If I have to transport anything I prefer taxis. Just pick one and go. And at the destination go out, done. No parking problems, ever.

And it is easy to take a motorcycle one way and a taxi, with something to transport, the other way.

 

A friend visited golf courses all over the place and he bought a car to conveniently get there and back. That sounded reasonable.

Agree, and our car is an expensive convenience, relative of course, actual cost per month, just to sit in the carport.   If we had to pay for petrol, and was on a budget, I doubt if we'd drive more than a few 1000 kms a year.

 

Drive about 5k kms a year, around town, and most of that is unnecessary, and just the dog taking me for my morning walk at the park or surf, which can be done, right down our soi.  8-15 kms a day, just to get our Vit D, and drop a landmine somewhere 

[novacova]

22 hours ago, Conan The Barbarian said:

I live in Bangkok currently with my family. I do have kids 
Thank you

Personally wouldn’t be without a car. We have two cars and three motorcycles between the two of us, couldn’t imagine not having either for whatever practical purposes. 

[bunnydrops]

Too many factors. Do you have a family? Kids? Live in town or out in the sticks? Don't mind waiting in the rain or hot sun for a ride. I live rural and use the train to ride into the nearest cities (1 1/2 and 3 hrs away) and then the local transits if I am going to stay for more than a day. Locally I ride a bike as I am only 2 km from town WHEN it doesn't rain. I have a car similar to connda for the times I want to drive.

[KhunLA]

11 minutes ago, connda said:

Hey KhunLA.  Do you know anything about really inexpensive electric cars for village driving.  Those Micro-compact EVs.  I've seen them on the road but have no idea the make or where to buy them. 

Most aren't lithium batteries.   Thought crossed my mind a few times, as the one, iMio was something like 259k for top 'SUV' model

 

 

 If the Wuling had the govt incentive before we bought the ZS, I probably would have bought that instead of the BEV version of the ZS, as we loved our ICE version.

 

But with the better spec'd NETA V, it's well worth the extra 50-75k for that over the Wuling AIR, the only mini I would consider.

Edited August 7 by KhunLA

[Gottfrid]

22 hours ago, Conan The Barbarian said:

I live in Bangkok currently with my family. I do have kids 
Thank you

In that situation owning a car will give you more freedom. Economically, with that many people as you say kids it´s a minimum of 4 people. 

4 people on Skytrain from Ploenchit to Mor Chit would roughly cost 130 - 150 baht one way. Of course there are discount cards to buy. However, the cost of driving will be much smaller. The backside will be time and traffic congestion.

Also when going on long trips, I have found that 4 in the car will be almost equal like bus tickets. In that case you get there more quick with car option and also have the freedom to stop eat where you like.

[Will B Good]

One other aspect, to at least consider. is cost versus convenience.

 

All tolled, road tax, insurance, maintenance, repairs, fuel, expressway fees, parking fees and the two biggly ones.....depreciation and the lost opportunity cost of capital.....I would get a taxi everywhere......staggeringly cheap (and no hassle parking)

[khunPer]

On 8/6/2024 at 5:55 AM, Conan The Barbarian said:

I'm planning to buy a car in Thailand but I'm wondering if it's worth it. How is the maintenance and traffic? If anyone owns a vehicle here, please share your experiences and advice.

It's really depending of where you live and your lifestyle; i.e., what you need of transportation. Some places, like Bangkok, public transportation might be better than having your own car.

 

Second hand car are relative expensive to buy as maintenance labour is cheap. It's of course a question of economy, but as a new smaller car can be bought from around 500,000 baht including warranty, it's worth considering that, instead of paying 300,000 baht or more for a 10-year old vehicle.

 

It's relative easy to get a car serviced; relative easy, as it's again a question of where you live. In a village near Nakhon Nowhere a brand name repair shop, like for example at Toyota shop, might be some distance away.

 

My first owned car in Thailand was an 11-year old second hand and cheap to keep running, using a local repair shop for service. At a point the age of the car made some more major service soon necessary, so I decide to shift to a brand new car. I got one third of my initial second hand price back for a car that I've used for eight years.

 

If you live somewhere, where it's essential with a car for, for example shopping, it might be cheaper to own one than paying taxi or song thaew every time, if those are available at all. It's quite simple math to calculate the costs of public transportation and taxis compared to buying a car; fuel use with for example 10 kilometres per litre; insurance and tax, with can be everything between mandatory insurance and road tax for around 1,500 baht per year, to a first class insurance that might end up close to 20,000 baht per year; service for around 5,000 baht average per year, but more for an old car. Furthermore, it a question of comfort, and how much one is willing to pay for that.

 

Traffic – and if you are not used to left side driving, chose a car with automatic gear – is also depending of where you drive. However, a car is manyfold more safe than motorbike; more than 70% of fatal accidents are people on motorbike and around 8% are pedestrians. Despite of the chaotic traffic, Bangkok is actually one of the safest places in fatal accidents, while Rayong are among the top of fatal accidents. However, fatal numbers might be calculated different – dead on the spot only, or dead after 30 days later included – placing other destinations high on fatal the list, for example Koh Samui.

 

I've been driving in Thailand since 2001 – both up rural north and on fatal Koh Samui – and so far survived. Personally I would find it uncomfortable to live here without a car.

[BangkokReady]

Your title asks about public transport, then your post asks about owning a car.  Did you want to hear about both?

[1FinickyOne]

On 8/6/2024 at 11:29 AM, Conan The Barbarian said:

I live in Bangkok currently with my family. I do have kids 
Thank you

You are probably best off taking the sky train - for the rare times you want to go away, you might consider renting a car but public transportation is pretty good, even for going out of town. 

[brianthainess]

Cost of Keeping a a car here for me works  averaged out, over the years, about 20k a year, Private insurance a must as far as I'm concerned about 10k a year, new 'cheap' tyres, oil changed at 10k km , CV oil changed 30k km, the rest I do myself, if a lift is not needed.