Bangkok Residents With A Car

[chivo]

A question for Bangkok residents who have bought a car.

Especially those who don't need to drive to work.

Have you found the car useful or in hindsight we're you better of taking public transport and inexpensive taxis around?

The thought of having a car for weekend trips to the market and a few rural holidays a year has crossed my mind.

But i wonder if it just makes more sense renting for the holidays and taking taxis to markets (no need to park, pay for repairs, insurance, etc.)

so which is more convenient for you? having a car in your driveway ready to go, or a chauffered taxi?

[skippybangkok]

Guess how long is a string ?

The answer is simple - do u need it and can u afford it (Capital / Upkeep /tolls /fuel etc). If living on the outskirts of BKK, will come in handy. If close to BTS, and your main destinations are close - no need i guess. (when living in Thonglor, never used the car much - used the BTS alot ).

[jdinasia]

The car is the best purchase we have made (well, that he has made). The things the car opens up for us are awesome! Feel like a dinner out on the coast at the last minute? Do it! Want to go to the AmPaWa market .. go! A ride to kanchanaburi then up to the waterfalls? Have a great weekend!

[unomi]

I only use my car when I am going somewhere outside of Bangkok, and even then more likely than not i will use other forms of transportation out of convenience.

[Gary A]

I lived outside of Bangkok and really had no choice but to have a car. Getting to work would have been VERY difficult without the car.

HOWEVER, when I got inside Bangkok, I was very happy to find somewhere to park and use public transportation, normally taxis. If I wouldn't have been working, no way would I have owned a car.

[LivinLOS]

I have 2 mates in BKK that both have cars.. Both cars have a solid layer of dust on them and dont seem to ever get used.. Part of the desire to have them was the freedom to drive between Bangkok and Phuket where they also stay but having driven it once or twice now they cant be bothered.. A once a month golf trip to Hua hin hardly makes sense to own one.

Both of them live right downtown tho and close to BTS's..

[dominique355]

Oh boy! Have you ever tried Public Transport in Bangkok? I guess not, otherwise you would not ask such a question. Of course, if you live in the Sukhumvit or Sathorn/Silom area, you can use BTS, but for the rest of the city ... well, you better get a car. Otherwise you won't leave your home anymore soon.

It's an absolute necessity to have a car in Bangkok, Public Transport incl. taxi is simply no alternative here.

We have 2 cars and make some 40'000 km per year in total. That includes trips to the ocean and upcountry of course.

[yabaaaa]

I bought a car 3 weeks a go for my wife to get to and from her business more easily and to do the cleaning etc. The only thing I hate about a car here is the way most Thais treat it when it is parked ie think they can stick their hands all over it and try and shove it up and down and generally play bumper cars with them when parked.

[corkscrew]

It was and is the best and most fun things for Bangkok.

[quiksilva]

The best decision I ever made - I can't stand the way taxi drivers take my life in their hands

[JonnyF]

I bought my car while living in Phuket, when I took a job in Bangkok it moved with me but other than a weekend trip to Pattaya I haven't really used it in the 6 months I've been here. In fact I've had to recharge the battery 3 times because I left it standing for a month or more. I can't stand the traffic so I use my motorbike to get to work, and if I'm going out then I normally have a couple of beers so I don't want to drive anyway.

If I hadn't already bought one then I wouldn't bother with one. I'd use taxis and public transport, and hire one for the weekend trips as and when I needed it.

[Plus]

I bought my car while living in Phuket, when I took a job in Bangkok it moved with me but other than a weekend trip to Pattaya I haven't really used it in the 6 months I've been here. In fact I've had to recharge the battery 3 times because I left it standing for a month or more. I can't stand the traffic so I use my motorbike to get to work, and if I'm going out then I normally have a couple of beers so I don't want to drive anyway.

If I hadn't already bought one then I wouldn't bother with one. I'd use taxis and public transport, and hire one for the weekend trips as and when I needed it.

So why don't you use taxis and public transport and get around on a bike instead?

Incidentally, it's been raining for nearly two hours now, sometimes just dribble, sometimes really heavy downpoor.

During rains buses shut down their windows, taxis disappear, and motorbikes hide under bridges.

>>>

Everyone raves about BTS - it's great for speed, but comfort?!?!

Bloody stairs, overcrowded cars, noise, advertising, freaking Ice Age cold inside, and costs a fortune for occasional travellers, too.

[JonnyF]

I bought my car while living in Phuket, when I took a job in Bangkok it moved with me but other than a weekend trip to Pattaya I haven't really used it in the 6 months I've been here. In fact I've had to recharge the battery 3 times because I left it standing for a month or more. I can't stand the traffic so I use my motorbike to get to work, and if I'm going out then I normally have a couple of beers so I don't want to drive anyway.

If I hadn't already bought one then I wouldn't bother with one. I'd use taxis and public transport, and hire one for the weekend trips as and when I needed it.

So why don't you use taxis and public transport and get around on a bike instead?

Incidentally, it's been raining for nearly two hours now, sometimes just dribble, sometimes really heavy downpoor.

During rains buses shut down their windows, taxis disappear, and motorbikes hide under bridges.

>>>

Everyone raves about BTS - it's great for speed, but comfort?!?!

Bloody stairs, overcrowded cars, noise, advertising, freaking Ice Age cold inside, and costs a fortune for occasional travellers, too.

I do use taxi's, motorbike and public transport, hence my car standing for a month at a time. When I said "I'd", I meant "If I was you, I would" as advice to the OP.

If it rains I put on waterproof clothing for my short journey to work. If it's really bad then I get a taxi. I've never seen them disappear. Driving in Bangkok is a pain in the arse, I'd rather let someone else do it.

[madjbs]

100% glad I have a car. Never looked back since I bought it. I never use public public transport these days as a car is just so much more convenient.

[sangfroid]

After a number of incidents with suicidal taxi drivers, I bought my first car 12 years ago and have never regretted it for a minute. Very convenient for weekend trips and getting my family around Bangkok.

I don't use it as much in the centre of the city as I used to since the advent of the MRT but I couldn't imagine life without a car.

[Crash999]

I had two cars in Bangkok. Both I really only used on weekends as driving to and from the office was much slower than taking the BTS. On the other hand it was nice when going outside of Bangkok to be able to drive around anywhere I wanted when I wanted.

Financially speaking I would probably have been better off not owning a car and renting for weekend trips but in the end I love cars and was very happy owning them. When I head back to Bangkok I'll no doubt buy another one.

[MrSnrang]

A question for Bangkok residents who have bought a car.

Especially those who don't need to drive to work.

Have you found the car useful or in hindsight we're you better of taking public transport and inexpensive taxis around?

The thought of having a car for weekend trips to the market and a few rural holidays a year has crossed my mind.

But i wonder if it just makes more sense renting for the holidays and taking taxis to markets (no need to park, pay for repairs, insurance, etc.)

so which is more convenient for you? having a car in your driveway ready to go, or a chauffered taxi?

having a car isn't much more expensive than taking taxis every day for a lot of people.

With a car you don't need to deal with taxi drivers and their carsickness-inducing driving, a crowded and painfully-slow BTS, or standing in the rain waiting for another form of transport. To keep taxis cheap you need to have set destinations and you can't just go around from one place to another without paying a hefty premium, just a complete pain in the ass.

Just six months before I can get my license and hopefully never pay for a taxi again.

[ballbreaker]

Its always nice to have another option to public transport and I do not regret having a car.

With the exception of trips outside the city I seldom use mine except for a few select places in town.

Remember you only live once so if you can afford then buy.

[Pib]

Buying a car was "extremely" useful. Taking public transportation would have been too time consuming and frustrating. I would say unless you live close to the BTS (which I don't), want to confine most of your travel to places close to the BTS, and like walking/waiting a lot to catch public transportation, go buy yourself a car if you got a decent/secure place to keep it.

[Plus]

For the price of a decent condo near BTS you can buy a singel detached house AND a car in the subutrbs, also included is fresh air, peace and quiet.

[chivo]

thanks for the interesting replies.

(except the old useless "how long is a string?" response)

it seems quite split- i had expected more anti-car logic but there are good reasons on both sides.

[onnut]

I bought a car 3 years ago and used it a lot. I drive to work everyday and at weekends we go away. when i sold it a few months back I had to wait a week for the new car to be delivered. during that time I got fed up with taxis either trying to scam or just would not take you. yeah I could use the skytrain but when I got to the end of the line same problems with the taxis.

I will always have a car as long as I can afford it in Bangkok.

aircon, music and freedom.

its great.

[Plus]

Actually it depends on location. Areas covered by BTS are also the ones with heavier traffic, so fo those living there, a car could be a drag.

If you look at the map of greater Bangkok, BTS+MRT are just a couple of little squiggles in the middle.

[Pib]

For the price of a decent condo near BTS you can buy a singel detached house AND a car in the subutrbs, also included is fresh air, peace and quiet.

Ain't that the truth!!!

And the fresh air is something key to consider if staying for a long time. Almost everyday when driving my car in Khet Talingchan and looking towards central Bangkok (looking east) there is so much smog/haze over central Bangkok it's hard to see many of the skyscrapers. But if you are in central Bangkok and looking west towards Talingchan you can tell the smong/hase is a lot less in the suburbs (at least my part of Bangkok). But living in Talingchan without a car would be an extreme hassle as BTS don't come out here...you would have to rely on walking a lot/catching taxi/motorcycle/etc. Yeap, a car is well worth its cost in Thailand unless a person's world is confined to around the BTS routes or they are VERY patient in waiting for/flagging down public transportation. And like one poster said for the cost of good condo around BTS you could by a home in the suburbs and a car (and maybe the furniture to outfit the home).

[torrenova]

On my own, probably not. With a missus and a kid, definitely. Felt that way in Pattaya when we moved from the condo to the house. Better quality of lfe and so much more freedom. However, being single, I wouldn't bother unless the purchase was meaningless financially.

[Plus]

Being single is a different kettle of fish - you'd actually want to be in the midst of action, downtown, close to clubs and women. What are you going to do out in the burbs all by yourself?