Hiring Driver And Car

[Mr Red]

As we will be moving to Thailand in the future, I am thinking about how we get around there. I don't lean towards buying my own car and driving myself, and would like to get a general idea on how much it would cost to hire a driver and car for, say, 5 days a week.

Also how hard is it to find reliable drivers/cars and is there any liability involved on my part? I would expect to check out the person/company to insure they have proper licenses and insurance, but wonder about the "falang liability".

[Limbo]

As we will be moving to Thailand in the future, I am thinking about how we get around there.  I don't lean towards buying my own car and driving myself, and would like to get a general idea on how much it would cost to hire a driver and car for, say, 5 days a week.

Also how hard is it to find reliable drivers/cars and is there any liability involved on my part?  I would expect to check out the person/company to insure they have proper licenses and insurance, but wonder about the "falang liability".

The reliability is never delivered up front. Afterwards you know.

So ask people with 'afterwards' experiences. And tell from where you want to start your trip. Maybe somebody knows somebody.

It depends also on the type of car. If it is the kind you have to push yourself it is much cheaper, if not cheated.

Last time I had a fifty year old lesbian driver with an extremely old Nissan NV.

She drove very fast, but if I would have been drinking a cup of coffee, which I didn't , I would not have spilled.

Don't worry. Drivers are like pilots: They want to survive as well.

[Pattaya_Fox]

As we will be moving to Thailand in the future, I am thinking about how we get around there.  I don't lean towards buying my own car and driving myself, and would like to get a general idea on how much it would cost to hire a driver and car for, say, 5 days a week.

Also how hard is it to find reliable drivers/cars and is there any liability involved on my part?  I would expect to check out the person/company to insure they have proper licenses and insurance, but wonder about the "falang liability".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The reliability is never delivered up front. Afterwards you know.

So ask people with 'afterwards' experiences. And tell from where you want to start your trip. Maybe somebody knows somebody.

It depends also on the type of car. If it is the kind you have to push yourself it is much cheaper, if not cheated.

Last time I had a fifty year old lesbian driver with an extremely old Nissan NV.

She drove very fast, but if I would have been drinking a cup of coffee, which I didn't , I would not have spilled.

Don't worry. Drivers are like pilots: They want to survive as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lesbian driver......did you feel safe with her???

[JacknDanny]

As we will be moving to Thailand in the future, I am thinking about how we get around there.  I don't lean towards buying my own car and driving myself, and would like to get a general idea on how much it would cost to hire a driver and car for, say, 5 days a week.

Also how hard is it to find reliable drivers/cars and is there any liability involved on my part?  I would expect to check out the person/company to insure they have proper licenses and insurance, but wonder about the "falang liability".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The reliability is never delivered up front. Afterwards you know.

So ask people with 'afterwards' experiences. And tell from where you want to start your trip. Maybe somebody knows somebody.

It depends also on the type of car. If it is the kind you have to push yourself it is much cheaper, if not cheated.

Last time I had a fifty year old lesbian driver with an extremely old Nissan NV.

She drove very fast, but if I would have been drinking a cup of coffee, which I didn't , I would not have spilled.

Don't worry. Drivers are like pilots: They want to survive as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lesbian driver......did you feel safe with her???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I heard when it comes to driving they can lick most other drivers!!

[lampard10]

As we will be moving to Thailand in the future, I am thinking about how we get around there.  I don't lean towards buying my own car and driving myself, and would like to get a general idea on how much it would cost to hire a driver and car for, say, 5 days a week.

Also how hard is it to find reliable drivers/cars and is there any liability involved on my part?  I would expect to check out the person/company to insure they have proper licenses and insurance, but wonder about the "falang liability".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The reliability is never delivered up front. Afterwards you know.

So ask people with 'afterwards' experiences. And tell from where you want to start your trip. Maybe somebody knows somebody.

It depends also on the type of car. If it is the kind you have to push yourself it is much cheaper, if not cheated.

Last time I had a fifty year old lesbian driver with an extremely old Nissan NV.

She drove very fast, but if I would have been drinking a cup of coffee, which I didn't , I would not have spilled.

Don't worry. Drivers are like pilots: They want to survive as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lesbian driver......did you feel safe with her???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I heard when it comes to driving they can lick most other drivers!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Come again?

[Abandon]

I heard when it comes to driving they can lick most other drivers!!

was that good taste?

I find that most taxi drivers will be glad to hire themselves to you for the day. Any time you get a taxi see how the guy drives and how nice the car is, and then ask. Get one with a petrol tank if you are going far out of Bangkok. Many of them use LPG gas which is cheaper for them, but they don't have a great range and you'll always be filling up. Note that 'gas' to a taxi driver here is LPG - NOT petrol (i.e. not gas in the American sense). You will pay about 1200 baht for the day plus petrol. You should also feed him/her.

Mini busses (9 or 12 seater) start at 1200baht/day for an old one, more for a spanker. Again you pay petrol. Don't worry about the driver - they won't really need entertaining and are quite happy to lie waiting in the cab/minibus all day long if you are paying them. They can also help buying things and finding the way around, though usually don't wander far from their vehicle.

The crucial point is does the driver know where you are going. They will always accept, even if they have no idea where anywhere is outside of Bangkok. Don't expect any but the most seasoned tourist driver to be able to look at a map - map reading is something Thai's cannot do.

Note that many of the Blue cabs are not owned/leased by the driver and so they may not be able to accept. The only other factor I can think of is the drivers standard of English. Though many of them have an uncanny ability to know where you want to go, even without understanding a word of what you are saying.

I'll pm you a number of an excellent minibus and driver, though be warned that his minibus is pretty old and he is hardly ever available. He knows where everywhere is, drives safely, and is on time. You'll need a Thai speaker to speak to him on the phone, though this won't be a problem if you get to hire him.

[Simbo]

As we will be moving to Thailand in the future, I am thinking about how we get around there.  I don't lean towards buying my own car and driving myself, and would like to get a general idea on how much it would cost to hire a driver and car for, say, 5 days a week.

Also how hard is it to find reliable drivers/cars and is there any liability involved on my part?  I would expect to check out the person/company to insure they have proper licenses and insurance, but wonder about the "falang liability".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The reliability is never delivered up front. Afterwards you know.

So ask people with 'afterwards' experiences. And tell from where you want to start your trip. Maybe somebody knows somebody.

It depends also on the type of car. If it is the kind you have to push yourself it is much cheaper, if not cheated.

Last time I had a fifty year old lesbian driver with an extremely old Nissan NV.

She drove very fast, but if I would have been drinking a cup of coffee, which I didn't , I would not have spilled.

Don't worry. Drivers are like pilots: They want to survive as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lesbian driver......did you feel safe with her???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I heard when it comes to driving they can lick most other drivers!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Most I know can lick the balls of me anyday, especially down under.

[Mr Red]

Man, this thread took an unexpected turn

Pandit, thanks for the PM and discussion. I will likely re-think this. At the rental prices you describe, having a driver with car on call 4-5 days a week would be pretty expensive for a long haul.

Perhaps I will have to buy a car and look at hiring a driver -- any idea what that might run?

Thanks again.

Red