Driving Around Thailand

[SAMCHAROEN]

Thinking of driving from Bangkok to Phuket.

I have never driven long haul.

I plan to drive from Bangkok and make a rest stop in Chumporn province ; commence journey the next day from Chumporn to Phuket.

Same route back.

I drive a 2004 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8E and use gasohol fuel.

How long would it take ? Which is the best route/highway to take ?

Any tips / suggestions will be welcome.

Thanks guys !!

Edited December 6, 2009 by SAMCHAROEN

[Nio]

Your looking at around 12 hours depending on how fast you drive

2004 car better be sure your belts, tires etc are in good condition for such a long drive

Take 35 through Samut Sakhon to 4

4 all the way south to Chumphon down into Phuket

I hope you have someone going with you and keep a cellphone charged up in case of emergencies

[Phuket Stan]

Have done this trip many many times...sometimes with company sometimes on my own....just cruise along....dont be in a hurry and the drive is a breeze over two days....great coffee shops at PPT service stations called Amazon...the roads are pretty good...did the complete trip in 8.5 hours last year...started at 6am...it was a breeze

[Nignoy]

done this trip many times by motorbike and car, last time was 8 weeks ago.we always stop at ranong overnight ,nice little hotel good food and a great bar with kareoke and live acts

[gotlost]

Long Haul? Thats a short trip try 16 from Chiang Mai to Phuket. Excellent road Drive safe and have a good time.

[thaibear1]

right the roads are very good but avoid drive in the night if you are not friendly with Thai trafik. May happen a big hole in the road and more dangerous are the truckers during night. Most use 1 1/2 belt and some seem sleepy!!! the way Chumphon - Ranong is more curvy then via Surat Thani. Have a nice trip

[SAMCHAROEN]

right the roads are very good but avoid drive in the night if you are not friendly with Thai trafik. May happen a big hole in the road and more dangerous are the truckers during night. Most use 1 1/2 belt and some seem sleepy!!! the way Chumphon - Ranong is more curvy then via Surat Thani. Have a nice trip

Big THANKS to all you guys !!

I will be travelling with my wife who is Pak-Tai (Southener).

Myself can speak good Thai and read quite a bit of Thai. So no problems in that area.

We do plan to start early morning and maybe stay in Chumporn or Ranong for the night.

Can anyone suggest a good "clean" hotel for the night in Chumporn ?

I changed all the tires on my car couple of months ago and we plan to get an oil change before we leave bangkok.

My car although its 2004 but i have hardly clocked any milage on it (just about 40k) .

I am not averse to driving between 100-120 kmph . What is the speed limit on the highway ?

I am guessing bkk-phuket is about 1000 km so it should take me about 10-12 hours depending on how many rest stops we make.

Pls suggest some good eateries on the route . We'd love to taste the local flavours on the way.

Much appretiated !!

[soundman]

Moved to Motoring forum.

[magmur]

Lovely trip easyly to be done within 12 hours via Surat Thani, the nicer road is via Ranong, also a nice sport for an overnight stay, we've done that many times, take yr time, relax it's a great sighseeing trip, no worries as you are not in a lonely jungle, very good road condition and PTTs and more all around the road until around 200km before Phuket.

Towards the last 200kms especially from Surat Thani make sure you've got enough gasoline in yr tank there are some stretches of 50km's and more with no gasoline station.

Don't drive at night, a bit tricky and you won't see the the beautiful surroundings.

Edited December 7, 2009 by magmur

[katabeachbum]

Must have done this trip 20-30 times. I prefere going 4 to Surat to Phuket. Thats 900km from Bangna, done in 8 hours if I m in a hurry.

Chumpon-Ranong-Phuket is more beautiful, but rather slow roads.

20-30 km south of Chumporn there is a huge eatery, people go 150 km from Surat in the weekends just to eat there.

In Chumporn I have not found any nice hotels in town, only down on Copacabana beach which is 20+ km east of town.

In Surat there is 100 Islands hotel opposit Tesco Lotus. 699 baht a night and very nice poolgarden.

A Toyota 2004 with servicerecord should not have any problem. There are Toyota garages in every town, and never more than 100 km to the nearest. Bring a list of phonenumbers and locations (usually comes with every new Toyota).

I avoid driving after 1700 if not needed. Accident stats increase rapidly until midnight, and many motorbikes and some trucks drive on the wrong side of the road without lights.

Welcome to Phuket

[SAMCHAROEN]

20-30 km south of Chumporn there is a huge eatery, people go 150 km from Surat in the weekends just to eat there.

Could I request you for the name of this eatery ?

[hkt83100]

As location for staying over night I recommend the Prachuap Beach Hotel. Nice rooms are very clean, and the temple on the hill is worth a visit, too. Open attachment in Google Earth...

Prachuap_Beach_Hotel.kmz

[aidenai]

You might want to try google maps where you can get driving directions.

http://maps.google.com/

Have a safe journey.

[Sherlocke]

Best not to stick rigidly to an itinerary - you don't want to be driving into the night to get to a particular hotel.

I usually start looking for a place late afternoon and avoid driving in the dark.

The roads are in general good - you have 2 main options for routes - across near Chumpon to the West coast or continue down to Surat Thani and cross over that way. both offer scenic roads the latter goes by Kao Sok National park.

Allow one to 2 nights stopover e/w. If you can allow more time there are plenty of places worth staying for a day or so.

I usually just take any hotel that turns up - bit of an adventure that way.......there are plenty on the route.

One tip - if you are unable to find a hotel look for the neon 24 hour signs to the "love" motels - they are seldom more than 650 for a double room for the night and are dotted about everywhere, usually just off the main road.

[JulesMad]

Easily done in a day! If you are not in a hurry, take some other roads and enjoy the country side...

Have a good and safe trip!

[MikeyIdea]

I have done the trip many times, did it last time in October this year, it's a nice ride now a days, roads are good, very relaxing actually

Take your time and don't plan too much. It may sound good to find information about a good hotel beforehand etc. but I don't recommend that you do it that way. There are hotels in every 'a little bit bigger' town you pass, don't worry. If you are not used to "long hauls" just go, drive when you want and take a break when you start to feel tired (well, you need to push yourself a bit on a long haul so don't stop every hour in the beginning), get as far in a day as you feel OK with, shorter or longer than planned doesn't matter. A Corolla Altis is doing great at 120 / 130 km/h, I'd be surprised if you don't feel like you can and want to continue longer when you reach Chumporn.

Activate yourself while you drive, move around in the seat, eat, drink, talk, talk a lot and then talk even more, cool air on the face, stop and walk around the car if you need, change speed.

Experience how well M-150 works when you start to feel a bit tired… I mean it, buy 2 M-150 energy drinks before the trip, have the first one when you feel tired, then the second one when the first one stops working an hour or two later. They are not dangerous, they just contain sugar and caffeine, they help you to keep alert, that's all. Don't push it after the second M-150 stops working, time to sleep. When you get experienced, plan it so that you have found a hotel when the second M-150 wears out. Enjoying long hauls is about not pushing yourself (too much), have fun, relax and not the least - getting a good start. Don't get out of Bangkok at 11 AM...

I love to drive to Phuket but I normally drive night time, I leave Bangkok at midnight and reach Chumporn around 4:30 AM, have my first M-150, then drive on, turn toward Phang-Nga just after Surat Thani airport, have my second M-150 as close to Phang-Nga as I can… Reaching the bridge and then the nightmare on Phuket Island. The road Chumporn – Ranong is really nice, I can highly recommend it.

Now look what you have done, I want to go today, now, and I can't go for several months

Good Luck

Edited December 8, 2009 by MikeyIdea

[MikeyIdea]

What is the speed limit on the highway ?

Note how many that answered skipping this one... You want to know the truth? I don't know, I have done the trip so many times and I don't know

Probably 100 km/h or 120 km/h depending on where it is. Some stretches are 100, others are 120.

Best cruising speed is 120 to 140 km/h, up to 160 km/h is OK some parts

[Sherlocke]

National limit is 90 kph 120 on motor-ways

"It may sound good to find information about a good hotel beforehand etc. but I don't recommend that you do it that way." - ditto as said above.

Caffeine drinks - I'd be VERY careful about anything that keeps you awake "artificially". By all means drink one if you are desperate to continue for an extra hour or so but to rely on those things for hours on end is highly dubious. You may be awake but that's only half of it - you still have to gauge your mood, judgment and reactions - caffeine is not at all totally positive in these areas.

there are multiple problems with driving at night.

visibility is the main one - humans are not endowed with night vision.

add t that the effect of heavily tinted windscreens and you have a recipe for disaster.

Furthermore this lack of visibility is exacerbated by many road users who either can't afford or don't see the need for proper lighting on their slow moving vehicles.

another appalling habit is the indiscriminate use of rear fog lights in either normal conditions or rain - absolutely the wrong thing to do - but it shows other motorists you can afford fog lights.

Roadwork's are frequently virtually unmarked - signs etc being non-reflective.

the road surface is now usually OK but there is NO guarantee against unmarked/unexpected potholes - especially after the wet season - sometimes big enough to burst a tire or remove your suspension.

There is always the chance of meeting an errant buffalo, .....and of course if you see a CD floating around about 6 feet in the air you are only seconds away from driving up the arse of an elephant..........

Edited December 8, 2009 by Sherlocke

[MikeyIdea]

Caffeine drinks - I'd be VERY careful about anything that keeps you awake "artificially".

I totally agree Sherlocke, they are certainly not to keep a driver awake. Caffeine drinks like M-150 is caffeine and sugar - same as coffee and a cake (big coffee big cake) - and it does the same thing too, no more no less. It's not miracle medicine in any way

Enjoying long hauls is about not pushing yourself (too much)

Edited December 8, 2009 by MikeyIdea

[katabeachbum]

National limit is 90 kph 120 on motor-ways

"It may sound good to find information about a good hotel beforehand etc. but I don't recommend that you do it that way." - ditto as said above.

Caffeine drinks - I'd be VERY careful about anything that keeps you awake "artificially". By all means drink one if you are desperate to continue for an extra hour or so but to rely on those things for hours on end is highly dubious. You may be awake but that's only half of it - you still have to gauge your mood, judgment and reactions - caffeine is not at all totally positive in these areas.

there are multiple problems with driving at night.

visibility is the main one - humans are not endowed with night vision.

add t that the effect of heavily tinted windscreens and you have a recipe for disaster.

Furthermore this lack of visibility is exacerbated by many road users who either can't afford or don't see the need for proper lighting on their slow moving vehicles.

another appalling habit is the indiscriminate use of rear fog lights in either normal conditions or rain - absolutely the wrong thing to do - but it shows other motorists you can afford fog lights.

Roadwork's are frequently virtually unmarked - signs etc being non-reflective.

the road surface is now usually OK but there is NO guarantee against unmarked/unexpected potholes - especially after the wet season - sometimes big enough to burst a tire or remove your suspension.

There is always the chance of meeting an errant buffalo, .....and of course if you see a CD floating around about 6 feet in the air you are only seconds away from driving up the arse of an elephant..........

Mortal road accidents in LOS on the roads are triple from 1700 to midnight, compared to 1000 to 1700. Reason enough to avoid night driving if not needed.

M 150 works different on different people. Personally I get a kick for an hour and then get very tired. Never drink it when driving. Long distance I drive very fast and consentrated, have a 10 minutes brake/toilet every 2-3 hours, and then relax at destination. M 150 would interfere with my reactions.

[SAMCHAROEN]

What is the speed limit on the highway ?

Note how many that answered skipping this one... You want to know the truth? I don't know, I have done the trip so many times and I don't know

Probably 100 km/h or 120 km/h depending on where it is. Some stretches are 100, others are 120.

Best cruising speed is 120 to 140 km/h, up to 160 km/h is OK some parts

All the same I dont belive you would be stopped for driving over the speed limit unless if you're much over the limit and your driving is endangering others. True or false ?

[Mosha]

Doing 100 KPH from somewhere between the airports down to Ranong took 8 hours. This was with 2 30 minute fuel stops AKA food, and the GPS giving me a turn left instruction in 700 metres when there was a wall on my left. Experience has taught me 100 KPH is a safe speed re - speed cops.

Edited December 8, 2009 by Mosha

[katabeachbum]

What is the speed limit on the highway ?

Note how many that answered skipping this one... You want to know the truth? I don't know, I have done the trip so many times and I don't know

Probably 100 km/h or 120 km/h depending on where it is. Some stretches are 100, others are 120.

Best cruising speed is 120 to 140 km/h, up to 160 km/h is OK some parts

All the same I dont belive you would be stopped for driving over the speed limit unless if you're much over the limit and your driving is endangering others. True or false ?

They pull you over at any speed as long as you are in the right lane. Read another thread here on speeding.

[MikeyIdea]

I've done over 300,000 km in Thailand over the years and I think I have been stopped for speeding maybe 4-5 times totally. All cases have been very clear cases and I accept responsibility happily, I show respect, apologise and promise to drive slower (note - not promise to not do it again). I have paid 200 bath twice and the other times I just got a well-deserved lecture. This includes passing a policeman at over 170 km/h, braking and reversing the 150 meters back to him... Twice actually, once on a bike, once in car. Both times the police let me go after lecturing me for a while, neither of them wanted any money

Speeding is no problem, cruising in the right lane is a different matter

Enjoy

[MikeyIdea]

"All the same I dont belive you would be stopped for driving over the speed limit unless if you're much over the limit and your driving is endangering others. True or false ?"

My experience is that this is true

[Sherlocke]

The national limit is 90 kmph - if you exceed it you are breaking the law - so that is your choice. you leave yourself open to prosecution is the police should decide to do so. It may also leave you open to dispute in any incident or collision you are involved in whether it is your fault or not.

You are unlikely to be stopped for speeding if travelling near this limit as police seldom have radar etc - however there are other simpler ways to detect speeding.

If they decide that the offense for the day is "speeding" - you are likely to be stopped regardless of your speed and required to either pay a fine or a bribe. - the bribe is usually 200 baht for foreigners.

You may of course resort to common sense and drive at a speed that traffic and road conditions dictate........some people seem incapable of making a fair judgement on this though.

[SAMCHAROEN]

The national limit is 90 kmph - if you exceed it you are breaking the law - so that is your choice. you leave yourself open to prosecution is the police should decide to do so. It may also leave you open to dispute in any incident or collision you are involved in whether it is your fault or not.

You are unlikely to be stopped for speeding if travelling near this limit as police seldom have radar etc - however there are other simpler ways to detect speeding.

If they decide that the offense for the day is "speeding" - you are likely to be stopped regardless of your speed and required to either pay a fine or a bribe. - the bribe is usually 200 baht for foreigners.

You may of course resort to common sense and drive at a speed that traffic and road conditions dictate........some people seem incapable of making a fair judgement on this though.

Very clear and good advice indeed !

[Birdman]

#35 out of Bangkok to #4 and than turn left.

Worst are Bangkok's endless outskirts. Go early or you will be stuck in heavy traffic.

Take it easy, beware at crossroads, there are many on your way. People tend to try crossing in a fraction of a second before you come, especially motorcycles.

If you sleep in Surath Thani, Diamond Plaza or Wang Thai are "modern" hotels not far from the highway, but there is also a nice and relatively big one right next to the highway a few kilometres after Chumpon city.

Have a nice trip

[katabeachbum]

20-30 km south of Chumporn there is a huge eatery, people go 150 km from Surat in the weekends just to eat there.

Could I request you for the name of this eatery ?

Sorry, I m getting old

6 km NORTH of Chumporn, Khun Sarai. Just passed there going south yesterday. Yes, passed. I m a fan of junk food when going long distance, so lunch in KFC in Co Op Phunpin Surat yesterday

[katabeachbum]

The national limit is 90 kmph - if you exceed it you are breaking the law - so that is your choice. you leave yourself open to prosecution is the police should decide to do so. It may also leave you open to dispute in any incident or collision you are involved in whether it is your fault or not.

You are unlikely to be stopped for speeding if travelling near this limit as police seldom have radar etc - however there are other simpler ways to detect speeding.

If they decide that the offense for the day is "speeding" - you are likely to be stopped regardless of your speed and required to either pay a fine or a bribe. - the bribe is usually 200 baht for foreigners.

You may of course resort to common sense and drive at a speed that traffic and road conditions dictate........some people seem incapable of making a fair judgement on this though.

Very clear and good advice indeed !

Disagree.

Police often have radar or laser in the Chumporn area, 50 km north and south. and In Petchbury area and always in Hua Hin.

Prosecution of speeding? Never. Max fine is 1000 baht. 200 baht is normal

Normal cruising speed is 120 kmh for pickups and tour buses.