Living Without A Car Or Motorcycle

[kerryk]

I have lived in Bangkok by Victory monument and Chiang Mai by Central Plaza and in Pattaya. All three locations I found convenient to western style grocery shopping and restaurants both Thai and western, entertainment, transportation and health care. I tried Rayong and found it impractical without private transportation.

I have made up my mind not to purchase a car or motorcycle so what other areas in Thailand are well suited to expat life relying only on public transportation.

[thaimate]

no car,thats not living.

[givenall]

no car,thats not living.

It is very easy to live her without a car, and definitely a motorbike. just live near MRT or BTS for starter, then use taxi when ever needed. I rent a car if i want to go to one day trips away from Bkk, etc. etc.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

If you want to live without a car or motorbike then you're pretty much limited to larger urban areas where public transport is available.

Phuket Town perhaps. (Transport between beaches is horrific, but around Phuket Town and to-from beaches from there is feasible. Less feasible to get back after dark though, so if you go out in Patong then you better get a room there.

Other than that, take your pick of any larger provincial capital.. most aren't very exciting though.. think Had Yai, Khorat, Udon.. (Udon may be the best of those).

[kerryk]

no car,thats not living.

It is very easy to live her without a car, and definitely a motorbike. just live near MRT or BTS for starter, then use taxi when ever needed. I rent a car if i want to go to one day trips away from Bkk, etc. etc.

I know its no problem in Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. But are there other towns where the public transportation is easily available? Rayong would be great but for some reason there are few if any motorcycle taxi’s. Sattahip has a good system of song tau’s and motorcycle taxi’s but there is nothing to do in Sattahip except shop at the market or go to the hospital both of which are fine and nights it gets a bid dangerous.

[Loz]

Its all relative to one's comfort zone. I know a 72 year old chap who takes to busses 55km 5 days a week (EACH WAY) to teach at a school which he arrives at by 7:30am! He's been doing it for at least three years.

Ironically, His brother in Law lives next door, Does nothing all day and drives a pick up that the old farang boy paid for. But Our old boy seems to like doing it his own way.

Different strokes for different folks. Nobody can tell you what you can live with. Its up to you. I commute a little less than half that distance and find a car (very occasionally, the bike) invaluable.

[kerryk]

I like motorcycles, used to race when I was a kid, dirt track 500cc. But every time I go to buy a bike one of my friends has an accident and that puts me off for another 6 months.

As far as cars go the stories here are enough to frighten anyone plus I knew a couple of guys that were squashed in their cars, one by a bus another by a truck.

I pay 20 baht to go 20 miles by bus and 15 baht to go a few blocks by motorcycle taxi. So it seems safer to stick to that style of transportation. In Chiang Mai we had an arrangement with a family, dad and two sons who owned and operated a tuk tuk and called them whenever we wanted to go on short trips around town to the hot springs or airport. They were dependable and always one of the family was available.

Phuket has too many transportation cost and violence issues for me to consider that but I have not heard much about Issan. I don’t go out late nights so that is not a consideration.

[robblok]

I like motorcycles, used to race when I was a kid, dirt track 500cc. But every time I go to buy a bike one of my friends has an accident and that puts me off for another 6 months.

As far as cars go the stories here are enough to frighten anyone plus I knew a couple of guys that were squashed in their cars, one by a bus another by a truck.

I pay 20 baht to go 20 miles by bus and 15 baht to go a few blocks by motorcycle taxi. So it seems safer to stick to that style of transportation. In Chiang Mai we had an arrangement with a family, dad and two sons who owned and operated a tuk tuk and called them whenever we wanted to go on short trips around town to the hot springs or airport. They were dependable and always one of the family was available.

Phuket has too many transportation cost and violence issues for me to consider that but I have not heard much about Issan. I don’t go out late nights so that is not a consideration.

Busses have accidents a lot too, and i would rather drive my own bike then to be on the back of a motorcycle taxi. those guys are dangerous.

I like my own bike, but i must admit it can be a bit dangerous but it depends also on how you drive.

[yabaaaa]

I like motorcycles, used to race when I was a kid, dirt track 500cc. But every time I go to buy a bike one of my friends has an accident and that puts me off for another 6 months.

As far as cars go the stories here are enough to frighten anyone plus I knew a couple of guys that were squashed in their cars, one by a bus another by a truck.

I pay 20 baht to go 20 miles by bus and 15 baht to go a few blocks by motorcycle taxi. So it seems safer to stick to that style of transportation. In Chiang Mai we had an arrangement with a family, dad and two sons who owned and operated a tuk tuk and called them whenever we wanted to go on short trips around town to the hot springs or airport. They were dependable and always one of the family was available.

Phuket has too many transportation cost and violence issues for me to consider that but I have not heard much about Issan. I don’t go out late nights so that is not a consideration.

Busses have accidents a lot too, and i would rather drive my own bike then to be on the back of a motorcycle taxi. those guys are dangerous.

I like my own bike, but i must admit it can be a bit dangerous but it depends also on how you drive.

I think it depends more on how other people drive which you cant control

[IanForbes]

Kanchanaburi is a lovely location if you like the country and a BIT of urban living. It hasn't got the opportunities of Chiang Mai or Bangkok, but it does have some limited transportation. However, I'd rather trust my own riding or driving than some tuk tuk driver or taxi. At least I have SOME control over matters. Of course, you can always walk or take a bicycle, but my experience is bicycles in Thailand are more dangerous than scooters.

[Neeranam]

Khon Kaen city has good public transport throughout the day but at night it's a tuk tuk or taxi - they have just started a taxi service with 30 cars. I need a car as I have 2 kids, a wife and a dog.

[bangon04]

Khon Kaen city has good public transport throughout the day but at night it's a tuk tuk or taxi - they have just started a taxi service with 30 cars. I need a car as I have 2 kids, a wife and a dog.

Which Thai towns / cities have a genuine Meter Taxi service?

[dmax]

pattaya beach rd?