Hiring A Car And Driving Round Thailand - A Few Questions Please

[johndmf]

Good questions , accommodation is a bit sparse. There's accommodation in Dan Sai and Na Haew, then it starts to get difficult. There is a national park just before you get in to Uttaradit province, it looked nice, lovely, don't know if it has accommodation but you can search on the internet, name of the national park is Phu Soi Dao. Then there is one national park called Sri Nan (just pass the Nan river and it comes) on the way to Na Noi, good accommodation of 800 bath I think it was, the national park itself is nothing special. Quite a drive to get there before 6 PM if you leave Chieng Khan at say 10 AM, it's a bit curvy Then there is one national park closer to Mae Charim, don't know the name, have never been there, must check if they have accommodation. Sorry but I don't have a map here

Thanks for that. There is some park accomodation at Phu Soi Dao and that's about halfway. What about food. Do we need to bring our own or will there be small local restaurants to eat at?

Definitely buy your maps in Thailand. You seem like an explorer and are visiting home-stays, so you need a largeish scale. Buy the Think Net Regional maps at 120 baht each (£2.25) - available at all good book stores and department stores (probably at the airports). Scale of 1:550,000 - you can get slightly larger scale but you would then be buying a book of all Thailand for more like 500bht. You will need Northern Thailand, Central Thailand (if you are going down to Bangkok and beyond) and North Eastern Thailand.

Thinknet have been recommended by quite a few people and I've seen on the web that I can get them in the UK. That will save me finding a book shop that sells them when I get there. By the way, those tips for driving looked very useful. I'm looking forward to driving out there and will take extra care.

I have driven all over thailand in the last 15 years with my family, I now own a fortuner and for long distances and comfort i would recomend that any day. But if you are on a budget i would go for the next level up from a Jazz or something that size as they are in all hovesty two small for a family to travel in. Personally the pick up trucks such as vigo's have very uncomfortable back seats as well. A mid range toyota, or Honda car such as a Soluna may be ok for you, there ar a few models and makes that sort of size to choose from. In all my time here i have never needed a four wheel drive to get to parks etc even in the rainy season, so dont worry about that, most main roads here are in pretty good shape (its the drivers you need need to look out for) all joking apart drive carefully, small motorcycles here do not look where they are going and cars often change lane without any indication, leave a reasonable gap, somone will fill it etc, be patient dont get angry as that will make things worse, people drive a bit slower in the north east etc and there is less traffic so its not so daunting, Bangkok and Pattay and most tourist areas are different story though you need to really watch out. Get a good map or set of maps and study before you leave sighn posting is in thai and english on most major routes as well, One other thing, if your not booking hotels etc in advance and are just winging it ,get a lonley planet guide or something similar when i first started started travelling here, it was a great help in finding decent places to stay and where to go eat etc in towns i had never been too before.

Enjoy the trip i am sure you will

The double cab Vigo is cheaper to rent than the mid range Toyota's or Honda's, which is why at the moment I think it is the sensible option. I'm almost certain we had a double cab Vigo with a driver for a day when we went to Erawan Falls a few years ago and I don't remember it being uncomfortable, so I'm sure it'll be fine for our purposes. We've also got some guide books, but they don't cover the out of the way places that well.

Without getting into a big health and safety debate, none of us will be sitting in the back of the truck down a highway. However, when we're driving on quiet roads in the mountains or next to the Mekong I think it would be nice and I will definitely be driving slowly.

Maybe I should start another thread about this, but I just thought I'd ask anyway. The advice in the UK is to take malaria tablets if you are near the border with Laos. When we are going from Nong Khai to Nan we will be close to the border most of the way. When I used to travel in Asia pre kids, as I was away for a long time I stopped taking malaria tablets and just took precautions i.e. long trousers and shoes in the evenings, using deet sprays, sleeping under mosquito nets and burning mosquito coils. We'll be near the border for about a week to 10 days. I'm assuming most people on this forum live in Thailand. If you were doing a similar trip, would you take malaria tablets or just rely on precautions. It may be difficult to get our kids to cover up as they do have a habit of taking off their clothes if they can, but it may also be difficult to get them to take malaria tablets.

[happyaussie]

Mate it sounds like you'll have a hoot and I agree, the kids will love riding in the back going down some country roads, through villages etc.

Before the Australian government decided to wrap everyone in cotton wool, we as kids used to travel on holidays in the back of a ute. It was great. Yes, maybe there are safety issues. But so is there crossing the road.

I doubt whether Malaria tabs are necessary. Just keep the kids well protected with repelent for you and the missus I'd recommend plenty of Gin and Tonis. I use a local repelant and it works fine. Every 7/11 stocks it.

FYI I just returned from a trip between Loei and Chaingmai. I went via "B" roads all the way up against the Laos border. Some great scenery, and very good roads.

I still suggest if you are hiring a Vigo, insist on diesel. I'm no expert but I think the petrol model will be very thirsty and at nearly 40bht a litre, heavy on the wallet.

Happy Holidays

[SantiSuk]

Vigos are fine for touring. I used to hire a (single cab) Vigo from Budget before I settled here and travelled loads around Thailand in them; not tiring to drive. My new Fortuner TRD Sportivo seems to be much more jarring on bad roads than the Vigo and its unnecessarily expensive for a simple holiday.

Make sure you use the Budget link from TV.com's site - substantially cheaper than booking direct though you will have to pay some up front to the middleman agency going that route.

I'll be surprised if the Think Net maps are sold at Thai prices in the UK. You can see the extorionate overpricing of local maps going on if you go to Stanfords in London - £2 maps sold at £15 is my lasting impression (may be slight exaggeration but not much. Maybe Amazon do them.

I have not faced the same problems of false roads and unmarked roads reported by others (though come to think there is a Cambodian border close to us that doesn't exist on Think Net), but you will find that it's not easy to see which is the best main road to follow between A and B if there are two roads of reasonably similar length. Often it's best just to follow which way the road signs are indicating to your next strategic town. Still if you ever in doubt then TV members will usually come to your aid.

[RAZZELL]

Travelling with your kids I'd pay the extra and rent a Fortuna.

If you have an iphone get Tom Tom Thailand sat nav app.

RAZZ

[Deeral]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned but think.net do a range of maps accompanied by a CD that loads onto windows PCs......as said before, they aren't always that accurate though!

[Digitalbanana]

It has just been Songkran and I have taken my 5 year old daughter out on the motor cycle playing every day, in Bangkok, without a helmet both of us. It is an enormous responsibility that weighs heavily on me, I do it as carefully and safe as I possibly can, and I do it for my daughter because I love her. It would have been much easier not to do it.

I am sure that the OP is thinking in the same terms as I do

Have I been in Thailand for too long?

Yep, check yourself into a defensive driving class and do yourself and offspring a favor. Your comments re "fun" ways about sitting in pick up trays and biking with your child without head protection seem insane to an outsider. (And I have been driving in Thailand for 30 years!)

[Comehome]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned but think.net do a range of maps accompanied by a CD that loads onto windows PCs......as said before, they aren't always that accurate though!

I would suggest a GPS.

They are often included if you ask the rental company.

If you are looking for a specific hotel, waterfall or the nearest gasstation

the GPS will find it for you.

[Garry]

Google maps is really useful for getting an idea of the distances between places. Does anyone have any idea if the estimated driving times they give are accurate?

Garry, I've got a Tom Tom in the UK so I would be interested to hear how you get on using the Thailand Map on your Tom Tom. I can download the Thailand map to my GPS for the equivalent of 2,000 baht so that could be another option.

From reading all the advice, I've already changed my routing and am now thinking of picking up the car in Korat and dropping it off in Chiang Mai. The homestays/small guesthouses I'm thinking of staying at are in Isaan and that's where I'm likely to have to book as they're only a couple of rooms in one case. Then I'll have a lot more flexibility when I head over to the North and won't book up in advance and we can change our route if we feel like it. The only area I really want to have a look around in the north is Nan. Maybe also Chiang Dao.

I'd already decided I won't drive in Bangkok!

Hi John, just an update for you from what I posted in another thread and to your question, drive times time can be somewhat out of wack and the TomTom sometimes needs you to recalibrate your route for an update. This happened a couple of time, but it will eventually update the trip time. May have been the heat though.

I have a TomTom GO750LIVE (Live isn't supported in Thailand) bought in Germany. The Thailand map was thorough enough, but not having the LIVE support sevice (traffic, accident warnings etc), any updates can only be applied via my PC TomTom Home connection. All in all a good map for most areas, except some of the newer roads. Funnily enough a lot of streets and roads are indicated but no names supplied. The Map worked well in Bangkok, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai & Mai Sae, asking me if I wanted to divert from toll roads (Bangkok), alternate routes, advance lane change indication etc. Just a note, a lot of dirt roads are now sealed roads on the map, so if you have your TomTom set up to avoid dirt roads, then you may not get the fastes route or using alternate route mode. Sometimes it flat out refused to alternate to a road that was right in front of me and would repeatedly instruct me to carry out a U turn. Apart from all the other controls the TomTom GO750 has, I really appreciated the bluetooth handsfree capability when linked to my phone with the obvious auto-answer mode.

Edited May 3, 2010 by Garry

[johndmf]

In the end I've decided to go for the Vigo double cab with Budget booked through Thai Visa's car rental. I've requested the diesel model. I'm also getting the GPS from Budget. Not sure which one it is, but they've confirmed it's in English.

The thinknet maps are £6.99 in the UK, so more expensive than in Thailand but I will probably get them in advance to save me the hassle of finding a bookshop when I get there. We also decided to give Bangkok a miss this time and go straight to Ayutthaya from the airport so I don't know how easy it will be to find a bookshop that sells them there.

I also found a blog by someone cycling round Thailand and there are definitely some guesthouses in some of the villages between Chiang Khan and Nan.

Thanks for everyone's advice and help.

John

[Deeral]

In the end I've decided to go for the Vigo double cab with Budget booked through Thai Visa's car rental. I've requested the diesel model. I'm also getting the GPS from Budget. Not sure which one it is, but they've confirmed it's in English.

The thinknet maps are £6.99 in the UK, so more expensive than in Thailand but I will probably get them in advance to save me the hassle of finding a bookshop when I get there. We also decided to give Bangkok a miss this time and go straight to Ayutthaya from the airport so I don't know how easy it will be to find a bookshop that sells them there.

I also found a blog by someone cycling round Thailand and there are definitely some guesthouses in some of the villages between Chiang Khan and Nan.

Thanks for everyone's advice and help.

John

maps are available at most Gas stations - inc think.net with CD.

At the airport you can buy them too.

I'd recommend the Michelin for all of Thailand and/ or the Rough Guide one as it is in PLASTIC and pretty indestructible.

For an overall regional map - Think.net ones are OK - bear in mind that ALL these maps actually have MISTAKES - roads that don't connect, connect on the map - junctions are incorrectly drawn etc etc. but in the main they are good enough.

You might want a road Atlas too? - check the contents - some have miserable road maps and lots of town plans.

THe theory being the more maps you have, the more comparisons you can make and get an idea of which roads really exist! (not that bad really!

You should be able to get them all at the Airport.

good idea to head straight out to Ayutthaya - easy drive, start by getting on Route 9 from near the Airport.

PS - has the truck got a "boot-lid" or Tonneau cover?

Edited May 13, 2010 by Deeral

[johndmf]

If I can get maps at the airport and gas stations, I will leave it till I get there. The car comes with the GPS anyway.

The website just says the car comes with a cover on the back but doesn't say what type of cover.

I'm interested in peoples opinions about travelling round the North and North East following the recent troubles. I was planning on visiting Khon Kaen, Mukdahan, Nong Khai, Nan and Chiang Mai. I know the town halls were attacked in Khon Kaen and Mukdahan and there was some trouble in Chiang Mai. Having a car it will be easy to avoid any of these places if anything flares up. If it was just me I wouldn't be worried in the slightest but as I'm with my children I'm feeling slightly apprehensive. Should I be concerned? Serious replies only please.

[MikeyIdea]

This link at gt-rider contains good information about Nan

www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/return-to-nan-back-to-the-future-t1431.html

[johndmf]

I've just got back and wanted to say thanks to everyone who gave me advice which was all very helpful.

In the end we hired the double cab vigo from Budget through ThaiVisa car rentals. Budget have an office in Korat and we had the car delivered to our guest house near Khao Yai. I was pleasantly surprised when it was delivered on time. The man who delivered it couldn't speak much English and the only slight problem was the GPS we hired was in Thai. He eventually managed to change it to English while we gave him a lift back towards Korat.

The GPS was really useful and we were surprised at how accurate it was, even down some very minor one track roads. The only slight problem was it was useless for putting in addresses and so we had to put in a point of interest near where we were travelling to. We hardly needed to use the maps at all, although they were useful for getting an idea of the overall journey. The maps we got at a 7 eleven without too much trouble.

We were glad we hired the double cab Vigo. It came with a carryboy which was great for our bags in the back. The carryboy leaked a little in the pouring rain but kept our bags dry. We didn't have to use the 4 wheel drive, but we had to drive in some serious downpours particularly between Chiang Khan and Nan and between Nan and Phrae. Some of those roads were very potholed and it was good to have such a big solid car in the heavy rain on those roads. We found the car very comfortable and spacious.

Driving was easier than I was expecting, I think mainly because the Thai's seemed to drive quite slowly particularly in the towns and cities. They also seem to drive very non agressively. The only big cities we drove in were Khon Kaen and Chiang Mai and I'm used to having traffic coming at me from all angles from living in London. The only slight issues were keeping an eye out for the motorbikes, particularly when they were driving on the wrong side of the road, and dodging the millions of dogs and chickens that were laying in the middle of the road in the rural areas. I'm amazed I didn't run over one. And also realising that the drivers ignored red lights if it was clear to drive through.

We had a few trees across the road from the rain. When we driving from Nan towards Phrae a tree had just come down blocking the whole road. We were the first car there and the rain was absolutely pouring down. It was quite an experience watching what happened as more cars turned up. First a couple of people had huge knives which they started using to hack off branches and the top of the tree. Then a lorry came up and tried to tow it off but the tow strap snapped. They then started trying to cut through the base of the tree with their knives until someone eventually turned up with a small chain saw. The tree got chopped up and we carried it off the road. All in all it took about 40 minutes to clear a passage on the road with everyone helping.

The road from Chiang khan to Nan was very interesting, but it did take a long time. The scenery on the 1083 through the jungle to Na Noi was great and also parts of the 2195 from Chiang Khan, although parts of the 2195 were in very bad condition. Our children found this journey too long and the rain made it worse. We ended up staying the night in a small town/village called Ban Khok in Uttaradit. No-one spoke a word of English and the homestay didn't do food. We drove into Ban Khok in the rain at about 6:30 in the evening and all the eating places seemed to be closed (we found a lot of places just seemed to close when it started raining). We were getting worried about getting any food when we were directed from a shop to somewhere to eat. They opened up and cooked us some dinner. We had a really nice dinner with food that was better than several places we ate at in more touristy places. The people were really nice and friendly and we were charged 100 baht for all 4 meals including drinking water.

We got to Chiang Mai and the car was picked up with no problems. Full marks to Budget.

All in all a great fun trip and thanks again for everyone's input and advice.

Edited September 2, 2010 by johndmf

[MikeyIdea]

Glad you enjoyed it, the people are wonderful and friendly. Hooked for another trip next year?

I'm off to Phuket 2-Oct leaving Bangkok 1 AM arriving at Centara Kata at 11 AM, 100 to 120 km/h all the way and the car full of kids. Wonderful, I can think of nothing that could give me more pleaseure, sex and coffee included. The kids will sing and jump around until Phetburi, then quiet until Phang-Nga, then Daddy, are we going to get there soon? Then lunch at he hotel and I will wish for that soft bed in the hotel room while my daughter drags me off to the swimming pool and I'll forget being tired. Centara Kata is a good family hotel, good prices low season, too expensive high season

When is next year coming Daddy?