Road Trip

[Shot]

Hi all.

Planning a 4 to 5 day road trip with the wife and two kids (4 and 5 years old). I would be leaving Phuket and heading North to Ranong as I need to make a visa run as well. I want to spend about 4 or 5 days looking around Thailand, driving no more then 4-6 hours per day. I need to spend one full day in Nakhon at any time during the trip.

Can anyone suggest places to go based on personal experience?

Or

Am I completely crazy to think about doing this?

Your ideas, comments and bashings are appreciated.

[petercallen]

We have done 2 trips just looking around Southern Thailand.

We took our time and went of the beaten track making sure we were in a town about 4PM/5PM in the afternoon

There is lots to see and we had no problem finding accommodation each night

Make sure you have a good road directory before you leave although some of the 7/11 stores have them at travel stops

I am sure you will enjoy yourself, we did and plan to do it again

[phuket Mike]

Why not forget Ranong (it's a dump) head south do your visa run at the Malaysian border (good duty free) Hat Yai, Songkla then up the east coast.

Stop over in Trang on the way down, if you wanted to be really adventurous take the kids to Genting Highlands in Malaysia.

[katabeachbum]

Why not forget Ranong (it's a dump) head south do your visa run at the Malaysian border (good duty free) Hat Yai, Songkla then up the east coast.

Stop over in Trang on the way down, if you wanted to be really adventurous take the kids to Genting Highlands in Malaysia.

seconded, Surat, perhaps Kho Samui, Krabi,Trang, Songkla, Hat Yai, Malay visa trip

if OPs Nakhon is Sri Thamarat, stay in the south for 4-5 days only. There are several Nakhons in LOS

Road trips is my favorit way of travelling domestic, and I have been all over the country several times.

[Shot]

Thanks guys. Good info so far. It is Nakhon Sri Thamarat that I will visit for one day, and I'm open to going south.

[petercallen]

The trip to Malaysia sounds like a great idea.

Whats the situation when you take a Thai registered vehicle into Malaysia

Also with Thai and AUST passports do they give you a tourist visa when you cross the border

[phuketrichard]

You will not get a visa when u enter Malaysia, just stammped in. 30 days min. ( Most Europeans and americans get 90). Make sure u take ur blue book for the car. IF u do drive into malaysia (more than the border) u will need to have your thai plate translated into English and placed on your car and also buy short term insuarnce.

YOu could also just go to the border and drive to duty free, leave ur car and head to Malaysia and come back after ur stamed in and out and pick up soe,m duty free goods ( although not really thta much there worht buying)

Hat yai has an interesting market and Songkla is a nice place to stop, there is a really nice hotel on the beach with pool that can be had for about 1,500 baht/night.

Hat yai less.

drive up along the coast thru nakon Sri Tam to Surat Thani, If u have the time take the ferry to Samui for a day/night.

Edited March 14, 2011 by phuketrichard

[Old Croc]

You will not get a visa when u enter Malaysia, just stammped in. 30 days min. ( Most Europeans and americans get 90). Make sure u take ur blue book for the car. IF u do drive into malaysia (more than the border) u will need to have your thai plate translated into English and placed on your car and also buy short term insuarnce.

YOu could also just go to the border and drive to duty free, leave ur car and head to Malaysia and come back after ur stamped in and out and pick up soe,m duty free goods ( although not really thta much there worht buying)

Hat yai has an interesting market and Songkla is a nice place to stop, there is a really nice hotel on the beach with pool that can be had for about 1,500 baht/night.

Hat yai less.

drive up along the coast thru nakon Sri Tam to Surat Thani, If u have the time take the ferry to Samui for a day/night.

I'm thinking of doing a border run to Malaysia by private car to get another 12 months from my visa (I have a multi OA), and have a few questions about the best way of doing it.

Which border town is best for the purpose? Padang Besar seems to be the closest to Hat Yai, or is there another more appropriate place?.

Can I drive the car through the border, get stamped out and then in to Malaysia, turn around and return? I have no interest in spending time in Malaysia.

or, do I have to walk across the border to do this?

As mentioned in the quoted post above, would it be necessary to stuff around with rego and plates to take the car across for this short time?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[phuket Mike]

Padang Besar is very easy and you can take your car through without any special paperwork, I think the limit is 24 hours. You can walk across if you wish but it is a fair old walk and with no footpaths not very pleasant.

I've been there many times, now when I go I pay 60 baht for motorbike taxi by far the quickest and easiest way.

There is also a reasonable duty free with good prices on booze etc.

[keestha]

See that you get the road atlas called Thailand highway map, published by the Roads association of Thailand. It also contains detail maps of complicated junctions, and city maps. It is updated yearly, and obtainable in good bookstores.

[Old Croc]

Thanks guys. Good helpful information.

[McFarang]

I just spent a day in Songkhla great the Buzzstop Bar great pint of Guiness also had Kilkenny on Tap and the Black Angus Steaks (best in Thailand) Head South young man the people are great and give Ranong a miss

[keestha]

True, Ranong city is not so exciting, but there are some nice trips to be made from there: to the hot springs,to the many waterfalls close by, to the nearby islands of Koh Phayam and Koh Chang, and to Victoria Point/Kawthaung in Burma right opposite Ranong, and a visit to the Andaman Club (the casino island just inside Burma) might be convenient in order to top up your funds.

Edited April 18, 2011 by keestha

[Old Croc]

Just did my visa run to Padang Besar on the Malaysian border. Left Patong 1100 Sunday, back 1400 Tuesday. It could be done on an overnight trip, but it would be an exhausting drive. Albeit very scenic in places. We spent a night in Krabi on the way back and took time to look around the place.

Departed through Thailand Immigration without too many hassels, although a tout for the duty free store between borders put me off doing any shopping there. Malaysian entry was a bit chaotic with traffic piled up while many staff took a lunch break.

Drove down the main street of the dreary, dusty little Malay town, did a U turn and went back out after spending about six minutes in the country.

Had to park the car and spend about 30 minutes with Thai arrival Immigration while they tried to work out how to process my multi entry, non-OA visa. Despite me repeatedly saying "12 months stay" to the first guy, he still stamped the permit for 3 months! Eventually, with the supervisor and another senior guy adding suggestions they worked out how to process it, and changed my permit to may 2012.

Permit's a bit messy, but I have my next years stay.

[phuket Mike]

These border crossings are never easy. There is nothing in that part of Malaysia, not even worth going past the roundabout. By far the best method is to stop in Thailand and for 60 baht get a motorbike taxi across and back, you will miss most of the congestion. I once went when both sides were testing everyone for swine flu and I followed a coach full of tourists across, that was a special day.

Don't worry about the duty free they all have swipe cards and get a commission but you pay the display prices, they are cheaper than Thailand and have a very good selection.

It still beats Ranong, even the Andaman Club is a pain in backside. I live just north of Trang but it's still a long trip for a day, I usually drive down do the visa run and then stay in Songkhla by the beach over night.

[Ping]

I have read somewhere (might have been the TV motoring forum?) that you'll not get your car into Malaysia if you have tint on your windows (and I've got 50% x 80% x 80% on mine), so those who are planning to take their cars (with tinted windows) over there would do well to check into that first.

E: Just found this: http://driving-school.com.my/driving-in-malaysia/are-drivers-allowed-to-use-car-with-tinted-screens-in-malaysia/

The article seems to suggest that up to 30% x 50% x 50% is okay, but I seem to recall people being prevented from entering at the border with any amount of applied tint. No doubt someone will correct me...

Edited May 12, 2011 by Ping

[phuket Mike]

I have read somewhere (might have been the TV motoring forum?) that you'll not get your car into Malaysia if you have tint on your windows (and I've got 50% x 80% x 80% on mine), so those who are planning to take their cars (with tinted windows) over there would do well to check into that first.

E: Just found this: http://driving-school.com.my/driving-in-malaysia/are-drivers-allowed-to-use-car-with-tinted-screens-in-malaysia/

The article seems to suggest that up to 30% x 50% x 50% is okay, but I seem to recall people being prevented from entering at the border with any amount of applied tint. No doubt someone will correct me...

Very common in Muslim countries, I have similar set up to you and as yet I never had a problem. Having said that it's one of those things if the Malaysian Border Police are having a bad day they may well stop you from entering. When you pass through the border you must open all your windows for a quick visual inspection so unless they are deliberately checking for heavy tints it's difficult to spot. My personal opinion is that they don't really care about foreigners and so you are unlikely to have a problem.

[Old Croc]

I have read somewhere (might have been the TV motoring forum?) that you'll not get your car into Malaysia if you have tint on your windows (and I've got 50% x 80% x 80% on mine), so those who are planning to take their cars (with tinted windows) over there would do well to check into that first.

E: Just found this: http://driving-school.com.my/driving-in-malaysia/are-drivers-allowed-to-use-car-with-tinted-screens-in-malaysia/

The article seems to suggest that up to 30% x 50% x 50% is okay, but I seem to recall people being prevented from entering at the border with any amount of applied tint. No doubt someone will correct me...

My car has a fairly heavy tint, wouldn't know percentages, but I went through the border on monday without the subject coming up.

I did, however, notice a sign warning that Thai insurance wouldn't apply if the car was more than two Ks into Malaysia.

They did have a police inspection point, after Immigration, with a sign saying to open the boot. I popped mine open, but the woman inspector opened the back door instead and had a quick look at our bags on the back seat. (I had to stop down the road a bit to close the boot again )

Edited May 12, 2011 by Old Croc