After spending some time in Singapore and Thailand, my next plan is to Drive from Singapore up through Thailand to Chang Mai.

Could anyone shed some light on some tips...

Struggling to find away of hiring a car to leave in Thailand....

Which leads me to buying a car in Singapore and then leaving it in Chang Mai or selling it on..

Whats the issues with bringing cars into Thailand from Singapore....

Obviously it would have to be a reliable cheap one... Or is Motorbike a better option?>

Manny Thanks

Tom

You need to have a good long think about doing that drive, that is a long long way on some Wild West roads.

Do you have any driving experience in Asia? and why do you want to do this particular drive?

I disagree, I've driven from the Thai/Malay border to Chiang Mai twice and from Phuket to Chiang Mai at least six times, the roads are just fine. The roads from Singapore to the Thai border: although I've never driven it I'm led to believe that the roads are mostly good quality highway, perhaps others can shed light on the details.

Pretty sure you won't be able to sell a Singapore bought car in CM.

You would have to effectivly import the car into Thailand ($$$).

If you really want to drive you might want to look at two car hires, one for Malaysia, leaving it at the boarder or close to it, then pick up a new one once you cross into Thailand.

Pretty sure you won't be able to sell a Singapore bought car in CM.

You would have to effectivly import the car into Thailand ($$$).

If you really want to drive you might want to look at two car hires, one for Malaysia, leaving it at the boarder or close to it, then pick up a new one once you cross into Thailand.

Sensible.

I disagree, I've driven from the Thai/Malay border to Chiang Mai twice and from Phuket to Chiang Mai at least six times, the roads are just fine. The roads from Singapore to the Thai border: although I've never driven it I'm led to believe that the roads are mostly good quality highway, perhaps others can shed light on the details.

They are good but relentlessly boring.........it's one of those journeys where it looks good on paper but the reality is monotony. I may have been a bit harsh about the Wild West roads bit.....I had just been reading an article that says there are 27 motorcycle deaths and 438 people are injured on motorcycles in Thailand every day.

The last time I drove from BKK to Chiang Mai it was a bit harem scarem at times, and I wasn't impressed when I came across two bleeding corpses spread eagled across the road in front of me........

The road from Bangkok to Phuket is very sceneic in places and also mostly very good quality, ditto the ring road around Bangkok (good quality not scenic!). Bangkok/Chiang Mai can be a bit hit and miss in places and is boring on the sourthern end but the scenery improves on the northern end, it's all easily dooable. If the OP has time and he researches the trip in detail he'll easily find routes that are scenic and that will relieve the monotony.

Accidents and dead bodies come with the journey unfortunately, I've yet to make that trip without seeing at least one major accident. Bigger problem for the OP perhaps is the Malay police who operate on the Butterworth/border motorway, they have a nasty reputation for finding reasons to fine motorists, especially foreign ones. I suppose the other word of caution if the OP is not used to driving in Asia is, beware of long distance buses, the drivers skills can be abysmal and drivers of the same who fall asleep, particularly at night, are the cause of many accidents.

It is not possible to take a vehicle into Thailand and sell it without a lot of paperwork and money. You can have a 3 months VISA for the vehicle with a hughe bank guarantee if you don't get it out within the three months. And still a lot of paperwork. And I believe for the same reason it is not possible to rent a car to cross the border. So anyhow you will need at least 2 cars.

The trip will probaply take you up to a week and cost about 10 times what you should pay for a flight ticket!

Just a thought but what if the OP did it in reverse? Rent a car in Chiangmai and drive it into Malaysia / Singapore and return the car to Phuket. Import of a car into Mayalsia and Singapore is just a expensive so leaving your own car there is simply not an option.

Or, rent a car in Singapore, drive it to Chiang Mai, then drive it to Cambodia and sell it like everyone else does and then fly home!

Buy a bicycle and take the coast road, doable in 5-6 weeks no problem

Buy a bicycle and take the coast road, doable in 5-6 weeks no problem

Hell, a Kiwi named Phil Keoghan road a bicycle 3500 miles across the US in 42 days. The OP should be able to do it in 2 weeks, tops.

Ah yes the coastal road to Chiang Mai!

done the phuket 2 chiang mai 3 times,stopover hua hin,roads good most of the way,about 9 hours 2 hua hin,bit longer to patong.

Cannot sell a temporary imported cars.

You can rent from Hat Yai and drop off in Chiang Mai.

dont be crazy. buying a car in singapore? do you know how much additional "taxes" you have to pay for having a car over 2.0l in singapore? additional of 100k SGD for certificate of entitlement during peak periods

Last year May, i drove my car from Singapore to Bangkok in a day time,alone. Maybe we can plan to drive up to Chiang Mai.