I just gave my old garmin buck to a friend and decided to get a GPS app on my iPhone instead. I checked out the available apps and decided to go with garmin again; I might have gone for Tomtom but you have to buy the whole of SE Asia map and it's over twice as much.

Anyway, I live in Bangkok and thought I would use it to get backwards and forwards to my new job. I have driven it before and I know the best way is to go on the highway but they all look the bloody same to me!

Unfortunately my new garmin seems to think that the best way to get across town in Bangkok is to avoid the expressways and use the surface streets!

It directed me to drive from Rama 9 down through Asok and on through to Narathiwas without going on the expressway. At 4pm! On a weekday!

It doesn't have anything stupid like avoidances set for highways, it just does not seem to see the expressway as the fastest route!

Has anyone else encountered this problem? And maybe a possible way around it?

It's exceptionally annoying!!

I don't know about Garmin for iPhone, but the Garmin Nuvi 265 gives you these options:

Source: http://justanothermobilemonday.com/Wordpress/2010/08/23/gps-setup-with-garmin-nuvi-265-how-to-avoid-the-toll-roads-and-potentially-costly-fines/

See if your Garmin has something similar.

For the Garmin StreetPilot c550 it would be Menu > Settings > Avoidances

Source: http://static.garmincdn.com/pumac/StreetPilotc550_OwnersManual.pdf, page 27

No user manual available online for the Garmin StreetPilot Onbaord app for iPhone, it seems.

Maybe you should remove the tag, set by "Avoid tollways"

Although the stretch of elevated highway doesn't ask for toll, it may be seen as a toll way by Garmin.

I wasted the money buying the Garmin SE Asia map from Garmin. It leaves a lot to be desired and caused me to become lost when the road it said to turn on simply wasn't there. The TSM (ESRI) map is MUCH better and is updated frequently. The latest Garmin map is way out of date. I don't know about the iPhone but this is the case with my Garmin GPS units. The Garmin US maps may be fine but they certainly dropped the ball with the SE Asia map.

Although the iPhone's Garmin Thailand is more colourful and in some areas more detailed I completely agree with Gary A. For example, parks are coloured green and my street built in 2005 is on the map but not on the TSM v12.1. Strangely other streets in my neighbourhood built earlier are not on Garmin Thailand but do appear on the TSM.

I don't trust the routing of the Garmin Thailand. I compared it with my car's Kenwood/ Garmin TSM v12.1 and have to admit that the Garmin Thailand makes strange routing decisions. While routing some roads dim on Garmin systems so I will compare further. One example I like to share with you is the Phetchaburi - Prachuap Khiri Khan route. The Garmin Thailand routes you through Cha Am and Hua Hin while the TSM v12.1 routes you via the Cha Am - Pranburi bypass. Phetchaburi - Prachuap via the bypass is 157 km with a time of 1:30 h. Doing the route through Cha Am and Hua Hin the distance is 165 km which take 1:44 h but that's optimistic because of possible traffic jams. The first route is the only correct one! Both as "faster time" and "shorter distance".

I've now installed iPhone Garmin Thailand TSM v12.1 on my iPhone. BTW, that's only for the iPhone savvy.

I've several systems on my iPhone. Garmin Thailand, Garmin Thailand TSM v12.1, Sygic SE Asia, NAVV SE Asia and TomTom Thailand. Number 1 for me is Garmin Thailand TSM v12.1, number 2 is Garmin Thailand and number 3 is Sygic.

I've several systems on my iPhone. Garmin Thailand, Garmin Thailand TSM v12.1, Sygic SE Asia, NAVV SE Asia and TomTom Thailand. Number 1 for me is Garmin Thailand TSM v12.1, number 2 is Garmin Thailand and number 3 is Sygic.

Aidenai, why do you prefer the Garmin solutions? Why is TomTom not in your top 3? It'd be interesting to know your criteria favouring apps. I've used Sygic myself, but ran into routing problems (when driving from Chiangmai to say Sakhon Nakon, it routes you via Bangkok! No matter what route options you choose!). When I contacted Sygic, they said they knew of this problem. However, they were unable to give an indication for when this problem would be fixed. We're two versions further now, and the current version (12.1.1) still has these routing problems. This doesn't leave a positive impression...

Many thanks for your feedback!

Regards,

Robenroute

I've several systems on my iPhone. Garmin Thailand, Garmin Thailand TSM v12.1, Sygic SE Asia, NAVV SE Asia and TomTom Thailand.

Hi, I was looking for Garmin Thailand TSM v12.1, and TomTom Thailand. I could not find them in iTunes store

I've several systems on my iPhone. Garmin Thailand, Garmin Thailand TSM v12.1, Sygic SE Asia, NAVV SE Asia and TomTom Thailand. Number 1 for me is Garmin Thailand TSM v12.1, number 2 is Garmin Thailand and number 3 is Sygic.

Aidenai, why do you prefer the Garmin solutions? Why is TomTom not in your top 3? It'd be interesting to know your criteria favouring apps. I've used Sygic myself, but ran into routing problems (when driving from Chiangmai to say Sakhon Nakon, it routes you via Bangkok! No matter what route options you choose!). When I contacted Sygic, they said they knew of this problem. However, they were unable to give an indication for when this problem would be fixed. We're two versions further now, and the current version (12.1.1) still has these routing problems. This doesn't leave a positive impression...

Many thanks for your feedback!

Regards,

Robenroute

Hi Robenroute. Apologise for the late reply. For me it all started having Garmin TSM on my Nokia E71 and N95-8Gb years ago. Then I bought a Nüvi 200 for driving on the motorcycle and afterwards having a car with a Kenwood/ Garmin audio centre. It all comes to the details of the map as it dictates the search database.

Here are screen shots taken with my iPhone of a place in Phetchaburi. I couldn't get the pointers in the same direction but you get the idea.

Sygic Souteast Asia v11.2.6:

NAVV Southeast Asia v11.4.03:

TomTom v1.7

Garmin Thailand:

Garmin Thailand TSM v12.1.

And here the differences between Garmin Thailand and Garmin TSM v12.1 on an iPhone. Kaeng Krachan reservoir/ dam in Phetchaburi province.

Garmin Thailand:

Garmin TSM v12.1:

I've several systems on my iPhone. Garmin Thailand, Garmin Thailand TSM v12.1, Sygic SE Asia, NAVV SE Asia and TomTom Thailand.

Hi, I was looking for Garmin Thailand TSM v12.1, and TomTom Thailand. I could not find them in iTunes store

I missed your post. Apologise. PM sent.

Options such as faster times or shorter distance. but i couldn't find an option to avoid freeways.

For example driving inside a big city, when you don't want to drive on a freeway but you don't want the shorter distance either. (shorter distance can put you on very narrow roads which takes forever to get to destination )

Options such as faster times or shorter distance. but i couldn't find an option to avoid freeways.

For example driving inside a big city, when you don't want to drive on a freeway but you don't want the shorter distance either. (shorter distance can put you on very narrow roads which takes forever to get to destination )

settings > navigation > avoidances

Aidenai, why do you prefer the Garmin solutions? Why is TomTom not in your top 3? It'd be interesting to know your criteria favouring apps. I've used Sygic myself, but ran into routing problems (when driving from Chiangmai to say Sakhon Nakon, it routes you via Bangkok! No matter what route options you choose!). When I contacted Sygic, they said they knew of this problem. However, they were unable to give an indication for when this problem would be fixed. We're two versions further now, and the current version (12.1.1) still has these routing problems. This doesn't leave a positive impression...

Many thanks for your feedback!

Regards,

Robenroute

Just for interest I checked Sygic on my iPad (12.1.1) and it did routine me via Bangkok. But since the sensible route goes via Loi I added that and got a reasonable route. I haven't tried the Garmin app for the route as it looks terrible and seems almost unusable on the iPad. For me it was a waste of money. YMMV

Just for interest I checked Sygic on my iPad (12.1.1) and it did routine me via Bangkok. But since the sensible route goes via Loi I added that and got a reasonable route. I haven't tried the Garmin app for the route as it looks terrible and seems almost unusable on the iPad. For me it was a waste of money. YMMV

sorry I should have said via Pitsanulok