I plan on retiring in Phuket. However transportation is one of my main concerns. I do not like dealing with all the Tuk Tuk and taxi guys around Patong. Ideally I would buy my own car and also higher a full time personal driver. From what I can tell this is not very common. Does anyone have any information on employing full time drivers fir expats?

On a separate question, I think it would be fun to buy my own Tuk Tuk. I would only use it for personal use when friends and family come to town. Is this even possible ? I have concerns the Tuk Tuk mafia will react in a threatening manner.

Many expats in BKK have a driver. Put the word out amongst say cleaners in the morning and you'll have a driver by the afternoon. You'll need to be very, very clear on his duties and working time etc.

As a Thai said to me (on the subject of skills), Thailand has a surplus of drivers.

They don't know how to drive but you can find some farmers doing the job,

As others have noted, finding a driver won't be hard - the challenge will be finding a good one - i.e. that doesn't drink, actually knows how to drive, knows the island and everywhere else you might want to go, turns up when you want them to, doesn't use your car as their own taxi etc etc.

As for the Tuk Tuk idea - not a good one at all, especially on Phuket. Your driver is going to have enough problems dealing with allegations of 'stealing fares' as it is - no need to exasperate it by using an actual taxi.

Listen to IMHO, he is absolutely right.

Many expats in BKK have a driver.

But most are company employees and not hired directly by the expat, and as such they are for the most part professional, knowledgeable and polite (or they get fired). Also they have tasks and errands to run while not driving their "boss" so are kept busy. Finding a good one and setting out the rules will be the toughest part. Depending on the amount of driving you wish to do it might be better to find someone with a car who is available when you wish to go somewhere.

Having a driver is OK but unless they sit outside the house all day, it does remove spontaneity from the equation.

If the fact that the island roads are small and congested that is the concern buy a smaller car.

Many expats in BKK have a driver.

But most are company employees and not hired directly by the expat, and as such they are for the most part professional, knowledgeable and polite (or they get fired). Also they have tasks and errands to run while not driving their "boss" so are kept busy. Finding a good one and setting out the rules will be the toughest part. Depending on the amount of driving you wish to do it might be better to find someone with a car who is available when you wish to go somewhere.

Having a driver is OK but unless they sit outside the house all day, it does remove spontaneity from the equation.

If the fact that the island roads are small and congested that is the concern buy a smaller car.

Most of the expats in our company gave up having a driver after they realized their drivers were scamming them every month.

Through false overtime declarations, some drivers were able to earn up to 28.000 THB a month, out of a base salary of 10.000 THB.

If I were going to have a driver, I'd want a hottie in a cute uniform and hat...

If I were going to have a driver, I'd want a hottie in a cute uniform and hat...

And fishnet stockings.

If I were going to have a driver, I'd want a hottie in a cute uniform and hat...

And fishnet stockings.

Hidden under the tux..

Big Peabody glasses and waist length hair stuffed up under the hat......

If I were going to have a driver, I'd want a hottie in a cute uniform and hat...

Nah, she belongs on the back seat. "Parker" from Thunderbirds as the driver, armed to the teeth, with forward firing machine gun to take care of road hazards

I tried to get a driver for my Wife and I... We both drive, both have a car, but both enjoy a drink.

Taxi's are not an issue, but sometimes I liked to stay out a little later with friends.

For reasons of safety I preferred that my Wife didn't take a taxi on her own, I would 'round-trip' dropping her home in a taxi, but this became a little onerous especially if out somewhere more than 30mins away (as often is the case in Bkk traffic).

Thus: We attempted to hire a driver for our social needs: i.e. Full Monthly Salary (THB15000), we requested flexibility but suggested that the driver might work for us 3 nights per week, not much in the day time but an hour's notice on call out... (funnily enough some foreigners asked about the job !).

After interviewing a few potentials drivers none of them wanted the job... It seems many prefer to work for a large company and do the 'To and From the Office trip' and sit and chat with the other drivers for the rest of the day...

I gave up looking in the end...

I usually drive myself but have a general hand/delivery driver that works for me in my company. If I want a night out in Pattaya or somewhere else and want to have a drink I usually pay him 500 baht or so cash + money for dinner to drive me there and take me home again. System works great.

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Whatever you do,stay away from this guy...!

If you want to be ripp off then hire one....and they steal all they can....

Overtime, petrol, coolant, airco cleaning, oil change, car wash. Count it up and you will find out that all is triple the price that you normal pay.

My advice... stay far away for hiring people on regular base... they will screw you someday...

I usually drive myself but have a general hand/delivery driver that works for me in my company. If I want a night out in Pattaya or somewhere else and want to have a drink I usually pay him 500 baht or so cash + money for dinner to drive me there and take me home again. System works great.

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I like this idea best. If you have a company you get an executive assistant or something, but if you don't have one, just hire a full-time something, with duties that include, but are not limited to driving. Maybe have the gardner or a personal assistant. Most of us might not need more than 5-15 hours per week driving, so you want to find other things for the person to do. But also, you can't have them morning, noon and night. Pick a schedule.

Here in Bangkok many expats have a driver, I am almost the only one among my friends who is still driving. But I love driving, unless there is a traffic jam, and unfortunately that is the case more often than not. In addition I have kids who need to be brought to school in the morning and be picked up again late afternoon.

My solution was to hire a driver. We knew him because he used to be our kids' schoolbus driver, reliable, "jai yen" and cautious. So we will hire him beginning the new year. Actually he approached us if we were interested in hiring him. The school charges quite a lot for daily transportation, but we still have to get the kids ourselves if they have ECA.

He will not live in our house and we still have to figure out what else he can and will do when not driving.

But I am looking forward to being able to go out in the evening and not having to worry about alcohol or parking the car or finding the way...

Great post, anyone know where I can start looking to find a full time driver in Bangkok? I found 1 agency who are offering drivers for 15,000 but I think the norm without an agency is 10,000 ?

Yeah so, is 15000b really that much different then 10,000b when you're trusting someone with your life and you're a billionaire?

Indeed.

Minimum wage is $9,000, should be easy to find a good dedicated driver that speaks some English for $10,000.

Sheesh.

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I tried to get a driver for my Wife and I... We both drive, both have a car, but both enjoy a drink.

Taxi's are not an issue, but sometimes I liked to stay out a little later with friends.

For reasons of safety I preferred that my Wife didn't take a taxi on her own, I would 'round-trip' dropping her home in a taxi, but this became a little onerous especially if out somewhere more than 30mins away (as often is the case in Bkk traffic).

Thus: We attempted to hire a driver for our social needs: i.e. Full Monthly Salary (THB15000), we requested flexibility but suggested that the driver might work for us 3 nights per week, not much in the day time but an hour's notice on call out... (funnily enough some foreigners asked about the job !).

After interviewing a few potentials drivers none of them wanted the job... It seems many prefer to work for a large company and do the 'To and From the Office trip' and sit and chat with the other drivers for the rest of the day...

I gave up looking in the end...

Did you consider the foreigners? If not, why not?