Trust gps or no?

[Jinjo14]

I have to travel to pai from Isaan and checked google maps. My thai brother in laws laughed at me when I showed them the route. They travel frequently on work to the region by car and assured me their way is shorter and better .

What should I go with? Google maps or the locals word?

[thailoht]

You should post both a copy of the 'locals' route and a copy of the Google Map route in order to receive objective feedback.

[Jinjo14]

Google maps no prob... From my BL will be difficult for sure lol

[HidyHo]

I've drove to and around Kanchanaburi using Google and it didn't always give good dirction.

[tifino]

if the BILs can convince OP their way is better, then simply key in a sufficient number of appropriate waypoints - to then influence the GPS into following their suggestions.

a GPS by itself cannot distinct a Routes' good/bad times to be driving in whatever desired direction, as Peak Time traffic flow is a human variable - and the BILs have the necessary human-variable inputtable data you are looking for.

[Kwasaki]

I've drove to and around Kanchanaburi using Google and it didn't always give good dirction.

Yes I concur I don't bother with that junk I look at the sun for directions.

Reminds me of my young Oz friend on a ride out using google maps and gps looking for Kawasaki dealer in CM and we came across this arch 3 times and he said it has to be here somewhere, and I said well the bloody arch is unless there's 3 of em in CM.

[marstons]

I go with the GPS most of the time, but on a long trip I look at google maps then put way points in the GPS to take me what is see to be the best route. Of course depends if you want the fastest route or the shortest which is often the slowest. BIL would probably go for most economical route which could be slower.

[Farma]

I've traveled a few times from Ubon area up to Loei, Udon Thani, ChiangMai etc

I use my Garmin with the latest Esri map as a guide. There are times when I find Esri is lacking especially when it comes to finding out of the way resorts. I then resort to Google map which also isn't all that accurate at times.

On a recent trip to Udon with a Thai driver he showed me a few short cuts and they saved a lot of traveling time compared to the GPS and Google.

[Jinjo14]

He went and bought a map and outlined the route for me bless him lol

Apparently it's a short cut with little or no traffic compared to the other route

[KhunBENQ]

I also guess it is not about the shortest route (where Google will probably be right) but about the "best" route in terms of street condition, amount of traffic.

But still up to you how much you trust your BL

[pedro01]

I also guess it is not about the shortest route (where Google will probably be right) but about the "best" route in terms of street condition, amount of traffic.

But still up to you how much you trust your BL

I use the built in GPS from BMW and it is pretty useless around Bangkok. It just refuses to put you on the tollway. So it'd send you across town. Google has a lot more sense.

Usually its only the last few km of the route i need so i just code it in and leave it on, hit the tollway and just use it to home me in at the end.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[tifino]

wifey hates it

- the word 'gps' is on her hate list; so I tempted fate awhile back, by running up the Navigon app on the Samsung, and setupThai language into the Nuvi... and had them both ON together...

the 3 ways argument she had with them - made my day

She hates the 'Budget' word too- but that's another story

[firefox999uk]

I have a built in GPS (Speed Navi) in my Triton. It is the best gps I’ve ever used; even in Bangkok it has

always got me there no problem.

However when the wife is driving, she always thinks she knows a better route, and, ends up shouting

at the lady in the sat nav calling her stupid.

Have a Nice Day.

Edited September 13, 2014 by firefox999uk

[WarpSpeed]

I've drove to and around Kanchanaburi using Google and it didn't always give good dirction.

Yes I concur I don't bother with that junk I look at the sun for directions.

Reminds me of my young Oz friend on a ride out using google maps and gps looking for Kawasaki dealer in CM and we came across this arch 3 times and he said it has to be here somewhere, and I said well the bloody arch is unless there's 3 of em in CM.

My car GPS sucks most times, Google not so much and neither tell a lot about conditions on the ground like schools and pick up traffic etc. so one has to take all things into consideration sometimes the locals know better. I had an expat come to buy one of my cars a few years ago and upon leaving at the time of day he left and where he was heading I gave him cautions about going certain directions due to traffic and such and he followed his GPS instead and an 1.5 hour drive ended up taking him well over 3 hours so better had he listened to me..

Just last night we went across to the Kennedy space center with my boys to see a rocket lift off, I had mapped out the route on Google but midstream I hooked up my GPS to make sure and the piece of crap had me turn around and I believed it and it took us way out of our way, drive about 5 miles back and take another route, take expensive toll roads (I had mapped out to avoid) and we ended up being late . It cost us more time, more gas and more cost in tolls, and it should have just corrected itself to continue on the route I was traveling instead turning us around as that did go to our destination as I found out on the way back when I took it, it was more direct too. Fortunately there were thunderstorms in the area of the launch so it was delayed and we ended up seeing it albeit from further away then we had planned but still the GPS sucked, it's mostly good for finding local stopping points like finding fuel or restaurants etc. but only for directions in desperation in maybe finding your way out if your lost or something.

Edited September 13, 2014 by WarpSpeed

[arunsakda]

There was a funny story a few years back, can't remember where. Japanese tourist followed Rental Car Nav system directions offroad, onto a beach and straight into the surf.

[pedro01]

There was a funny story a few years back, can't remember where. Japanese tourist followed Rental Car Nav system directions offroad, onto a beach and straight into the surf.

I remember the first Android phone built in GPS I used here. All the way to Pattaya on the motorway, it was telling me to get off it.

[Sophon]

I also guess it is not about the shortest route (where Google will probably be right) but about the "best" route in terms of street condition, amount of traffic.

But still up to you how much you trust your BL

I use the built in GPS from BMW and it is pretty useless around Bangkok. It just refuses to put you on the tollway. So it'd send you across town. Google has a lot more sense.

Usually its only the last few km of the route i need so i just code it in and leave it on, hit the tollway and just use it to home me in at the end.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

It sounds like the GPS is set up to avoid tollways, have you checked the settings?

Sophon

[bkkjames]

I used my ifox GPS last weekend to bang saray and back. Slight hard time connecting to a satellite to begin in Bangkok but worked fine after that. Use google maps on my phone as a backup or to locate specific places not on my GPS map

Sent from my LG-P970 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[2fishin2]

Gps are pinpoint accurate. The map software is the issue.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[cooked]

I have driven to Sriracha many times from Buriram. The recommended route over Korat is definitely to be avoided when there is traffic, also another part of the route that sends you along a perilous mountain road stuck behind trucks for miles at a time. I tried alternatives suggested by Google, not much better, I eventually found a route with good roads and not much traffic.

What I mean to say is that YOUR GPS DOESN'T HAVE A BRAIN. You do. I now know the specific places where it tells me to take sharp left (into a rice field) when the map shows straight on, the place in Bangkok where it says 'slight right' when it means take a U-turn...

I had a girl friend who constantly said things like 'you should have turned left there', and when I asked her why she didn't tell me before, would say 'I'm telling you'. So to avoid strife I bought a GPS and she got jealous, especially when I decided that I preferred the female voice.

[Kwasaki]

No I always take notice of the road direction signs.

[I knew this would happen]

I also guess it is not about the shortest route (where Google will probably be right) but about the "best" route in terms of street condition, amount of traffic.

But still up to you how much you trust your BL

I use the built in GPS from BMW and it is pretty useless around Bangkok. It just refuses to put you on the tollway. So it'd send you across town. Google has a lot more sense.

Usually its only the last few km of the route i need so i just code it in and leave it on, hit the tollway and just use it to home me in at the end.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

I loved using the satnav back home, but in LOS it´s such a big disappointment. Nothing works, finding places and entering an adress is a real pain. It can help to reach a destination but it is far away from the comfort it could actually provide.

Why not stick with the approved route of a local? Navigation can be helpful in Thailand if you are totally lost and no help is near but otherwise I wouldn´t count on it.

I´ve used navigation in BKK to visit someone in the outskirts of BKK. The satnav sent me on a path that was like a road from the camel trophy with very steep wooden bridges, narrow streets with HUGE potholes going through a jungle like area. After our visit that guy showed us a street on the backside of his house leading to the city which was like new But the satnav insisted that we use they jungle path again. Too late, already scratched my front bumper.

With a Fortuner this would have been fun though.......

Edited September 16, 2014 by I knew this would happen

[Cylon]

The problem I have with my Garmin , Is spelling Thai place and street names, too many variations of the same word.

[jingjoke]

Take your brothers'-in-law advice.

Be sure to emphasize you are definitely traveling their advised route. Leave earlier than planned ... as backup.

Your doing this is priceless as it will enhance family bonds and camaraderie. Even if time is lost.

[I knew this would happen]

The problem I have with my Garmin , Is spelling Thai place and street names, too many variations of the same word.

Thai adresses can be totally wired sometimes, it doesn´t matter if I try to enter it in Thai or use the Roman Alphabet.Often it´s impossbile to enter what´s written as an adress, even when you copy it directly from the original Thai.

I love when it goes like "some street 99" in "sometown 10150" and et voilla you will find your destination. But not here!

Edited September 16, 2014 by I knew this would happen

[casualbiker]

Take your brothers'-in-law advice.

Be sure to emphasize you are definitely traveling their advised route. Leave earlier than planned ... as backup.

Your doing this is priceless as it will enhance family bonds and camaraderie. Even if time is lost.

Do both.. look at the map he gave you. Then look at Google maps and overlay the maps using waypoints (section it out)

Job done then.. also the newest versions of Google maps now have traffic info and alternate routes.

[SDM0712]

As a real estate agent in Phuket (haven't mentioned it for a while so let me have that one !) I spent much of my day driving around the island and use a Garmin dedicated satnav unit, which on the whole I find very good.

But I have found a number of problems, which are more to do with the way the electronic maps have been plotted rather than the way the unit works. For example sometimes using the onboard map the units thinks it's somewhere that it isn't, that kind of thing. So when I list properties now I take a raw GPS reading with an ipad and load this up to the Garmin and this seems to work.

I have a Samsung and a Blackberry and both seem to work fine in terms of navigation as well as the ipad. For some reason all my clients that come to meet me using iPhones never end up in the right place, usually about 4/5 KM out.

In terms of navigation I think it's true the world over, certainly here and in the UK that local knowledge is always better in planning a route. The satnav will just get you there, eventually in some cases.

Also bear in mind the satnav has three (normally) protocols that the user can set and these determine the resulting route, shortest route, fastest route, and one other I can't remember.

SDM

[tifino]

fuel economy - which avoids the freeways etc

[garyinhuahin]

Locals word sure. Google maps for Thailand is at best 2 years out of date. At worst it's just wrong. I wouldn't trust any other service either.

A few years ago I made a bicycle trip from Phattalung to Hat Yai, visiting the Talay Noi for music fest. Google maps assured me the only way to get from Talay Noi to my shore hugging route was to go North and around the lake. 150 or so km, a good 2 days bicycling for me.

When I arrived at Talay Noi, I say a sign pointing to the town I was headed for 30km. Headed that way and found a lovely bridge stretching across the narrowest part of the lake

Check Google maps again and found that the bridge was not included in the routing. Although you could see it plainly in the satellite photos, their map showed the drivable road ending at either end and not going across.

I contacted GM about it and got referred to the service that provides their data for Thailand. They told me that they know the bridge is there, but that Google refuses to use any data fresher than 2 years.

So listen to your brother in law.

[garyinhuahin]

Unless they are giggling when they tell you the route. That means it's a trick at your expense....