I'm English, and I'll be in Thailand for 23 nights over Christmas and New Year doing a lot of travelling about by road. 2 Questions.......firstly I'm quite used to using my satnav here in the UK with post codes and addresses, how does it work in Thailand?

Second question.......renting a satnav from the car hire company is silly money, I have my own Garmin 2598 and an iPhone 6, which is the best way to go and the best value for something I wont use very much when I get home again?

contact Garmin Thailand web site if your model accepts micro card you can purchase Thai map card to up date for your visit

.firstly I'm quite used to using my satnav here in the UK with post codes and addresses, how does it work in Thailand?

Two potential problems that I am aware of.

1) Transcription of the names and places. There are often variations in the transcription which will lead to a "not found". Countless examples.

Chaiyaphum, Chaiyapoom / Buriram, Burirum / Udon Thani, Udorn Thani.

Shortforms/nicknames like "Korat" for Nakhon Ratchasima (Nakon Ratchasima).

Also: if you search for a Thai entitiy you will find the adress in Thai script,

So what happens then?

Address of the Department of Land Transport (Land Transport Ministers Office):

A ) กรมการขนส่งทางบก 1032 ถนนพหลโยธิน แขวงจอมพล เขตจตุจักร กรุงเทพมหานคร 10900

B ) DLT 1032 Thanon Phahonyothin Khwaeng Chom Phon Khet Chatuchak Krungthep 10900

C ) DLT 1032 Phahonyothin Road, Chom Phon (District), Chatuchak (Area), Bangkok 10900

Ridicolous writing from this website:

http://driving.information.in.th/thai-dmv.html

Head office

1032 Phaholyothin Road

Lardyao, Chatuchak district.

2) Addresses: I never heard, that there is any IT based system so far, that is capable to find houses based on their adress.

Desperately seeking for!

This is due to the "chaotic" numbering system for the houses (in chronological order by their registration date).

We live in house no. 340, the neighbouring house (old familiy house) is no. 8. Our shophouse around the corner is 443.

Thai Post is one of the organizations that has (probably) handdrawn maps with the house numbers and of course the village headman/administration and the land departement.

I have recently seen postmen walking in Khon Kaen with such a folder of handrawn maps.

But as said: never heard that it has been digitized and available for internet etc.

The only thing that works reliable are the coordinates (which you will often not have).

What I usually do: plan and search my destination beforehand on the PC using Google maps or the like and find the coordinates there.

Edited November 4, 201411 yr by KhunBENQ

And this by the way is the location to the address mentioned above (DLT):

http://goo.gl/maps/dPRJ9

13.798928,100.553246

Maybe someone with a navi can demonstrate how to find this location with the address information.

Edited November 4, 201411 yr by KhunBENQ

And this by the way is the location to the address mentioned above (DLT):

http://goo.gl/maps/dPRJ9

13.798928,100.553246

Maybe someone with a navi can demonstrate how to find this location with the address information.

spot on.

You could Google "thailand NT 2013.30 eng unlocked". Save the file gmapsupp.img on your SD-card in folder garmin and be good to go.

You could Google "thailand NT 2013.30 eng unlocked". Save the file gmapsupp.img on your SD-card in folder garmin and be good to go.

I followed your advice, found the file, and loaded it onto the satnav's micro SD card. The Thai map shows up in settings. I've got no idea how to use it, I suppose I'll just have to wait until I get to Thailand and see if it works and take it from there!

I downloaded the file from here.....http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ It seems you can download maps for virtually any area of the world.

The night before a long trip I generally decide where I am going using the computer. Trip advisor will get me an address that I can navigate to with coordinates. I don't necessarily go to the hotel that I am aiming at. Anyway I use my smart phone to navigate everywhere so I don't have to worry about downloading maps and stuff.

You could Google "thailand NT 2013.30 eng unlocked". Save the file gmapsupp.img on your SD-card in folder garmin and be good to go.

I followed your advice, found the file, and loaded it onto the satnav's micro SD card. The Thai map shows up in settings. I've got no idea how to use it, I suppose I'll just have to wait until I get to Thailand and see if it works and take it from there!

I downloaded the file from here.....http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ It seems you can download maps for virtually any area of the world.

The map you downloaded is made from OpenStreetMap data. OSM covers the whole world. You should be able to pan the map over to Thailand and see the data. House number information is almost non-existent on OSM in Thailand but you can search by street names. I do not know if address lookup is any better with a Garmin original map for Thailand.

Edited November 4, 201411 yr by NightRider70

You could Google "thailand NT 2013.30 eng unlocked". Save the file gmapsupp.img on your SD-card in folder garmin and be good to go.

I followed your advice, found the file, and loaded it onto the satnav's micro SD card. The Thai map shows up in settings. I've got no idea how to use it, I suppose I'll just have to wait until I get to Thailand and see if it works and take it from there!

I downloaded the file from here.....http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ It seems you can download maps for virtually any area of the world.

The map you downloaded is made from OpenStreetMap data. OSM covers the whole world. You should be able to pan the map over to Thailand and see the data. House number information is almost non-existent on OSM in Thailand but you can search by street names. I do not know if address lookup is any better with a Garmin original map for Thailand.

I only have the Thailand map. Ive been having a little play and I think it will get me at least near to places I want to go, which is better than nothing.

You could Google "thailand NT 2013.30 eng unlocked". Save the file gmapsupp.img on your SD-card in folder garmin and be good to go.

I followed your advice, found the file, and loaded it onto the satnav's micro SD card. The Thai map shows up in settings. I've got no idea how to use it, I suppose I'll just have to wait until I get to Thailand and see if it works and take it from there!

I downloaded the file from here.....http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ It seems you can download maps for virtually any area of the world.

The map you downloaded is made from OpenStreetMap data. OSM covers the whole world. You should be able to pan the map over to Thailand and see the data. House number information is almost non-existent on OSM in Thailand but you can search by street names. I do not know if address lookup is any better with a Garmin original map for Thailand.

I only have the Thailand map. Ive been having a little play and I think it will get me at least near to places I want to go, which is better than nothing.

The OSM map is fine. It's the only map I use myself. I just wanted to point out that searches for addresses will not work like you are used to in UK.

I was going to suggest exactly the same as KhunBENQ did: locate your destination on Google Maps, copy the coordinates and type them into your GPS navigation device.

I was going to suggest exactly the same as KhunBENQ did: locate your destination on Google Maps, copy the coordinates and type them into your GPS navigation device.

Yes, on the PC you can use more tools like dictionary, transcription (alternative scripts), stree view where available etc.

Wikipedia is also helpful in some cases, because you can find any place name down to the level of "Tambon" (subdistrict) incl. its name in Thai script.

Example: looking for a place in Amphoe (district) "San Sai" (unrelated to my place!).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphoe_San_Sai

In the article you find the Thai script of the Amphoe: สันทราย and

the correct script for the subdistricts in English and Thai:

1. San Sai Luang สันทรายหลวง

2. San Sai Noi สันทรายน้อย

3. San Phranet สันพระเนตร

4. San Na Meng สันนาเม็ง

5. San Pa Pao สันป่าเปา

6. Nong Yaeng หนองแหย่ง

7. Nong Chom หนองจ๊อม

8. Nong Han หนองหาร

9. Mae Faek แม่แฝก

10. Mae Faek Mai แม่แฝกใหม่

11. Mueang Len เมืองเล็น

12. Pa Phai ป่าไผ่

Amphoe (districtt) and Tambon (subdistrict) are part of every complete/correct Thai address and will bring you "quite close" at least.

If you copy/paste the Thai script of the Tambon to Google Maps or simply to Google search it will quite likely lead you to the spot.

Probably add the script for Tambon: ตำบล

Then you can extract a coordinate from the map.

Example for Nr. 8 from above, search for ตำบล หนองหาร

Gives you this:

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A5+%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3&oq=%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A5+%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3

Click the map on the right, zoom in and you are "close".

Right click on a certain spot (Whats here) for coordinates.

Edited November 5, 201411 yr by KhunBENQ

When I'm going for a long trip I get the latest Thailand map installed on my Garmin (roads changing here a lot) for 500 Baht at Garmin dealer in Tuc-Com.

I also use a garmin Sat Nav but I have found that rotweiler maps are far superior and give much more detail on side roads. Yes that is rotweiler with one t and they also do maps of Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Burma. you pay once (a donation) and after that map updates are free

If you have iphone or iPad you can use Sygic from the App Store. Not sure how much it is now but I used in Australia and have used here and I find it very good. They released a totally revised edition on the 3rd. You can get for many countries. Also in app purchases like Black Box which uses your iDevice camera to record where you a for accident proof if required. HUD is also good as you can sit you device on the dash and projects to the windscreen basic info like arrow for next turn, etc.

Why does everyone take it for granted that SATNAV is Something You Need to Get You from A to B?

I mean, <deleted> is wrong with just buying a paper map and figuring out, not a very difficult task even for the uneducated, the way to go from say Bangkok to Khon Kaen. All the road numbers are clearly marked and it is virtually impossible to get lost. When it comes to small side streets, just get out and ASK.......

And why not see your abandonment of SATNAV as a way of resisting the total invasion of your private life.....

What did we do in the good old Satnav-free days, not so sodding long ago???

Why does everyone take it for granted that SATNAV is Something You Need to Get You from A to B?

I mean, <deleted> is wrong with just buying a paper map and figuring out, not a very difficult task even for the uneducated, the way to go from say Bangkok to Khon Kaen. All the road numbers are clearly marked and it is virtually impossible to get lost. When it comes to small side streets, just get out and ASK.......

And why not see your abandonment of SATNAV as a way of resisting the total invasion of your private life.....

What did we do in the good old Satnav-free days, not so sodding long ago???

You don't NEED Satnav, but it is helpful in figuring out where you are. (Especially if your phone isn't getting an internet signal).

But I'll admit I tend to only use it when I'm going long distance, or travelling somewhere that I can find on the satnav, but where I don't know the route all that well (i.e. Going to Crocodile farm - at least before the outer ring road was extended south from Bang Na.)

i.e. I generally didn't bother with the satnav when travelling around Bangkok - unless I was going to somewhere new (and then it was usually so I could save the location on the satnav when I got there).

For the OP - Sorry, but post-codes here are pretty useless for GPS. They're like US postcodes - a 5 digit number, which essentially gets you down to a delivery post office - not street level like in the UK.

And Thailand isn't the only country where the house numbers are "disorganised" that way. Japan does it too...

Why does everyone take it for granted that SATNAV is Something You Need to Get You from A to B?

I mean, <deleted> is wrong with just buying a paper map and figuring out, not a very difficult task even for the uneducated, the way to go from say Bangkok to Khon Kaen. All the road numbers are clearly marked and it is virtually impossible to get lost. When it comes to small side streets, just get out and ASK.......

And why not see your abandonment of SATNAV as a way of resisting the total invasion of your private life.....

What did we do in the good old Satnav-free days, not so sodding long ago???

Yes, and before cars we rode horses & before that we walked. Once it took something like 6 weeks to sail from UK to Aussie, now we fly in about a day. Man use to hunt wild animals & cook over an open fire, now we can go to the supermarket or restaurant.

I could probably walk from BKK to KK but I'll stick to my air conditioned car, music, and SATNAV.

It's called PROGRESS, kinda the way the world is going.

OP asked for some info, advice on SATNAV & some Neville Nobody responds with a negative rant on SATNAVS.

If you have nothing positive to offer, why reply ?

Just wondering.

I replied cos while I am all in favour of "progress", the fact remains that our "progress" has come (is coming) at a stupendous price. I will not go on with my rant since this would be to go off topic too much.

But when you are sitting in a bar in ......[fill in the blank] look around you and ask yourself if what lies before you signifies pure unadulterated progress. Even if you look no further than the quality of the beer in your glass....

Yours sincerely, Neville

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.firstly I'm quite used to using my satnav here in the UK with post codes and addresses, how does it work in Thailand?

Two potential problems that I am aware of.

1) Transcription of the names and places. There are often variations in the transcription which will lead to a "not found". Countless examples.

Chaiyaphum, Chaiyapoom / Buriram, Burirum / Udon Thani, Udorn Thani.

Shortforms/nicknames like "Korat" for Nakhon Ratchasima (Nakon Ratchasima).

Also: if you search for a Thai entitiy you will find the adress in Thai script,

So what happens then?

Address of the Department of Land Transport (Land Transport Ministers Office):

A ) กรมการขนส่งทางบก 1032 ถนนพหลโยธิน แขวงจอมพล เขตจตุจักร กรุงเทพมหานคร 10900

B ) DLT 1032 Thanon Phahonyothin Khwaeng Chom Phon Khet Chatuchak Krungthep 10900

C ) DLT 1032 Phahonyothin Road, Chom Phon (District), Chatuchak (Area), Bangkok 10900

Ridicolous writing from this website: alt=biggrin.png>

http://driving.information.in.th/thai-dmv.html

Head office
1032 Phaholyothin Road
Lardyao, Chatuchak district.

2) Addresses: I never heard, that there is any IT based system so far, that is capable to find houses based on their adress.

Desperately seeking for!

This is due to the "chaotic" numbering system for the houses (in chronological order by their registration date).

We live in house no. 340, the neighbouring house (old familiy house) is no. 8. Our shophouse around the corner is 443.

Thai Post is one of the organizations that has (probably) handdrawn maps with the house numbers and of course the village headman/administration and the land departement.

I have recently seen postmen walking in Khon Kaen with such a folder of handrawn maps.

But as said: never heard that it has been digitized and available for internet etc.

The only thing that works reliable are the coordinates (which you will often not have).

What I usually do: plan and search my destination beforehand on the PC using Google maps or the like and find the coordinates there.

I've found it is virtually impossible to find a house using the address only though once you arrive (not particularly helpful if you don't know where you're going) you can save the location as a 'favourite" and then navigating back to it is relatively easy. The transcription of place names is very different from what those of us who live here are used to with another example being Chom Tian instead of Jomtien.

Signposting in Thailand is much poorer than in the west and many junctions are almost invisible until you;re right on them.

That said, I was able to navigate straight from my condo in Jomtien to my hotel on Koh Chang. I don't have internet access on my phone so can't use that.

Alan

I've found it is virtually impossible to find a house using the address only though once you arrive (not particularly helpful if you don't know where you're going) you can save the location as a 'favourite" and then navigating back to it is relatively easy.

And everyone who wants you to visit him, should provide you with his coordinates.

Doable with some knowledge on the internet PC with Google Maps, OSM or Here maps.

Or he has a smartphone with GPS.

No rocket science.

"Chom Thian" and "Phatthaya" are correct transcripts by the RTGS rules, but in these cases simply "overruled" by common/.farang use of "Jomtien" and "Pattaya"

I replied cos while I am all in favour of "progress", the fact remains that our "progress" has come (is coming) at a stupendous price. I will not go on with my rant since this would be to go off topic too much.

But when you are sitting in a bar in ......[fill in the blank] look around you and ask yourself if what lies before you signifies pure unadulterated progress. Even if you look no further than the quality of the beer in your glass....

Yours sincerely, Neville

G'day Nev.

I'm not "the sitting in the bar type", though I do enjoy a few cold drinks on a warm day. These days only time I get to watch the passing parade from a bar stool is when I'm waiting for a flight to go o/s & visit family. Usually about twice a year.

Living a very rural life in Isaan, modern conveniences such as GPS, hi speed internet & the like, are a are welcome "progress" at any price.

Enjoy you're day.

Cheers..... Mal.

Why does everyone take it for granted that SATNAV is Something You Need to Get You from A to B?

I mean, <deleted> is wrong with just buying a paper map and figuring out, not a very difficult task even for the uneducated, the way to go from say Bangkok to Khon Kaen. All the road numbers are clearly marked and it is virtually impossible to get lost. When it comes to small side streets, just get out and ASK.......

And why not see your abandonment of SATNAV as a way of resisting the total invasion of your private life.....

What did we do in the good old Satnav-free days, not so sodding long ago???

For one, a Satnav will warn you when a turnoff is coming up ...'turn right in 500 metres" ...while Thai signs are often right at the intersection with no warning, no time to slow down or move across into the right turning lane.

And it's a lot safer to listen to a satnav than take your eyes off the road to look at a map !