Owning a car in Pattaya Why?

[flyingsaucersarereal]

Hi there guys so with the traffic situation in Pattaya I just can't justify purchasing a car.

Why would anyone own a car unless they have a very specific need?

Maybe I would use it twice a month to go shopping for groceries.

Can't park it easily without paying for parking.

If it rains I guess it would be nice but even then it floods so fast you can't drive it through the deep water.

I would much rather not have to pay for something I rarely use.

With my motorcycle I can get everywhere fast and park easily far better then a car in my opinion.

If I lived in the western world a car would make total sense but over here in this traffic madness just seems like a pain.

Edited May 27, 2015 by flyingsaucersarereal

[impulse]

On a per km basis, driving a car is 20-40x safer than riding on a 2 wheeler.

Hard to get the wife and 3 kids on a scooter anyway...

That said, I never pull the car out (here in BKK) unless I'm headed out of town. If I hadn't already bought it, I wouldn't buy it- knowing what I know now. Live and learn.

But BKK has the MRT and BTS, and I take my chances with motosai taxis in the neighborhood. I don't know if I could do without 4 wheels in Pattaya.

[Walter Travolta]

sukhumvit rd pattaya - 4 wheels everytime

central pattaya - 2 feet everytime

[robblok]

Agree 100% that a motorcycle often makes far more sense. I own both a car and 2 motorbikes, the bikes are my favorite.

I agree its less safe but after 7 years and no accidents (just a car accident) I think it also depends a lot on the rider.

[impulse]

Agree 100% that a motorcycle often makes far more sense. I own both a car and 2 motorbikes, the bikes are my favorite.

I agree its less safe but after 7 years and no accidents (just a car accident) I think it also depends a lot on the rider.

Did you knock wood?

[flyingsaucersarereal]

I knocked on wood!

[lovelomsak]

I am the same as robblok I have a car and 2 motorcycles and use the motorcycles most of the time. No parking, traffic stopped while some lazy person blocks the street while going to the 7/11,etc. On the motorbike just go around traffic jams and park where ever you like,so much easier.

[CharlieH]

MOVED to Pattaya forum

[sotsira]

Why would you own a car?

Much safer

To carry more than one passenger.

To not breathe in polluted air like you do riding a motorbike.

To be able to shop large quantities and take home.

To comfortably drive longer distances out of the sun and rain.

Parking isn't such an issue as most places have car parks.

Traffic isn't so bad if you know how to navigate around the town

and avoid the usual congested areas at certain times of the day.

I also own a motorbike and use it if i'm solo, depending on the circumstances,

that way i have all bases covered.

[i claudius]

Why would you own a car?

Much safer

To carry more than one passenger.

To not breathe in polluted air like you do riding a motorbike.

To be able to shop large quantities and take home.

To comfortably drive longer distances out of the sun and rain.

Parking isn't such an issue as most places have car parks.

Traffic isn't so bad if you know how to navigate around the town

and avoid the usual congested areas at certain times of the day.

I also own a motorbike and use it if i'm solo, depending on the circumstances,

that way i have all bases covered.

I am the same ,except my motorcycle very very rarely gets used. In fact don't know why I don't sell it,it's a car every time for us

[flyingsaucersarereal]

How long will it take to spend 500000 + baht in taxi's?

Answer a long time I would rather have the money.

I have a motorcycle and don't want to wait for a hour to drive everywhere.

Safer and carrying a lot of people is the only advantage of the car in Pattaya.

[Don Mega]

How long will it take to spend 500000 + baht in taxi's?

If one lived out near the lake how does one get a taxi if wanting to go shopping at makro or foodland ?

[impulse]

One other advantage of the car is a trunk to lock up the goodies between shops so I can hit several shops in one trip.

Otherwise, I have to limit myself to one shop, then schlep the stuff home, then come back to another shop and schlep the stuff home. Very inefficient use of time and miles.

And I can run errands when it's raining...

[flyingsaucersarereal]

How long will it take to spend 500000 + baht in taxi's?

If one lived out near the lake how does one get a taxi if wanting to go shopping at makro or foodland ?

So you buy a car to go shopping how many times do you go shopping a month?

You can get a taxi for going everywhere? You just don't want too!

[petercool]

The simple answer for many who live away from other transport options and like to travel further than Pattaya, is that we need to own a car and we can afford to.

[jay1980]

Personally I did not come to live in Thailand to downgrade my lifestyle, I used to own a car in London which I only used a few times a month, but was great to have it there for shopping, weekends away, going to see friends, and I use the car I have here for pretty much the same, if I wake up one morning and have a burning desire to go to BKK or Koh Chang or Hua Hin I can without a moments thought.

I mostly use my bike for round town but if I am not going to BigC or Lotus for groceries but sometimes if I am going somewhere with parking I am just in the mood to go in airconditioned comfort even if it does take a little longer.

[Don Mega]

How long will it take to spend 500000 + baht in taxi's?

If one lived out near the lake how does one get a taxi if wanting to go shopping at makro or foodland ?

So you buy a car to go shopping how many times do you go shopping a month?

You can get a taxi for going everywhere? You just don't want too!

I go food shopping once a week.

Where are all these taxis out near the lake ?

[Asiantravel]

Personally I did not come to live in Thailand to downgrade my lifestyle, I used to own a car in London which I only used a few times a month, but was great to have it there for shopping, weekends away, going to see friends, and I use the car I have here for pretty much the same, if I wake up one morning and have a burning desire to go to BKK or Koh Chang or Hua Hin I can without a moments thought.

I mostly use my bike for round town but if I am not going to BigC or Lotus for groceries but sometimes if I am going somewhere with parking I am just in the mood to go in airconditioned comfort even if it does take a little longer.

I took part in a trial in Australia by doing without a car for a year. I applied the same money one would otherwise pay on amortisation costs, depreciation, insurance, maintenance, fuel, parking costs, washing anf cleaning and instead had a booklet of vouchers to use taxis everywhere. So at the end of the journey you simply filled out the amount and signed it. No cash needed.

When I wanted to splurge I simply phoned up for a rented limousine with a driver. When I wanted to go to rural Australia for the weekend I simply rented a car.

There was never any worry about having had too much to drink to drive and never any worry about parking.

My verdict at the end of that trial was that when living in a city you would have to be mad to actually own a car and not owning your car far from curtails your movements -based on that experience it actually increases your freedom and flexibility not to own an albatross.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Asiantravel

[manarak]

I need the car mostly to:

- shop at Makro, Homepro

- drive to the beach

- drive to the golf courses

- driving to some places that are more than 20 Kms away

other than for the above, I don't use the car much, inside Pattaya I'm 100% motorcycle.

for those who suggested to save 500k by not having a car, I reply that my car cost 150k, it's a 2001 Nissan NV Queencab, maintenance, repairs and tax cost next to nothing.

Edited May 27, 2015 by manarak

[Anthony5]

You don't buy a car to drive in Pattaya, you buy one to drive somewhere away from Pattaya.

If you want to spend the rest of your life around the block, you don't need a car, but that is not my definition of life.

[petercool]

Seems many here live right in Pattaya itself and are happy not to have a car.

Their choice.

And my choice is to have one and live outside of Pattaya city.

Don't see any point in arguing who is right or wrong when neither is either right or wrong.

[manarak]

Seems many here live right in Pattaya itself and are happy not to have a car.

Their choice.

And my choice is to have one and live outside of Pattaya city.

Don't see any point in arguing who is right or wrong when neither is either right or wrong.

It's about ideology.

The green anti-car lobby needs to drive their point home 555

[konying]

It makes perfect sense NOT to own a car, until you need to go out of Pattaya or buy something bulky , or roads flooded or serious shopping.

Yes one could rent a baht bus, but often it's more headaches than it's worth .

My car goes for drive may be twice per month and I enjoy it.

[manarak]

It makes perfect sense NOT to own a car, until you need to go out of Pattaya or buy something bulky , or roads flooded or serious shopping.

Yes one could rent a baht bus, but often it's more headaches than it's worth .

My car goes for drive may be twice per month and I enjoy it.

Taxis and hired baht buses are ridiculously expensive in Pattaya

Edited May 27, 2015 by manarak

[impulse]

I'm not going to put this in the plus of the minus column, because it's a personal thing.

My decisions whether to run an errand or go on a lark, or not, were very different in China where I didn't own a car, than in the USA where I did.

Once the car is amortized, the tank is full and the insurance is paid, the incremental cost of actually taking it out was basically fuel. And that was hidden because I filled up only occasionally.

In China, the cost of every taxi trip was paid right then and there, and the decision was much easier to "calculate". So I took fewer trips in China. Which did detract from the enjoyment, but saved a lot of money. Personal choices.

Here in BKK, none of that really matters. I hate driving so much in BKK, that the only time I take the car (pickup, actually) out is to go out of town with more gear than I can get into a taxi, and messier gear than a mini-van limo would be willing to take. Think kayaks, fishing gear, bicycles, small scooter, wakeboard, surfboard, scuba gear, etc. All of which are going to be very muddy or sandy and salty on the way back. (Some times I wish I just got drunk and chased women. Not nearly as much kit, or prep work required.)

Edited May 27, 2015 by impulse

[RabC]

How long will it take to spend 500000 + baht in taxi's?

If one lived out near the lake how does one get a taxi if wanting to go shopping at makro or foodland ?

So you buy a car to go shopping how many times do you go shopping a month?

You can get a taxi for going everywhere? You just don't want too!

You just don't want to listen to a valid argument do you?

You own your own house then you have homepro/works and similar stores. Also I wouldn't want to only do shopping once a week , we go at least 3/4 times. We do live in Central Pattaya but have many friends over on the Darkside, how would we get to their houses and back? Also if drink/driving is an issue then maybe you shouldn't be on the road in the first place, we take it in turns, one drives and is tea total and the other has a few drinks.

Finally it comes down to independence and not being pinned down by your budget in a rented property.

[Don Mega]

But RabC IaM listening, hence my question about where do I find these taxi's on the darkside that will take me brightside for shopping and stuff.

[RabC]

But RabC IaM listening, hence my question about where do I find these taxi's on the darkside that will take me brightside for shopping and stuff.

Don Mega, my reply was directed at the OP as he wasn't listening to your reply, I was agreeing with you, sorry for any misunderstanding .

[midas]

To find those taxis is not that difficult but what makes it difficult (when you live away from central), is to make them available when you want them to be available for example early morning, late afternoon or after 11pm.

Edit: I lived in Central Pattaya and even there had problems finding Motobike Taxis at around 6-7am and that was not far from Central Road

If you use your mobile phone you can ring grab taxi to come and collect you whenever you want?

[konying]

It makes perfect sense NOT to own a car, until you need to go out of Pattaya or buy something bulky , or roads flooded or serious shopping.

Yes one could rent a baht bus, but often it's more headaches than it's worth .

My car goes for drive may be twice per month and I enjoy it.

Taxis and hired baht buses are ridiculously expensive in Pattaya

True, but cheaper than buying a car

I had a car, which i did not drive at all, so sold it thinking should i ever need i can always rent a baht bus.

One time, had to take all dogs and baht buses refused to take dogs, so bought another car.

Edited May 27, 2015 by konying