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Car rental or taxis in Phuket?

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Old Mar 12th, 2011, 07:49 AM
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Car rental or taxis in Phuket?

5 of us will be in northern Phukett for 2 weeks in May. Would we be better off renting a car to explore or just cross our fingers & take taxis?
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Old Mar 12th, 2011, 08:50 AM
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Phuket is not a large island. The answer depends of what you are planning to do. If all you want is a way to get to restaurants, or a nearby beach use taxis or tuk-tuk. But, if you plan on long excursions to other parts of the island, maybe a van would be better. But, be advised that driving in Phuket/Thailand is a challenge, and not for the feint of heart. Many hotels provide shuttles to other areas, like Phuket City and Patong.
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Old Mar 12th, 2011, 11:12 AM
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rental car... check out pure car rental...i've had good luck with them
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Old Mar 12th, 2011, 04:52 PM
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What makes the drink so challenging other than opposite side of road?
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Old Mar 12th, 2011, 04:53 PM
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I mean "driving"! What makes driving challenging?
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Old Mar 13th, 2011, 02:12 PM
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The challenge is the traffic and 'suicide' passing by Thai drivers. Signage is terrible. Local roads to beach/marina locations are difficult to determine. We used a Marriott shuttle to get to the Marina to take our sea kayak excursion, and our Thai driver even got lost. To advise you that renting a car is a challenge, is no over statement. I've driven all over the world, and Phuket and Vietnam are two places I would never drive. Just google the accident rates in Phuket. But hey, it's your $ and life!
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Old Mar 13th, 2011, 02:22 PM
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i found the driving very easy on several occasions... yes the thais have driving problems, but you prepare for that..

drive slowly and observe western driving standards..

signage is ok... get a simple map of course..
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Old Mar 21st, 2011, 10:16 AM
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If we decide to rent a car, does anyone know if Google Maps on my IPad or IPhone will be of any help?
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Old Mar 21st, 2011, 05:21 PM
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Google maps is very accurate for Thailand and I find the map apps on my Iphone and Ipad to be accurate. The only draw back is that we, Thailand, have not made the move to 100% 3G yet and thus when using map apps we have to rely on EDGE technology which is slow. The navigation GPS are quick and accurate though, like the Garmins etc.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2011, 09:21 AM
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you need nothing more than a simple map for driving in phuket..
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