Hey Crew,

After a four days in BKK, us two gals plan to rent a car and tour for the next ten days ending up back in BKK. I'm interested in logistics and know some of you have already jumped this hurdle. I'd appreciate your council.

So, do I taxi back to the airport from my BKK hotel to pick up the rental car? (my usual MO) Pick one up in the city? Any option I'm missing?

Any other car rental/driving tips? I've conquored the Greek highways and thought that to be the epitomy of anarchy on the road, (kind of enjoyed it) but am always prepared for new driving thrills!

Lisa

Actually, I'd recommend that you not drive yourself, but look into a car and driver if you really want to go by car. Thai roads are nothing like Greek roads...not even a llittle. I've lived in Greece, been a tourist in Greece, driven in Greece, including Athens, and believe me, Greece has in no way prepared you for Thailand. Greece is simple.

Outside of Bangkok would be easier, but a car in Bangkok...no way you could even pay me to try. In addition to navigation difficulties, it is downright dangerous.

Then there is what you would do if you were involved in any sort of mishap, be it a crash or having a tuk tuk drive into the side of you...no matter what, it would be an enormous headache and in all likelihood a financial one as well.

If you really have your heart set on driving, do not pick up a car in Bangkok. Fly up to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, or go to Koh Samui, or Phang Nga...somewhere less frantic. Still, a car and driver is so affordable, and you can see so much more when you aren't behind the wheel, that I think it's well worth considering.

Another positive point for a driver is that if you select carefully and communicate what you want to do well, the driver can help you choose your destinations and add commentary, much like your own personal tour guide.

i agree....do not drive in and around bkk...roads are also poorly marked and in thai, rarely in english...

if you must drive then i would head out in the direction i want to go via some other means: car and driver, taxi, etc....i would rent the car there....payyaya, hua hin or some place to the north...

better safe than sorry....

driving in the country is very easy, but not in the cities and especially bkk....

there is no connection with driving in europe and i have driven in almost every country there...

budget and avis are the main companies in thailand...

Thanks for the interesting comments and advice. Certainly picking up a car from a town in the north is an option. I would still like to know about getting out of town from BKK airport and heading north. We really like to travel at our own pace and change travel plans at the drop of a hat! Any scoop about traffic leaving north from the airport?
Mucho Thanks
Lisa

Depends on when your trip is. The new airport is slated to open this summer I believe in a completely different location. The current airport...we've gone north with a driver on the expressway. Heavy traffic is all I remember of the road.

Having a driver in no way takes away your ability to be spontaneous. It might make it easier to make snap decisions as you'd both be able to enjoy the sights along the way rather than having one of you with eyes glued to the road. Having a driver is nothing like going on a tour.

If you're used to driving on the left (UK-style), you will only have problems with the traffic and signs.

On the other hand, if you're from a country that drives on the right, plan on a couple of days acclimating to the different perspective....turning left into the left lane, passing on the right, high speed lane on the right, road signs on the left, etc.

I rented a car in Britain several years ago. Kept on running over the curb on left hand turns, playing jump-back with locals not expecting someone to drive up on the sidewalk at them. I can still see the image in my rearview mirror of people shaking their fists and cursing me.

We were on Koh Lanta for a couple of days, everyone rents scooters and you could pick the the folks from the US and like countrys. They drove on the wrong side, drove slowly and kept right, looking the wrong way on left hand turns, etc., etc.

So, do it, post it. Especially if you're from the US or the like.

On your way out of Bangkok to anywhere you're going to hit a lot of traffic. Depending on where you are going and what you want to do, you might be best advised to fly to the north, then ger a car and driver (or drive yourself) around the north. Getting a car with a driver isn't expensive, the driver can read the road signs, and can be helpful in finding things that are off the main highways.

the traffic around the current bkk airport is deadlocked much of the day...on the overhead highway it is not as bad however....you still have the sign issues....

no one likes to travel any more independantly than do i....but would i ever consider driving in bkk---NO!!! around BKK??? NO NO NO....i thought once of driving from hua hin to pattaya skirting around the south of bkk....then i thought about the roads i had seen and again the answer--NO!!!

How about this...rent a car on an open-ended contract, do a 1/2 day trip.

If you are having a good time, despite dire warnings, call the company and keep on going. If not, return the car and go to plan B.

Nothing worse than wondering what might have been, eh?

I won't frive in BKK and have lived here many years, I park at a mall in the outer suburbs and then cab, in reverse cab back to the mall and pick up the car, I venture 'thru' the south part of Bangkok on the expressways but that's the limit I would do.
The idea to head out of town with a car and driver is excellent, Budget have a lot of locations and it gets you away from the busy area, having said that though my strong advice would be to use a car+driver from place to place. Once you arrive in a town or location it's easy to use local transport, tuk-tuk, songthaew or taxi, whatever. Far from the busy areas are fine but I would think about using car and drivers.

Well, sounds like we would be lucky to get out of BKK with our skins!

Our current itinerary looks some thing like this
Wed., Thur., and Fri. in BKK. La Residence Hotel.

Sat., hire car and driver to Bang Pa-In, Ayutthaya and Lop Buri. Stay at LopBuri Resort Inn.

Sun, either 86 the driver and continue on our own or keep him and head for Sukhothai and Chaing Mai.

Mon., drive CM Loop.

Tue., continue CM Loop back to CM. Turn in car and or driver. Hotel to be determined.

Wed., arrange trek and head out if possible. If not arrange cooking class for day.

Thur., trek and return to CM.

Fri., cooking class if not already done on Wed. or continue trek if we don’t leave on Wed.. Fly to Ko Samui in evening. Stay at Natural Wing Resort in tree house.

Sat., beach time on Ko Samui.

Sun., pick up rental car in Surat Thani drive to Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park. Stay close to park.

Mon. , tour park and drive to Hua Hin. Stay at Dolphin Bay Resort (?)

Tue., drive north, with our without driver to BKK, stay at airport hotel.

Wed., fly out of BKK to Kansas City.

What say Ye.

Drive in Bangkok?! That's a good one. Never! Happy Travels!

its a busy trip with little down time....are you prepared for the heat? and how that will knock you for a loop?/ suggest at least one full down day upon arrival...

with the exception of bkk driving it is all quite easy if you have good maps, which are not readily available...i bought a good michelin map of all of thailand in book form but it is limited...

It's good that you are taking it easy at the start of your trip; the jetlag and the heat/humidity can really take time to adjust to.

I wonder about your idea to hire a car and driver, then maybe 86 him and continue on your own...it will be difficult to hire someone to maybe drive you to Chiang Mai, or maybe only to Lopburi...two very different jobs. While some might be willing to take the time necessary to get you to Chiang Mai, some may not. Some may want to, some not. What about expenses for the driver - accommodation/food...that will be your responsibility. And if you decide you don't need him after all, I would think it would be the right thing to do if you paid him for the whole trip he agreed to do for you in the first place.

What about the extra charges for picking up and dropping off a rental car in different locations? That can be significant. It's 700 km to Chiang Mai from Bangkok.

I'm also curious why you would go to all the expense of getting to Samui for essentially one day on the beach. There is one flight per day from Chiang Mai, and it is in the morning. You could fly from Chiang Mai to BKK, then BKK to Samui, but that will take more time and more money. There is only one airline that flies to Samui, www.bangkokair.com

The pace of travel in Asia is much slower than anywhere in Europe. Even flying, you will count on half a day to change locations. You are spending so much time in the car that you will be seeing lots of highway and not much of Thailand. You might be better to spend the first 3 days in BKK like you've already planned, then do a day trip to Ayuthaya, just like you have already.

It seems like you have a lot that you are interested in in the Chiang Mai area, so I'd recommend you spend a week there. You could do a 2 or 3 day trek if you like, spend another day seeing Doi Suthep/nearby Meo village, another day doing a cooking class, a couple doing the Chiang Mai loop you refer to...that's a week.

Then, if you wanted, you could go to Samui for 3 days and relax, and head back to BKK for one night before departure. You could also eliminate Samui altogether and spend the time at Hua Hin or nearby beaches, which might be more cost effective than the Samui flights. It's about 2 hours drive from BKK (Hua Hin) and there are plenty of taxi services to get you there and back.

Even will eliminating over 1000 km of driving, I still think the itinerary feels very ambitious, but you seem to want to pack it in, so I think it would be OK.

I agree that you are trying to do too much. And why all the driving? Is this how you want to spend your vacation? Slow down and enjoy Thailand!

I really agree with Kim, it makes no sense in terms of time or expense to fly to Koh Samui (a relatively expensive flight) for one day.

You'll enjoy it more if you spend a few days at each place rather than moving every night.