What to choose for a first summer trip to Asia: Indonesia or Thailand? (page 5 of 5)

Example of a direct VIP bus from Chiang Mai to Kanchanaburi, visiting for 4 nights (just the city) or 8-9 nights (the whole province), then a 55-minute bus ride (line 81, A/C) from Kan to Ban Pong, and from there, an overnight train to the South. Result: you skip the flight and visit a pretty province without going through Bangkok.

Sure, but what if you’ve already done that on the way there?

On a single trip, there’s not enough time to go from Bangkok to the north one way, then from the north to the south another way, and finally return to Bangkok—always trying to take a different route. Plus, with a child, you can’t quite travel the same way you would alone.

because third-class slow trains, ugh, you’d better be very patient

True for long distances and mid-route departures.

For a departure at the start of the line and a two-hour trip, it’s like the Paris RER but with fewer people.

And come on, a Clermont-Ferrand to Paris trip often takes 10 hours, so Thai trains can only seem better to me.

as long as you’re in your car, you’re not with the Thais

You can also meet Thais no other tourist has ever seen while in your car...

It lets you go *everywhere*!

doing the whole circuit that way pushes you to visit too quickly

That depends on everyone’s mood. Transportation doesn’t define the traveler. Some people can do Europe in 15 days by train, while others in a car will only visit one French department.

In my opinion, a car has two key advantages:

- freedom - discovering landscapes at their best

I’ve taken a bus one way and a rental car back on the same route. On the bus, I saw almost nothing...

Way up north in Chiang Rai province, I had some trouble doing everything by public transport. After a while, the schedules just didn’t line up, or it simply didn’t let me go exactly where I wanted. Maybe I didn’t look hard enough, but it seemed like it was easier to take "tours" from Chiang Rai (though they often cover several sites in a single day). So I went with private transport instead—super easy to arrange through the guesthouse the night before for the next day—and I’ve got to say, the prices are low (maybe because of the season, I’m not sure...).

I could’ve rented a car from the start, but there are quite a few mountainous roads, hairpin turns, and so on...

gotta admit, prices are low

I paid 26 € in 2025 for a private Grab taxi from Ayutthaya to Bangkok Airport. Almost 90 kilometers.

That’s a steal!

For Hua Hin, it was around 50 €.

Door-to-door, no less.

It’s super reasonable for groups—great comfort and unbeatable travel time.

All the way north in Chiang Rai province, I had some trouble doing everything by public transport. After a while, the schedules just didn’t line up, or it simply didn’t let me go exactly where I wanted. Maybe I didn’t look hard enough, but it seemed easier to just take "tours" from Chiang Rai (though they often cover several sites in a single day). So I went with private transport—super easy to arrange through the guesthouse the night before for the next day—and I’ve got to say, the prices are low (maybe because of the season, I’m not sure...)

Hiring a car (or a songthaew) with a driver for a full or half day is a great option when sites are poorly served by public transport or too spread out from each other, but I always try not to overuse it. From Chiang Rai, that’s how I visited the White Temple, the Black House, and the Doi Tung Royal Villa & Garden (which you could only reach by regular songthaew on weekends) all in one day. To do this, I first went into a travel agency but turned down their offer because I thought the price was too high. As I was leaving, I ran into a really nice guy who was waiting there and offered me the same service for half the price, which I accepted.

I could’ve rented a car from the start, but there were quite a few mountainous roads, hairpin turns, etc...

Did you go to Mae Salong?

Hiring a car (or a songthaew) with a driver for a full or half day is a good option when sites are poorly served by public transport or too spread out from each other

That definitely seemed like the best option in that area.

Would you have gone to Mae Salong?

Yes ;). Personally, I loved that region.

Personally, I can’t go back to Thailand without renting a car—it’s *so* much better.

Plus, rentals aren’t too expensive, gas isn’t either, and the roads are decent. You get to go places you’d never reach otherwise… even to lots of islands where ferries let you take your car.

Would you have gone to Mae Salong?

Yes :).

How long did it take?

It’s not too complicated to get from Chiang Rai to Mae Salong using public transport: take a bus toward Mae Sai, get off at Mae Chan, and from there, there are 5 songthaews a day to Mae Salong.

I posted several photos (not grouped) of the Mae Salong area in this thread: https://voyageforum.com/forum/parties-campagne-thailandaise-d10760313-1/

Mae Salong, songthaew to Mae Chan:

Your photos are amazing😎!! I really wanted to go to Kanchanaburi too, but it would’ve been too rushed, so maybe next time. The issue was that I left Chiang Rai heading east, thinking I’d make a loop. I didn’t have a precise itinerary—just a few places I’d noted (the Opium Museum, Wat Phra That Doi Tung, Mae Fah Luang, Mae Salong tea plantation...)—and honestly, from Chiang Rai it was fine, but getting between those spots was a bit of a hassle. I hadn’t really planned that part well enough to do it any other way than private transport. But in the end, it was still good and easy

Personally, I can't go to Thailand anymore without renting a car—it's just so much better...

Plus, renting isn't too expensive, gas isn't either, and the roads are decent. You get to go places you'd never have gone otherwise... even to visit many islands, there are ferries where you can take your car.

But in the end, aren’t you considering expatriation?

But you’re not considering expatriation after all?

…spending one or two months in Bangkok yeah when I stop working… but for now, renting a scooter… vroooom

Just to come back to Bali—watch out for preconceptions about "overtourism" or "pollution"...

I had a few of those myself before leaving. But after 3 weeks in Bali this summer, I can confirm that the media only shows you what they want you to see (what’s more sellable than criticizing overtourism and pollution!).

I’m not saying it doesn’t exist, but if you avoid the south of the island, I mostly saw pretty empty warungs, beaches with hardly anyone around, and homestays with plenty of availability. As for plastic pollution, it’s still nowhere near Egypt...

With a 3-year-old, Bali is definitely doable.