Driving across Thailand off the beaten path

Hi there. We’d like to drive across Thailand from Bangkok to the north of the country by car, in several stages, far from the beaten track. Could anyone give us some tips on this kind of trip? Thanks so much, Laurent and Marie

You need an international driving permit. I hope the French authorities have taken steps, because in 2023 it took them 8 months to send mine.

Once there, make sure to get the most effective insurance. If you have an accident, don’t sign anything or move until your insurer’s local representative arrives on the scene.

Drive carefully because of potholes, dogs crossing the road, and especially because of other drivers. Make your maneuvers smoothly—slowly, even at a crawl—to avoid surprising the locals. Keep an eye on all three mirrors at all times, as two-wheelers will overtake you from every direction, including in towns, around bends, and at intersections.

Watch out—other vehicles may overtake you on either the right or the left without warning.

Overall, this experience is totally doable and gives you incredible freedom and independence.

Hi there,

Could anyone give us some info about this kind of trip?

Just about driving a car in Thailand, or also recommended routes?

Hi there,

I just got back from Thailand where I rented a car. As Joël mentioned, you need an international driver’s permit, and it takes *forever* to get one! But it’s totally worth it.

Having a car lets you go wherever you want, no constraints. You can get away from the tourist highway a bit.

The main driving tip is to never forget you’re driving on the left. You really have to stay super alert at first.

Otherwise, it’s fine once you realize you just need to focus on what’s ahead of you. It’s kind of up to the person behind you to adapt.

We didn’t have any issues with the police, and since the windows are tinted, no one knows a foreigner is driving...

I rented from Budget—the drop-off in another city was free.

Gas is cheap (about 1 €).

Don’t forget a GPS because signage is either missing or confusing...

I’d start in the north and finish in Bangkok.

A night train to Chiang Mai or a flight works great.

Happy planning! !

Hi there, As mentioned before, a GPS is essential. Rental cars usually come equipped with one. If you rent using a premium or gold card, the deductible in case of an issue is generally covered by the card’s insurance. In case of an accident, you’ll need to contact the rental company, who will send an insurance representative. They’re the ones who handle the accident report. Set aside the rules you learned in driving school. For example, on two-lane roads with two-way traffic, some people will even overtake when a car is coming the other way—locals will pull over to let them pass. And most importantly, don’t honk!

Yes, the rule is that the bigger vehicle has priority.

Yes, if you honk, it’s considered very rude—even outright provocative. There might even be gunfire.

No, you shouldn’t just look straight ahead. At the slightest sudden swerve, you could get sideswiped by a two-wheeler overtaking recklessly. What’s more, some vehicles come up fast from behind—especially certain pickups. If you see "Raptor" written on a pickup, you can be sure it’s being driven by a maniac 😎

No, you shouldn’t just look straight ahead,

That’s the golden rule in any country where road rules aren’t set in stone...

Plus, some people come up really fast from behind, especially certain pickups

Meh. They’re amateurs compared to Italians! 😏 And no pressure like flashing lights or honking. It’s so chill!

Honestly, driving on the left is probably what causes the most accidents for tourists used to driving on the right (it’s way less dangerous in South Africa, for example, since there’s almost no one on the road...)

Those U-turns... Absolute chaos.

I found Thai drivers pretty laid-back behind the wheel. Way more than us.

For example, on a two-lane road with two-way traffic, some people will still overtake even if a car is coming the other way—drivers just move aside to let them pass.

Same in Greece, Malta, all of Southern Africa, and some Latin American countries, etc.

Trucks signal when it’s safe to overtake without visibility. And when it’s not...

Quick side note on the international driver’s permit: things seem to be improving since I got mine at the beginning of the year with a wait time of about two and a half months

This is great news! 🙂

Yes, they finally woke up around 2023 and decided to take action.

Two and a half months—when ten years ago, you’d go to the Préfecture and it’d be sorted in a few days. Progress, huh? They called it "going digital"...

Yeah, we were waiting around a bit (or a lot) at the sub-prefecture, but we quickly got the hang of it 😏

Saying it's just a few words to copy into a paper travel journal. Three stamp marks, one photo to glue, and you're done!

5 minutes of work—10 if the person is a bit slow.

I wonder why this wasn’t transferred to the town hall. There was no investment needed other than a pen, a glue stick, and the stamp... Given that you have to pay for postage now, you might as well have paid 10 € to the municipality for the extra work given to local authorities.

(Back in the day, you could also get your passport in just a few moments in Paris...)

It was way better back in the day, miss! 😉

Hi,

You need an international driver’s permit. I hope the French authorities have taken steps because in 2023 it took them 8 months to send it to me.

Calleja123 is apparently from New Caledonia. In Nouméa, the permit is issued in 2-3 weeks.

Fred

Hi there, For an "off-the-beaten-path" itinerary, all you have to do is check out the offers from local or French travel agencies—they all promise "guaranteed off-the-beaten-path" experiences. It’ll be crowded... so patience on the road!

Which paths haven't been beaten—or re-beaten, for sure!

Our friends will need to make a few loops to avoid Lopburi - Sukhothai - Chiang Mai - Chiang Rai - the Golden Triangle :)

If you're heading to Phetchabun, Nan, Phu Chi Fa, Chiang Khong, or Phayao, you're already in for a treat.

A lot of people just blow hot air on this forum—it doesn’t really help.

Calleja 123 is apparently Caledonian. In Nouméa, the license is issued in 2-3 weeks.

On the other hand, the internet only works for him once a year, every April 2nd. Only 51 weeks left to wait to find out his reaction to our replies!...

On the other hand, for him the internet only works once a year, every April 2nd. Only 51 weeks left to find out how he’ll react to our replies!...

Maybe he got blown away by the forum winds. He just needs a little time to come back! [;]

You really need to watch out for U-turns even on major roads in Thailand—it’s the law of the biggest vehicle, so buses, trucks, and pick-ups won’t hesitate to cut you off. Sometimes it’s the opposite: they have all the time in the world to do it but just won’t move. In villages, you’ll often find dogs lying right in the middle of the road.