Driving in Thailand

For those wondering about driving: no problem at all. The road network is excellent, with plenty of four-lane highways. Driving is easy if you're careful. Avoid driving at night and stay alert around two-wheelers. I’ve been driving there since 2016—I’m no spring chicken—and I’ve covered Thailand from north to south and east to west, even Bangkok. Maps.me and vigilance are all you need... It gives you incredible freedom and lets you discover places that aren’t too crowded yet.

10 years of experience in Thailand, but in this forum, never any help to prepare a trip there—no replies, no travel journal, nothing. No, the very first post in 14 years of membership is to drop an ad... Pathetic.

I don’t understand your message at all.

Huh, the name of the car rental company disappeared...

Ah, I understand better now. I'm sorry—I'm not used to this forum; it's my first time. I just clarified my approach, which might help someone who's wondering about renting, just like I did the first time after reading about all the dangers of driving yourself. It's too bad the tone of your response was so unaccommodating, even aggressive.

help

Noted! There are plenty of questions about Thailand, so when it comes to helping out selflessly, you’ll have your chance.

Great road network, but they're pretty beaten up—so much so that there’s roadwork happening everywhere right now. It’s no secret that having good shocks helps, and it explains why so many people drive 4x4s here.

Thanks for the info. I’m planning to go there at the end of the year and I’ve arranged to rent a vehicle to explore the Chiang Mai area and then head south.

Fred

You can rent at pretty reasonable prices. That said, don’t rush—no matter the road, the average speed won’t be very high.

Keep an eye on all three mirrors at all times. There are lots of narrow roads where two cars can barely pass, or sometimes just one. Watch out for non-existent shoulders with deep ditches. And every now and then, there’s a big pothole.

The tip: make all maneuvers slowly and drive like the locals do.

You quickly get used to driving on the left—just remember that the turn signals and windshield wipers are swapped, and on manual transmissions, you shift gears with your left hand. A GPS is highly recommended. Honking is strongly discouraged. I avoid driving at night (too many vehicles without lights). If anything goes wrong, don’t move the vehicle and call the rental company.

You’ve got to constantly keep an eye on all three mirrors.

Absolutely! I’ve got several years of experience driving both a car and a motorcycle (Honda 650cc) in Bangkok and the provinces, and I still get the occasional scare...

The tip: make all maneuvers slowly and drive like the locals.

Drive like the locals? Love that advice! 😏 While most "locals" drive reasonably well, there’s still a significant number of "local-locos" (!) who ride like total maniacs—zigzagging at full speed between cars, overtaking with zero visibility (preferably on a steep hill where the yellow lines are solid 😉 🙁), speeding up just to slam the brakes a few meters from the car in front, then tailgating stubbornly at 2 or 3 meters. I could go on. The advice definitely isn’t to copy them!

He meant: drive like the majority of other drivers, who got their license in a box of detergent and who always seem scared or clumsy. It also means: do all your maneuvers slowly so that the others, who do whatever they want however they want, can improvise accordingly. Did I get it right?

10 years of experience in Thailand, but in this forum, never any help to prepare a trip there—no reply, no travel journal, nothing. No, the very first post in 14 years of membership is to drop an ad... Pathetic.

Well done! Well done! Well done! !

Hmm, the name of the car rental company disappeared...

And on top of that, there was a car rental company! What I find pathetic is... the rest in DM...