Andys Real Guide to Thailand

Driving in Thailand is not for the faint hearted. Learn to expect the unexcepted ! Nighttime driving is particularly hazardous and inadvisable until you become familar with Thai driving 'techniques'....

Thailand drives on the left - most of the time ! Upcountry only the major roads have signs written in English. Safe driving techniques are not something that Thais are strong on, and if you come from a western country you will likely be appalled at some of the sights. Whole families on one small motorbike, pickups laden 10 meters high, buses with people hanging out of the doors are just some of the more common examples.

The concept of "right-of-way" has no practical meaning. The fastest and biggest vehicles get the right-of-way. Top-tip: If a large blue-white bus approaches you at speed - get out of its way Why?

Legalities

As with much of the Thai legal system driving laws are based on the British system. One important difference being that cars are insured and not drivers. Be aware that police enforcement of driving laws is weak at best and approaching non-existant outside towns.

Third party car insurance is compulsory and the insurance certificate must be displayed. Photo (left) shows both the car tax (top) and insurance (bottom). More details.

Wearing of seat belts in the front is now a legal requirement.

Renting Cars
If you want to rent a car you may wish to use one of the big international companies, Avis and Budget are big in Thailand, and it's possible to reserve a car over the web. Personally I don't feel the big companies are worth the premium prices they charge; when the brakes failed on my Avis rental once the company told me to drive it the 80km to their Pattaya office..

Do not rent from the street-side (unusually uninsured), there are plenty of good independant operators in the tourist areas often close to tourist hotels. Make sure that insurance is "Class 1" (fully comprehensive) and that you have a copy of the insurance certificate - often left in the glovebox. The Thai police do spot checks and take an extremely dim view of uninsured car drivers. For this reason make sure you have your passport and driver's license on you whilst driving.

Expect to pay something in the order of 1200baht/day for a medium sized saloon - generally a Toyota or Honda

Long Distance Driving
If you're planning on driving long distances then you will be pleased to know that most of the major highways are now up to western standards, dual carriageways with generally good surfaces. You won't be pleased to hear that long distance driving in Thailand is extremely stressful and tiring. This is mostly because of the variety of traffic types the big roads take - everything from tractors, high-speed Mercs, buses, bikes, etc... There's never a dull moment! 
Reckon on doing half the distance for the same amount of exhaustion you'd experience on a western European highway. 

In the border areas, particularly near Cambodia and Burma there are several military checkpoints. Mostly they're looking for illegal immigrants and drugs.
Farang provoke little interest, though be sure to give them an opportunity to stop you. These guys are generally friendly, but are heavily armed and during times of tension (see Borders) have been know to get a little jumpy. Again, patience and good humour are the name of the game. You're likely to need to show your passport.

Caution: If you see a big red sign with black Thai script (see photo) slow down immediately - it's quite likely that there isn't actually a road surface ahead ! These signs rarely have English translations.

The biggest hazard driving a car in Thailand are the motorbikes, which tend to appear in veritable swarms in towns and cities. Standard of riding various from teenage lads with suicidal tendencies, to little old ladies with poor vision. 

Fuel
Not subject to the punitive taxes of europe, fuel is fairly cheap with diesel, and 91/95 octane benzine being widely available. Fuel stations are plentiful though tend to be clustered around cities. So don't let that gauge get too low. Be suspicious of very cheap fuel - some places have been known to water it down.
As of 3 January 2004, 91 Octane is 17Baht/l, 95 is 19baht/l and diesel 15Baht/l

Motorbikes
I have recently learnt that one does not need any sort of driving license to ride a motorbike in Thailand. I should have worked it out from the 8 years old boys I seen riding them...

Motorbike rental is popular in the tourist resorts, with everything from a little 50cc mopeds to a 1200cc superbikes being available. The guys running these operations will generally ask to see you passport and likely copy it. On no account leave your passport with them.
The market rate for a 110cc bike is about 120Baht/day, recently a friend rented an 1100cc bike for just 500Baht/day

The most serious hazard for bikers are pot-holes on minor roads.

Generally you will find that car drivers are much more Bike-Aware than in the West. You should be aware that when renting a bike you won't be insured and if you have an accident you'll be paying for all the damages and medical expenses out of your own pocket.

March 2004: The government are currently advising motorcyclists to switch their lights on even during the day. Sound safety advice. However exactly how much good this will do when plenty of motorcycles are driven at night without lights I don't know.

Some important driving laws:
( these ones are sometimes enforced )

• Seat belt mandatory for driver and front seat passenger
• Helmets mandatory for both rider and pillion (the pillion thing is new)
• Speed limit outside town is 90km/h (about 55mph), except where signed.
  - Police speed traps are quite common on major routes.