Driving in Thailand

[JohPo]

Hi, again, just rented a car for may, to drive from Don Muang Airport to Roi Et.
I am being silly to drive or if I go along the tollway will it be OK?
Ta, John

[rxpharm]

Did you research how many hours that will take? Thai roads are not always the best condition, and Thai drivers are certainly much more unpredictable and dangerous than most other country's drivers.

[Rockheart]

Renting a car for a whole month is quite expensive compared to just hiring one when you need it.
That is also quite the drive out to Roi Et which appears to be a part of Isaan.

The Tollway/expressway will be fine for a while but it will turn into smaller and smaller roads.
The Expressways tend to have less motorbikes but there is still some. The motorbikes stay off the highways in Bangkok but not in the country.
Expect motorbikes and other vehicles coming from all directions, as well as livestock at large.
The roads can get pretty terrible some places, just make sure you are not driving your car into a big pothole or off a washed away bridge.

Don't drive at night because there is people that block the road to extort or rob you.
Being a foreigner there is even more chance you could be pulled over by police or targeted by criminals.
Night time anything could happen, best to not be driving alone out on the road.

As friendly as Thai people can be, most do not value human life that same way as we do in the west.
This can get worse as you get out in the country with people showing much less respect than in touristy places.

Taking a rental car out into the Thai country side for a month could possibly be risky.
I found it much easier to take public transportations out there and back then rent something while there.
When visiting Buriram many times, I was able to rent cars there or rent drivers too.

[JohPo]

Only renting for a week and it takes 7 hours but I am staying overnight 3 hours from the airport at Nakhon Ratchasima.
Definitely no night driving.
The route is via Hwy 1, then 2, then 23.
I realise that Thai drivers take risks but it looks like the highways are not too bad.
My worst fear is getting away from the airport and out of Bangkok.
Also paying the toll.

[outlander5]

I don't see an issue unless your not used to driving on the wrong side of the road its the motorbikes on tight city streets that scare me not the highways as much!! still easier driving in thailand then say china where nobody has an once of patience

[bonjo]

obey the traffic's rule , don't think racing in circuit
safety first

[kardus]

I've rented a car in thailand and drove to Pattaya first thing would be to get the car from avis or budget and get the additional coverage on the car,if something does happen you'll be covered with no deductable, driving from the airport to Pattaya is not hard its mostly highway and there is good signage in english, driving in Bangkok is another story, too much traffic and too big a city for me to find anything and in town good luck trying to park anywhere make sure your hotel has a car park, driving in rural Thailand is cool but any big city is nerve racking as noone uses lanes and people sweeze thru any available spot to get by you in a car or motorbike.

[Easyguy]

I have driven quite a bit in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and enroute to and from Issan. I have also driven extensively in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Have also driven the Airport death highway in Iraq. But, that's another story. Driving in Thailand is a breeze compared to either Kuwait or Saudi Arabia where they really have no regard for your life or theirs. In these two countries you have to seriously drive as if your life depended on it every second. I am not one to get shaken out on the roads. However, I have been shaken up a few times in Arab countries. You really have to experience it to believe it. In Thailand people are not purposely trying to hurt or kill you with their vehicles so you just have to drive carefully as in any other Asian country to avoid an accident.