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Anyone drove from SG to Bangkok before? Any advice?


Cheefarn
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Hi all

 

Just wondering if anyone had driven from SG to Bangkok before? According to Google Maps, it can be done and the distance is approx. 1850km.

 

I know logistically and financially it is really dumb and waste of time to do so as a flight to Bangkok is only 2 hrs from SG. and budget airlines $$ are cheap. But I just thought the trill of actually driving to Bangkok from SG, and that you are the only SG plate car driving around the big traffic jam city of the world, the feeling would be great haha.

 

I just wonder if there's any potential issues when crossing from Malaysia to Thailand borders. Is our insurance covered in Thailand? And I assume there's no problem using their fuel... Most of their cars uses E20 gas, meaning there's 20% Ethanol mixed into the gasoline. Their max grade gasoline is at 95 octane only. Their regular at 91.

 

I have a close friend in Bangkok but she has no idea if the idea is workable or not...

 

TIA

 

 

cheefarn why u here also

 

this one interesting

"I have a close friend in Bangkok but she has no idea if the idea is workable or not.."

 

your insurance cover till only 50km past the msia/thai border, beyond that need to buy...dun try la

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cheefarn why u here also

 

this one interesting

"I have a close friend in Bangkok but she has no idea if the idea is workable or not.."

 

your insurance cover till only 50km past the msia/thai border, beyond that need to buy...dun try la

Ahem move along nothing to see here hehe.

 

Well i am still considering the options.3rd party insurance is rrequired as mentioned by other bros here. Beyond that we need to contact our own insurer to insure our own car.

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Their highest octane is 95, which is fine for us ya. Since I use 95 in SG also.

 

I guess just avoid E20 fuel and I will be fine. My g....close fren drives a Ford Fiesta 1.6L non ecoboost model. She uses E20 since day one to save cost. When I was there, I would refuel her car with 95 octane fuel. There's a immediate difference in power o/p and the car is smoother too

 

Ok about the Thai insurance, just show them my car's logcard right? The insurance is per day or per week?

 

How messy is their customs may I ask? Will one be expected to be stuck for 3 hrs in the q just like our stupid causeway? There's English signboard along the way right? Anything I should look out for?

 

TIA

NB, not that kind of drove la... LOL

 

Ermm... when I was with my close thai female fren, I cant say for sure liao LOL

 

Shouldn't be an issue those big town should have stations ron 95. just make sure you pump as and when you see stations with 95.

 

Thai car insurance are from 7 days to a month, if you are going via bukit kaya Hitam, drop by town at changlun where there are lots of shops selling thai car insurance.

 

Remember that thai/MY custom has closing hours it is not 24hrs. our time 12am to 6am is closed... Thai custom very messy, you can just enter without passport stamped. You will need to park your car behind the custom at thai there. Proceed to car counters for driver to process something call car import paper to drive into thai with your thai insurance and logcard ( you might want to bring along singapore car insurance in case) After that proceed to stamp your own passport at other counters which need to pay 2rm to the officers for one passport stamp. With all papers in place drive your car back car counters for the officers to verify the import papers and insurance then off you go~

 

Drive safe in thailand, if you tio accident you will not be able to come back until the liability is payout as i heard.

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thought of doing that b4 but i no bkk girl good friend [smallcry]

 

Ahem the trick is to work in a company with strong/large operations in Thailand, and no there's no need to be a Thai company... and you are in charge of their IT operations...

 

And you are willing to mix around with their friends to enlarge your networks...

 

 

The rest will be rock n roll liao... well literally.. hehe... I go for Thai Chinese only, or at most 1/2 Chinese hehe...

 

Ok nothing to see here carry on...

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Shouldn't be an issue those big town should have stations ron 95. just make sure you pump as and when you see stations with 95.

 

Thai car insurance are from 7 days to a month, if you are going via bukit kaya Hitam, drop by town at changlun where there are lots of shops selling thai car insurance.

 

Remember that thai/MY custom has closing hours it is not 24hrs. our time 12am to 6am is closed... Thai custom very messy, you can just enter without passport stamped. You will need to park your car behind the custom at thai there. Proceed to car counters for driver to process something call car import paper to drive into thai with your thai insurance and logcard ( you might want to bring along singapore car insurance in case) After that proceed to stamp your own passport at other counters which need to pay 2rm to the officers for one passport stamp. With all papers in place drive your car back car counters for the officers to verify the import papers and insurance then off you go~

 

Drive safe in thailand, if you tio accident you will not be able to come back until the liability is payout as i heard.

Yeah that's what I did to my fren's Ford Fiesta. Cant understand Thai, but the pump said 95 so it must be 95 octane gas lor.

 

FYI, their Shell fuel stocks if very different from ours. No Vpower on sale, and their 91 and 95 octane gasoline are not known as FuelSave either. Their Caltex fuel featured Techron even for their E20 fuel, but I think the composition is completely different.

 

Hmm.... the way you put it, its like making a no return trip from Thailand ley... sigh... but I understand many sinkies have done it over the years. I've seen people posing next to their SG cars in Bangkok on the net before...

 

Hmm... gotta think hard... gotta keep my close fren off my mind while I think too LOL

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Few years ago i did a road trip of about 2100km.

 

Very fun. Go for it. But do plan first.

 

Good luck, have fun, and stay alive.

 

Advice:

1) Don't attempt a long road trip by yourself. Must have at least one other co-driver. You'll get tired no matter how often / how long you rest. That's when it becomes dangerous, especially in rural areas. Lose focus for a second or two and you may crash and die.

 

2) Driving in urban areas (e.g. cities) may be tricky due to different driving habits of the local population.

 

3) Different road signs apply in different countries. Familiarise yourself with them beforehand.

 

4) Take breaks often. Drive maximum 3 hours before having a 30 minute break and switch drivers. If you're not used to driving long distance, take breaks more often.

 

5) Pace yourself. I find driving at a constant 120km/h on the interstate is manageable. Go faster = use more energy. Go slower = slower.

 

6) Do a pre-check for your car first. Worst thing you want is your car to breakdown or have issues halfway.

 

7) Bring mp3s. Local radio might get boring.

 

8) Bring gps navigation and a country map. Country map to chart your route. Gps to go from checkpoint to checkpoint.

 

9) Keep updated with changing road conditions. You may need to detour if highway collapse, flooding, major accident. You may laugh but it happened during my roadtrip where a major highway collapsed due to unprecedented flooding and we had to detour.

 

10) Bring a camera. Nice scenery.

 

11) When driving at night, drive a distance behind a trailer. If a wild animal jumps out, the trailer will whack the animal first and you can siam.

 

12) Bring car charger for your gps, phones, water, and sweets.

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Ahem the trick is to work in a company with strong/large operations in Thailand, and no there's no need to be a Thai company... and you are in charge of their IT operations...

 

And you are willing to mix around with their friends to enlarge your networks...

 

 

The rest will be rock n roll liao... well literally.. hehe... I go for Thai Chinese only, or at most 1/2 Chinese hehe...

 

Ok nothing to see here carry on...

 

 

sharing is caring

i looking for biz in thailand too

u change coy?

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Yeah that's what I did to my fren's Ford Fiesta. Cant understand Thai, but the pump said 95 so it must be 95 octane gas lor.

 

FYI, their Shell fuel stocks if very different from ours. No Vpower on sale, and their 91 and 95 octane gasoline are not known as FuelSave either. Their Caltex fuel featured Techron even for their E20 fuel, but I think the composition is completely different.

 

Hmm.... the way you put it, its like making a no return trip from Thailand ley... sigh... but I understand many sinkies have done it over the years. I've seen people posing next to their SG cars in Bangkok on the net before...

 

Hmm... gotta think hard... gotta keep my close fren off my mind while I think too LOL

 

 

Actually not that bad rah only when in big town or cites just take note of their traffic junctions and motocycles, too many dare devils already, Drive slow and safe in towns or cities. Other than that thailand highway are nice to drive, take note of road side vehicles at all times.

 

Their fuel only got e10, e20 , 91, 95 and e85. e85 not much place have and 95 is always the most exp so not easy to make a mistake there, go for 95 gasoline NOT 95 gasohol!!!!

 

take this webby as price reference....

 

http://www.eppo.go.th/retail_prices.php

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Hi Cheefarn, you are absolutely right. Logistically and financially-speaking, it seems dumb and a waste of time to drive to BKK. The cost of petrol, the toll charges, the wear and tear, and time taken are totally unjustifiable. BUT life is an adventure. It's not always about the cheapest or fastest way, but the most rewarding and memorable way. It's not the destination but the journey that matters most.

 

And it is exactly that thrill you've said, that thrill of zipping down the busy streets of BKK (or anywhere else in Thailand) in your own car, that is most gratifying.

 

Many experts here have already provided valuable tips and advice on driving into Thailand. I'm no expert as I've only done it once in 2011 and fully agree with what others have pointed out.

 

No worries about the Sadao checkpoint. Sounds complicated but it's quite smooth and easy. It's also true that motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians can dash across highways suddenly to get from one village to another.

 

The road surfaces on highways were littered with big potholes during my trip, especially those outside/beyond BKK due to the epic 2011 flood. If you are using low-profile tyres, be prepared for some really hard and painful bangs and slams. Also avoid the monsoon season (Aug - Nov) as flood is not uncommon.

 

Another thing I remember is that GPS signal was poor when driving within BKK due to the massive viaducts overhead. So be alert and take note of the directions in advance as your GPS unit might recalculate and cause confusion once in a while.

 

Feel free to check out my blog for more photos and videos of driving in Thailand from my 2011 trip. Hopefully, they can give you a better idea of the condition:

http://aikkianphotography.blogspot.sg/2014/05/thailand-road-trip-2011.html

 

Finally, go for it and you won't regret. I'd love to do it again and again, to and beyond Thailand.

 

Drive safe :)

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Turbocharged

i went through Bukit Kayu Hitam/Sadao just last week.

 

just for info, the road leading north (when entering Sadao) fm the border is under reconstruction, so the shops along the road are mostly closed. Difficult to find a shop there to buy thai insurance.

 

suggest to buy before entering thai immigration area.

 

due to the construction work, vehicles heading north hv to do a small left flanking movement, which works out well, as it avoids the usual slow traffic on the main road. It rejoins the main road about 200-300 from the border crossing.

 

unfortunately I do not know when the construction is expected to be completed.

 

the road works was only on the northbound side of the road when I was there. No idea if they will also do the southbound.

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sharing is caring

i looking for biz in thailand too

u change coy?

For quite some time already

 

Hehe me no lobang ley.. What are u dealing with? SG needs Thailand far more than they need us seriously.

 

Resources obviously they have tons of it. Tech geezwhiz, they are as every bit as good as us at a far lower cost. Land size, I don't need to say. People... well all I can say is that the Thais I've met so far are all very nice people. Soft spoken, friendly and patient and helpful. While some of them I've met do not speak English, they still willing to help u with their limited English capabilities. Of cos speaking Chinese over there may be easier for all you know.

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For quite some time already

 

Hehe me no lobang ley.. What are u dealing with? SG needs Thailand far more than they need us seriously.

 

Resources obviously they have tons of it. Tech geezwhiz, they are as every bit as good as us at a far lower cost. Land size, I don't need to say. People... well all I can say is that the Thais I've met so far are all very nice people. Soft spoken, friendly and patient and helpful. While some of them I've met do not speak English, they still willing to help u with their limited English capabilities. Of cos speaking Chinese over there may be easier for all you know.

 

Welcome to Golden Mile Complex. [grin] Can find frenly thai ppl there. [gorgeous]

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Hi Cheefarn, you are absolutely right. Logistically and financially-speaking, it seems dumb and a waste of time to drive to BKK. The cost of petrol, the toll charges, the wear and tear, and time taken are totally unjustifiable. BUT life is an adventure. It's not always about the cheapest or fastest way, but the most rewarding and memorable way. It's not the destination but the journey that matters most.

 

And it is exactly that thrill you've said, that thrill of zipping down the busy streets of BKK (or anywhere else in Thailand) in your own car, that is most gratifying.

 

Many experts here have already provided valuable tips and advice on driving into Thailand. I'm no expert as I've only done it once in 2011 and fully agree with what others have pointed out.

 

No worries about the Sadao checkpoint. Sounds complicated but it's quite smooth and easy. It's also true that motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians can dash across highways suddenly to get from one village to another.

 

The road surfaces on highways were littered with big potholes during my trip, especially those outside/beyond BKK due to the epic 2011 flood. If you are using low-profile tyres, be prepared for some really hard and painful bangs and slams. Also avoid the monsoon season (Aug - Nov) as flood is not uncommon.

 

Another thing I remember is that GPS signal was poor when driving within BKK due to the massive viaducts overhead. So be alert and take note of the directions in advance as your GPS unit might recalculate and cause confusion once in a while.

 

Feel free to check out my blog for more photos and videos of driving in Thailand from my 2011 trip. Hopefully, they can give you a better idea of the condition:

http://aikkianphotography.blogspot.sg/2014/05/thailand-road-trip-2011.html

 

Finally, go for it and you won't regret. I'd love to do it again and again, to and beyond Thailand.

 

Drive safe :)

Fully agreed.

 

I just thought that I'd do something more adventurous before I get too old, before I can't afford a new car anymore. !@#$%^&

 

Me driving a 2008 FD1, getting old in terms of numbers but its religiously maintained at all times with most wear n tear parts replaced as required. Reliability wont be an issue obviously (cant say the same if I attempt the journey in a French car LOL). And I'm sure the Civic has no problem covering such distances in conservative days since Civics sold in USA and Europe are often used to travel even further in their home countries.

 

Hmm... I cant find any one to go along with me... and I certainly wont invite my wifey to go along for obvious reasons hehehe....

 

Big potholes... aiya being a freq Bolehland traveler, you just need to slow down and look sharp ahead and evade as per normal. Wait till u try such maneuver at night in total darkness....LOL I've tried it in my close fren's Ford Fiesta, Well the suspension was still in one piece... I didn't crash over any potholes la LOL

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Another qns

 

Well I know they don't have real interstate highways as we would know it in Thailand, but do they have rest stops along the way like what we see in Malaysia? Maybe some cheap hotels/motels for over night stays?

 

Im asking this because I may not wish to deviate too far from the main road to Bangkok for the entire journey just to eat and rest. Using GPS is one thing, but its not foolproof. Google Maps made me go around in circles for my last trip from Bangkok to Ayuttaya .. [thumbsdown][sweatdrop][smash] It was big wide open spaces but still like that... sigh... Therefore I would like to stay on course as much as possible just to be safe and sure.

 

 

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Another qns

 

Well I know they don't have real interstate highways as we would know it in Thailand, but do they have rest stops along the way like what we see in Malaysia? Maybe some cheap hotels/motels for over night stays?

 

Im asking this because I may not wish to deviate too far from the main road to Bangkok for the entire journey just to eat and rest. Using GPS is one thing, but its not foolproof. Google Maps made me go around in circles for my last trip from Bangkok to Ayuttaya .. [thumbsdown][sweatdrop][smash] It was big wide open spaces but still like that... sigh... Therefore I would like to stay on course as much as possible just to be safe and sure.

 

 

 

My previous drive there, we just stop at the towns for meals and petrol. There was no official rest stop like in NSH.

 

 

My trip to phuket : http://www.mycarforum.com/topic/1941799-road-trip-to-phuket/?hl=phuket

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