Road Trip To Thailand

[Shibadog]

Nice road trip and write up.

Care to share what car you used for this road trip?

Forester XT?

 

 

hi, thanks for the kind words. it was a 2007 Subaru legacy GT wagon

[Tohto]

hi, thanks for the kind words. it was a 2007 Subaru legacy GT wagon

Petrol grade in the northern Thai had no issues for the turbo engine?

I am seeing mainly of 92 there.

[Shibadog]

Petrol grade in the northern Thai had no issues for the turbo engine?

I am seeing mainly of 92 there.

 

 

it was one of my concerns but I found gasohol E10 ron95 to be easily available. I had a jerry can which I had filled with petrol early on but didn't need to use. I only had to pump Gasohol ron91 once (approx. 40L) but the engine was fine. I could monitor knocking, fuel correction , timing correction etc on my hp thru an app.

 

I switched to my second ECU map when I started pumping thai petrol. This map is tuned on SPC ron92.

[Tohto]

it was one of my concerns but I found gasohol E10 ron95 to be easily available. I had a jerry can which I had filled with petrol early on but didn't need to use. I only had to pump Gasohol ron91 once (approx. 40L) but the engine was fine. I could monitor knocking, fuel correction , timing correction etc on my hp thru an app.

 

I switched to my second ECU map when I started pumping thai petrol. This map is tuned on SPC ron92.

Bring up this question as I am driving the 2016 XT. Already tuned for 98 petrol. So any thing lower in southern Thai will also a concern for me.

[bluepotato]

your own bike or rental in thailand?

 

there are many foreigners who go to chiang mai and rent a bike (usually a scooter but big bikes are also available for rent). Most of these are westerners.

 

there are many road blocks in the area but I've never been checked. I usually see the police stopping cargo vehicles and motorbikes.

 

It might be useful to have IDP although I've not been asked for it before. Also, always wear a helmet for personal safety as well as avoiding police issues.

 

November is the start of the cooling season so it'll be a good time to do the journey. Road should be ok as long as you avoid the rainy season.

 

Also check your insurance issues. I heard of a few Malaysian bikers who had fatal accidents in the south part of Thailand recently and it was incredibly complicated for the families to claim the remains. Usually lots of money is involved.

 

I'll rent a bike in chiangmai. My friend said that just give some cashs to the police when they ask IDP or if they ask you to stop. But he didnt go from chiangmai to pai.

If I don't have IDP or the police don't take money, what will happen ? 

[Shibadog]

Bring up this question as I am driving the 2016 XT. Already tuned for 98 petrol. So any thing lower in southern Thai will also a concern for me.

 

yup best to discuss with your tuner

[Shibadog]

correcting the sequence of # 6 and #7 and sharing some pics

 

List of overnight stops

0: KL

1: Hatyai

2: Prachuap Khiri khan city (just south of Hua Hin)

3: Nakhon Sawan

4: Mae Sot 

5: Mae Sariang

6: Mae Hong Son

7: Sop Pong (Pang Mapha)

8: Chiang Mai

9:Nakhon Sawan

10: Kanchanaburi

11: Chon buri (last min detour)

12: Prachuap Khiri Khan

13: Hatyai

14: Hatyai

15: KL

 

Burmese kid at Dan Singkhon

 

Don Inthanon

 

fire control station - note the dry dusty conditions

 

Mae Sot border crossing to Myanmar.

 

thai mcdonald's burger - cheesy egg chicken with added bacon strips

 

Mae Hong Son loop

 

sop pong market

 

dusky langgur at Ao Manao

 

[Shibadog]

morning at Prachuap Khiri khan

 

what a view

 

historical site

 

Pang Ung - an alpine lake

 

Prawns for sale.

 

river border between Thailand and Myanmar

 

modern take on traditional dressing

 

temple on a ridgeline along the Mae Hong Son loop, with my trusty steed

[Sgv]

Car insurance question please...

Planning to drive to Krabi, staying 4 days 3 nights.

Called my insurer. Most unhelpful. No extension, no top up to cover Krabi.

At the Thai border, only 3rd party insurance is sold? Where can I buy comprehensive insurance?
 

[inlinesix]

Car insurance question please...

 

Planning to drive to Krabi, staying 4 days 3 nights.

 

Called my insurer. Most unhelpful. No extension, no top up to cover Krabi.

 

At the Thai border, only 3rd party insurance is sold? Where can I buy comprehensive insurance?

 

 

Most jurisdiction in Asia is the same.  Insurer can't issued cross-border motor insurance cover.

 

Only Thai insurer can issue.

[inlinesix]

For your own car you can extend your comprehensive insurance, but depends whether the insurer bothers with "special request" since good customer service is rare in SG. For 3rd party just buy at border, won't cover your car.

 

I've always bought extended insurance when going beyond Hatyai. Without extension, most cover 50km beyond West MY only.

 

Which insurer?

 

The extension is on own damage and not comprehensive.

[Sgv]

Which insurer so boh standard ?

Aviva, unfortunately.

[Adrianli]

Mine was AIG. Cost me $200+ for extension of comprehensive cover for my trip to Phuket last year.

 

The conditions are:

1. Named drivers only, i included my friend name.

2. Covered hotel carpark. Must give them the list of hotels you staying. They want to ensure no roadside parking.

[Sgv]

No luck. Called my insurer second time. Email reply came a few days later. Strictly no extension to Krabi.

 

Now, what options do I have? Thanks for advice.

Edited June 11, 2018 by Sgv

[Adrianli]

No luck. Called my insurer second time. Email reply came a few days later. Strictly no extension to Krabi.

 

Now, what options do I have? Thanks for advice.

Just drive there and ignore the insurance. Otherwise change insurance company.

[Sgv]

Just drive there and ignore the insurance. Otherwise change insurance company.

Yes! Don't want an unreasonable insurer to spoil my trip.

[IronIIoxide]

Pardon me for being ignorant, but if I'm not wrong most insurers won't insure beyond West Malaysia? You have to buy your own coverage in Thailand (i.e.: after border crossing) and can purchase a comprehensive insurance from one of the shops there. They are like 'agents' acting for the bigger firms.

 

So far during my recent road trip, everything went quite smoothly. I'm still in the midst of updating the road trip in the other thread, can easily find it :)

[jimmwong]

yes I wish I could have spent more time in these places:

mae sot

mae sariang

mae hong son

sop pong

chiang mai

 

not for the other places. Either nothing there that piqued my interest or I hv been there quite a few times already. Also deliberately skipped Phuket/krabi/ko samui for the same reasons.

 

that being said, I did get to see all I aimed to see in the northern towns but wish I could have just spent more time lazing around LOL. Unfortunately just getting to Mae Sot (start of the clockwise loop) took a week, and I couldn't spend much more time away fm SG. I would consider this as a recce trip. I will be back. (but also thinking abt Issaan. Chiang Rai for some reason has not yet tempted me.  

 

 

You missed out Pu Chi Fa. Go again.