Tips on Driving to Thailand - Part 2

Read Tips on Driving to Thailand - Part 1


So, you are thinking about it, huh?  Its OK to think about it.


Here are some tips on preparations before embarking on your Adventurous Journey of a Lifetime to Thailand!


When Do You Want To Go?

You might want to check out the public holidays and seasons before deciding the timing of your trip.  What are the monsoon seasons and rainy seasons.  Or maybe winter.


Do Your Research

• Do some homework by researching on the internet. Decide a route. Be flexible though.

• With a rough guide on destination, then research the tourist attraction places.  You can collate a few places of interest.  Accumulate the information first and finalise it later. 

• Look up a few hotels/chalets.  If you do not want to book them, just get their numbers and address down, just in case you might need it when you get there.  

 Route

• There are 2 options on route from Malaysia into Thailand.  One of them is from Alor Setar and the other from Kota Bahru.  I have gone on both. 
• If you have a long holiday, then, you can go further up, towards Bangkok. But we didn't because we wanted to relax more rather than spending too much time on the road. Daily, a maximum of 3-4 hours of driving. And by 3pm, you should already be looking or have confirmed accommodation. If you don't already have bookings made. If its your first time driving to Thailand, you don't want to be over stressed thinking about where to stay.

Accommodation

• There are various accommodations ranging from THB1,000 (RM110) to THB10,000 (RM1,100) per night.  Depending on high season or low season... or normal chalets or luxurious self pampering 5 star resort and spa.  

• We try to stay a few days on normal accommodations and then pamper ourselves silly on a few nights in a nicer place.  But for your sanity, try to stay in a non luxurious place first and then upgrade to a nicer hotel and not the other way round.  If not, you might have some whiny and complaining kids. Or you might even feel the difference....

• My personal experience on accommodation... so far, I have not slept in the car.  No matter how busy - even on the 1st of Jan, I have always managed to get a place to stay.  But, it might not be the ideal location or luxury but it was good enough.  On both 1st of Jan in 2009 and 2010, we were in Hatyai en route home.  It was the probably the busiest time of the year but we still managed to get a room in the middle of town.

My 2010 trip was from Selangor - Kota Baharu - Sadao - Hatyai  (1 night) - Phattalung (1 night) - Nakhon Si Thammarat (1 night) - Khanom Beach (3 nights) - Nakhon Si Thammarat (1 night) - Hatyai (1 night) - Home

Car

• Ensure you serviced your car.  All your spare tires, tools and general condition of the car is good.
• Must bring along your Car Registration card and documentations regards to the car.  Ensure you are the owner of the car.  I am not sure if its OK to bring a borough car into Thailand.

More coming up....