Driving a Rental Car in Thailand | Ultimate Guide for Western Tourists: 20 Facts you better know

[@jamiefrangos9233]

Certainly, the most informative grass roots knowledge I have found. Thank you from Australia.

[@stuartmorley6338]

Good video. I would also mention that sometimes motorbikes will cross the main carriageway where there isn't an official junction most common in rural areas and you can often see a well worn path across the central reservation sometimes even across a ditch. I've also heard that some people remove the tail light on a motorbike to stop ghosts following them at night. Also foreigners will need an international driving permit from their own country to drive in Thailand. If you are not a tourist (e.g. Have an official non tourist visa) then I think you must have a Thai Driving licence. This is quite easy to get and you can normally just show your UK or EU / USA license to get one. The whole thing takes about half a day.

[@CubeofCars]

Thanks for these additional details! :)

[@ezumach]

Nice, helpful video, thank you. I have been going to Thailand for 20 years, but I will be driving there for the first time in a few days. Taking a 12 Day Rd. trip. The flashing lights here in the US generally means go ahead, or that there is a cop ahead with a speed camera.

[@CubeofCars]

Have fun on your road trip! :)

[@RetiredInThailand]

The passing in the parking lane is common because many times on a two way (undivided) road, there is a both a straight green light and a right turn arrow light. With only one lane the people wanting to turn right can hold up that one lane of traffic for those wanting to go straight, so that means you need to pass those cars waiting to turn right on their left or you can get caught waiting for several light changes, and in Thailand the lights can take as long as 5 minutes to cycle through from red to green again. Locals will know whether the light is one of these 'right turning delays' or not and will know to pass on the left ... if I am at a spot where I'm not familiar with the specific light I watch what other cars do and follow their example ... 75% of the time you'll be doing the right thing. Also, about traffic lights at 'major' intersections. In the west we are used to cycling between East & West traffic flowing one cycle, then switch over to North & South flowing the next cycle, with various combinations of 'advanced turn' lights to allow for left turning traffic ... In Thailand the cycles are usually North flowing for one cycle, then maybe South for the next cycle, then East for the next and West for the final cycle. Every cycle allows for straight flow and right turning traffic for the full light (right turning is the same as left turning for most Westerners.) This means that for the most part if you are heading North and have a green light, then the South heading traffic lane on your side of the lights will be empty ... but this also means that traffic (mostly motorbikes, but some cars as well) will use that 'empty' lane as a 'right turning lane' since there will be no traffic in that lane (usually, but since cars heading East can turn left on the light and use that lane as well ... not so much of a problem for motorbikes as both can fit in the same lane without TOO MUCH fear of a head on collisions, but 2 cars heading in opposite directions in the same lane will be a much bigger problem.) Stop signs: You, being from the west will stop at them, and give right of way as you would in the West ... Thais for the most part will ignore them and use whatever magic method they normally use at an intersection with no stop signs (most intersections) to determine the proper right of way. I have no advice for you as to how to determine the proper right of way, I usually just let others have the right of way unless I can see the other drivers eyes and they acknowledge somehow that they are letting me go! My only advice is just because you are at an intersection and the other road has stop signs on them, don't assume that traffic will stop ... if they do it will be for some other reason than there being a stop sign!

[@CubeofCars]

Thanks, David, for all these detailed info! :)

[@FlySea100]

Thanks for the great video man 👏🔥

[@keiths314]

What a chaotic place to drive.... Danke für das video.

[@CubeofCars]

Yes.... chaotic, but somehow there's a system in the chaos.... a flow in which to swim and which is surprisingly easy getting used to ;-)

[@BaghdadSon78]

Very nice advices danke!

[@financierechris9566]

thanks for all details your w123 is so beautiful , is it tolerated to have modified exhaust pop and bang cars like for audi RS3/6 with stage 1/2/3 or an AMG?

[@CubeofCars]

Unfortunately I don't know...

[@juniper_booper]

This is a great video! Everyone that desires to drive a car in this country or surrounding countries should watch this video. I've seen white boxes on the streets of Chiang Mai, can you park a car there for unlimited time?

[@CubeofCars]

Not sure... better ask a local. We don't have them here in Phuket...

[@RetiredInThailand]

unless it's an obvious place not to park (in front of a driveway, at a fire hydrant,etc, then as I've come to learn living in Chiang Mai, if it doesn't have the red stripes or black stripes on the curb you can pretty much part wherever the hell you want ;-)

[@testing1sim]

nice one, also in singapore ppl dont switch on their headlight when its dark. maybe they wanna save on the cost of the bulbs??

[@CubeofCars]

.... in Thailand I have already given up searching for any logic ;)

[@RetiredInThailand]

@@CubeofCars Really, and the bad part is that if you pull out in front of a vehicle (especially a motorbike) and they hit you, them not having headlights on doesn't mean a whole lot in determining who's at fault ... which is another interesting cultural difference ... fault doesn't seem to be determined by who broke the rules, unless the accident is so serious that it has to go to court, which means someone was seriously injured ... instead it more based on the vehicles/people involved ... motorbike is never at fault, then I think it goes by Farang gets the blame, then richest person gets the blame. If there is no one seriously hurt then the cops take everyone to the station, gets everyone's story then basically assigns some reasonable level of blame then asks the people involved (including an insurance company representative) to come to some kind of reasonable agreement (ie. usually the insurance company handles all the major costs for the vehicles and serious injuries, other costs such as broken cell phones, ripped clothes, scuffed up helmets, etc are made note of and some reasonable replacement price is determined and one party pays the other party ... this is all done at the police station and when the 'dealing' is done they go to the police officer in charge where he makes note in his report of the deal and then you all go to the nearest restaurant and eat and drink together and have a good laugh about what happened and make some new friends!! ;-) At least this is in the Northern parts of Thailand, I assume if you are in Bangkok, the process is a whole lot more 'formal'!

[@ajwilson6793]

Thank you 👍🏼

[@CubeofCars]

You’re welcome 😊

[@Reddylion]

Going to drive soon, nice, hindu, buddist, christan etc place.

[@ItsTimePictures]

So it's like Vietnam and China. Only not as bad as China. :-)

[@CubeofCars]

Not sure which of them is worse. But India probably tops all of them ;)

[@pongpolk.8920]

Agree LoL 😂

[@paulydonp3745]

So basically "Romanian rules".. i'll fit right in

[@CubeofCars]

👍