Originally Posted by
PastaPrimavera
Hello. I will be travelling with my wife and a three year-old from Hua Hin to Krabi on December 31. We don’t relish the idea of three hours to BKK, waiting at the airport for two to three, getting into a plane, etc. , so we were thinking about hiring a car with a driver to take the 9 hour (probably more with stops for the kid) drive. I am also considering renting a car and driving myself. This would give us a lot of flexibility but I’m a bit worried about driving in Thailand, liability in case of an accident, and not being able to read the street signs. Can anyone give me advice on renting a car in Thailand?
Please feel free to tell me not to drive myself. We would pick-up in Hua Hin and drop-off in Krabi. Thanks in advance.
A few points. There used to be flights from HuaHin to Bangkok, perhaps worth looking into current costs and schedules. I suspect there will be a direct bus from HuaHin to Krabi. If so it might be a good option as the air conditioned buses are comfortable and cheap too. If there is a night bus it might work well for your son as he would likely be tired and sleep most of the way.
If you choose to hire car with driver then I recommend not doing anything until arrival in HuaHin. That way you can check out the car and even driver. On the main shopping street there are various tour offices that will offer this service so you can walk along and compare cars and prices. If you choose this option then I suggest you stipulate that you want a careful driver who will not exceed 100km/h otherwise you may end up with an idiot and wish you had driven yourself.
I understand your reservations about car hire selfdrive in Thailand. However, I wouldn't automatically rule out a one way rental from Hua Hin to Krabi. Route 4 south is a pretty good road and is well signposted in English so I doubt you'd lose your way.The important thing is to keep an eye on the high spead drivers, and watch out for motorcycles crossing or moving erratically. If you drive do so at the hot time of the midday when most Thais stay off the road. Avoid nightime as its busiest for trucks and buses. Rent only from one of the major international rental companies such as Avis and ensure that they provide you with the full insurance. If you choose this option you could follow other poster who suggested breaking the journey into two days. I understand there is a new Novotel near Chumphon that might be just about perfect for this purpose.
Enjoy your trip.
EDIT: it seems increasingly the posts are advising against selfdrive so despite my advice above I think you would be wise to follow the concensus opinion. In truth, I feel somewhat unsettled by them too; I'm probably putting too much faith into fully comp insurance.