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Home - City Guide - Bangkok - Road | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Road Thailand has a reasonable network of roads and highways throughout the country. Traffic drives on the left and the wearing of seat belts is compulsory with on-the-spot fines for offenders. The speed limits are 60kph in the city, 90kph on main country roads and 130kph on expressways. A national driving licence and International Driving Permit are required, but long-term visitors staying over three months would need to obtain a Thai driving licence. Driving in Thailand is not for the faint-hearted as drivers tend to take risks and overtake on bends and hills, while buses and lorries drive as if they own the road. However, it is the best way to see the country and reach out-of-the-way places. The incidence of traffic accidents is high and if foreigners are involved it is always assumed that they are at fault. Emergency breakdown service: Car World Club 748 1444 Routes to the city: The national highways are all designated by numbers. National Highway Number 4 goes to Hua Hin; National Highway Number 3 goes to Pattaya; and Natinoal Highway Numbers 32 and 177 goes to Phitsanulok. Driving times to Bangkok: from Hua Hin - 3 hours; from Pattaya - 3 hours; from Phitsanulok - 5 hours 30. Coach services: Bangkok has three main bus terminals serving different areas of the country. There are both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses, and the air-conditioned ones tend to be faster, making less stops en route. The Southern Bus Terminal (tel: (02) 435 1199) on Boromratchonnani Road operates south to Hua Hin, Phuket and the Thai-Malaysian border. The North/northeastern Bus Terminal, on Kampaeng Petch 2 Road (tel: (02) 537 8055 (north) or 936 1880 (northeast)) has routes to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in the north and Ubon Ratchathani and Nong Khai in the northeast. The Eastern Bus Terminal, on Sukhumvit Road (tel: (02) 391 8929) operates to Pattaya and Trat in the east. |
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