We are planning to tour around Mid north of thailand.
Has anyone driven around that area and can advise if it
realistic.
Is it safe if you are reasonably careful (road accidents
etc)?
Can you hire cars from Philok(Phissanalok)?
Obviously we would not be driving in Bangkok.
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I drove a small honda dream bike around that area couple of
times. and sure never 100% safe, but more than ok for me.
Happy Travels,
Mark
Phi-lok ... so you've been talking to someone who knows.
That's the local nickname. (I lived there for five very
pleasant years.) It's actually Phitsanulok (Vishnu-loka in
Sanskrit) and is quite a decent size city. Should be able to
rent whatever you want there. The local roads are good, if
not all that wide by western standards. Plenty of great
places to visit from the Phit -- Sukhothai (13th C.
capital), Sawankhalok (where the ancient celedon kilns
were), Kampaengphet (another ancient city), plus places like
Tak and many lovely waterfalls. Pichit to the south is
famous for its boat races. Khao Koh mountain to the east was
once a battleground between the Thai forces and communist
guerrillas sent in from Laos; the mountain is now a national
park with cabins to stay in! Phitsanulok itself is famous as
the birthplace of King Naresuan, who defeated the Crown
Prince of Burma in an elephant back duel and turned back a
Burmese invasion. It's also the home of the absolutely
gorgeous Pra Puttha Chinarat, a huge solid gold Buddha
figure cast in the 1300s. (The Marble Temple in Bangkok
contains an exact replica of the Pra Puttha Chinarat, since
it is considered the most beautiful in Thailand.)
Take the train north from Bangkok -- a pleasant 6 hour ride.
I wouldn't advise driving too much late at night, however.
Many Thai long-haul drivers take pills or whatever to keep
them awake. When the pills wear off, they sometimes fall
asleep and plow into the nearest vehicle or tree. Happens
rarely, but it's best not to take the chance. (The highway
from Chiangmai to Bangkok passes west of the Phit.)
I know it is a bit different, but I have often rented a car
in Chiang Mai and driven extensively in the area (Mae Hong
Son, etc. also at the time where there were more dirt roads)
- no problem at all - lots of tourist does it, except one
thing: a cheap car = a small Suzuki Jeep, that is very
unstable.
If you need a one-way rental, the smaller car-rental
agencies will arrange for someone to come by bus and pick up
the car for a very modest fee (a few 100 bath).
Sometimes the responses to my queries are not always useful
, but this time I hit paydirt,
thanks a lot, car touring is so flexible (esp with family)
and tthe advice has been great
we drove from nan to chang mai to chang rai then back to
nan. Not bad, not hardly any traffic, however you need a
very good map