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Cars 4 Rental Guide To Travel In  Thailand

Travel Warning: Visitors should be wary of non-essential travel to the far southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla. On 28 April, there were attacks on security forces in 10 locations in these provinces. Over 100 militants and 5 members of the security forces were killed. Theft of passports and credit cards is also a problem at the moment for Thailand. Passport fraud is high and penalties are severe. Penalties for possession, distribution or manufacture of drugs are severe and can include the death penalty. Back to Top Air Travel Thailand's national airline is Thai Airways International (website: www.thaiairways.com). Bangkok is the main entry point into Thailand, as well as being a major access point for travel to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam. Approximate flight times: From Bangkok to London is 12 hours 10 minutes; to Manila is 3 hours 10 minutes; to Singapore is 2 hours 15 minutes and to Sydney is 9 hours 15 minutes. Thai Airways International (TG) (website: www.thaiairways.com) runs services to all major towns, using a total of 22 airports. Bangkok Airways (PG) (website: www.bangkokair.com) flies seven additional routes. Discounts are available in off-peak seasons and during special promotional periods. Departure tax: Bt50 for all domestic flights, Bt400 for domestic flights from Samui Airport. Children under 2 years are exempt. Back to Top Travel By Water The main international port is Bangkok. Limited passenger services are available. There are passenger crossings between Thailand and Laos at several points along the Mekong river. Cruise lines calling at Thailand include Holland America, Orient Lines, Princess, Radisson Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea and Swan Hellenic. Thailand has, depending on the season, up to 1600km (1000 miles) of navigable inland waterway. Services operate between Thanon Tok and Nonthaburi, and luxury cruises are available on the Oriental Queen. Long-tailed motorboats and taxi-boat ferries also operate. Strong competition on all of the major routes ensures that fares are kept low. Reduced services operate during the monsoon season from May through to October along the east coast and Andaman coast, and from November through until January on the Gulf coast. The more remote spots become inaccessible in these periods. Back to Top Rail Through trains operate to Kuala Lumpur, with daily connections to Singapore, Malaysia and to the borders with Cambodia (at Aranyaprathet) and Laos (at Nong Khai). The journey to Singapore takes 48 hours. The opulent Eastern and Oriental Express runs directly from Bangkok to Singapore but it is expensive. The excellent railway network extends over 4600km (2860 miles), linking all major towns with the exception of Phuket. It is run by State Railways of Thailand. It has recently been extended to serve centres on the east coast. There are four main trunk routes to the northern, eastern, southern and northeastern regions, and also a line serving Thon Buri, River Kwai Bridge and Nam Tok. There are several daily services on each route, with air conditioned, sleeping and restaurant cars on the principal trains. The journeys are leisurely and comfortable, and travelling by train is certainly one of the best ways to get around the country. The Southern Line Express stops at Surat Thani for those who wish to continue by bus and ferry to the islands off the east coast. Most railway timetables are published in English. Back to Top Travel By Road There are international roads from Cambodia, Malaysia and Laos. Roads into Burma are not officially open to tourist traffic. There is a reasonable road network comprising many highways and 52,000km (32,300 miles) of national and provincial roads. All major roads are paved. Traffic drives on the left. Bus: There are inter-urban routes to all provinces. Fares are very cheap and buses very crowded. Privately owned air conditioned buses (seats bookable) are comfortable and moderately priced. Taxi: There are plenty of taxis, which operate day and night. There are three types: taxi-meter; taxis which are unmetered; and 3-wheeled, open-air tuk-tuks. Where there is no meter, fares should be agreed before departure. It is sometimes possible to agree fares for longer trips even in taxi-meters. It is also possible to take a motorbike taxi. These are especially useful in Bangkok's horrendous rush-hour traffic. Taxi drivers do not always carry change, so it is important to have the correct amount. Passengers are also expected to pay for any motorway tolls. Car hire: Available in all main cities. Passports may be held as a form of deposit. Motorcycle hire is also available, especially on the larger islands. Documentation: International Driving Permit required. IDPs are valid for 3 months, after which a Thai driving licence is required. URBAN: Conventional bus services in Bangkok are operated by the Government Mass Transit Authority, but there are also extensive private minibus operations and passenger-carrying trucks. Premium fares are charged for air conditioned and express buses. Fares are generally low and are collected by conductors. Ferries and long-tailed motorboats operate on the Chao Phraya River which are a quick and cheap way to get about. Bus maps of the city are available, on arrival, from the tourist office at Don Muang Airport. The Skyrail, an elevated mass transit system in Bangkok, runs from 0600-0000. TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Bangkok to other major cities/towns in Thailand. Air Road Rail Chiang Rai 1.15 12.00 - Chiang Mai 1.00 10.00 14.00 Hat Yai 1.15 15.00 17.00 Hua Hin 0.40 3.00 4.00 Pattaya - 3.00 - Phitsanulok 0.55 5.30 6.00 Phuket 1.20 10.45 - Samui 1.20 13.00 14.00 Surat Thani 1.00 11.00 12.00 Ubon Ratchathani 1.45 10.00 11.00 Udon Thani 1.00 9.00 10.15

Car Hire Thailand

Cars 4 Rental can provide car hire vehicles in all the popular locations throughout the Thailand.

Whatever your requirements Cars 4 Rental will be able to provide a car to meet your needs. Our hire cars can be equipped with many optional extras including child seats so that your car rental is ideally suited to your needs.

Hire a car in Thailand