Bankok to Ho Chi Minh city via Cambodia
Discussion
playing with ideas for a week Asian holiday and this is the first of our ideas (driving)
not familiar with this part of the world in any way so not sure on roads, accomodation or dinning but pretty excited about finding out about what we think would be a very different culture and way of life to the western world.
is our trip idea doable in 2 weeks? its ony 5-600 miles but i imagine the roads wont be like europe and we want to stop and see as much as we can along the way without it beng hurried.
any input or recomendations would be really appreciated.
not familiar with this part of the world in any way so not sure on roads, accomodation or dinning but pretty excited about finding out about what we think would be a very different culture and way of life to the western world.
is our trip idea doable in 2 weeks? its ony 5-600 miles but i imagine the roads wont be like europe and we want to stop and see as much as we can along the way without it beng hurried.
any input or recomendations would be really appreciated.
You won't be able to cross the borders in a rental car, and you can't (shouldn't) drive in Vietnam without a Vietnamese license. I had no trouble with the police, but I bought a bike. Don't think a rental place would give you one.
If you think Bangkok traffic is mad then wait til you hit Ho Chi Minh. I couldn't advise you to plan on doing so much driving if you've never been to Asia before. You really need to be a spectator or passenger for a while to figure out how it works first, in my opinion.
You can do the journey by bus easily, but it's still going to mean a chunk of travelling. More than enough to see and do in each of the countries you mention if you wanted to stick to one.
If you think Bangkok traffic is mad then wait til you hit Ho Chi Minh. I couldn't advise you to plan on doing so much driving if you've never been to Asia before. You really need to be a spectator or passenger for a while to figure out how it works first, in my opinion.
You can do the journey by bus easily, but it's still going to mean a chunk of travelling. More than enough to see and do in each of the countries you mention if you wanted to stick to one.
Edited by Philplop on Sunday 30th August 22:27
Edited by Philplop on Sunday 30th August 22:32
smifffymoto said:
Air Asia is your best friend in the Far East.
This, I used them several times and Bangkok to Siem Reap was an hour and cost around £20. Driving standards in this area in general pretty awful and I noticed in Cambodia bus is king of the road so move out the way. I could of done this journey via bus but it takes around 10 hours and judging by the story's on trip advisor the journey is HELL! If you have to use the roads the drive during the daytime as there is less drunk drivers about, that includes the bus drivers if your in Cambodia
Used airasia many times and they are good. Can't see too much out of the windows though!
I flew into Siem Reap, but then travelled overland through Cambodia and Vietnam. The bus from Phnom Penh to HCMC was fine, they gave us cake and water, we stopped for some food, and they took us through immigration as a group, so that was easy too.
The nightmare bus journey stories were precicesly why we flew out of Hanoi rather than bussing across to Laos though. Haha.
I flew into Siem Reap, but then travelled overland through Cambodia and Vietnam. The bus from Phnom Penh to HCMC was fine, they gave us cake and water, we stopped for some food, and they took us through immigration as a group, so that was easy too.
The nightmare bus journey stories were precicesly why we flew out of Hanoi rather than bussing across to Laos though. Haha.
I have no experience on Ho Chi min / Vietnam but can advise you on Thailand and Bangkok.
Firstly - 2 weeks is a very short time if you are doing a road trip. You're going to lose a day each way travelling, you will also be severely jet lagged on arrival.
Secondly - driving in Bangkok is not for the faint hearted! Traffic lights are "optional". Pedestrian crossings are ignored completely. The traffic is horrendous. Scooters are around you like a swarm of bees at every traffic light. It's not unusual to see families crammed on to a motorbike.
Out in the countryside you don't have the traffic issue - this is replaced with mad truck drivers driving 2 yards apart on the motorway and drivers overtaking on blind bends in Toyota Hiaces.
I would think carefully about the driving element. And whether you drive or take the bus - consider about how much time you want to spend on the road. Do you really want to travel 6,000 miles to spend a quarter of each day on the road?
Firstly - 2 weeks is a very short time if you are doing a road trip. You're going to lose a day each way travelling, you will also be severely jet lagged on arrival.
Secondly - driving in Bangkok is not for the faint hearted! Traffic lights are "optional". Pedestrian crossings are ignored completely. The traffic is horrendous. Scooters are around you like a swarm of bees at every traffic light. It's not unusual to see families crammed on to a motorbike.
Out in the countryside you don't have the traffic issue - this is replaced with mad truck drivers driving 2 yards apart on the motorway and drivers overtaking on blind bends in Toyota Hiaces.
I would think carefully about the driving element. And whether you drive or take the bus - consider about how much time you want to spend on the road. Do you really want to travel 6,000 miles to spend a quarter of each day on the road?
As stated crossing any border in S E Asia in a hire car is near impossible, at best, all borders require a release letter from the owner as a minimum, and in 20 years I've never seen a cross border insurance, I cross the Sing, Malaysia and Thai borders on my bike regular basis and it is insured separately in the three countries, Driving in Thailand is actually OK, but Cambodia and Vietnam are a nightmare.
Driving in Bangkok is fine as long as you are confident and aware of your surrounds (which rules out most Western drivers as they are zombies these days). Nearly all signs are in English. Traffic lights are obeyed, zebra crossings aren't. It's generally an easy country to drive around, good facilities for fuel and food everywhere, parking is never a problem.
Berw said:
As stated crossing any border in S E Asia in a hire car is near impossible
I rented a 4WD in Laos and it was pretty easy for them to arrange cross-border rentals, with insurance, if required. Note that insurance in developing countries is a different concept and if you have a crash you may end up paying out $$$ at the roadside regardless of what insurance you may have. Beware Thai drivers just don't give a f
k if they kill somebody. Although SE Asian countries get lumped together by foreigners in terms of driving standards, the road traffic fatality rate in Thailand is significantly worse than both Cambodia and Vietnam and one of the worst overall in the world. For trip planning I'd assume you only average 20mph / 30km/h in Vietnam and Cambodia. This will account for your average speed including stops to look at the map or take a quick photo but will not include lunch stops or big sightseeing stops.
Edited by creampuff on Tuesday 1st September 20:33
Thais tend to wait until the road is clear or they're not a blind corner to overtake though. Cambodians will crawl past other cars on the wrong side of the road round a corner. And the Vietnamese lorry drivers don't give way to anything. I was forced over to the side of the road on my motorbike there, and it was just deep gravel, luckily we fell to the right so our heads weren't squashed by his wheels. He didn't stop.
I enjoy riding and driving in Thailand, and feel a lot safer doing so.
I enjoy riding and driving in Thailand, and feel a lot safer doing so.
Without starting a row, Chreampuff are you sure you had good insurance, I have half a dozen cars in Malaysia that are all on agreed value, 'high end' insurance and none of the policies cover Thailand, when you cross the border you have to buy 'third party insurance, I used to live on the Malaysian Thai border for some years and had various hire cars, mainly from good companies at Penang Airport they all excluded cross border trips.
I know that when I take a car to Thailand I get Thai third party insurance, but this does not cover theft, so I am very exposed if something goes wrong.
Some other issues, Unless your name is on the log book, the Thais will not let you take a car into the country unless you have release letter from the Owner, and you need to exit the country by the same border post as you enter unless you give notice on entry.
All in all not easy.
I know that when I take a car to Thailand I get Thai third party insurance, but this does not cover theft, so I am very exposed if something goes wrong.
Some other issues, Unless your name is on the log book, the Thais will not let you take a car into the country unless you have release letter from the Owner, and you need to exit the country by the same border post as you enter unless you give notice on entry.
All in all not easy.
As Berw said, you cannot cross border with thailand / cambodia with a hire car as the registration document for teh car has to be in the name of someone in the car, or have relevant other paperwork to approve. the car also has to be cash paid for, no finance. The insurance statement is correct also, you have to buy 3rd party cover at the border entering Thailand, if you want more comprehensive cover on a malaysian / singaporean registered car, it involves a lot of paperwork and negotiation. I know, i went through this a few times.
Vietnam will not allow a right hand drive car in. Not sure what the regs are on a cambodian car in Vietnam (as they are left hookers)
Distance wise, Bangkok to Phnom Phen "can" be done in a day (i know, i have done it) but realistically probabyly Bangkok - Pattaya/Rayong - Siem Reap - Phnom Phen would be realistic, then get a van service to HCMC.
Vietnam will not allow a right hand drive car in. Not sure what the regs are on a cambodian car in Vietnam (as they are left hookers)
Distance wise, Bangkok to Phnom Phen "can" be done in a day (i know, i have done it) but realistically probabyly Bangkok - Pattaya/Rayong - Siem Reap - Phnom Phen would be realistic, then get a van service to HCMC.
Edited by XJSJohn on Wednesday 2nd September 05:08
thehawk said:
Driving in Bangkok is fine as long as you are confident and aware of your surrounds (which rules out most Western drivers as they are zombies these days). Nearly all signs are in English. Traffic lights are obeyed, zebra crossings aren't. It's generally an easy country to drive around, good facilities for fuel and food everywhere, parking is never a problem.
finally common sense post - as someone who commutes in BKK every day. OK, its a bit congested and you do have moments of "WTF are you doing" but then i used to get those in London too.
There are a lot of scooters, but they just flow around you.
well versed in extreme driving worldwide tbh so local habits i find interesting more than intimidating, i think you can learn allot about a culture from their driving if you know what to read.
having said that, i don't want to spend to long behind the wheel and from what you've all said and looking at the interests we want to see then I think we'll pegg it back and forget HCM city, as said, there's loads to see and do around Bangkok, so maybe 7 days driving around this area then shooting down the west coast for some of the beaches and spas to chill out.
will look at AAsia at some prices, maybe a club class option on return leg to lighten things if thats possible, thanks for the heads up on that one.
Hotels etc up to par or are we better off with the big chains?
having said that, i don't want to spend to long behind the wheel and from what you've all said and looking at the interests we want to see then I think we'll pegg it back and forget HCM city, as said, there's loads to see and do around Bangkok, so maybe 7 days driving around this area then shooting down the west coast for some of the beaches and spas to chill out.
will look at AAsia at some prices, maybe a club class option on return leg to lighten things if thats possible, thanks for the heads up on that one.
Hotels etc up to par or are we better off with the big chains?
Edited by Pvapour on Wednesday 2nd September 12:39
IMO 7 days is far too long for Bangkok would go for 4. I loved it there but it divides opinion as some people find it too manic, polluted etc. You could look at then moving onto Siem Reap in Cambodia for Angkor wat etc or Chiang Mai
I always used local hotels as they were generally cheaper, not much money gets you something reasonable
I always used local hotels as they were generally cheaper, not much money gets you something reasonable
Pvapour said:
so maybe 7 days driving around this area then shooting down the west coast for some of the beaches and spas to chill out.
Make sure you fly that one .... its 1,300km from BKK to Krabi / bridge to Phuket by road...... and once you are on the north south highway, its not a fast highway .... agree you don't need so much time in Bangers .... 2 or 3 days on arrival and maybe one on your way back ....
Pvapour said:
Hotels etc up to par or are we better off with the big chains?
B500 - 1000 gets you an adequate clean nice room sometimes even with pool etc but wont wow you, 2k upwards and you are getting nice places .... (Bangkok, can get OK cheap places but be careful, people may not be "sleeping" there, depepnding on the location 
) but B1,200 upwards in the city and you should be OKJust use tripadvisor and if there are 20 good to great reviews and one bad one, its going to be OK.
Berw said:
Without starting a row, Chreampuff are you sure you had good insurance, I have half a dozen cars in Malaysia that are all on agreed value, 'high end' insurance and none of the policies cover Thailand, when you cross the border you have to buy 'third party insurance, I used to live on the Malaysian Thai border for some years and had various hire cars, mainly from good companies at Penang Airport they all excluded cross border trips.
I know that when I take a car to Thailand I get Thai third party insurance, but this does not cover theft, so I am very exposed if something goes wrong.
Some other issues, Unless your name is on the log book, the Thais will not let you take a car into the country unless you have release letter from the Owner, and you need to exit the country by the same border post as you enter unless you give notice on entry.
All in all not easy.
I can't remember; but at the time I was living in Vietnam and this company http://www.avrlaos.com in Laos could arrange cross border car rental. I know that when I take a car to Thailand I get Thai third party insurance, but this does not cover theft, so I am very exposed if something goes wrong.
Some other issues, Unless your name is on the log book, the Thais will not let you take a car into the country unless you have release letter from the Owner, and you need to exit the country by the same border post as you enter unless you give notice on entry.
All in all not easy.
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