Singapore to Krabi, leaving Sep 3!

[cruxader]

Decided to jump in and drive from Singapore to Krabi. We will go in 2 car convoy after I pick up another car in KL.

Rough plan:
Sep 3 afternoon Singapore to KL (overnight KL)
Sep 4 KL to HatYai (overnight HatYai)
Sep 5 HatYai to Krabi (2 nights in Krabi)
Sep 7 Krabi to Koh Lanta (overnight in Koh Lanta)
Sep 8 Koh Lanta to HatYai (overnight in HatYai)
Sep 9 HatYai to KL (overnight in KL)
Sep 11 KL to Singapore

Have already booked hotels in Thailand.

Looking for tips and most important, things to see/do along the way.
Estimated travel distance 2-way is 2600km...

also, I looked in MalFreeMap early August but the POIs looked rather thin.
I also got Garmin Thailand Street Map NT v10.1 EN which looked more promising.
Even so, I find trying to locate hotels and attractions rather harrowing.

basically, the GPS maps/Mapsource, Google Earth, and various hotel booking sites maps all do not agree with each other!

One thing I am undecided on if whether to do a run up to Khao Sok national park. The other car says it is too far & requires an overnight in Khao Sok but I see may day trips offered to Khao Sok from Aonang/Krabi. I think if I can drive there directly, we can do it but worried we lose our way and waste time...

Any tips?

Regards

Richard
.ps Unfortunately, my antique nuvi 370 does not do tracklog...

[tsq]

hows the trip?

i did a sin-phuket in June this yr as well... fantastic!

[singawon]

hows the trip?

i did a sin-phuket in June this yr as well... fantastic!

Any tips you want to share with us here...especially crossing the border,what are the things to prepare and look out for..

[cruxader]

hows the trip?

i did a sin-phuket in June this yr as well... fantastic!

Any tips you want to share with us here...especially crossing the border,what are the things to prepare and look out for..

Still preparing my travel journal! Not sure if this is the place to post it.
Here are some excerpts from it:

Crawl into Changlun around noon (my car was low on fuel then)
Got our Thai insurance & filled-in immigration forms at the Changlun cafe.
Paid MYR 16 for all.
This cafe is before the giant CTC block. Small but still crowded.
Left after lunch - after 1pm. (Behind schedule)

When leaving, stick the insurance label on the windscreen - sticker provided.
Reached the Kayu Hitam/Sadao border just as the rain started.
Malaysian immigration procedure was same as JB side.

Once at Thai side, we dropped off the passengers to do their paperwork.
The two cars then turned left to an open carpark.
Locked our cars and then walked back to the area to process our papers.
Very confusing.
There were kiosks #6~10 in the car lanes.
#6-9 are processing drivers immigration. Queued up, slipped MYR1 into our passport & get it chopped.
Then we proceed to kiosk #10 to process the cars.
Bring the log card (or LTA site printout) & Thai insurance papers.
*** I found that the typical printout did not identify the owner.
*** So I did a screen capture with my IC at the top of the page.
*** They seemed OK when I showed my IC also.
After a while, they say you are done.
We go back to the car park & drive the car towards kiosk #10.
Stop the car outside kiosk #10 & collect your import paper for your car from the guy sitting outside.
*** You need to return the paper when you exit Thailand, at the same border post ***
*** David told me, a friend forgot to return & was fined 2000baht the next entry ***

[tsq]

hows the trip?

i did a sin-phuket in June this yr as well... fantastic!

Any tips you want to share with us here...especially crossing the border,what are the things to prepare and look out for..

eh sorry late reply.. u made your trip already ?

For me , i will try all my means to avoid crowd in the border custom... so arrive early if u can or arrive late .. i hear 8am-10am is most crowded. I arrive around 7.30 and the crowd got more ard 8am when I already all done

I am still not sure if u can drive past or not as I saw some Msia car did that.. maybe those cars are registered with Thai so the process is different.

I wanted to drive into the booth directly but was asked to go park at a large car part by the left side.. so this is what i did:

(before near CIQ i bought my insurance and pay the same guy to full in our immigration cards (save time)

- When u are approaching and facing the thai CIQ, turn left and car nearby the large carpark (dont go too far as u need to drive ur car back later)
- Before I drive into the carpark I got my wife and kids to get then and Q 1st (as later i can cut Q and join them... no one cares there)
- After i park my car i walk back and joined my wife and kids to clear our passport + pay like 2 ringgit ea person
- Ask wife and kids to stand somewhere safe with no cars zomming pass, and I walk to this booth at the end and pass them my car log .. then punch in their system, and after that ask me proceed to the next booth .. this guy will varify my ID i think.. really no idea as they speak no english and look at us like we alien haha.. he pass me back my car log and ask me go back take my car. Go back to ur car .. Dont forget to take your family along :P
- Drive the car back to where u about to enter the complex and queue up with Thai cars (and some msia cars also which made me wonder why they no need do what i just did... maybe theirs is long term registered with Thai)
- Q Q Q and drive to the 2nd booth and u will collect ur paper.. i *Think* this is where he will see the car making sure I am not driving in a Ferrari while the paper says a Toyota
- Duuno what cock they do, but they hand me back the paper and off I go. HELLO THAILAND !

clear?

while in thai roads.. no need worries.. they drive very nice.. much better then SG/MY .. and btw DONT HORN UNLESS REALLY NEED TO .. thai ppl take horn as in calling other drivers "F*uck you !!" .. so careful on that.

Here's my album : http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v208/ ... in-phuket/

[rafflysia]

was it fun? how much did you spend all in all during the trip?
@tsq: nice pics by the way.

[cruxader]

Yes, Thailand is very nice.
So nice, I went back for second trip all the way to the Golden Triangle - 10 day drive.
Here are my pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/richard.limnh/1012ThailandDrive?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJTwmdLup8rBBw&feat=directlink

Gas in Thailand is quite expensive though....
Almost close to SG prices.
Gas was the biggest cost item in my expenses (after discretionary shopping!).

Enjoy!