Renting car vs Hiring driver

Hi all

Thanks for all your insights and opinions on Phuket... will be going at the end of the month and I can%26#39;t wait!

To get around I will either rent a car from the airport for 4 days or hire one of the recommended drivers for a day.

What I would like your opinion on is which would be cheaper? Considering factors such as renting the cheapest car, insurance, petrol etc... or taking a taxi/tuk-tuk practically everywhere and the cost of hiring a driver for a day.

You guys are great do keep up the good work y%26#39;all!

Rgds

AV

Renting car vs Hiring driver

It depends on how much sightseeing you want to do. If you want to hire a car for 4 days but only do short trips it%26#39;s prob bettter and cheaper to use tuk tuks. If you are going to be doing lots of long-distance sightseeing it%26#39;s prob better to hire a car, although I personally wouldn%26#39;t drive on Phuket as it can be hairy! It%26#39;s quite nice to let someone else do it while you just sit back and relax! When it comes to hiring a driver, make sure you find someone with a new, properly maintained, clean car as it will make a difference! Mr Mor has one and speaks excellent English - another plus as far as I can see, as you can then talk to him and find out about Thai life etc. Mr Sam and Much also come highly recommended - their prices seem to range from about 1000-1600 B for a day, including petrol. BTW, the cost of petrol has rocketed in Phuket over the past year so you%26#39;d obviously need to factor this in as well if hiring a car.

It sounds as if a mixture of tuk tuks, hiring a car and possibly hiring a driver for a day might be the way forward depending on how much driving around you want to do. It%26#39;s also worth bearing in mind that the recommended drivers are all locals, so will be good at working out the best itinerary around the island, to avoid backtracking etc.

Renting car vs Hiring driver

I wouldn%26#39;t drive in Phuket. Hire Mr Mor or someone like him would be my recommendation. It would certainly be cheaper than taxis not sure about driving yourself. You will get a great experience with a driver.

I definitely agree that unless you know the island well, it is better to hire a driver. They will give you a lot more experience and a much more relaxing trip around the island.

I believe that all the drivers are as good as eachother. There is Mr Mor, Sam, my personal favourite, Mai and another that I can recommend. His name is Koy and he has a brand new Toyota Wish. Mai is about fully booked for August, so if you would like for me to contact Koy for you, let me know.

For me, it depends on where I%26#39;m staying... If in the main areas.. no use having a car sitting around.. as you probably will only use it for a couple of half day trips and between airport and hotel... However, if you chose to stay in a more remote area.. the car comes in really handy... to go to different areas. different restaurants etc. I do not agree that driving there is any more difficult or dangerous that anywhere else... The traffic moves quietly and sedately and as anywhere else in asia.. other drivers are as worried about hitting you as you are of hitting them.. The motorbikes can be worrysome.. as they tend to buzz by on either side of you and often at considerable speed... I%26#39;m more worried about crossing the road walking than about driving there.. Cars can be rented for as little as about 600 baht per day.. if you rent a small car for a week....

Thanks guys for your replies and suggestions.

I have done some calculations and it seems that hiring a driver would be the way to go for me... I have contacted Mr Mor and Mr Sam by email already and hopefully one of them is available to take me around.

athena: Just in case they cant make it i%26#39;ll be contacting you for the other drivers email ok?

happy travels

AV