Ground Transportation for Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Options for traveling within Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore for a 21-day period.


Outline

  1. Car Rentals in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore
  2. Train / Bus / Air Information for Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore
  3. Other Options for Transportation
  4. Estimate of Total Ground Expenses

Car

Thailand: Getting There & Away (pgs. 794-795)

According to Lonely Planet’s travel guide, Big Trips on Small Budgets: Southeast Asia on a Shoestring, to rent a car in Thailand you are required to have an International Driving Permit, however, it is not really enforced. Thailand does require minimum liability insurance for all vehicles, including rentals. Because Thailand has some of the most dangerous driving conditions and has high levels of fatal crashes it is advised to confirm the rental car is covered and to see the dated insurance documents. Aside from checking for a car’s insurance coverage, it is recommended to note all damage and inspect the vehicle prior to signing the rental agreement. Petrol is THB37.46 per liter according to globalpetrolprices.com. The Nissan March has a 41-liter tank, which would cost THB1,535.86 (USD48.13), and gets roughly 100km per 7 liters (62.14 miles). A tank of petrol would last 585.71km or 363.94 miles. One tank of petrol would get a traveler from Chiang Mai to Ang Thong which is about 1 hour and 45 minutes north of Bangkok.

For cars rented in Chiang Mai, both compact and SUV were compared as there are off roading opportunities in the more mountainous region. Bangkok only compact cars were considered.

·         Chiang Mai Wheels

Picking up and returning a SUV rental at Chiang Mai Airport costs THB47,800 total for the three-week time period.

 

TBG47,800 = USD1,506.41

 

Picking up and returning a compact car rental at Chiang Mai Airport costs THB19,800 total for the three-week time period.

 

TBG19,800 = USD624

 
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·         Budget Catcher

Picking up and returning a compact car rental at Chiang Mai Airport costs THB11,880 total for the three-week time period.

 

TBG11,880 = USD374.40

 
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Picking up and returning a SUV rental at Chiang Mai Airport costs THB17,880 total for the three-week time period.

 

TBG17,880 = USD563.49

 
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·         National – Chiang Mai

Picking up and returning a SUV rental at Chiang Mai Airport costs THB33,491 total when you pay upfront for the three-week time period.

 

TBG33,491 = USD1,055.47

 

Picking up and returning a compact car rental at Chiang Mai Airport costs THB12,326.40 total when you pay upfront for the three-week time period.

 

TBG12,326.40 = USD388.47

 
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·         National – Bangkok

Picking up and returning a compact car rental to a downtown branch costs THB11,690.82 total when you pay upfront for the three-week time period.

 

TBG11,690.82 = USD368.44

 
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·         Thai Rent a Car

Picking up and returning a compact car rental to a downtown branch costs THB14,400 total when you pay upfront for the three-week time period.

 

TBG14,400 = USD453.81

 
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·         Europcar

Picking up and returning a compact car rental to a downtown branch costs THB14,268.80 total for the three-week time period.

 

TBG14,268.80 = USD449.68

 
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Malaysia: Getting There & Away (pgs. 654-655)

To rent a car in Malaysia a valid overseas license is required, car rental companies generally require renters to be between the ages of 23 and 65 and have at least one year of driving experience. It is not required, but is encouraged, to have an International Driving Permit which provides the information on your license and type of vehicles you are cleared to operate.

There are major, well known car rental companies that operate in Malaysia and have locations around the country. This is especially useful in the case of an accident, car trouble, or needing to drop the car off at a different location than pick up. However, local car rental agencies may have cheaper prices, though not always, but they do not have as many, if any, other branches around the country.

A common rental option is the 1.3L Proton Saga which is approximately RM190/day or RM1320/week including insurance and collision-damage waiver. When it comes to insurance the rental companies will provide insurance, but if you want more coverage you can upgrade the insurance with the rental company or take out your own policy. Fuel is approximately RM2.20/liter and according to Car Base the Saga has a 40L tank, which would cost RM88 (USD21.53) to fill. The Saga gets about 15km per liter (9.32 miles), which means a tank of petrol would last 600km or 372.82 miles. One tank of petrol would get a traveler from Bukit Mertajam, Penang to Ayer Hitam, Johor which is about an hour and a half from the Malaysia/Singapore border.

·         Avis applies normal rates to drivers between 30 and 70, with increased rates for those younger or older than those ages. Insurance is included in the cost of the car rental.

Renting a car from Penang International Airport and returning it in Johor Bahru costs RM2,065.00 for a three-week trip.

 

RM2,065= USD505.19

 

Renting and returning a car from Penang International Airport costs RM1,800.00 for a three-week trip.

 

RM1,800 = USD440.36

 
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·         Hertz breaks renters into ages groups: 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-75. Insurance is not included in the cost of the car rental.

Renting and returning a car from Penang International Airport costs RM2,3850.00 for a three-week trip.

 

RM2,385 = USD583.47

 
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Renting a car from Penang International Airport and returning it in Johor Bahru costs RM2,635.00 for a three-week trip.

 

RM2,635= USD644.63

 
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The Lebuhraya is the six-lane expressway that runs north to south starting at the Thai border and ending in Johor Bahru. There are tolls incurred when driving on the expressway and they are dependent on the distance traveled. This diverts a lot of traffic to regular highways leading to less traffic on the expressway, but more cars on the highways.

Singapore: Getting There & Away retrieved from Lonely Planet’s Website

Lonely Planet did not have a section regarding rental cars in the book and the website page had scant information as well.

To rent a car in Singapore you must have a valid driver’s license and they prefer a driver be over the age of 23 with at least 1 year of driving experience. It is noted that small rental car companies have better rates than major, well-known companies and to seek them out instead. If you are going to rent a car and plan on going to Malaysia it is advised to rent the car in Johor Bahru as it will be cheaper and Malaysian police look for Singapore license plates.

Petrol is currently SGD2.22/liter at both Caltex and Shell gas stations based on results from a Google search as prices were not included in the Lonely Planet guide book or website. All of the cars selected for renting were compacts likely with a maximum tank size of 50L. Based on that it would take SGD111 (USD81.67) to fill the tank.

·         Hertz

Renting and returning a car from Changi Airport costs SGD665/week for car rental including basic insurance. It costs SGD1,000/week for car rental with comprehensive insurance. Option 1 costs SGD2,134.65 total and Option 2 costs SGD3,057.16 total.

 

SGD2,134.65 = USD1,570.63

 

SGD3,057.16 = USD2,249.40

 
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Renting and returning a car from a downtown Hertz branch costs SGD1,883.20 for a three-week period. This quote does not include insurance.

 

SGD1,883.20 = USD1,385.62

 
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·         Avis

Renting and returning a car from a downtown Avis branch costs SGD3,766.4 total without insurance for a three-week period.

 

SGD3,766.40 = USD2,833.57

 

Renting and returning a car from Changi Airport costs SGD5,291.98/week and SGD15,119.96 total for car rental including basic insurance.

 

SGD15,119.96 = USD11,375.18

 

 

 
                                                                      

·         Sixt Rent a Car

Renting and returning a car from a downtown Sixt Rent a Car branch costs SGD72.87/day and SGD1,457.37 total for a three-week period.

 

SGD1,457.37 = USD1,072.31

 
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Renting and returning a car from a separate downtown Sixt Rent a Car branch costs SGD625.19/week and SGD2,102.53 total for a three-week period.

 

SGD2,102.53 = USD1,547

 
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·         Thrifty

Renting and returning a car from a downtown Thrifty branch costs SGD1,926 total without insurance for a three-week period.

 

SGD1,926 = USD1,417.11

 
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·         Hawk Rent a Car

Renting and returning a car from  Hawk Rent a Car costs SDG64/day and SDG1,280 total for a three-week period.

 

SGD1,280 = USD941.80

 
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Train / Bus / Air

Mass transit options in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore are train, bus, and plane. There are local ferries in Bangkok and Penang, Malaysia.

Taking a commercial bus is encouraged in Thailand by the Lonely Planet. In Chiang Mai, Thailand the Arcade Bus Terminal is where you would head to purchase tickets to your destination. Chiang Mai also has a city bus system that costs TBG20 per ride, which is equal to $.63, according to the website chiangmaitraveller.com.  Bangkok has a public train system that ranges in cost from TGB16-140 ($.50-$4.41) per day depending on the fare, taxis are available, but there is the added cost of tolls incurred depending on the route, and tuk-tuks with rates starting around TGB100, but that can be haggled down.

Malaysia has domestic and international flights, buses, and trains as methods of transportation. Flying within Malaysia is relatively inexpensive and there are multiple flights offered; the prices for flights vary. Taking a bus in Malaysia is less nerve wracking as Lonely Planet states that they are relatively comfortable. However, they also state that some operators still drive recklessly leading to serious accidents. There are also local bus routes in populated areas. Malaysia also has a national railway company that you can book train tickets through.

Singapore has access to air, train, and bus transportation. Flights from Singapore to surrounding nations are fairly cost effective making it easier to travel within Southeast Asia. The public transportation system in Singapore is robust. There are several trains and buses that run throughout most of the day, both of which cost SGD1.69 ($1.25).

The following graphics are all one-way tickets.

Chiang Mai to Thailand by train, bus, and air:

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Here is the bus fare table provided by the Lonely Planet showing fares from Chiang Mai all across Thailand.

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It is fastest, easiest, and cheapest to traveling from Bangkok to Malaysia via air.

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There are busses, trains, and flights from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.

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Other options

Alternate forms of transportation in Thailand include red trucks, which are like shared taxis, tuk-tuks, and bi/motorcycles; Bangkok has alternative forms of transportation such as minivans (these operate out of their own stations/stops) and boats. According to Big Trips on Small Budgets: Southeast Asia on a Shoestring, red trucks cost around TBG20 ($.63) for a short trip and TGB40 ($1.26) or more for longer trips, tuk-tuks are around TGB60 ($1.89) for short trips and TGB100 ($3.15) for longer trips and at night, and bicycles are TGB50-400 ($1.58-12.61) per day and motorcycles are TGB150-350 ($4.73-11.03) per day. To travel by boat in Bangkok costs around TGB10-40 ($.32-1.26) a ride. Lonely Planet also points out that it is important to pay attention to the color-coded flags on the boats – express boats have orange flags and tourist boats have blue flags.

Alternate forms of transportation in Malaysia include boat, bicycles, and taxis. Boats travel between the Malaysian peninsula and outlying islands and along the rivers. Bicycles are an alternative to taxis in larger cities. Taxis are also available in larger, more populated cities. However, when you get to rural Malaysia hitchhiking occurs if one does not have access to other transportation, but it should be done with great caution according to the Lonely Planet.

Alternate forms of transportation in Singapore are taxi and trishaw. Taxis are metered and there are a slew of charges and rate differentials to be aware of. The trishaws are able to be booked through their queue system and are mainly targeted at tourists.

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Estimate of total ground travel expenses

The total approximate cost of traveling within Southeast Asia for a three-week period is:

 Car rental: $607

Flights: $93

Bus Fare: $75

Train: $40

Total: $815

Works Cited

Atkinson, B., Brown, L., D’Arcy, J., Eimer, D., Harding, P. Tang, P. (2018). Big Trips on Small Budgets: Southeast Asia on a Shoestring (19th ed.).


Updated by Kate Lade updated on 4/28/2019.