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Reader question: What is your experience with GPS in Thailand?

By Editorial
Posted in Reader question
April 18, 2013

Dear readers,

Unfortunately, I recently purchased a TomTom navigation with a Thai map. This is very incomplete, and sometimes gives downright dangerous instructions.

TomTom customer service responds rudely and continues to act as if his nose is bleeding and does not provide a solution.

What is your experience with GPS navigation in Thailand? Are there also good systems that, for example, find the road sign correctly and are up to date? Thank you very much for your experiences.

My conclusion should be clear. Tom Tom is a downright bad product in Thailand, for which they should be ashamed. In Europe, on the other hand, I actually have mostly good experience with them.

With greeting,

Van Houten

 

Do you also have a question about Thailand? Submit a reader question! You can do this by sending your question to the editors (placement subject to change). Send an email, click here: contact

Number of times read: 195

26 Responses to “Reader Question: What is your experience with GPS in Thailand?”

  1. oliver says up
    18 April 2013 at 11: 58

    I have the GPS from Sygic, Thailand, is complete with POI, all kinds of useful places (hotel, hospital, park, temple,,,,,,,etc) with address, website, tel no,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,Regular updates are free

    I am very satisfied with it, and the service is perfect. Help you quickly and until the problem is solved

    regards

  2. Willem says up
    18 April 2013 at 14: 47

    Two years ago, after some research, I bought a simple Garmin from a GPS specialist shop in Bangkok/Pravet. You can also get the same device from Tesco Lotus. Since then traveled all over Thailand and seems to be going fine. Setting both to English and Thai. Other systems, such as Mio and Tomtom, proved insufficient at the time, and a number of Korean and Chinese products did the same. I'm actually curious if there's more good stuff out there now.

  3. Ruud van Heuvel says up
    18 April 2013 at 17: 34

    My experience with TomTom is good, used it a few years ago.
    Had rented a car at Budget cars Thailand.
    Went to isaan from BKK to visit a friend's family.
    Very easy to deal with, OA Lots of information on equipment from hotels, restaurants, hospitals, etc.
    And indicates a good route, in addition to the normal road map that we of course also had with us.
    TomTom was an option to rent with a car from Budget cars.
    Didn't regret it.
    Year after that used again from BKK to chiang mai.

  4. Dennis says up
    18 April 2013 at 18: 59

    I also have a TomTom with maps of Thailand. I am very satisfied with it. Personally, I think TomTom's interface is much better than Garmin.

    I have been using Tomtom in Thailand for a few years now (1st map version 8.40, now 9.05). The POIs are meager, Sygic is clearly better there. But in fact I don't find that interesting, you can often look up the address of your destinations better via the internet.

    I do not know what dangerous situations you are referring to, I have not encountered them on my trips from Bangkok in particular to Isaan (Surin). However, the TomTom sometimes wants me on the parallel lane and sends me back onto the main lane a little further on. But I don't fall for that anymore; Towards Isaan I only have to take another road from Bangkok near Korat… It is clear that TomTom partly bases its maps (and I have no illusion that Garmin and Sygic do otherwise) on satellite photos. For example, TomTom thinks that the concrete schoolyard here is a road, while the actual road (unpaved) is 20 meters away.

    Once again I am very satisfied with TomTom. Great even in the heart of Bangkok! But anywhere in the world; always use your common sense! The proposed “turn right here” in the middle of Petchburi Road, while legal, would be unwise; Better use the u-turn at the end at Phaya Thai.

  5. Joep says up
    18 April 2013 at 20: 28

    I also use Tom Tom's map. In general it works fine, but as always you have to keep your wits about you.

    Several times I have taken up the challenge of following the instructions against my better judgement. General advice: if the road turns into dirt road, turn around even if you have been following this route for a while 😉

    • Hans Gillen says up
      19 April 2013 at 11: 38

      I also have good experiences with Tom Tom, but I do not agree with your advice to turn around when the road turns into a dirt road.
      This happens regularly in the Isaan, one Tambon has more money for the road than the other, and a few kilometers further the road is paved again.

      • Dennis says up
        19 April 2013 at 12: 13

        If one is known locally, then the advice is to ignore. But if you're venturing into unfamiliar territory, I think this advice has some value. With a rental car, tires and windows are not insured as standard (you can of course do this for a fee). The risk of a broken or flat tire is therefore not inconceivable. I myself also prefer to avoid the unpaved roads, unless it saves a considerable amount of time. But as a rule, on a paved road it is often a little more in terms of km's and much more in terms of time savings (on an unpaved road you often cannot drive fast, on a paved road the average speed is significantly higher).

        But there are also examples of paved roads (in Isaan) that have more holes per square meter than a colander….

  6. ubon thai says up
    19 April 2013 at 01: 01

    I myself have a 5 year old Garmin with a memory map of Thailand in it. Turn off Thailand in Europe, turn Thailand on and I am guided through Bangkok by a Dutch female voice. Keep an eye on the signs. a disadvantage is that the garmin often sends me off the toll roads because the route through the city is shorter, but certainly not faster with the crowds. so before I go somewhere I check how long I can stay on the toll road and then the garmin sends me fine to where I need to go.

  7. Hans says up
    19 April 2013 at 09: 49

    I use the Garwin nuvi with a Thai card. Work perfectly. A map update in Thailand costs 400 Bath.

  8. messenger says up
    19 April 2013 at 09: 54

    I have been using Sygic on my phone for several years now and it works perfectly, my Thai wife often thinks she knows better but she has to fall back on Sygic later. I always use the latest version.

  9. Jaco says up
    19 April 2013 at 10: 10

    Hi, I have an isuzu mu7 with a garmin on the kenwood car radio. To my amazement, that thing also sounds great in Dutch where I come, it always goes well, bkk sometimes sucks, as said before, Garmin wants you off the toll road quickly. Or say too late that you have to get off but that is rare. It is very annoying that she always wants to send me on the parallel track, but you know that you don't have to and ignore that. Great device but never blind faith a little self-weighing knowledge is very useful.

  10. leclercq jcl says up
    19 April 2013 at 10: 21

    Use Route 66.with a samsung tablet.9.99 euros/month or about 60 euros for life.update for free.

  11. ton says up
    19 April 2013 at 10: 33

    Moderator: Comments without initial capitals and periods at the end of a sentence will not be posted.

  12. cleanse says up
    19 April 2013 at 11: 14

    I have driven an Isuzu pickup with a Kenwood radio Navigation with Garmin several times through Thailand (Chiang Mai and several places and I really like it). I still have to do a new map update at the dealer.

  13. sandra says up
    19 April 2013 at 11: 55

    Your information about tomtom is not correct, I have already toured with my tomtom (Thai map downloaded via tomtom home) for 3 years all over thailand from north to south from east to west (even in the isaan) and never had any problems. Works perfectly and I have not experienced any dangerous instructions at all.

    • Caro says up
      19 April 2013 at 14: 31

      I'm glad there are still people out there. Positive experience with the Thailand card. According to the internet comments, I am certainly not the only one who is very disappointed in this wan product, and in the support.
      I live in Bangkok and often get pushed off the highway even on short trips, or have to make a uturn that is completely impossible. Also, the direction of roads is often not correctly indicated.
      The road indication in Thai is not complete. My home address in the south as well as in Bangkok cannot be programmed. Not even in English.
      Furthermore, the map is incomplete and misses important neighborhoods and local roads

      Sufficient for those who only follow the provincial highways.
      For me is a substandard product. Google maps is better and more up to date.
      Thanks for the suggestions

  14. Ale and Jelkje says up
    19 April 2013 at 12: 10

    We cycled from Bangkok to Phuket in February 2013 with GPS (tablet with OsmAnd) encountered no problems, always worked perfectly,

    fr gr Ale and Jelkje

  15. Peter says up
    19 April 2013 at 13: 10

    Purchased several systems.

    Brought a TomTom from the Netherlands. Bought a Thai card at Tomtom.

    Because in the Netherlands I used Tomtom to my satisfaction.

    The system was always late. If I had to take a turn, the “lady” would tell me too late that I had to turn. And I can't find all kinds of things in the Tomtom that a friend of his Garmin could find.

    Then bought a Garmin. With Esri in Bangkok.
    Esri is the map maker for Garmin's Thai maps.
    Received a lifetime (for the purchased machine) update of the maps

    I then put the two side by side in my car.

    What a difference!
    On the Garmin, maps from Esri, there were many more small roads to see than on the Tomtom.

    The voice also indicated much earlier and better how I had to drive.

    I gave the Tomtom to a Dutch friend.
    For me, in Thailand, an unusable device.

    Because I only drive a lot throughout Thailand, I bought two Garmins.

    I am very happy with it, also because you can search for LPG pump stations and NGV pump stations etc. etc.

    If I need to be somewhere in a suburb of Bangkok and can't find the address, search my PC in Google maps and zoom in. Then I do the same with my Garmin and also zoom in.
    Indicate that he should take me to that place, save it under Favorites, and I'll be close to my destination. Can be 100 meters away. But this is surmountable.

    If I drive past something interesting, I tap the car on the map and save it. Very easy.

    Peter

    Chiang Mai

    ps

    Esri, you can easily get there by skytrain

    Esri (Thailand) Co., Ltd
    Satorn Nakorn Tower, floor 22
    100/38-39 Nord Satorn Rd
    Silom Bangrak
    Bangkok 10500, Thailand

    Phone +66 (0) 2636 8421

    http://www.GPSsociety.com

    N13 43,380 E100 31,813

    For Thailand blog
    http://www.gpssociety.com
    is a valid website ! !

    and this Please enter a valid URL Website is nonsense

  16. marcel says up
    19 April 2013 at 14: 23

    I use garmin myself, but it usually sends you over the major roads, and you can get the maps from the internet. Don't know where, but a friend of mine picks them off.

  17. Poo says up
    19 April 2013 at 15: 45

    I have the Tom Tom app in my iPhone. with the folder Thailand and already used numerous times works perfectly and has never sent me wrong ..
    I have often been very grateful that I have Tom Tom Thailand when I am in busy Bangkok .. I have owned the map Thailand for 3 years now and I regularly receive free updates via Apple's I Store.
    I can't say anything negative about it.

  18. tonythai says up
    19 April 2013 at 20: 50

    I own a Tonton Go750 with a map of Thailand. Works fine in Europe and USA. Between the larger cities in Thailand and driving on the main roads, the tomtom also works properly. However, people go into the interior looking for a small place and/. or driving on B-roads then the fun is quickly over and the road map has to be put back on my lap. Even during heavy rain showers sometimes no satellite reception. Sometimes I improvise a bit, use the tomtom as long as it goes well, but I always keep a good michelin road map at hand.

  19. Hank van Dyke says up
    19 April 2013 at 22: 04

    I bought a map from TomTom at the end of last year for only 20 euros. I have used with great pleasure in Thailand, February 2013. I was staying in Bangkok at North Park, had rides from Bangkok to Korat vv, Kanchanaburi vv and Rayong vv; I sometimes drove wrong, through all those many side roads in Bangkok, then I was quickly guided back to the right route. It is especially nice to drive with TomTom because you are warned about 2 km in advance that you have to change direction. Really necessary in heavy traffic. I didn't drive much within Bangkok, only the most necessary because of the exit and arrival route. I can recommend it to everyone. The only drawback that there could be is that it is not always possible to search by house number, so we found the hotel in Kanchanaburi with great difficulty (eventually had to call to help us get back on our way).
    Since I have driven to some well-known destinations, with good roads, I can of course not exclude that it functions less well inland.

  20. Rinny says up
    20 April 2013 at 08: 28

    I've been using my TomTom Live for 3 years with the latest Thailand map and it works great, even the small roads are on it.
    The only downside is looking up addresses, but that's with any navigation system in Thailand.
    I do not understand what is written about reporting a turn too late, my Eva does a great job, only in Bangkok under the flyovers does she sometimes go to the toilet.

  21. René says up
    20 April 2013 at 10: 08

    I have experience with both TomTom and Sygic, and have used both in several places in Thailand.
    Synic is very good indeed as described above by oliver.
    TomTom, on the other hand, depends on the regions where you are, in one place it works perfectly and you are going to move 3 to 400 km
    then it's a fiasco

  22. Rinny says up
    20 April 2013 at 13: 23

    As you can read there are different opinions about the navigation systems, I don't know what the reasons are.
    There are no problems with the TomTom Live that I use and bought in the Netherlands, even in different regions.
    I travel twice a year through different parts of Thailand +/- 5000 Km per trip so I can assume that I should have noticed that something was not right.
    I usually travel to certain cities and then enter the center of that place, upon arrival I stop for a while and look at the hotels that are nearby and I will look at the one with the most beautiful name, not good then to the next ..
    Could it be that the TomTom, which is widely traded here in Thailand, is a copy from China that works differently.
    I read prices of 50 Euro and 3500 Baht, which seems a bit on the low side. A new card already costs 50 Euro.

  23. Henk says up
    9 May 2013 at 16: 17

    I am also satisfied with the use of TomTom in TH.
    The only thing that surprises me is that I have to adjust the clock when I am in TH time zone.
    I mean TomTom sees where I am using satellites, then it would also know the time zone where I am?

    Henk


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