Home and away

'You never have to worry about where to sleep on your travels ever again," said Somsak Siyano.

While the average Thai person's experience with a motorhome or caravan extends only as far as what they've seen in American movies, there is actually quite a healthy interest among groups of Thais for these vehicles, who are drawn to them by the convenience and freedom of travel. Somsak is an owner of a motorhome who has driven to various destinations both inside and outside the country.

"Even during the high-season, when all the hotels are booked, you can find a place to park your motorhome and you're pretty much set. Besides, a lot of Thai motorhomes are actually as lavish -- if not more so -- than most hotel rooms anyway."

Motorhomes generally refer to any type of vehicle that is furnished for living in, complete with facilities such as a kitchen, air-conditioners, beds and a toilet -- yes, just like what you see in movies. With their own internal sewage and electrical systems, these vehicles can also be modified to include even more homelike facilities, such as Wi-Fi. In Thailand, however, the term motorhome exists in two broad categories, ranging wildly in price: a built-in home attached to the back of a small truck, and a separate trailer unit that can be towed behind other vehicles.

To collect first-hand experience, Life recently joined the Caravans Thailand Club on a jaunt down south. While usually numbering as many as a dozen cars, club president Ratchapoom Tangjitpanichakul told us this was just a scouting trip in preparation of a larger scale one later this year.

"We usually have one big trip together every other month," said Ratchapoom, who is also an importer of second-hand caravans.

"Most of our members tend to be wealthier, retired men who enjoy adventuring outdoors. We like to go to remote, seldom-known locations that -- in many cases -- don't have any type of lodging or accommodation nearby. These caravans allow them to travel into all these remote locations, complete with all the comforts of home."

On the second night of the trip, the group spent the night by the beach of Toong Sang bay, Chumporn province. Using electricity from a gas-fuelled generator he brought on the pickup truck he used to tow his caravan, Ratchapoom was able to provide enough electricity for all of the group's three caravans.

"Usually on these trips, it is most prudent to bring along any kind of electrical generator, just in case you can't find anywhere to hook up your caravan," he said.

"We try to ask locals to let us plug in our caravan to their power outlets when we can, paying them back later, but there are also times when the conventional outlet isn't powerful enough or just isn't available."

Ratchapoom added that in countries where caravans are more commonplace, there are parking lots specifically designated to park caravans, offering electricity outlets and water tanks for drivers. While these convenient parking spaces don't yet exist in Thailand, Ratchapoom said that many national parks now offer some kind of accommodation for caravans. Vanakorn Bay, Koh Chang, Khao Kor and Doi Suthep are some other examples of caravan-friendly destinations.

"It's also possible for us to park at 24-hour petrol stations, or even outside a 7-Eleven, and use their electricity. Of course, you're going to have to come to an agreement with the people in charge yourself if you are going to compensate them for it."

The location the group chose to spend the second night was quite literally at the end of the road, where it terminated on a quiet, pristine, cliff-side beach. Without any nearby restaurants or hotels, aside from a local som tam shack, the group's decision to spend the night by the beach was a demonstration of the flexibility offered by caravans.

We spent the night in the 8m caravan of one of the members, who had come alone. Inside, the floor of his caravan was soft, red carpet, an addition made by the owner, 66-year-old Shalothorn Somsriluen, vice-president of the Nonthaburi Chamber of Commerce. Besides the pleasant carpet, Shalothorn's caravan also had a full-working kitchen, toilet, shower and TV, along with six fold-out beds.

"It's like bringing your own hotel room," he said.

In terms of built-in motorhomes, you can find them in various shapes and sizes from modified pickup trucks all the way to full, bus-sized vehicles. While exponentially more costly than the caravan variety (ranging from 1.5 to 20 million), these vehicles have the benefit of having their lodging units attached to the vehicle's chassis, and as such allows passengers to sit in the comfy furnishings of their motorhomes on the way to their destination. The home unit can also use electricity straight from the vehicle, so appliances like air-conditioners and TVs will also be available.

As for caravans, there are many sizes to choose from (5-10m), costing anywhere from 200,000-600,000 baht. Many vendors who sell these vehicles in Thailand tend to only stock second-hand vehicles, thus their cheap price. Furthermore, being a separate unit from the car, caravans do not have access to the car's energy source, meaning that the air-conditioners and other appliances in the trailer won't be available for use until it is connected to an outside source of electricity.

While Ratchapoom's group has travelled together to many parts of Thailand, they have yet to take their vehicles across the many borders surrounding the country. Meanwhile Somsak Siyano, who also runs MHC, a manufacturing and sales company of motorhomes that has been operating in Thailand for over 20 years, has taken his caravanning group to neighbouring countries like Vietnam, Laos and even China.

He said that taking a caravan or motorhome across the Thai border brings with it a plethora of considerations. For starters, not only do all the vehicles need special "car passports", but many countries also require foreign entrants to hire local tour guides and/or have an escort of law enforcement officers to accompany the group.

"Other countries take it very seriously when you try to enter their country in a personal vehicle," he said.

"Sometimes, I even have to send scouting teams ahead to learn and make sure that we respect the rules of the particular areas we plan to visit." In contrast, Somsak criticises the lax regulations Thailand has in place for foreign personal vehicles, leading to the recent debacle with Chinese caravans in the North.

"That is what happens when you just allow them to drive into the country with no regulations," he said. "The problem that follows is that they may not be aware of Thailand's laws and conduct, like where they can or can't park. We can't really expect them to know our rules when we don't tell them."

While the government has now announced a ban on foreign caravans entering Thailand at the borders, Ratchapoom believes that the arrival of such tourists -- under the appropriate regulations -- can be a boon for local tourism, as people can stop and actually support local businesses along the way, as opposed to those offered by tour guides which more often than not are owned by the same people.

"I think it's pretty silly for people to think that tourists can actually pack along months worth of ingredients on these long trips," he said.

"Of course these tourists are going to have to stop and shop for groceries, which can really help the rural markets on the way to their destinations."

When asked about the future, Ratchapoom says that, should the right facilities be offered in the right places, caravans and motorhomes can become very popular in Thailand, as they appeal to the "slow-life" mentality of Thailand's people.

"You don't even necessarily need a plan when you are travelling with your caravan. Provided you have all the necessary tools for emergencies, you can just keep driving, stopping wherever and whenever you want," he said.

In February, reports about an influx of tourists driving from China to Chiang Mai caused alarm. The caravans from the mainland were spotted in Bangkok and as far south as Phuket, stirring debate about order, safety and the impact on tourism.

In March, a new regulation by the Department of Land Transport (DLT) was issued to regulate foreign vehicles entering Thailand for tourism. Only vehicles with no more than nine seats and pickup trucks with a maximum weight of 3,500kg would be allowed to travel in Thailand, while motorcycles and some types of caravans would be banned. Motorists also now need to seek permission and have their vehicles checked by authorities. The total permitted period cannot exceed 60 days in one year (though the regulations will not be applied to vehicles from Laos, Malaysia and Singapore).

The matter is more complicated, however, as tourists in China see Thailand as a desirable destination for self-drive trips. "Chinese tourists find Thailand a medium-haul destination where they can enjoy self-drive trips on a low budget," explains Jintana Wetchapinan, general manager of Eastern Pearl Co, an inbound self-drive tour who receives Chinese tourists. "They can avoid shopping programmes and upgrade their choice of accommodation, which they are not allowed to do when coming on group tours by bus."

Thailand has long been a desirable destination for foreign tourists to drive in, according to Pichaithep Bunnob, co-ordinator of Trans Asia Co, a land operator company that specialises in self-drive tours in Thailand and Asia.

"There are many groups of foreign motorists who enjoy driving through Thailand during their long self-drive journey in Asean countries. Some go through the whole country, and continue the trip to China, and further. Each year, the company I am working in handle over 10 groups of motorists, particularly those from Malaysia and Singapore. They have no problem with traffic regulations in Thailand at all."

Most Chinese vehicles enter the north of Thailand via the fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge that connects Chiang Rai's Chiang Khong district with Laos' Ban Houayxay — about 411km, or a six- to seven-hour drive to the border town of Jinghong.

With the new rule, each vehicle is required to be registered more than 10 days before entering Thailand, through local tourism business operators. Passports, international driving licenses, car registration books and itineraries are also required.

Vehicle entry will be limited to 30 days, with a 500 baht fee for cars and pickup trucks. Motorists who do not obtain international driving licenses usable in Thailand must pass driving and traffic law training at the local DLT office first.

A note on driving to neighbouring countries

Here's what Thai drivers need to know when they drive their cars into neighbouring countries.

Thai vehicles leaving for neighbouring countries are required to have a vehicle inspection certificate, vehicle registration book, driving license in English, English-language plate and sticker with a "T" alphabet, representing Thailand.

To enter Laos, motorists are required to hand an International Transport Permit, and clearly specify your destination. To enter Malaysia, motorists are required to get all car-related documents translated into English, put on an English car plate, fill in an immigration form and get car insurance that is available for different types of cars and periods of stay.

Please keep in mind that petrol stations in Laos do not provide unleaded gasoline, LPG, or CNG. A third braking light is also required when driving in Malaysia.

Motorists may find difficulties entering Myanmar and Cambodia, which set regulations to control foreign vehicles entering, such as advance car registration through authorised tour operators. Consulting veteran tour operators is the best way for planning self-drive trips into such countries.

Myanmar has left-hand traffic but most vehicles are right-hand drive. The country has specific areas not allowed for foreigners, please check information when making plans.

Entering China is the most complicated case. All documents and itineraries must be handled in advance through Chinese tour operators. Specification of the car brand, model and dimensions are needed.

For group travellers, if any car is missing from the list, the whole group will be banned from entering. The local tour operator who handles the group must put down a 50,000 yuan (271,000 baht) deposit for each car. After entering China, all motorists must go through basic training and finally obtain China's temporary driving license and license plate.