Chauffeur service in Thailand

BlaakLane.com provides chauffeur, black car and limousine service in 5 Thailand cities: Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, Pattaya. Every city page lists the airports served, the pickup rules, the business districts and hotels we drive to most and the intercity runs booked from there. Trips are booked on one account at a fixed fare shown before you confirm, with flight tracking on every airport pickup.

Chauffeur service across Thailand: what to know at the airport

Bangkok has two airports: Suvarnabhumi, the long-haul hub about 30 km east of the centre, and Don Mueang to the north, which is used mainly by low-cost carriers. Phuket International handles most beach arrivals in the south, and Samui, Chiang Mai and U-Tapao (for Pattaya) serve the other main resorts. At Suvarnabhumi, pre-booked cars meet passengers on the arrivals side of the terminal at the designated pickup area; your chauffeur is timed to the tracked landing, and 60 minutes of waiting is included on international flights. A chauffeur holding a name board inside the Suvarnabhumi or Phuket arrivals hall is an add-on, available in selected locations.

Thailand has moved its entry paperwork online. Arriving foreigners complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card before the flight, and visa applications are handled through the official Thai e-Visa system for nationalities that need one. See the Suvarnabhumi guide, the Don Mueang guide and the Phuket airport guide for terminal detail.

Popular drives between Thai cities and resorts

Road travel suits the Gulf coast and central plains; for Chiang Mai or Samui most people fly and then book a car at the other end.

Use intercity transfers for these one-way runs, or an hourly chauffeur (three hours minimum) for a day on the Chao Phraya side of Bangkok with temple and gallery stops.

Many riverside hotels in Bangkok's old town sit on narrow sois where a full-size SUV cannot always turn, which is worth considering when you pick a class. On Phuket, the coast road between Patong, Karon and Kata climbs over steep, winding headlands, and evening arrivals in the rainy months take noticeably longer than the table suggests.

Traffic, tolls and the Thai calendar

Thailand drives on the left. Bangkok's expressway network and the intercity motorways are tolled, and the Motorway 7 route toward Pattaya is the usual fast road to the eastern seaboard. Rush hours on Sukhumvit, Rama IV and Ratchadaphisek can stretch a 10 km crossing past an hour, which is why many residents combine car trips with the BTS Skytrain. Heavy afternoon storms in the rainy season, roughly May to October, flood some underpasses briefly. The cool, dry months from November to February are the peak visitor season, and April is the hottest month.

Annual events worth planning around:

• April 13 to 15: Songkran, the Thai New Year, with water festivities and heavy holiday traffic out of Bangkok.
• November: Loy Krathong, and in Chiang Mai the Yi Peng lantern festival.
• October or November: the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, with street processions in Phuket Town.

Choosing a vehicle class in Thailand

A Standard Sedan handles a short Don Mueang or Suvarnabhumi transfer for two. The Luxury Executive Sedan fits meetings along Wireless Road and Sathorn, and the Executive First Class Sedan (Maybach) suits a principal staying on the river. Families heading to Hua Hin with golf bags do better in the Standard Black SUV or Executive Black SUV. A Sprinter Van or Sprinter Luxury Jet Van moves incentive groups between Pattaya hotels and the conference halls. Before a Hua Hin or Pattaya run, check capacities on the fleet page and planning ranges on rates.

Where business and holidays concentrate

Most corporate trips start in Bangkok, where the Sukhumvit, Silom and Sathorn districts hold offices and hotels and the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre hosts large exhibitions. The Eastern Economic Corridor around Chonburi and Rayong brings manufacturing visitors to Pattaya. Leisure demand centres on Phuket, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai. The Tourism Authority of Thailand lists festival details. Tips for Thai chauffeurs and any airport parking are added at the actual amount rather than included in the fare.