Upvote:1
I drove in downtown Bangkok, but I would suggest you'd better not to rent a car. The road condition is complicated and there are many people on the road. In addition, in Thailand people drive on the left. But if you need to travel from one city to another and travel with more than two people, car rental is a good choice. The Thai drivers obey the rules. We rented the car for four days without seeing any accidents. So don't worry.
Upvote:1
I did. A couple of years ago. In Phuket as well. Driving in Phuket is like driving in any other place in South East Asia: you go with the flow. You shouldn't want to drive too fast, have your eyes on the road any time. Expect motorbikes everywhere. Don't expect people to always use their indicators and be careful on crossings. If you've never driven on the left, it will be a challenge. Not a good country to try this for the first time.
Having said that, accidents do happen. Not often that serious. Minor scratches on cars and bikes. If you're in one of them, and you're a tourist, you'll most definitely end up paying (no matter the insurance). If you're aware, and fine with that, go ahead and enjoy! If you're not relaxed with it: please do realise that drivers in South East Asia are usually cheap. Renting a car is seldom the cheapest option.