Is it possible to embark on a road trip from Thailand to India, renting a car along the way?

Jul 28, 2021
3 years ago
Suq ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi everyone not your typical question but it’s worth asking

Curious I’d like to embark on a road trip from Thailand to India, does anyone have any experience with this? Is it possible to rent a car for this? Any resources that may have information on the details?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The idea of a road trip from Thailand to India raises several challenges, primarily due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, ongoing conflicts in Myanmar, and border crossing complexities. Renting a car for this journey would be difficult; most comments indicate that you need to own the vehicle. Suggested routes include avoiding Myanmar due to its civil unrest and instead considering possibilities through Laos and China. Given the current geopolitical situation and travel limitations, traveling to India by road may not be feasible or safe at the moment, and it's suggested to consider flying and renting a car once in India instead.
Joe ***********
With adjacent country borders all closed - you would never get out of Thailand - not in two years.
David **********
Can't even travel between provinces mostly right now let alone to India.
Lisa ********************
India borders are closed atm
Benjamin ******
@Lisa *******************
And Myanmar... and Laos... and China...
Lisa ********************
And Vietnam
Pooja ****************
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Must check out her travel blogs around the country
Pooja ****************
Just don’t believe everything about India that you see on CNN and BBC. It’s a paid propaganda by the opposition parties.

Covid Numbers are reducing day by day and FYI we have the biggest and fastest vaccination program in the world.(pic attached)

I know many people who are visiting India just to get the vaccine.

Tourism is opening up. So if you want to spend a couple of months, there are some beautiful places that you can visit. However Im unsure about the border crossings at the moment.

How about you land in say New Delhi or Mumbai and then begin your road trip across the country.

Everything is accessible and you could rent a car within the country.

India has beautiful landscapes and well connected highways(again don’t believe what you see on shitty media)
Michael ********
@Pooja ***************
yes saw that 4 million vaccinations in one day, delta variant originated there so all likelihood will be first place to recover
Suq ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Pooja ***************
please contact me on messenger
Albert ********
Good luck.
Paul *******
Walk the route, maybe give your head a shake every so often, while strolling through the borders, easy.
Adrian ***************
A road trip during Covid to a country that has even higher Covid numbers that not a good idea
เอ็ดเวิร์ด *******
If someone is foolish enough to want to do this, we should encourage them as much as possible so then they will be some other Country’s problem
Nigel ********
Done that route twice precovid, England to Australia and return. There are plenty of blogs on the net. You won't be able to hire a car or bike for the trip. Google 'carnet' for India and you'll understand why. However.... during covid many of the land borders are closed. Wait 3 years.
Edna *******
@Nigel *******
everyone has forgotten one remote possibility, hot air balloon.
Picanin ***********
You could hire an elephant, might take a bit longer, but would be a cool way to do it. Certainly get to see parts that you would never see if you went by road.
Bob **********
Reminds me of the movie Death Wish doubt you would get close to India
David **********
My friend rode his bicycle from here to there
Andrew ********
With a vehicle it needs to be registered in your name at its County of registration. You need to have the registration documents match your passport and have the documents officially translated by the transport authorities into English.

Been there done that.

Bangkok to Scotland via China, Tibet and Central Asia 2019.

It is possible but not easy or cheap. China on its own was $5,500+++. And that was on a motorcycle.
Kool *******
As long as you do not plan on going through Myanmar, you'll be fine, but, you will need to buy the car, not rent it, and you will need insurance in each country you go through. Oh, and then there is covid, and the borders being closed, just to get out of Thailand.
Todd ***********
@Kool ******
So just a little detour through China and Pakistan.
Todd ***********
Who wants to join me on an around the world covid tour... china, india, eastern europe, brazil, peru, mexico and florida!
Tomas **********
@Todd **********
just name it: "Death wish tour 2021" and I'm all in! 🤧
Steve *********
@Tomas *********
Free roadside burial included.. 🤣😂
Todd ***********
@Tomas *********
Booked through Darwin Tours!
Benjamin ******
@Todd **********
For what it's worth, you can drive from Brazil to the European Union by land 😛
George *************
@Benjamin *****
Yes, thanks to the French Guiana wormhole.

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Todd ***********
You cannot travel to India for tourism right now due to covid and why would you want to? Worse possible time to be there.
James *********
@Todd **********
agreed..madness on wheels
Todd ***********
@James ********
I have lived several years in India and it is quite literally one of the last places I would want to be during the pandemic and the economic turmoil it has wreaked.
Nishant ********
@Todd **********
where did u live in india btw if I may ask?
Michael ********
To rent a car I would say thats a massive no no. You need to own your vehicles
Michael ********
Yes was possible pre covid times.

Now of course impossible but who knows for the future.

I know people who have done in camper vans, motorbikes an interesting trip.

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Jelly ******
@Michael *******
I think Covid might not be the biggest issue with this road for the future, but rather the autrocious coup and brink of total civil war inside Myanmar, with all from crimes against humanity violations by the Tatmadaw and their leaders to lack of oxygen, widespread covid, floods and insurgents against the dictatorship in most bordering states like Kayin, chin, kachin, shan etc.
Michael ********
@Jelly *****
yes was going to mention that but i would have stopped at just saying troubles, but I knew someone who did the trip via China avoiding Burma.
Chris ****
It can be done. Just be prepared to hear “no” a lot. But it can be done. I wish you safe travels and am excited for you!
Oliver ********
I'm sure some rental companies would be happy to let you rent a car from them and drive it out of Thailand, as long as you leave a cash deposit equivalent to the full value of the car. Getting a car you don't own across international borders won't be as easy.
Benjamin ******
1. Have you looked at a map to get to India?

2. I imagine traveling by car would be very expensive given the duties crossing over the countries. This is what you need to bring a private car into Laos:
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Into China:
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I'm not going to do your research for you.

3. You have a few routes to get to India from Thailand:

A. Thailand/Myanmar (Burma)/ India. Problem: Myanmar is in the middle of a civil war, and they have always been very difficult to get visas.

B. Thailand/ Laos/ China/ India. You get to avoid Myanmar, however China and India do not have the best relationship for now.

Remember, if you rent a car in Thailand, you'd have to figure out some way to bring it back.
Suq ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Benjamin *****
thank you this helped
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