GPS

[Irish Kev]

Can you hire a GPS in Hua Hin(where and cost) and does it give directions in English

[Shane]

A lot of phone's have GPS built in these days, I used my Nokia 85 when touring East Coast of US last year. Might be worth looking into that.

[Johanna]

If you use the GPS on your mobile, do you then also pay for internet cost ?
I have an pre-paid number, so when I use GPS will I pay for it or not ?

[hhfarang]

I don't know about hiring one, but you can buy one like the NUVI 205 fairly cheaply if you plan to visit Thailand very much. I bought one last August and they have free downloadable English language map updates for the first year from ESRI in Bangkok. After that you can get the updates for a small fee.

[barrys]

After that you can get the updates for a small fee.

Or free via torrent

[Vital Spark]

If you use the GPS on your mobile, do you then also pay for internet cost ?
I have an pre-paid number, so when I use GPS will I pay for it or not ?

Hi Johanna,
No you don't. You can opt for Internet access, but if you have the maps downloaded you don't need it.

We've just spent a couple of weeks touring South Island New Zealand. Downloaded the maps (free) for our Nokia phone and it worked superbly. She's so sweet when we decide to take a detour, but we did have to shut her up when we stopped for a picnic in the wilds. 'Route re-calculation....route re-calculation....'

VS

[VincentD]

The made-in-China gps clones go for as little as 1,xxx with a Thai/English map of Thailand pre-loaded. If, however, you're willing to splurge a bit more, go get a Nokia smart phone as all come with free Nokia maps (including upgrades, of any and every country in the world).

Was at the phone shop yesterday, and was offered a Nokia C5-03 (touch-screen, with all the features of my n97 mini except memory capacity, full qwerty keyboard, and camera flash) for just over 5,000 baht new. This, to me, looked pretty good as it can get wi-fi as well and the screen size is the same as the n97 mini.

At the end of the day, you'll still have a pretty good internet capable phone when you don't need the gps function.

My two baht worth.

[Spitfire]

as little as 1,xxx

Funny, you have been here too long if you're quoting prices like that, mobile phone shop style.

[VincentD]

Sigh. So true, so true, Spitty. One does tend to acquire bad habits if you've been here too long. Coming on to twexxx-thxxx years stuck here. Geez, where has all that time gone?

[Nereus]

I don't know about hiring one, but you can buy one like the NUVI 205 fairly cheaply if you plan to visit Thailand very much. I bought one last August and they have free downloadable English language map updates for the first year from ESRI in Bangkok. After that you can get the updates for a small fee.

Just be a bit careful about what you buy that ESRI has anything to do with. I have a Garmin 7200 model, bought in Thailand with the Thai ESRI map 2 years ago, at a cost of 30k Baht I might add.

It also was supposed to have the first update free, but when I went to obtain it I was informed that the new version had a "bug" in it and would not run. "However, we are working on it and will let you know". Yeah, right! Just a couple of weeks ago I stumbled on a report on the Internet saying that there is another new version of the Thai map available. (Ver 11.1) So I emailed ESRI and was informed that: "sorry, the map will not work on your model GPS".

ESRI are claiming Garmin have changed the hardware on the newer models, that being the reason the map will not work. BUT, Garmin in the US keep sending me emails urging me to update my map!

The agents that I bought it from (Gadgetrend), have now advised that they are going to follow it up with Garmin, but what I now find out is that they are doing so with Garmin in Taiwan. I know for a fact that if Garmin were to try and pull something like this in the US they would find themselves in Court in less time than it takes to write this!

To be fair to Gadgetrend, when this first came up they did make an offer to refund the cost of it, but it was done in such a rude manner I did not follow it up. They have not repeated the offer, but even if they do, there are other things that come into it, one alone being all the POI`s that I now have in it being lost. The other big problem is that one of the main reasons I bought it in the first place is the size of the screen, (7 inch) and as I have it mounted low down on the transmission tunnel of an SUV, it also has a connection for an external antennae.

Caveat emptor!

[hhfarang]

Nereus, sorry to hear about your problem. I have the older Nuvi 205 model and I was just telling my wife this morning that if every company in Thailand had customer service like ESRI this would be a much better country.

Every time I have emailed them with a problem (usually my own misunderstanding) or a question, I have received a very comprehensive email back on the next business day with an answer or solution. I contacted them a couple of weeks ago about how to download a map and here is the answer I got (just as an example):

Dear Mr. ....,

Before you can download the map file, you need to apply and become membership of our website at: http://www.gpssociety.com/V2.0/_En/Default_En.aspx. Click the register menu at the top right hand corner and fill-in the blanks. Then wait for the reply mail to activate your membership. Afterward, login to the website and type your model and serial number, then you will be able to download the map and firmware.

Please note that we will release the new TSM v.11.1 on this Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. So I advise you to apply for membership first and wait until Wednesday to download the latest map. However, we expect a rush of people trying to download the new map during daytime, so it might be better if you can do it during late evening or at night when the net traffic is less busy. If you still experience difficulty in downloading the file, perhaps you could do it the week after. Make sure that you use the Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser with hi-speed internet connection and temporary disable virus scanning program and any browser plug-in that you might have installed to make sure that your download is complete. If you have further question, please let me know. Thank you.

Best Regards,...

Since this is the first and only GPS I've ever owned, I've had lots of (stupid) questions about the use of it and they have all been answered fast, correctly, and very politely like that.

[Big Boy]

Just how good are these Thai GPS please? In the UK I can enter a Post Code and a house number, and I more often than not get delivered within 10 yards of my destination.

As far as I know, Thailand doesn't have specific Post Codes to the accuracy of the UK. The alternative, of a street name could also be very hit and miss eg if I entered Petchkasem Road, which part would it take me to.

Could somebody please enlighten me regarding the accuracy, and use of a GPS in Thailand?

[hhfarang]

Big Boy, I have found mine will deliver me to towns in Issan by the best route and even major businesses, like hotels, restaurants, etc. in major cities and even will find some in minor towns if you're on the road and do a search for a place to eat or stay nearby. It will also find most golf courses, hospitals, and major tourist attractions throughout the country. Other than that I haven't tried much, but once you find a place you can mark it as a favorite and you can always find it (and the way back home from it) again, and of course if you can find the coordinates of anything it will find it. It's definitely better than trying to follow the signs or a Thai map or directions from a Thai (they will always give you directions with a smile, whether they have any idea of where you are going or not!).

[Big Boy]

Thanks, that's more or less what I was guessing. So, if I wanted to find somewhere in the middle of Bangkok, it wouldn't be very helpful?

[hhfarang]

Actually, in Bangkok, the places I've used it for, which have mostly been restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and several addresses of other types of fairly well known buildings or places, etc. it has worked well, it's in the rural areas where you it will give you less information, but as I said, when in those rural areas driving, it has surprised me when I've asked it to show me places to eat or stay nearby.

It may work better than I understand as I am still a GPS novice.