GPS

Driving and riding in Hua Hin and Thailand, all topics on cars, pickups, bikes, boats, licenses, roads, and motoring in general.
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Nereus
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Re: GPS

Post by Nereus »

hhfarang wrote: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.
It will not come down to street numbers in Bangkok, not that I have found anyway. But it is surprising the number of small business, shops, petrol stations, etc that it does list. And not only in Bangkok, but many other places that I have used it. It is far from perfect, but then it is up against a couple of Thai phenomena that work against it. For example: I have often tried to find an LPG gas station, (garage, etc) in a new place and it will take you to a small shop that fills household gas cylinders! Another problem is the continual changing of places of business, there one day and gone the next! It does not recognise if you are under an expressway or actually on it. Not always a problem, the bigger problem in Bangkok is losing the signal if you are under an expressway, or even in a narrow Soi that has tall buildings on both sides.

The continual expansion of the expressway system around Bangkok, and indeed a lot of provincial roads for that matter, means that the maps can become quickly out of date, and the issue of new updates is not what it should be.

You also need to be careful about selecting either "quickest" or "shortest" when using the go to function. It will direct you down some small Soi that may be nearer by GPS, but you can end up in Somchai`s buffalo paddock very easily!

It is definitely a Thai map on mine, as it`s most used direction is: "make a U turn"!
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Big Boy
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Re: GPS

Post by Big Boy »

OK, please bear with me - I'm trying to understand.

If I wanted to travel to Victory Monument, what would I key in?

Likewise if I wanted to visit the British Embassy.
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Nereus
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Re: GPS

Post by Nereus »

On the menu there are various search options where you can enter the name of the place, or location, you want to go to via the keyboard or touch screen. It will come up with a list of places that match, or is similar, to what you have entered. You then enter "go to" (a simple click or touch on the button), and it will come up with the previous question about shortest of fastest route. Select that and it will take a few seconds to calculate the route and then tell you which direction to go.

There is also the option of entering the coordinates if you know them, which I sometimes do after getting them from Google Earth.

But loike Paddy says: "if I was going to Dublin, I wouldnt start from here"! :cheers:
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Big Boy
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Re: GPS

Post by Big Boy »

Thanks guys, I would be (literally) lost without my GPS in the UK, and you've convinced me it will be an essential purchase when I get to Thailand.
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Whaler
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Re: GPS

Post by Whaler »

Vital Spark wrote:
Johanna wrote: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.

VS

This is not true as it depends on your phone/pda/tablet not all have standalone GPS some have assisted GPS and require a connection to trianglate your postion etc. Some have both and you should turn off the assisted part to save costs. Not all applications give you turn by turn instructions.
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Vital Spark
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Re: GPS

Post by Vital Spark »

OK, I guess it does depend on the phone. We were looking to buy a stand-alone GPS system, but found a phone that also did GPS. We bought a Nokia 5800 (from Tescos) for around 8,000 baht (needed a new phone anyway) which came complete with a GPS system using OVI maps. You can download any map for anywhere in the world for free. We bought a N.Z. sim card for our tour around the South Island, and when we used assisted GPS (using the Internet) it didn't cost us anything. We still had money left on our sim card at the end of the trip.

VS

P.S. The Nokia 5800 is a stonking little phone - Mr.VS is totally in love with it and he keeps having little chats with it/her. I, on the other hand, got left with the old Samsung clam shell which does what a phone should do, but is far less friendly. :wink:
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