In Malaysia with the North South Expressway (NSE), motorists have a well-paved route from Singapore to the border of Thailand, in Thailand the roads are improving all the time with the goal of a dual carriageway from North to South borders a not too distant reality. Laos however is altogether a different thing... The following are approximate distances, suggested driving times in good conditions by experienced drivers from the Singapore border. Travel times do not include breaks, time spent at border crossings etc:

Driver fatigue I haven't seen the statistics for S.E Asia but I have seen some of the driving. If the statistics are anything like the West, driver fatigue is one of the biggest killers on national highways. Here are some tips gleaned from various road authorities around the world. · Get a good nights sleep before you depart. · Take a break at least every two hours especially if you are the only driver. · Share the driving whenever possible · Avoid long drives after work · Avoid drinking before driving · Find out whether any medicine you are taking may affect your driving. · Stop if you are sleepy. · Pull over and stop when drowsiness or loss of concentration occurs. Driving against the Clock Next one on the list that many people do not think about is trying to make up for lost time. The idea of getting behind, needing to catch up creates stress, allows for poor and erratic decisions on the road and a drop in concentration. This is to be avoided. · Leave yourself plenty of time. · If you are running late stop and phone ahead. · Plan your route and be prepared to do some backtracking.

Malaysia

Destination Ave. Time Distance (approx. km.) Malacca 2.5 Hrs 225 Kuala Lumpur 3.75 Hrs 370 Ipoh 6 Hrs 530 Butterworth 7.75 Hrs 740 The Thai/Malay Border 9.40 Hrs 840

Thailand

Destination Ave. Time Distance (approx. km.) Hat Yai 11 Hrs 890 Trang 11 Hrs 1050 Krabi 14 Hrs 1186 Phang Nga 14.5 Hrs 1271 Koh Samui 15 Hrs 1286 Phuket 15.5 Hrs 1365 Bangkok 21 Hrs 1800 Lao Border (Nong Khai) 27 Hrs 2415