In the USA, if a child is found in a car without a car seat it could make the news. All states have laws regarding the use of child safety seats. In Thailand, seeing a child without a safety seat is standard. It is sometimes rarer to see a child in a car seat than it is to see a child without one (not to mention when babies are riding on motorbikes). A car seat is something that we just would not compromise on – sorry Thailand, but we were going to use our car seat in your taxis, like it or not.

We decided on a convertible car seat after reading some reviews on Safe Convertible Car Seats. We bought the best convertible car seat so that we could also use it on the plane. This worked out well and the seat was a comfortable fit. We were nervous at the start as it seemed as though it was not going to fit, but after removing the cup holders it squeezed in nicely.

This time we arrived into Chiang Mai. Once we landed, we got a taxi and had our first attempt at fitting our car seat into a Thai car. The taxi driver was insistent that we did not need to fit the car seat, but we refused to accept this. Luckily he was polite and allowed us to fit the car seat. Other drivers were not as polite.

With this in mind, we bought a car seat that is easy to attach. We needed one that was both lightweight for travel and was quick to install (so that it did not annoy the driver or us). The seat we bought turned out to work perfectly and I would definitely recommend a convertible car seat for your trip to Thailand.

Our older child no longer requires a car seat but still uses a booster seat. For her, we decided on an inflatable booster seat. This turned out to be a great option. It was so easy to use, worked in every car (and on the plane) and was compact when we needed to store in as luggage.

I have also been asked if you should bring a car seat with you or buy one once you’re there. Car seats can be cheap to buy in Thailand, but they are hard to find and they may not be as safe as one that is approved for use in the USA. Therefore I definitely recommend bringing it with you. Find one you can use on the plane and you will be set for your entire trip.