Car rental in Phuket: my experience, car prices

Today in the discussion - car rental in Phuket: how to take a car without a franchise and a deposit, well, and to make it cheap? We study the reviews and share our experience.

Of the more than two hundred thousand kilometers that I, as a driver, have left in the rear-view mirror over the past 7 years, at least a third are outside Russia. And if in Europe or America renting a car is an almost common question for any traveler, then a vacation in Thailand does not fit in with the idea of ​​renting a car.

We, Russians and our close neighbors, traditionally rent bikes in Phuket. And car rental is more common here among European tourists or expats.

Nevertheless, on the last two trips, my friends and I decided to rent a car. I will write down all the nuances, I will give useful tips - ask questions in the comments!

What do you need to rent a car in Thailand in 2021?

As in any other country, car rental in Phuket requires:

• international passports;
• driver's license;
• credit card.

If you book a car online in advance, you will also need a voucher (I usually show it directly from the smartphone screen).

It is easy to find an inexpensive rental option in Thailand. There are two options for the development of events:

- You rent a car from world leaders in the industry such as AVIS, Sixt and others using the RentalCars website. Book in advance online... At the same time, most cars are available without a deductible and without a deposit, because full insurance is initially included in the rental price. You can opt out of this option. We'll talk more about insurance below.

- Or choose one of the many small companies in place... They are distinguished by flexible rental conditions, they can often provide a car without a deposit, and they are also ready to bargain if the term of the proposed lease is more than a month. But you also need to be prepared for the sad “no cars, sorry” (there are no cars available, they were dismantled), especially in the high season.
* therefore, below I will tell you about a cool Russian service that helps to "bring" us, tourists, and local distributors in Thailand in advance!

Do i need an international driving license to rent a car in Thailand?

In 2011, the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic was amended to make it possible for member countries to recognize each other's driver's licenses. That is why, since 2011, Russia has issued a new type of license - small pink cards the size of a credit card, which duplicate the full name and other data in Latin.

Thailand has also joined this convention, therefore Russian license of the new model allows you to rent a car and drive freely on local roads, without an international driver's license.

We drove and showed Russian license, no one found fault.
But if you have read a lot of forums and are afraid of the arbitrariness of the Thai police, then issue a three-year international law book in the traffic police and carry it for your peace of mind. And that would not have to explain to every policeman about the Vienna conventions.

Phuket car rental prices

The cost of car rental varies greatly depending on:

• rental office,
• car class,
• season,
• and the lease term.

For an example of calculating the price of car rental in Phuket, let's take a small Toyota Yaris car with an automatic transmission, I got it like this both times... For the convenience of calculations, we will take - a period of 1 week, receipt and delivery of the car at one point - Phuket airport.

- If you book through the international aggregator RentalCars during the low season (June-October) for the coming dates, then the rental price from the distributor will be 650 baht or 1430 rubles per day.

- Through the same aggregator and in low season, but 3 months ahead - and Yaris will cost 585 baht or 1285 rubles per day.

- But in peak season, in January, you will have to pay 725 baht or 1600 rubles for a day of rent.

— Monthly rent even in high season it can be as little as 350 baht or 770 rubles per day.

For comparison: renting a bike in Phuket ranges from 150-250 baht per day.

These are the base prices. I will not say that there is an inexpensive car rental in Phuket - in Barcelona, ​​for example, we took a car for 20 euros or 1560 rubles per day. Next, I recommend using the following cheat sheet for determining your costs:

+ Renting a car of a higher class increases the cost.

+ Long-term rent - decreases, and short - increases the average rate per day.

+ In high season rent is more expensive, in low season it is cheaper.

+ Returning the car to the same place where you took it will save an average of 10 to 20% of the rental cost.

Local companies can be a little cheaper, but at the same time they are able to arrange a "podlyanka": distribute their entire fleet of vehicles or break prices exorbitantly for the last remaining options.

What sites are the best to book on?

Based on the above, I repeat: always book in advance online. A car is guaranteed to be reserved for you, and you will not lose in price - the difference with what may be on the spot is insignificant.

Whether in Phuket or Pattaya, car rental in Thailand is presented on the same services. What sites are the best to book on?

• As usual - on the rentalcars.com intermediary. We book a car from some international “giant”. In case of unforeseen circumstances, when the distributor goes "unconscious", it is possible to interact through the support of the aggregator. There is also a free cancellation of a reservation two days in advance and an operational support service.
• But in 2020, local car rentals (small offices operating in Phuket) also went online - and even with the help of our domestic service myrentacar.com. More often, there is a more favorable price tag here, and the site itself - mountain-a-azdo is more convenient to use than rental cars. Booking changes, cancellations - everything is promptly resolved through support.

Compare both the first and the second site - never guess which one might be more profitable.

About booking "live". Do you need a car in three days? Find an office, negotiate with the owner and take the car. The advantage of this option is that you can bargain. The downside is that you are a farang (foreigner), so cheating you in the absence of any electronic traces is as easy as shelling pears!

Our steps to rent a car

Yes, public transport is developed in Phuket (over the past 2 years, routes have appeared between the airport and all popular beaches). But having a car on vacation has many advantages: comfort in the heat, safety compared to a bike, a spacious trunk, a child seat for a child.

Therefore, we decided not to abandon our travel habits and first of all:

• We rented a car in 2 months on the RentalCars aggregator website. The place of receipt indicated the Phuket airport.
• For a group of four people with flip flops-swimsuit-shorts luggage, we chose the mini class on the machine. By the way, for fans of a manual transmission I have bad news - it is very difficult to find such a car at the rental, mostly tourists are given automatic models.
• On the spot, we defended a small queue, after which a pretty Thai woman (or it was a guy who would take them apart) registered me in the database in a few minutes, took a copy from my passport, driver's license.
• On the spot, we defended a small queue, after which a pretty Thai woman (or it was a guy who would take them apart) registered me in the database in a few minutes, took a copy from my passport, driver's license.

Car rental in Phuket does not differ from the same in Europe in terms of pick-up and delivery processes. Our Toyota Yaris in the hot season went to us for a cosmic 5500 baht for 8 days and from the outside looked quite nice and new. But when leaving the parking lot, it turned out that the car's dashboard was annoyingly rattling, and the radio did not work: (We did not mention this in the contract, but no one made any claims at the end.

Insurance

Being an unequivocal supporter of insurance, and not only car insurance, I was pleasantly surprised that most of the cars offered for rent in Phuket on the aggregator's website already have full extended insurance included in the rental price.

And having full rental car insurance means zero deductible and complete "irresponsibility." It turns out that no matter what happens to the car, you will never bear financial risks. This is another argument in favor of the official lease through aggregator sites.

Peculiarities of driving in Thailand (in Phuket)

At first glance, traffic in Thailand may seem chaotic, but it is not. On the contrary, the Thai drivers behind the wheel of the cars seemed to me to be neat and calm.

You can get used to left-hand traffic in a couple of days, but I never got used to the turn signals on the right, as a result, the windshield was regularly cleaned at the moment when I was rebuilding or turning.

Carefulness on the road will not hurt, but this is more for pedestrians who climb under the wheels. The interaction of motorists with each other is much more pleasant: drivers rarely honk, patiently wait for you to park, blocking the entire road, and let them pass without any problems in the stream ahead.

It seemed very nice that everyone was trying to help - I repeatedly watched supermarket guards and tent owners help locals and tourists with parking.

One day I parked my car under a tree and was about to go to the store. An elderly Thai man ran up to me and gestured to show that it was necessary to remove the car from under the tree. He meowed something and poked his hands into the sky. After a few minutes, I realized that I had parked under a coconut tree with ripe fruits. And although according to documents with a zero deductible, not a single coconut threatened my wallet, I took the advice of a Thai well-wisher and parked nearby.

Phuket Car Rental Reviews

Phuket is a rather small island, renting a car, or even a large one, is only worth it if you have a company or a family. Reviews of tourists about renting a car in Phuket confirm that a small car is also suitable for movement. It is convenient to park it in small streets.

Parking in Phuket is not a problem, the main thing is to remember that you must not leave the car on red and white markings, crossings, bridges, close to intersections... It is advisable to avoid parking at taxi spots - they are visible by yellow and white markings.

Please note that the rental conditions often include a ban on leaving the island in a rented car. Be sure to check this upon receipt.

Frequently asked Questions

Renting a car in Phuket is no different from renting a car anywhere else. To deny yourself the pleasure of yourself, in comfortable conditions, with air conditioning, exploring popular and remote quiet beaches for fear of renting a car is definitely not worth it!

• The cost of gasoline in Phuket is about 30 baht per liter (66 rubles).
• Severe fines - for drunk driving, up to imprisonment and deportation.

Our tips for renting a car

If you decide to rent a car in Phuket, then there are some safety nuances that are important to remember.

• First, under no circumstances should you leave your passport as collateral. A common scheme for divorce when returning a car is to look for fictitious damages and not give a document to a tourist under this pretext.
• Secondly, always check about insurance. Some small rental companies like not to talk about the availability of insurance and hang the cost of damage on the tourist. Therefore, it is quieter with online services - RentalCars and Myrentacar.
• Thirdly, always carefully inspect the car and take photos and videos before leaving the parking lot. Thais do not bother with such trifles, everything is sabay-sabay, but if you miss a scratch that was on the body before you, you will most likely have to pay for it in the absence of insurance.
• Fourthly, it is worth paying close attention to traffic signs and not violating their requirements, such as speed limits, stop prohibitions, and others. This will make your trip much safer.
• Thai traffic police do not hide in the bushes with a radar, but it is difficult to drive past a large police picket, which periodically meet on the roads of Phuket, without a fine if some rules are violated.

A nuance for renting a car at Phuket airport: be careful, there are the same distributors in the arrivals halls of domestic and international flights, but you will definitely be denied a car if you make a mistake with the terminal.

Where did we go by car

On wheels it is easier to travel outside Phuket in order to better get acquainted not only with the tourist island, but also with the whole country. Plus, the car greatly facilitates the acquaintance with the main tourist points of the island, it helps to visit all the main beaches - Patong, Karon, Kata Beach.

So, the car allowed us to explore the island for a whole week: meet the sunset at Promthep Cape, stroll through Sirinat National Park, try ourselves as a bartender at a master class at a rum factory in Chalong.
And the journey to the Big Buddha, which takes half a day for package tourists and is certainly accompanied by visits to numerous retail outlets, with a car becomes a matter of a couple of hours.

Another time, in a rented car, we went to the Donsak ferry crossing. From there, in an hour and a half, the ferry took us with our car to Koh Samui.

What are the disadvantages faced

My rental experience in Thailand has been overwhelmingly positive, but I guess that the biggest inconvenience can be the lack of attention to detail in the rental process and the chaotic, crazy farangs on bikes in the tourist areas. But overall I think the car is one of the best ideas in Phuket!