Thailand traffic rules and self driving car rental tips

Thailand traffic rules and self driving car rental tips | QEEQ

The complete Thailand driving and rental guide

Hiring a car to drive in Thailand can be very pleasant as highways are well maintained throughout the country. However, when you are driving in the big cities, heavy traffic may make your road trip far more challenging. This brief guide will provide a complete cover-up aiming to help you when planning a trip to Thailand.

Speed Limit and Traffic Signs
Driving in Thailand is on the left-hand side of the road. Some driving norms in Thailand can somewhat be seen as particular depending where you come from. For instance, tailgating is quite common and accepted by the locales, and people often cut each other off or cut into lines of cars.
- Speed Limit
  The speed limits for Thailand are 90 km/h on open roads, 50km/h in towns and 120km/h in motorways unless signs say otherwise.
- Traffic Signs
  There are mainly three types of road signs in Thailand, including regulatory signs, warning signs, and informational signs.
  Thailand regulatory signs have different shapes, most of them featuring red border and white background. Note that the Stop Sign is written in Thai language instead of English or by pictogram, but a typical Octagon is applied to imply its meaning like most of the countries.
  Stop(Thai Language) Give Way(Thai Language) Slow Down(Thai Language) No Overtaking Give Way to Oncoming Vehicles Used to Traffic Bottleneck Points
  Thailand warning signs mostly feature a yellow background with black pictogram.
  Hump Divided Road Begins Divided Road Ends Pedestrian Crossing Wild Animals Crossing No Overtake Zone
  Thailand information signs are blue with rectangular or square shapes.
  Dead End Clinic End of Motorway
Seatbelt and Child Safety
- Seatbelt Laws
  A new law has come into effect from the 5th of April 2017, stating that passengers in the rear seat of a car are now required to wear seatbelts in addition to the driver and front seat passenger. Failure to do so can result in a fine of up to 500 Thai Baht.
- Booster Seat Laws
  The Thailand law states that children should be restrained in an age-appropriate system. Children under 12 years old should not sit in the front of a vehicle.
Parking, Fuel and Toll
- Parking
  Because of the heavy traffic, parking in some Thai cities can be difficult to find. Parking rules and rates are usually marked on signs with English translations in tourist areas.
  
  · Permitted Parking
  
  - White rectangle on the road indicates a designated car parking space. Many shops, malls, restaurants, sights and hotels offer to park and if payment is needed, it will not be expensive.
  
  - Yellow and white markings indicate a short-term parking space only, for usually no more than five minutes. These markings also indicate a bus stop. It is therefore not advised to park there.
  
  · No Parking
  
  - Red and white markings indicate a no parking zone, which means cars may not park here.
  (Image from shutterstock.com)
  
  - Multiple white diagonal lines indicate parking spaces for motorcycles only and no cars can park here.
- Fuel Prices
  The average price for Thailand gasoline price between July and November 2017 was 34.36 Thai Baht, and diesel was 26.79 on 4th Dec.2017.
- Toll
  Only the big Bangkok-area expressways demand electronic payment, while cash can be used in other places. The usual charge is between 40 and 50 Thai baht. If you do not have an electronic sensor (automatic deduction), do not go to the easy pass lane with blue marks on the ground.
  
  Failing to pay the toll in time may lead to the car rental company paying on your behalf by debiting your credit card, charging a total amount of the toll fee and its management fee from your credit card. Please be aware that this management fee can be costly.
Traffic Violation
- DUI Laws
  Drivers who have had their licenses for over five years are allowed to have a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of up to 0.05% when behind the wheel, while divers under 20 years are only allowed to have maximal BAC of 0.02%. A hefty fine of 60,000 THB and/or a 6-month prison sentence will be applied in case of DUI.
  
  Foreigners driving after an excessive consumption of alcohol may also risk being deported, depending on the severity of the case.
- Traffic Fines
  Speeding fines in Thailand are between 200 THB to 400 THB. Parking in the wrong place or exceeding the time allowed will result in a parking ticket. Finally, parking in a non-parking area may result in a fine of 200 Thai Baht.
  
  Some of the fines can be paid on the spot. In case you have not paid a fine, your car hire company will collect the fine’s charge as well as an added administration fee directly from your credit card.
  
  Should you have questions in terms of traffic fines collection, you are always welcome to contact QEEQ for assistance.
Driving Licence and Age Requirements
As a tourist or visitor driving or renting a car in Thailand, it is necessary to have a valid foreign driving licence with a photograph. Many car hire companies require a full driving licence held for a minimum of 2 years with no major endorsements.

If your domestic driving licence is not in English (Arabic, Japanese, Cyrillic etc), an International Driving Permit (IDP/IDL) or an official translation in English or Thai is required when you drive in Thailand. Please note that an International Driving Permit (often referred to as an International Driving Licence) does not replace the requirement for a regular driving licence. And you must carry your current overseas driver’s licence, IDP or translation with you all the time when driving in Thailand.

Minimum age in Thailand is 21 years(age may vary by car category). If you're 21-25, you are likely to have to pay a young driver fee. If you're 65 or older, you may have to pay a senior driver fee.
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*Please be aware that rules are subject to change. QEEQ.COM will try the best to maintain the accuracy of this information.

Guest reviews

Thai Rent A Car
7.7 - "Reservation desk staff were very nice and polite. Car was very comfortable and clean. Paid for a child's safety seat but only a baby safety seat available ( received a refund). Drop off very easy."
DRIVE CAR RENTAL
6.7 - "Car exceeded expectations but staff not answering Line or WhatsApp but could be due to New Year "
Budget
10 - "Staffs are very friendly and professional."
Thai Rent A Car
7 - "It would be better if there are more obvious signs, such as larger BANNER and flags. It will be easier to find the PICK UP position."
Hertz
8.3 - "空港内のカウンターで受付を済まし外の駐車場まで乗せて連れて行ってもらう初めての体験でした。返却も同じ場所で借りていた車で空港に送ってくれました。以前、返却時に空港近くの道路を迷いぐるぐる何周かしましたがグーグルナビのセット位置まで分かりやすく教えてくれるので迷いませんでした。車両も綺麗で問題ありませんでした。また利用したいと思います。"
DRIVE CAR RENTAL
10 - "차럥 상태가 좋았다. 카운터 직원이 친절했다"
Chic Car Rent
7.3 - "The car has got a lot of miles! The one I have is over 160000 kh already "
Thai Rent A Car
8 - "The car was a little old but was fine for what we needed. The windscreen washer neeed to be replenished as it hadn't been checked prior to our pick up."
Thai Rent A Car
9.7 - "I like Thai rent a car, great customer service and you also can do late return for 4 hrs. I recommend to rent a car from this company!"
ASAP
10 - "Good car, nice service."
Chic Car Rent
2 - "Excellent got new car"
Chic Car Rent
9.3 - "การบริการที่ดี เป็นมิตรกับลูกค้า แจ้งรายละเอียดที่เป็นประโยชน์"
Europcar
8 - "The car is clean and i have upgrade to xtrail. When I arrive for pick up the car, the cust service is helpfull, but he quite confused with my booking because he said he have no confirmation from qeeq. So he a little bit cheeky and sarcasm when we thank him for car upgrade. "
Hertz
8.7 - "Brand New Car"
Budget
10 - "기대했던 만큼 공간이 충분했고, 차량의 상태가 좋았습니다 "
ASAP
10 - "外装は小傷程度で、内部はほとんど傷や汚れのないとてもきれいな車両でした。走行距離も6万キロ程度で、走行上もなんの問題もありませんでした。"
ASAP
7.3 - "So far so good."
AVIS
7.3 - "에이비스 사무실이 공항내부에 있어 외부에서는 사무실을 찾을 수 없었습니다. 공항에서 근무하시는 분이 대신 전화 주셔서 차를 빌릴수 있었습니다."
Keddy by Europcar
7.7 - "受付カウンターの方はスムーズで良かったです。去年から5回お借りしていますが、Europecarも含めて、古い車ばかりです。距離も80,000Km～120,000Kmのものばかりで残念。日本だと原則、4年以下の車なのですが。。。 WIPER(ウォッシャー)のタンクに水がない。ガソリンが満タンではない。(これは今まで100回以上、色々な国でレンタカーをお借りして初めてでした。) 満タンでなかったので、チェック用紙にきさいしてあったので、サインをしました。走り出して直ぐに、20くらいのデジタルメモリが1つ消えました。返却前にスタンドで給油して、このくらいかな？って、メモリをチェックして返却したら、給油の時より1メモリ減っていて、300Bの請求をされました。納得いかず、支払わないと言ったら、デポジットから引くので良いですよ！日本人の私には、信じられないです。以前、満タン返しをしなかったときは、概算500Bと給油をする移動費用で100B請求されて支払いました。にもかかわらず、流石に今回、なっとくいかず、メールしました。日本、パリ、オーストラリア、USのEuropecarさんでは、勿論、凄く良いです。タイのスワンナプーム空港は二度と借りないです。オフィスのMISS TIM？さんは、ルールだからしかたがない！っと、おっしゃっていましたが、ここの会社の社則？柔軟性の指導？をしないとダメだと思います。レンタカー会社の中で、トップクラスの規模なのに、サービスに問題があるのが残念です。"
Thai Rent A Car
10 - "Thank you very much for upgrade to Yaris Aktiv :) "
Europcar
7.7 - "Car pick up was smooth. Car condition was good. Car performance was not good. Air conditioning was not working properly. Car pickup was low . On hilly upslope roads car had no energy . "
Hertz
8 - "Car was clean, but SO MANY dings and scratches. I was VERY worried they would try to blame me when I returned the car. They did not try. "
Chic Car Rent
8.7 - "早朝便での入国であったが24時間対応なのでとてもありがたい。ただ返却場所を探すのが難しかった。"
Europcar
8.3 - "予想以上に傷だらけの古い車だった。日本語堪能な現地スタッフのサポートあり安心。 "
Hertz
9.3 - "I had a little extra charge to adjust the pickup and dropoff time "
Budget
7.3 - "返却場所の説明と資料をもらったが, 指示が不完全で一度間違えた。その後, 迷いながら偶然たどり着いたが, 資料は分かりにくい。"
DRIVE CAR RENTAL
9.3 - "Airport was newly rebuilt and so had poor signage. Not the fault of car rental company. "
ASAP
8.3 - "It can be a bit tricky to locate the pick up counter if you are an international traveler as the counter in inside the domestic arrival hall. Locate the information counter in the domestic airport just beside the international airport to start with. "
Thai Rent A Car
8 - "During my recent experience with Thai Rent A Car, I encountered a notable issue regarding vehicle features and customer service. The car provided lacked a basic reverse sensor, an amenity I had anticipated would be standard. Upon realizing this, I promptly contacted the customer care team to inquire about the possibility of upgrading to a vehicle equipped with this feature. Despite my willingness to pay extra for the upgrade, the response was disappointingly abrupt, with the representative informing me that no alternative vehicles were available. However, this information proved to be inaccurate. I later visited a Thai Rent A Car location in person and discovered that there were indeed vehicles available for upgrade (7-seater options). While we did not require a vehicle of that size and therefore did not proceed with the upgrade, this discrepancy in information was concerning. The initial interaction with the customer care team over the phone was not only unhelpful but also misleading, as they did not make any apparent effort to check for available alternatives before declining my request."
Thai Rent A Car
8.3 - "満足しています。返却場所への道順がとても緊張します。"
ASAP
8.7 - "The car that I rented is a Toyota Yaris Ativ, I didn't expect them to give me an old year Yaris Ativ, and there is no parking sensor on this vehicle. However, the car's condition so far so good. I was late to return the car as I needed to drive 2.5 hours from Hua Hin to Bangkok. The staff can't stop calling me and telling me I need to pay the extra charges. I already told her I have no problem paying extra fee, but still receiving their call on the road. So annoying. "
DRIVE CAR RENTAL
9.7 - "We needed to extend one day, but the car was already promised to somebody else. However they made is possible to switch the booking. We had to pay about 300 THB more, but I'm glad it saved us 6 hours on the road."
Thai Rent A Car
10 - "Been a frequent customer of Thai Rent-A-Car. For some reason though, there are better deals or availability on third-party sites than on their own. But overall, always been a pleasant experience. "
Europcar
7.7 - "Every panel except the roof was either scratched, dented, scraped or chipped. We did not add any damage to the vehicle! Europcar should not rent out vehicles in this condition. Mileage was over 105000km on pick up Seats were very uncomfortable, but the cars economy was good."
DRIVE CAR RENTAL
10 - "All very good"
Budget
10 - "Took slightly longer than expected to get the car, but not excessive. Received a free upgrade. Car was in good condition."
Budget
9.7 - "スタッフはフレンドリーで良い人達"
Europcar
7.3 - "カウンターは、到着ロビーの近くにあり、しかも２４時間営業で大変便利です。カウンターから車の駐車場もExit 8の前にあり至近距離にある。スタッフの対応は普通であるが手際よく対応していた。車が１３万キロ走行したもので、特に故障はなかったが、外装には所々に傷が見られた。車内の清掃は、車が古いせいかあまり清潔には見えなかったが、不満はない。車のトランクにはすべてのスーツケース（大型２、中型１、小型１）が収まるほど広く、後部座席にも十分な余裕があるほど広かった。飛行機の発着時間に対して２４時間営業は大変重宝であるので、今後もこの会社を利用することになるであろうと思われる。"
Keddy by Europcar
10 - "The counter staff are very helpful. We don't wait that long to get the car. All terms and conditioned are well explained before we signed the paper"
Thai Rent A Car
9.7 - "第一次听说这家租车公司。取车点很容易找到，工作人员态度很好，办理完手续后去室外取车。取车时先对外观做了全面的检查并签字。需要注意的是，车里没有导航。估计大部分租车者都需要导航，所以强烈建议事先准备一个手机支架以便使用手机导航。另外，我自备了婴儿座椅，但是因为安全带的长度略短，无法固定住座椅，所以我无法使用安全座椅。此安全座椅在我自己的车上是可以正常使用的（安全带足够长）。异地还车并没有额外的高额费用，我非常惊喜。还车地点不太容易找到，但是用心找还是没问题的。"
Europcar
3.3 - "The car provided to us was damaged but still we accepted it since we were in hurry, and I even made video of it, later on while returning they charged me for the damages which I didn't do and deducted from the deposit. Staff was terrible and she even lied to their supervisor right in front of us that I damaged the car. They charged extra as a service charge as well which was nowhere mentioned."
Hertz
10 - "Brand new car, practically still running in. Spacious and supports Apple CarPlay."
Keddy by Europcar
6.3 - "차량 연식이 너무 오래되어 상태가 좋지 못했다."
DRIVE CAR RENTAL
9.3 - "모든면에서 훌륭한 서비스였습니다"
Budget
10 - "สถานที่ไม่ไกลจากที่อยู่ ค้นหาได้ง่าย พนักงานต้อนรับเป็นอย่างดี รับรถเร็ว รถสะอาด ขับดี"
YESAWAY
10 - "Yesaway were amazing. The car was spotlessly clean (25k on the mileage). The staff at the handovers were very helpful, kind and efficient. Great communication with the team through WhatsApp to arrange pickups and drop offs. Nice touches in the car with phone holder, usb charger, and an umbrella. Thank you to all the team at Yesaway Chiang Mae, you were awesome."
DRIVE CAR RENTAL
9.3 - "Booking a van but giving a different type of vehicle "
Chic Car Rent
8.7 - "차량 반납시 찾오기가 힘들어요 돌아올 장소 네비게이션에 저장해주시면 좋겠습니다"
DRIVE CAR RENTAL
10 - "受付カウンターではなく、電話連絡でした。連絡後、直ぐに車を用意してくれ、待ち時間無しで利用できました。また、返却も空港の指定場所にて待合せを行い、スムーズに返却出来ました。総じて、受付カウンターが無くても、問題無かったです。"
Chic Car Rent
9.3 - "No water for automatic cleaning the front window available at pickup "

Best car rental deals in Thailand

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Best rates found by QEEQ users in the last 30 days.

Frequently asked questions

Q1.What is an insurance excess？
The excess is the amount you'll only be liable for in case of damage(under Collision Damage Waiver) or theft(under Theft Protection) of the vehicle.
Information about the excess will be clearly stated in the price inclusion when you reserve a car on QEEQ.
Q2. How can I add an addtional driver?
You are advised to make a request upon your arrival at the rental counter. Additional charge per day will incur unless '1 Additional Driver Included' is stipulated on the rental.
Please note that the same licence and age requirement applys to the additonal driver. The addtional driver is supposed to present the required licence document along with the main driver at pickup.
Q3.What if I want to pick up or drop off my rental car out of office hours?
QEEQ will show you the car offers available at your chosen time on the search results.
However, pick-up or drop-off out of general opening hours may subject to an extra fee unless self-service pick-up or drop-off is available.
After you reserve a car on QEEQ, we will inform you of specific policy of the car hire company by email.
Q4. Can I take the hired car to another country or cross border?
If you want to pick up your car in one country and drop it in another, your search results will show you cars you can do that with.
If you're planning to cross any borders during your trip, bear in mind:
1. You may have to pay more.
There are often extra fees, taxes or additional cover you'll pay at the car hire counter.
2.It may not be allowed.
Depending on where you're hiring, you may not be able to take your car to another country.
Please email us if you want to take your hire car into a different country during your trip, and we'll talk you through your options.
Q5. Can I pick up my car at one location and return it at different location?
Yes. You can pick up the vehicle in one place and drop it off in another. An ‘one-way fee’ will incur. Whether it is inclued in the rental price or what additional cost may arise will be clearly stated at the time of booking on QEEQ.
Please inform the car hire company of your drop-off location when you pick up the vehicle or contact them directly during your trip. You will find a phone number on the rental agreement you signed at pickup.