According to Localrent, a rental car in Thailand averages about €28 a day in June and €47 in December – and without an international permit you risk a fine and an insurer that may refuse to pay. Checked on 6 October 2026: at Phuket airport the daily price is €66 in January and €27 in September. The page gives no unit; we read these values as daily prices. You pay a 15 to 20% deposit online and the rest when you collect the car. Standard insurance does not cover wheels, underbody, windscreen or interior, and you may drive only on paved roads. Here is what to check before you pay.
The essentials before you book (checked 6 October 2026)
Thailand drives on the left, and outside the cities buses and trains reach many places only with difficulty. In Bangkok a car is rarely worth it (rush hours according to Localrent: 7:30–9:30 and 16:00–19:00; getting around Thailand compares train, bus and plane). It earns its keep in Chiang Mai and the north, on Phuket and around Krabi (Phuket or Krabi). These are the numbers to know before you book:
- €28 to €47 a day (1,045 to 1,767 THB) as a monthly average for the whole of Thailand, according to Localrent and read as a daily price: June the lowest, December the highest.
- Phuket airport: 2,503 THB (about €66) a day in January, 1,020 THB (about €27) in September.
- International permit on top of the national licence. Without it, a 1,000 THB fine (about €26), and the insurer may refuse to pay.
- 15 to 20% deposit online, the rest when you collect the car. For half the fleet at Phuket airport, the security deposit does not exceed 5,000 THB (about €132).
- Not covered by standard insurance: wheels, underbody, windscreen, interior. Paved roads only.
- Scooters follow different rules from cars: licence category, helmet, insurance.
Every figure comes from pages read on 6 October 2026; we convert baht at the ECB rate of the same day (€1 = 37.836 THB). Prices move every day: read them as a dated reading, not an offer.
What a rental car costs in Thailand: prices month by month
For each month Localrent shows an average price and a demand percentage, with separate series for Bangkok and Phuket airport. The pages give neither a unit nor a method; we read the values as daily prices, because the cheapest offers on the same pages start at about 450–800 THB a day.
| Month | Thailand | Bangkok | Phuket airport | Demand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,693 | 1,478 | 2,503 | 67% |
| February | 1,693 | 1,418 | 2,223 | 63% |
| March | 1,518 | 1,383 | 2,039 | 59% |
| April | 1,338 | 1,378 | 1,852 | 53% |
| May | 1,196 | 1,396 | 1,668 | 47% |
| June | 1,045 | 1,257 | 1,468 | 49% |
| July | 1,377 | 1,096 | 1,866 | 51% |
| August | 1,266 | 1,068 | 1,275 | 50% |
| September | 1,397 | 1,046 | 1,020 | 47% |
| October | 1,508 | 1,069 | 1,136 | 53% |
| November | 1,651 | 1,170 | 1,475 | 61% |
| December | 1,767 | 1,340 | 1,756 | 65% |
On the Thailand average, December is 69% dearer than June (1,767 ÷ 1,045 = 1.69); at Phuket airport January costs 2.5 times September, in Bangkok 1.4 times. One week at Phuket airport: 7 × 2,503 = 17,521 THB, about €463, in January, against 7 × 1,020 = 7,140 THB, about €189, in September: a gap of €274. The best time to visit Thailand shows the high season, and the three-week budget the overall cost.
Local companies, big brands or on the spot: what differs
Localrent describes itself as an aggregator of small local rental companies (operating since 2011, more than 30,000 customers a year). According to its terms, questions about the condition of the cars go to the rental company concerned.
| Route | What we read | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Local companies through Localrent | 15 to 20% deposit; filters for payment, deposit, other provinces; pick-up in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Chiang Rai, Samui | The insurance, deposit and province lines on the car page |
| Big brands through the ADAC comparison | Sixt and Europcar at the airports of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi; according to ADAC, every offer has no excess | Without dates, the page we read showed no price: we quote none |
| On the spot, no booking | Possible, writes Localrent, but prices at airports may be inflated and cars scarce | An interested source; we found no price series |
Can you trust the platform? On its own pages Localrent shows 4.8 out of 5 from 4,509 reviews: that is the brand’s own rating. On Trustpilot, on 6 October 2026 it stood at 4.6 out of 5 from 5,320 reviews, 86% of them five-star, 5% one-star. The criticisms concern an insurance dispute after damage and minor vehicle defects; Thailand is not mentioned, so these are reviews of the brand, not of the country.
The local companies for your dates appear side by side in the comparison of rental companies in Thailand, sorted by price.
Licence, papers, age and card
On the international permit, the sources agree:
- Localrent: international permit with the national licence, both valid until the end of the rental; copies and digital licences are refused.
- Austria’s foreign ministry (read on 6 October 2026): alongside the Austrian licence, the international permit is required.
- GOV.UK (28 September 2026): the 1968-convention international permit in addition to the UK licence; British drivers can only buy it in the United Kingdom, so before departure.
- Spain’s foreign ministry (3 September 2026): you drive legally with an international, Thai or ASEAN-country licence.
Add your passport in original, only for the rental agreement: according to Localrent, you do not have to leave any personal document as a deposit. Your phone number must stay reachable during the rental and the day before pick-up (WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram).
Age. The Thailand page states that companies usually rent to drivers with at least three years’ experience, and some offers accept one year. The Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket airport pages give, for most vehicles, a minimum of 18 years and one year’s experience, with the widest choice from 21 to 23 years and two to three years. The car page decides: the company may refuse.
Driving in Thailand: the left, Phuket, Chiang Mai and fuel
Getting used to driving on the left takes a few hours to a day according to Localrent; if it is your first time driving a right-hand-drive car, take an automatic. Austria’s foreign ministry strongly advises against driving a motor vehicle in Thailand and calls accidents very frequent: a reason to read the extent of the insurance closely.
Rules. 90 km/h outside built-up areas, 120 km/h on motorways; in town ADAC and Localrent’s Bangkok and Chiang Mai pages give 50, its Thailand and Phuket pages 60 km/h: follow the signs. Turning left on a red light is allowed if it is safe and no sign forbids it; at a roundabout, whoever is already in it has priority. The alcohol limit is 0.5 ‰ according to ADAC. Tolls are concentrated around Bangkok (usually 20 to 100 THB per section), in cash or with an Easy Pass tag.
Phuket. According to Localrent, some roads are narrow and winding; care is needed in mountainous areas such as Cape Promthep and in the rain, when some roads become slippery: a nimble compact in the dry season, a crossover in the rainy months. For the high season, November to April, the platform advises booking 2 to 4 weeks ahead.
Chiang Mai. For the bends towards Doi Suthep and Doi Inthanon, Localrent recommends an engine of at least 1.4 L and an automatic gearbox. From February to April, haze cuts visibility to 100–200 metres: headlights on. Pai is 130–140 km away, 2 h 30 to 3 h (ADAC, Localrent). In the old town some lanes are under 3 metres wide, and a tow truck can arrive within 10 to 15 minutes: check that your accommodation has a parking space.
Fuel. Octane 95 petrol cost 49.76 THB a litre (about €1.32) and diesel 42.19 THB (about €1.12) according to GlobalPetrolPrices on 5 October 2026. Chiang Mai–Pai and back (2 × 140 km), with an assumed consumption of 7 L/100 km: 280 × 0.07 = 19.6 L × 49.76 THB = about 975 THB, or €26. In the countryside stations are rarer: keep the tank half full and carry cash.
Scooters and motorbikes: what changes compared with a car
This article is about cars. If you are thinking of a scooter, know that:
- Licence category: Spain’s foreign ministry writes that Thailand does not recognise riding a motorbike with the European category B licence alone; according to Austria, travel health insurance may not pay without the right category.
- Registration and insurance: according to GOV.UK, rental scooters are often unregistered in tourist areas and cannot legally be used on public roads. Austria calls motorbikes most often under-insured, with an excess up to the new value.
- Fine: Localrent’s guide cites up to 10,000 THB (about €264) for a scooter without the right licence: the rental company’s figure, not found at any authority.
- Passport and helmet: do not hand over your passport as a guarantee, warns GOV.UK; the helmet is compulsory.
Booking and collecting: the steps, the deposit, cancellation
In Localrent’s guide you choose places and dates; the list shows the free cars, sorted by price. The question mark next to the price shows the security deposit and describes insurance and options; the price covers the whole rental. The deposit paid by bank card reserves the car, and the voucher fixes the final price.
Why book ahead. According to Localrent, the cheapest models go first. The demand figures point the same way (January 67%, December 65%, May and September 47%), but the claim comes from an intermediary with an interest in it.
A worked example. A January week at Phuket airport at 17,521 THB: a deposit of 15 to 20%, that is 2,628 to 3,504 THB (about €69 to €93); the balance, 14,893 to 14,017 THB, is paid when you collect the keys.
Full guide: Phuket Airport Transfer: Taxi, Bus or Pre-Booked Car?
Airport. At Phuket, according to Localrent, airport pick-up is free for some cars and paid for others (delivery to the terminal), with a possible surcharge outside opening hours. Give your flight number. Offers with hand-over at the terminal appear in the search with pick-up at Phuket airport.
The 24-hour rule. If the return time is later than the pick-up time, a day is added: collect on Monday at 9:00, return the following Monday at 12:00, and eight days are charged (seven days plus three hours).
Cancelling. Free up to 7 days before the start (30 days for luxury cars and convertibles), or up to 24 hours with the “Free cancellation” option. The payment service fee, 6%, stays withheld: on a deposit of 2,628 to 3,504 THB, that is 158 to 210 THB (about €4 to €6). Anyone who does not turn up without warning loses the deposit.
The traps and the checklist before you pay
- Gaps in cover: wheels, underbody, windows and interior are not part of standard insurance; ask for extended cover.
- Tracks, provinces, islands: paved public roads only; the terms do not say what happens after damage on a track: assume it would not be covered. Without the right option, the car may not be allowed to leave the province.
- Fuel and photos: same level on return, any surplus is not refunded. Photograph the car from every angle.
- Accident: tell the rental company at once and obtain a police report, otherwise the insurance is cancelled.
- Not confirmed: some rental and guide pages mention a 60-day limit on the international permit (others say 90 days or a year). We found no official text; for a long stay, ask the rental company.
Every point can be read on the car page or in the voucher:
- Does the insurance line name the wheels, underbody, windows and interior?
- What deposit, in what form, and does your card qualify?
- Does the offer apply to your age, and are both licences ready in original?
- Is the option for other provinces or islands ticked if you are going further?
- Do the pick-up and return times fit together, with no extra day?
- Is the fuel rule clear, and do you know how tolls are paid?
If those lines are right, you can open the offer for your dates; the rest is paid when you collect the keys. To plan the route, the 15-day itinerary runs it from north to south.
