Car rental Thailand
General information and regulations
The legal age for driving in Thailand is 18 years although you must be 23 years old to be able to rent a car. Traffic travels on the left and the speed limits are as follows: 56mph/90kph-75mph/120kph on local roads and 38mph/60kph in the city. There are frequent checks on speed and seatbelts, pay attention to this. Since may 2008, using a cellphone is strictly prohibited in your car.
Flashing your lights does not signal the desire to pass other cars but it means 'out of the way!' Be careful when you do this as gestures are important and people will move quickly as a result of signals. Please note the motorcyclists (there are many of them), especially when opening your door at the side of the road.
An International Drivers Licence is recommended although not obligatory.
Driving in Thailand with a rental car
The country has a network of roads covering more than 200,000 km. Chiang Mai and Bangkok are not located close to each other although a journey of 2 or 3 days is certainly nice. The distance is 695 km and runs right through the former Sukhothai Kingdom (and the city of Sukhothai), halfway on the trip. This city, with its beautiful temples can be reached from Chiang Mai and from Bangkok within a day.
From Bangkok you can also reach the province of Kanchanaburi, where the famous river Kwai is located. Kanchanaburi is situated at 130 km West of Bangkok. The beaches in the vicinity of Bangkok are certainly worth a visit. Beaches that can be reached by car include Bangsan and Pattaya beach. The well-known beach of Hua Hin is a 4 hour drive from Bangkok. It is said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand.
Renting a car in Thailand
There are many car rental companies on Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. You can use the services of Argus, Avis, Budget en Sixt. Another option is booking a car through EasyTerra, where rates of local car rental companies are compared for your convenience.
