Car rental for foreign visitors

Sixty-two cars are available for car rental for foreign visitors in Pattaya, from ฿690 per day for an Economy model such as the MG MG3 up to ฿150,000 per day for the top of the range. We deliver the car to any address in Pattaya and to U-Tapao Airport (UTP), Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and Don Mueang Airport (DMK), with the delivery address, date and time agreed with a manager before the booking is fixed.

What car rental for foreign visitors in Pattaya includes

Our fleet on this page runs to 62 cars across 10 classes, and we deliver the car to your address rather than asking you to come to a counter. The delivery address, date and time are agreed with a manager before the booking is fixed.

62 cars and 10 classes in the fleet

• Economy: 12 cars from ฿690 per day — the largest group, covering hatchbacks and sedans such as the MG MG3, Suzuki Swift and Toyota Yaris Ativ.
• Crossovers: 8 cars from ฿1,050, including the Honda WR-V, MG ZS, Suzuki Fronx and Toyota Yaris Cross.
• Minivans: 8 cars from ฿1,290 — 7-seat MPVs such as the Mitsubishi Xpander, Suzuki XL7 and Toyota Veloz.
• Comfort: 6 cars from ฿1,050, among them the Honda City Hatchback e:HEV and Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid.
• SUV & 4x4: 6 cars from ฿1,590, from the Toyota Fortuner to the Ford Everest.
• Pickup trucks: 5 cars from ฿1,250 — double-cab models including the MG Extender and Ford Ranger Raptor.
• Convertibles: 5 cars from ฿10,000, Luxury: 5 cars from ฿22,500, Premium: 4 cars from ฿4,280, Electric: 3 cars from ฿1,284.

Pick a class by seat count and fuel type rather than by price — a 7-seat minivan can cost less per day than a luxury sedan, so start with how many people and bags you are actually moving.

Automatic, right-hand drive, petrol to electric

Every car we list has automatic transmission and right-hand drive, because traffic here keeps to the left. Seat counts in the fleet are 2, 4, 5, 7 and 12.

Daily, weekly and monthly rates

Daily rates on this page run from ฿690 to ฿150,000. Weekly bookings start from ฿4,140 and monthly from ฿14,490, calculated as daily × 6 and daily × 21 respectively, with VAT 7% included in the prices shown. Booking is available from 1 day. The longer the period, the lower the cost per day — the weekly and monthly figures follow a fixed multiplier of the daily rate rather than a negotiated discount, so extending a booking is a straightforward calculation you can do yourself before you decide.

What is agreed before you drive

The booking itself is settled with a manager: the car, the dates, the delivery address and the hand-over time. A bank card in the main driver's name is used for the security hold, and the amount, along with the insurance terms and any excess, is set out in the rental agreement. Minimum driver age is 21, and conditions for drivers under 25 and for premium classes are also set out in that agreement rather than in the price list. If you are arriving on a late flight, tell the manager your flight number when you confirm.

Documents a foreign visitor needs for car rental in Pattaya

The minimum driver age is 21.

Home licence, IDP and passport

• Home driving licence: the licence you already hold, valid and carried on you while driving.
• International Driving Permit: the 1949 Geneva Convention permit, recognised in Thailand alongside your national licence.
• Passport: the identity document you travel on, kept with you in the car.
• Bank card in the main driver's name: used for the security hold; the amount is set out in the rental agreement.
• Minimum driver age: 21; conditions for drivers under 25 and for premium classes are set out in the rental agreement.

ASEAN licences and the ฿500–1,000 fine

Citizens of ASEAN countries may drive on their national licence without an IDP or a conversion. Everyone else needs the 1949 Geneva Convention permit together with the home licence — Thailand is a party to that convention. Driving without one carries a fine of ฿500–1,000. The fine is not the whole cost: an insurer may refuse a claim when the permit is missing.

Age, card and what is agreed when booking

The minimum driver age is 21, and a bank card in the main driver's name carries the security hold. Conditions for drivers under 25 and for premium classes sit in the rental agreement rather than in this text, so ask about them before the booking is fixed. Since 30 December 2025 a car rental agreement in Thailand is a contract controlled by the OCPB: it is written in Thai, and every fee and penalty is disclosed inside it.

The bank card must be in the main driver's name — a card in a partner's name will not do. Weekly rentals start from ฿4,140 and monthly from ฿14,490, with VAT 7% included in the prices shown.

Classes and daily rates for car rental for foreign visitors in Pattaya

Ten classes cover everything from a ฿690 city runabout to a ฿150,000 luxury SUV, and the class you pick matters more than the badge on the bonnet. Below are the classes on this page, the number of cars in each, the starting rate and the models behind those numbers.

Classes, fleet size and starting rates

• Economy: 12 cars from ฿690 per day — MG MG3, Suzuki Swift, Suzuki Ciaz, Mitsubishi Attrage, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Almera, MG MG5.
• Crossovers: 8 cars from ฿1,050 per day — Honda WR-V, MG ZS, Suzuki Fronx, Toyota Yaris Cross, BYD Sealion 5, Chery Tiggo 8 PHEV.
• Minivans: 8 cars from ฿1,290 per day — Mitsubishi Xpander, Suzuki XL7, Toyota Veloz, Toyota Innova Crysta, all with 7 seats.
• Comfort: 6 cars from ฿1,050 per day — Honda City Hatchback e:HEV, Toyota Yaris Ativ HEV, Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid, BYD Seal 5 DM-i.
• SUV & 4x4: 6 cars from ฿1,590 per day — Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Fortuner Legender, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Honda CR-V, Ford Everest.
• Pickup trucks: 5 cars from ฿1,250 per day — MG Extender, Toyota Hilux Revo, Toyota Hilux Travo, Ford Ranger, Ford Ranger Raptor.
• Convertibles: 5 cars from ฿10,000 per day; Luxury: 5 cars from ฿22,500 per day; Premium: 4 cars from ฿4,280 per day; Electric: 3 cars from ฿1,284 per day — BYD Dolphin, Jaecoo 5 EV.

What actually decides the class

A 7-seat Toyota Veloz at ฿1,290 sits below a 5-seat Premium model at ฿4,280, and a 5-seat Honda City Hatchback e:HEV at ฿1,050 sits close to an 8-car Crossover line that starts at the same figure. Larger groups should look at Minivans or the 7-seat SUV & 4x4 line.

Daily, weekly and monthly rates

• Daily: from ฿690 to ฿150,000, rental available from 1 day; VAT 7% is included in the prices shown.
• Weekly: from ฿4,140, calculated as daily × 6.
• Monthly: from ฿14,490, calculated as daily × 21.

The longer the booking, the lower the cost per day — that is arithmetic, not a negotiation: weekly and monthly rates are fixed multiples of the daily rate.

Driving rules and costs for car rental for foreign visitors in Pattaya

Driving here runs on the left, and every car in our fleet is right-hand drive.

Speed limits and the fines behind them

• Built-up areas: 80 km/h — Pattaya City is named as a built-up area in the 1969 law, and signs can lower the limit further.
• Outside built-up areas: 90 km/h; Motorway 7 allows 120 km/h.
• Fines: up to ฿1,000, with ฿500 the usual figure on a receipt.
• Cameras on Motorway 7: the 120 km/h limit is enforced primarily by speed cameras, and a camera fine is issued to the car owner — the rental company — then re-invoiced to the driver.

Alcohol, seat belts, child seats and parking

Thailand sets 20 mg/dl for drivers under 20, holders of temporary licences and drivers without a valid licence of the right category — a ministerial regulation published in the Royal Gazette on 20 September 2024. Every passenger wears a seat belt, including the back row. Children under 6 travel in a child seat to the TISI standard; below 135 cm, a seat belt or a special seat applies, under the 13th amendment to the Land Traffic Act 1979, in force since 17 August 2023, with a fine of up to ฿2,000. Parking against a red-and-white or yellow-and-white kerb is prohibited.

Fuel, tolls and what a week of driving costs

Fuel at Bangchak retail runs ฿39.94 for gasohol 95, ฿39.57 for gasohol 91, ฿34.94 for E20, ฿30.88 for E85, ฿41.44 for diesel B7 and ฿36.44 for diesel B20 per litre; our cars come with a full tank. Motorway 7 to Bangkok costs ฿105–130 for a car, paid in cash in the left lanes or by M-PASS on the blue lanes.

Documents to carry and what happens on a stop

• Home licence plus IDP: the 1949 Geneva Convention permit is recognised alongside your national licence; ASEAN citizens drive on their national licence.
• Police fine without an IDP: ฿500–1,000, and an insurer may refuse a claim.
• Passport: carry it or a copy, agreed when booking.
• Camera fines: re-invoiced to the driver, since the notice goes to the registered owner.

The compulsory Por Ror Bor cover attached to every registered car handles injury to third parties; first-class cover for damage to the car and its excess are set out in the rental agreement.

Delivery and hand-over for car rental in Pattaya

Car rental for foreign visitors in Pattaya at Rent-Trip is a delivered product: you do not travel to a counter, we bring the car to the address you name. The delivery address, the date and the time are agreed with a manager before the booking is fixed, and a delivery fee, if any, is agreed at the same moment.

Where we bring the car

We deliver to any address in Pattaya and to U-Tapao Airport (UTP), Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and Don Mueang Airport (DMK). Delivery anywhere else is arranged case by case and is not promised on the site. Two of the three airports sit well outside the city — Suvarnabhumi is roughly 120 km away by road, Don Mueang further still — so the airport you fly into decides how long the hand-over takes to arrange. If your flight lands late, say so when you book rather than after: the time slot is part of what the manager confirms, not something added on the day.

What is agreed when booking

• Address and time: the exact street address, the date and the hour of hand-over, confirmed by the manager before the booking is fixed.
• Delivery fee: agreed when booking if one applies; it is not a published figure.
• Documents: passport, home driving licence, and an International Driving Permit under the 1949 Geneva Convention unless you hold an ASEAN national licence.
• Security hold: a bank card in the main driver's name; the amount is set out in the rental agreement.
• Age: the minimum driver age is 21; conditions for drivers under 25 and for premium classes are set out in the rental agreement.

The agreement itself

The rental agreement is a contract controlled by the OCPB since 30 December 2025: it is written in Thai, and every fee and penalty is disclosed inside it. That document — not a price list and not a chat message — is where the deposit, the insurance excess and the terms of first-class (Class 1) cover live, so read it before you drive away rather than after. Compulsory motor insurance (Por Ror Bor) is attached to every registered car and covers injury to third parties; Class 1 cover handles damage to the car itself, and its terms and excess are set out in the agreement. One detail worth knowing before you set off: traffic-camera fines are issued to the car owner — that is, to us — and then re-invoiced to the renter.

If something changes

Plans move, and a delivery slot is easier to shift before the car is on its way than after.

Insurance and agreement in car rental for foreign visitors in Pattaya

Every car we hand over in Pattaya carries compulsory motor insurance, and the agreement is where the cover, the excess and the fees are written down. Two documents matter: Por Ror Bor, the compulsory cover attached to every registered car, and Class 1 insurance, which covers damage to the car itself.

What Por Ror Bor and Class 1 actually cover

Por Ror Bor is compulsory motor insurance attached to every registered car in Thailand, and it covers injury to third parties rather than the vehicle. Class 1 insurance covers damage to the car, and its terms and the excess are set out in the paperwork you sign — not in a headline price. The split between third-party injury cover and own-damage cover is the part worth reading before you sign.

The rental agreement since 30 December 2025

• OCPB-controlled contract: since 30 December 2025 a car rental agreement in Thailand is a contract controlled by the OCPB.
• Thai-language text: the agreement is written in Thai, and all fees and penalties are disclosed inside it.
• Security hold: a bank card in the main driver's name is used for the security hold, and the amount is set out in the agreement.
• Driver conditions: the minimum driver age is 21; conditions for drivers under 25 and for premium classes are set out in the agreement.
• Camera fines: traffic-camera fines are issued to the car owner and re-invoiced to the renter, so a Motorway 7 camera fine reaches us first and then reaches you.

What to check before you drive away

Our prices include VAT 7%, and rental is available from one day. Beyond that, the deposit, the delivery fee if any, and the young-driver conditions are agreed when booking and fixed in the paperwork rather than quoted as a number on this page. If any line is unclear, ask before the keys change hands — it is easier to correct a clause than to dispute one after a claim.

Day trips and longer routes by rental car from Pattaya

A self-drive car turns the Gulf coast into a day-trip map rather than a list of tours. With your own vehicle you set the departure time, skip the pick-up points, and stop where you want — and our fleet of 62 cars covers both a short hop to the islands and a long run north.

Short runs inside the city and along the bay

• Bali Hai Pier: 11 minutes and 7.3 km — the departure point for Koh Larn, and the reason to leave the car behind for the crossing.

Koh Larn takes only foot passengers: the ferry is passenger-only, so a hired car stays on the mainland side at Bali Hai while you cross. The car waits for you ashore while you spend the day on the island.

Day trips beyond the bay

• Nong Nooch and Khao Chi Chan: 26 and 20 minutes by road, 24.4 km and 23.3 km — the two are close enough to pair in one morning.
• Bang Saen and Si Racha: 38 and 23 minutes, 47.6 km and 28.3 km — the run along Highway 3 Sukhumvit passes Bang Saen and Bang Phra on the way to Pattaya.

Motorway 7 to Bangkok is 125.865 km from the capital to Pattaya, eight lanes, 120 km/h, and the whole run costs ฿105–130 in cash — a self-drive car pays cash in the left lanes while M-PASS and Easy Pass use the blue ones. On the way south, Ban Phe pier for Koh Samet is 62 minutes and 79.6 km — again, passenger boats only.

Practical conclusion for car rental in Pattaya

A self-drive car here comes down to three decisions: the class you book, the documents you carry, and the address where we hand the keys over. Get those right and everything else — the fuel, the motorway tolls, the parking along Beach Road — is detail you can handle on the day.

Here is what is worth settling before you confirm anything:

• Book the class, not the model: the fleet is 62 cars across 10 classes, from Economy at ฿690 a day to Luxury from ฿22,500, so tell us the seat count and the luggage you are carrying and we match the class to it.
• Carry both licences: a home driving licence plus an International Driving Permit (1949 Geneva Convention) — ASEAN nationals drive on their national licence instead.
• Have a bank card in the main driver's name: the minimum age is 21, and conditions for drivers under 25 and for premium classes are set out in the rental agreement.
• Agree the delivery address when booking: we bring the car to any address in Pattaya, and the address, date and time are fixed with a manager before the booking is confirmed.
• Plan for the left-hand side: traffic keeps to the left and every car is right-hand drive, so give yourself the first few kilometres before you join Sukhumvit or Motorway 7.

On money, the multipliers are simple and they are the only ones we use. Weekly comes to the daily rate multiplied by six, monthly to the daily rate multiplied by twenty-one — so an Economy car at ฿690 a day lands at ฿4,140 for the week and ฿14,490 for the month, and VAT 7% is already inside those figures. Longer bookings are cheaper per day.