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.

How can I add an additional 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 applies to the additional driver. The additional driver is supposed to present the required licence document along with the main driver at pickup.

Essential Thailand Self-Driving Tips & Traffic Rules

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.

Thailand Parking Red and White Markings (Image from shutterstock.com)

- Multiple white diagonal lines indicate parking spaces for motorcycles only and no cars can park here.

Thailand Multiple white diagonal lines

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.

Guest reviews

1 /

Rod Black

September 16, 2025

Destination: Bangkok

10Excellent

This car rental experience was very pleasant. Driving a right-hand drive car in Bangkok was easy to get used to, and the QEEQ App offered affordable and reliable prices, more trustworthy and worry-free compared to other private rental services.

Winni Law

September 15, 2025

The staff were very friendly.

Enoch Doherty

September 14, 2025

I have always rented from this company, and the experience is as great as ever.

Zora Josh

September 13, 2025

Everything was great.

Blair Ramsden

September 12, 2025

Destination: Phuket

Satisfied

Allen Bertram

September 11, 2025

Destination: Krabi

Thank you.

Ward Wood

The staff had a great attitude.

Penny Senior

8Very good

Good service.

Quentin Beerbohm

September 10, 2025

The car rental process was convenient and efficient. After a vehicle accident, the replacement process was quick. The customer service hotline was accessible and responsive. The claims documentation was complete and processed promptly.

Arlen Tracy

The car is in good condition, and pickup and return are convenient.

Barnett Bray

September 9, 2025

Excellent service

Rosemary Godwin

Destination: Hua Hin

Pick-up and drop-off are very convenient.

Bevis Motley

The service was attentive and thorough.

William Piers

September 8, 2025

I booked a Civic but was given a Camry instead. The car was in good condition, and the experience was pleasant.

Malcolm Rutherford

Very satisfied.

Donahue Rudolph

September 7, 2025

Great, the car is very new.

Agatha MacDonald

September 6, 2025

Very satisfied. Although there was a bit of a language barrier, the staff communicated patiently, and the car was very clean.

Cedric Childe

Very good

Bertram Toynbee

Very satisfied

Humphrey Marlowe

September 5, 2025

The service was very efficient, and the staff was super nice.

Lauren Fred

September 4, 2025

The store was easy to locate, the service was excellent, and the car rental experience was very pleasant.

Prima Maltz

Alger Washington

The rental company staff had a very good attitude.

Rodney Raman

September 3, 2025

The service was good, but there were no signs for car return. We had to circle around several times to find it.

Ann Brewster

September 2, 2025

Destination: Chiang Mai

Excellent service. The counter diagram on QEEQ is very clear. The car rental process was efficient and quick. The staff explained the insurance coverage and important details thoroughly before we went to pick up the car. Although the car's exterior had some scratches, the overall appearance was still acceptable. The interior was very clean, and the car was in great condition. The only drawback is that the fuel gauge is not very sensitive. When refueling before return, you need to drive 3-4 kilometers for the gauge to adjust.

Werner Bloomer

Will use again next time.

Eartha Malthus

The rented car was different from the one provided, but it didn't cause any issues. The rental company informed customers in detail about the vehicle's damage condition beforehand. When returning the car, even without prior notice, staff were already waiting in the parking lot. They checked the exterior and fuel level, and if everything was fine, they informed the customer that the deposit would be refunded the next day. The process was very efficient.

Uriah More

September 1, 2025

Very good, excellent service.

Enid I.

This is my fourth time renting a car in Krabi. Very good and convenient, no upselling. Thai service is indeed excellent.

Hilda Freeman

Apart from struggling to find the store, everything was perfect. For people who don't speak English, it can be difficult to communicate with the staff over the phone. Luckily, we managed to connect successfully, and the staff was helpful in assisting with the procedures. Their attitude was great. Once that's done, you can just drive the car away. The car was easy to drive and handled normal roads well, though its uphill power was lacking. Overall, it was a good experience. Next time I visit Phuket, I will definitely rent a car again—it’s way more convenient than taking taxis!

Afra Nichol(s)

Rachel Lucia

August 30, 2025

Quite good. The car was delivered to the hotel, and returning it at the airport was pretty convenient.

Primo Maxwell

August 28, 2025

There were some negative reviews that almost made me give up on renting a car, but thinking that I haven't had issues with car rentals elsewhere, I decided to proceed. Everything went smoothly. However, the return location was indeed hard to find.

Isabel Jim

The car rental company is located on the first floor of the Holiday Inn hotel, very easy to find. The service staff were friendly, no upselling, and the process of picking up and returning the car was smooth and straightforward.

Nick Arthur

A very good company, highly recommended. Had a flat tire and Hertz assessed the situation and replaced all four tires, even though the tires were still usable. The car was practically new with only 58,000 kilometers on it. This level of service is impossible with domestic rental companies.

Fabian Victor

Very good.

Genevieve

Kim Bennett

August 27, 2025

The process was very smooth.

Renata Tate

Laurel Ellis

I have used this company multiple times in a row, and overall, I am satisfied with their service.

Lucy Wyat(t)

Myra Lawrence

August 26, 2025

It's pretty good and convenient.

Chad Kipling

Stephanie Smedley

The car had already been driven 180,000 kilometers and had impact damage on the front left side, with numerous scratches all over the vehicle—too many to count. During pickup, the car had so many marks, and the staff handing over the car rushed us to drive off. Honestly, it felt unsettling. Fortunately, during drop-off, they didn’t carry out a detailed inspection with a flashlight, and since we didn’t cause any scratches, the return went smoothly.

Adair Jonson

August 25, 2025

The car was in excellent condition, very satisfied.

Josephine Irving

Excellent

Viola Augustine

The car rental company provided good service.

Beck Maggie

August 24, 2025

Highly satisfied

Alice Philip

Destination: Khon Kaen

Thailand Car Rentals