Vehicles for Hire

There is an abundance of cars, pick-ups and motorcycles of all description and sizes for rent in Pattaya. If you disregard STRONG advice not to drive any vehicle in Thailand then shop around for the best deal, but make sure you have a valid International Driver's License obtained outside of Thailand and take out solid, watertight insurance. You may be asked to leave your passport with the rental agency as a security measure. Never do this! Make a photocopy if necessary, but never hand over your passport to anyone except a uniformed police officer or other legitimate Thai authorities. If the owner refuses to rent you a vehicle without your passport as security, find one who will. Check the vehicle (with the owner/hirer) for any marks, dents or scratches before parting with your money. Check the fuel gauge as, in most cases, the vehicle will have to be returned with a full fuel tank.

On average, 2.3 people per day are killed in traffic accidents in Pattaya so, before you decide whether to drive or not, sit for five minutes and watch the traffic mayhem in the streets of Pattaya. It can be a very sobering experience. You may be excused for thinking that many road users appear to have no fear of death. They seem to think that they will live forever and nothing could ever happen to them.

Whether you consider yourself to be a good driver or not, Thai statistics correctly point out that foreigners are involved in a disproportionately high number of reported accidents in Thailand . The obvious conclusion is that foreign drivers are ignorant of the road rules and therefore present a danger, not only to themselves but to the good, law-abiding, skilled Thai road users.

Should you be in charge of a vehicle involved in a traffic accident, any accident, it is likely to be your fault. Why? Because it is assumed your driver training has been inadequate and you have displayed contempt for the road rules of this remarkable country. The police can withhold your passport until you settle with the owners of any other vehicles involved. If your visa subsequently expires, you have an added ‘overstay' problem and can be jailed. Injured parties will expect to be paid the costs of medical treatment plus substantial compensation. The cost of repairs, medical treatment and/or legal representation will be astronomical.

One final point about travelling in cars and buses: If you are not the driver, never sit where you have an uninterrupted view of the road ahead. It brings to mind the guy proclaiming, “I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandmother - not screaming in terror like the passengers in her car!”