What rights and documents are needed to rent a car in Thailand?

To rent a car in Thailand, you will need three things: a foreign passport, a national driver's license, and — most importantly — an international driving permit (IDP). We recommend getting the IDP in advance, even though Thailand formally recognizes the Vienna Convention: local police often ignore this fact and will readily issue a fine for not having an international permit.

When renting from local companies, your foreign passport is not "kept for safekeeping" — they simply make a copy or take a photo. A national license is often accepted by local rental agencies, but it's a gamble: check the conditions with the specific company. The IDP, however, is your "insurance against fines" on Thailand's roads.

How to get an IDP? Through Gosuslugi — without a medical certificate and without taking exams. The document is valid for 5 years. We got it in advance and never regretted it: during the entire trip, the police stopped us only once (20 minutes after we started), checked the IDP, looked at the documents, and wished us good luck.

Another nuance is where to find the car itself. International companies (Avis, Hertz, Budget) are reliable but often require a credit card from a foreign bank for the deposit — for tourists from Russia this is currently problematic. Local Thai and Russian-speaking companies accept cash deposits and often deliver the car directly to your hotel for free. The main thing is to check reviews and whether they have a real office.

Want to learn more details about documents, fines, and parking — we recommend reading our full guide to renting a car in Thailand. If you still have questions, join the Thailand chat — there you can ask for advice from those who have already driven there.

And our entire route, adventures, and expenses are described in detail in the article How we drove almost 3000 km across Thailand in 18 days in a rented car for 571 baht per day.

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