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Car rental at Bangkok Airport

Car hire at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Bangkok’s main airport, from local companies. Check the full price, deposit and card rule before you pay.

Cheap car hire at Bangkok Airport

Prices include any handover charge at Suvarnabhumi. Every car shown takes a deposit, and some need a credit card while others do not.

Which size of car suits Bangkok and beyond?

Where do you collect a car at Suvarnabhumi?

At the meeting point on your voucher, from the local company named there. The rental desks run by the airport are not where these cars are handed over.

Know the meeting point

Read the pickup instructions and save the company’s number before you fly. Companies meet renters in different ways here, so follow your own voucher.

Call once you land

Immigration and baggage can take time in a large terminal. Message the company when you are through, and tell it about any delay.

Right airport, right booking

Don Mueang is a different airport with its own pickup place. A Suvarnabhumi car cannot be collected there, so book the airport you land at.

Some cars carry a handover charge at Suvarnabhumi and many carry none; the prices shown already include it.

Exploring more of Thailand by road? Agree any trip beyond the pickup area when you book.

Suvarnabhumi Airport guide: services, parking and leaving by car

One large terminal serves domestic and international flights, open 24 hours. Here is what you will find inside and what to know before driving off.

Services in the terminal

  • Cash machines on floor 1 of the main terminal, by entrances 3, 4, 7 and 8.
  • Currency exchange with bank counters open 24 hours.
  • Free Wi-Fi for 60 minutes after an email sign-in.

Parking and lost property

  • Booking a space? The airport takes car park bookings through its own online parking service.
  • Returning your rental? Use the point on your voucher, not a public car park.
  • Lost and found on floor 6 of the main terminal, behind row Q.

Collecting and returning your car

  1. Meet the company where your voucher says; companies meet renters in different ways.
  2. Check the car walk round it with the company and photograph any marks before you leave.
  3. Hand the car back at the return point on your voucher, then walk to Departures.
Landing late at night? Some cars cost more for a handover in the small hours. Put in your real arrival time when you search and any charge is added to the price.

Driving away from Suvarnabhumi

  1. Mind motorbikes Riders and passengers wear helmets; check your mirrors before each turn.
  2. Give way at crossings People on foot have priority at marked crossings.
  3. Pick the right toll lane On the motorways, tolls are taken in cash or electronically.
Rain on the way? Between May and October, heavy rain can bring flash floods and road closures. Check conditions before a long drive and allow extra time.

Does car rental at Bangkok Airport need a credit card?

On some cars it does and on others it does not. Every car here also takes a deposit, so check both before you book.

Where a credit card is required, the main driver brings a physical card in their own name with embossed details. A debit card works only where the booking and voucher say so.

To narrow the choice, look at cars in Thailand that need no credit card.

Tolls and expressways out of Suvarnabhumi

Tolls, fuel, parking and fines are yours to pay, on top of the rental price.

  • Ask the company how tolls work on its car before you leave the airport. Do not assume a toll tag or prepaid account comes with the hire.
  • Some plazas are barrier-free, and unpaid tolls are invoiced later. Ask who receives that bill and how you settle it.

Before your first drive from Bangkok Airport

Thailand drives on the left, and the airport roads join busy expressways quickly. Set the sat nav before you move.

Left-hand traffic

Traffic keeps left. Take a moment with the controls and mirrors before joining the airport road.

Trips beyond Bangkok

Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai are other provinces. Tell the company your plans when booking and get its agreement.

Daily kilometre limit

A few cars here carry one; each car shows it before booking. Add up the airport run, day trips and the return.

Papers on board

Police can ask for your passport, so carry it with your licence and permit every time you drive.

In an emergency, call 191 for the police or 1669 for an ambulance.

How long is the drive from Suvarnabhumi to central Bangkok?

Siam is 36.6 kilometres from the airport, about 50 minutes with clear roads. Rush hour, rain and toll queues can stretch every time below.

Glass frontage of Siam Paragon beside the elevated skytrain line and a fountain plaza in Bangkok
Suvarnabhumi Airport→Siam Paragon
50 min · 36.6 km
Gilded spires and white halls of the Grand Palace in Bangkok behind clipped trees and lawn
Suvarnabhumi Airport→Grand Palace
55 min · 39.8 km
An old blue boat beached on the Pattaya shore with the blue sea and a bright sky with white clouds
Suvarnabhumi Airport→Pattaya Beach
1 h 45 min · 117.3 km
Fishing boats moored in the bay at Khao Tao beach near Hua Hin, with green hills behind
Suvarnabhumi Airport→Hua Hin
3 h · 220.6 km

Drives to the other airports: Don Mueang Airport, about 1 h 15 min; U-Tapao Airport, about 2 h 30 min.

The city times end at Siam Paragon and the Grand Palace; a hotel elsewhere in Bangkok can take longer.

The fastest routes into town, to Pattaya and towards Hua Hin use toll expressways. Agree drives to Pattaya, Hua Hin and further with the company when you book.

No border crossings

Rental cars must stay inside Thailand, and trips to other provinces need agreement at booking.

A Suvarnabhumi car cannot leave Thailand, whatever cover you add.

Can you return a Suvarnabhumi car somewhere else?

Yes: cars from here can end in Pattaya, at Don Mueang or even at Phuket Airport. Set the return place in the search; changing it later means cancelling and booking again.

Pattaya

Many cars can be returned at your address in Pattaya. The drop-off charge is already in the price shown on each car.

Don Mueang Airport

Many cars can go back at Bangkok’s other airport, and some of them add no drop-off charge at all.

Phuket Airport

A few cars can end at Phuket Airport, a long drive south. Agree the route across provinces with the company when booking.

Allow time for traffic, fuel and the inspection on the last day, especially before an evening flight.

What does car hire at Bangkok Airport cost by month?

Each bar is a typical daily price for a seven-day hire from the 15th, collected and returned at Suvarnabhumi. Prices for your dates can differ.

N/A means no price was found for that month.

From April only about half as many cars carry prices, so the later bars rest on a smaller choice.

Handover charges are inside these figures. Different times, cover or extras change the price.

Every rental day is 24 hours, so a return a few hours late adds a full day. Get the company’s agreement before extending.

Families, groups and extra drivers

Check the seats, bags and drivers before booking, so the handover at the terminal is quick.

More than one driver

Name every driver on the booking. Each needs a licence and permit and must meet the car’s age and experience rules.

Seats for children

Child seats are offered on some cars at a price set by each company. Add them when booking and check them at pickup.

Room for luggage

Some cars here seat seven, but a full car has less boot space. Check your cases fit before you pick a smaller model.

Pets on board

Small pets may travel if they stay in a carrier the whole time. Plan space for the carrier as well as the bags.

How car rental insurance works at Suvarnabhumi

The deposit and your damage liability are separate figures, and they can differ on the same car. Read both before adding cover.

Minimum coverageIncluded as standard
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Damage to your hire car (not included)
Basic coverage
  • Limited collision cover (CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Glass and tyre damage (not included)
Full Coverage
  • Limited driver liability (Super CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
Full Coverage Plus
  • Full damage cover (included)
  • No driver liability for accident damage (included)

Starting cover varies. Some cars start at Minimum (TPL) and others include Basic (CDW). Check which one your price includes.

Upgrades may not lower the excess. On several cars here, a paid upgrade leaves the deposit and the excess where they were, so compare what it adds.

Liability can exceed the deposit. The amount you could pay for damage is sometimes higher than the deposit held. Look at both numbers.

Exclusions apply at every level. Neglect or deliberate damage voids cover, and border and road limits stay in force whatever you buy.

Standard cover leaves out the wheels, underside, windscreen and interior, so damage there falls outside what the excess covers at any level.

Driving documents to bring to Suvarnabhumi

Bring your national licence and an International Driving Permit, both originals and valid until the return. Copies and digital licences are not accepted.

IDP with your licence

Carry the permit together with your own licence. Driving without it can mean a fine and a refused insurance claim.

Age rules per car

Each car sets its own minimum age and years licensed, even between similar models. Check before paying.

UK licence holders need the 1968 International Driving Permit for Thailand.

Fuel and condition at the handback

Plan the final drive around traffic, and keep time for fuel and the inspection.

Same fuel level

  • Return with the fuel you had at pickup. Missing fuel is charged at the company’s rate, and extra is not paid back.

Inspection ready

  • A car too dirty to inspect is washed at your cost, so clear out sand and rubbish first.

Agree any extra time with the company while the booking is still running.

Cancelling or changing a Suvarnabhumi booking

Changes work by cancelling and booking again.

Deadlines

Cancel a week before pickup, or a month ahead for luxury cars and convertibles; one day if you added the optional cancellation extra. After that the advance is kept.

Refunds

Send your voucher by email to cancel. The advance is refunded within fourteen days to the account you paid from, minus a 6% payment fee.

Bangkok Airport car rental questions

Is Suvarnabhumi the same as Don Mueang?

No. They are two separate airports about an hour and a quarter apart by road. Book a car at the airport you actually fly into.

Will I pay tolls on the way into Bangkok?

Probably, as the main routes into the centre use toll expressways. Tolls are yours to pay, so ask the company how they work on its car.

Can I collect a car at Suvarnabhumi at night?

Yes. The airport works around the clock, and cars can be booked for a night handover. Enter your real time, as some cars add a charge.

Can I drive the car to Pattaya?

Yes, if the company agrees when you book, since Pattaya is in another province. Tell it your route and any overnight stops.

Are there electric cars at Suvarnabhumi?

Some electric models appear here. Check the range and ask the company how and where to charge before setting off.

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