Insurance for a rental car in Thailand - important points

By HiThai Editorial · Updated May 6, 2026

Traveling around Thailand in a rented car is a great idea to see everything that has not yet been trampled by tourists and not replicated to impersonality in the brochures. Car insurance in Thailand will allow you not to be distracted from having a pleasant experience to deal with different situations, ranging from the banal theft to the technical breakdown on the road. But only if you take into account the national peculiarities of Thai car rental business and your policy is "correct".

<In Thailand the insurance coverage for private cars and commercial vehicles (including rental cars) is substantially different. For small companies and private entrepreneurs who rent out cars it is much more beneficial to buy the first type of insurance, since it is cheaper. They don’t particularly care that farang could get a big “hit” with it.

We'll tell you what you need to know about the insurance policy if you decide to take car rental in Thailand.

Car-rental. Done right

First and foremost, remember that copies of the policy should always be kept in the car itself.

Policy-liter 1A

Analog to the domestic KASKO for commercial vehicles, as well as rentals. Such insurance for rental in Thailand will be valid if:

  1. Code "120" is specified
  2. The expiration date is specified.
  3. The caption translates to For commercial use. Usually written in English, occasionally in Thai.

1A - Commercial Car Rental Insurance in Thailand

Policy-with-liter-1B

The insurance for car rental in Thailand, which is a commercial version of our MTPL policy. The legitimate details are as follows:

  1. Code "3.10"
  2. Signs the expiration date.
  3. Translates to For commercial use. It appears equally often in Thai and English.

1B - commercial liability insurance

With these policies in the "glove compartment" you can safely turn on the ignition. Your car insurance is valid in all cases, except for those specifically mentioned (such as drunk driving).

Car-as-rental. Your policy is invalid

Literature 2A on the policy

Analog to Russian KASKO for personal use. Additional features:

  1. Code "1.10"
  2. The inscription Personal Car Only. Almost always in Thai.

2A - personal insurance 1st class

Consider:commercial car rental insurance in Thailand cannot be "first class", it's a play on words. First class policy in this country is used only for personal purposes.

Policy with the letter 2B

The Thai MTPL variant for personal use. Signs are the same:

  1. Code "1.10"
  2. The inscription in Thai "only for personal cars".

2B - personal liability insurance

Before you start the engine, make sure you don't have these labels on your policy. Don't take landlords at their word. Their phrases "will pass", "we'll fix everything", etc. if you were at fault in crash accident have no effect. You will have to pay for the damage yourself, and if you are the injured party, you can end up in a police cell. And you will stay there until you pay for medical services or car repairs.

As you can see, it is possible to avoid trouble in a foreign country. All you have to do is be law-abiding and not listen to empty promises.