Transportation

Transportation in Phuket

Mode of transport in Phuket: Rental Cars or Motorbikes are the main individual transportation options in Phuket!

Due to the absence of governmental control, the following problems are quite common when renting a car in Phuket:

• Insurance: Sometimes, there is no insurance at all. Other times the insurance just hasn’t been paid by the rental company (hence no coverage). In many cases, the insured amount isn’t enough.
• Lack of regular services/repairs: It is often done by amateurs when available. Therefore, recommending a car rental company is sometimes hazardous.

Anyway, the following is what Phuket has to offer:

For Car Rentals

• International companies, such as Herz, Avis, etc.
• There are a number of independent rental car providers at the airport.

Should you rent one of those cars, please make sure that you:
1. Inspect the car and tires for scratches or damages.
2. Get copies of the insurance contract and the payment receipts. Have a look at the date (2019 being the year 2562 in the local calendar).
3. Check the equity contribution (should be about 3,000 to 5,000 Baht).
4. Check what kind of insurance they provide. If the insurance cost is around 10,000 Baht, it can’t be the right insurance. It should be between 20,000 and 30,000 Baht.

For Motorbike Rentals

There is no comprehensive coverage for scooters. Even liability insurance is not mandatory. Furthermore, service works are not regulated, which leads to repairs being done unprofessionally at home and tires not being changed at all. This leads to the following problems:

• Safety issues
• Blackmail

Some scooter rental offices require that you leave your passport with them. In case of an accident/theft, they will then blackmail you into paying for the damage (or even more) – otherwise, you don’t get your passport back.

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