Hiring car in UK

[Poppin]

Hi all, can anyone help. I am returning to the UK for a few weeks this year and want to hire a car at the airport. My UK license is valid and clean but has my old address of some six years ago so when they run a check at the counter it will be invalid. I think I now need to get an international driving permit with my Thai address in English and perhaps a verified translation of my Thai driving license. Can anyone advise please

[brewsterbudgen]

Hi all, can anyone help. I am returning to the UK for a few weeks this year and want to hire a car at the airport. My UK license is valid and clean but has my old address of some six years ago so when they run a check at the counter it will be invalid. I think I now need to get an international driving permit with my Thai address in English and perhaps a verified translation of my Thai driving license. Can anyone advise please

If you have a 5-year valid Thai licence that's all you need. No need to get it translated as the main details are in English.

Sent from my SM-A500F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Poppin]

Thanks for reply, but are you sure. The address on the Thai license is not in English so if a problem like accident or speeding fine(god forbid) the hire company would not be able to contact me. 

[simoh1490]

Have rented in the UK (airports/online) using a Thai 5 year license many many times, not a problem - the 2 year license will not be accepted. The address not being in English is not an issue and proof of address is NOT required.

[Poppin]

Hi Simon 1490

Thank you for your reply. That puts my mind at rest.

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, Poppin said:

Hi Simon 1490

Thank you for your reply. That puts my mind at rest.

If you're going to rent for a holiday, consider taking out a no claims insurance policy beforehand. It costs about 50 quid per year and with it, you can say no to all the expensive insurance options the car rental companies tries to make you buy. Basically, you're insuring the excess of around 1k rather than ensuring the entire car. I've used it for years and it really does cut costs plus I've claimed on the policy without a problem. Here's one such company: icarhireinsurance.com

[Poppin]

Hi Simon 1490

Thank you for that. Will look them up. One more question. I have had to renew my passport so the number on my Thai license does not match up. Will I need to get my new passport number on the driving license or can Injust take my old passport as well as the new one for verification

 

Edited March 20, 2018 by Poppin
Mistake

[simoh1490]

Just now, Poppin said:

Hi Simon 1490

Thank you for that, do you have a company in mind that I could use.

 

As said, iCarhireinsurance.com https://www.icarhireinsurance.com/#0

[JohnC]

I use my UK licence as it is still valid, how would they know you don't live at that address? I also take out excess insurance cover, you can do it by the day but is usually cheaper to take out an annual policy, I pay £39.  https://www.questor-insurance.co.uk/

[Poppin]

Hi John C

Thanks for reply. I have looked at that but it states that you have to be a UK resident which I am not.

[simoh1490]

17 minutes ago, Poppin said:

Hi John C

Thanks for reply. I have looked at that but it states that you have to be a UK resident which I am not.

Not so, you MUST NOT be UK resident in fact. Perhaps you didn't change the country of residence at the start of the quote? TO ADD: Questor does not provide coverage for people living in Thailand, iCarhireinsurance does.

Edited March 20, 2018 by simoh1490

[simoh1490]

22 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I use my UK licence as it is still valid, how would they know you don't live at that address? I also take out excess insurance cover, you can do it by the day but is usually cheaper to take out an annual policy, I pay £39.  https://www.questor-insurance.co.uk/

If you live in Thailand and you use your UK license (illegally) to rent a car in the UK whilst on holiday, you are required by most car rental companies to provide two additional forms of ID such as utility bills, AND get a code from DMV beforehand.

[Poppin]

21 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Not so, you MUST NOT be UK resident in fact. Perhaps you didn't change the country of residence at the start of the quote? TO ADD: Questor does not provide coverage for people living in Thailand, iCarhireinsurance does.

I think you could be right. I will take another look and change the country of residence. Do you have a comment on my Thai license having my old passport number. Do you think I should get my new passport number on the license. I agree with your comments regarding using an English license with the wrong address. It could invalidate the insurance if a claim was needed. Thank you again you have been very informative and to the point.

[simoh1490]

Just now, Poppin said:

I think you could be right. I will take another look and change the country of residence. Do you have a comment on my Thai license having my old passport number. Do you think I should get my new passport number on the license. I agree with your comments regarding using an English license with the wrong address. It could invalidate the insurance if a claim was needed. Thank you again you have been very informative and to the point.

There's no relationship between your passport number and your Thai drivers license as far as the UK rental company is concerned, they don't care what the number is because they don't look at it, they look at your passport instead.

 

I used to have an account with Questor Ireland and they were very good. About two years ago they stopped taking applications from expats living in Thailand, for whatever reason so ignore them completely.

[JohnC]

Never been asked for additional I'd or proof of address and I rent every year. 

[Poppin]

I have just looked at icarinsurance and changed my country of residence to Thailand. 

[Jip99]

Not read all the thread but don’t forget to have a look at excess insurance through someone like Questor.

[simoh1490]

4 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Never been asked for additional I'd or proof of address and I rent every year. 

The major car rental companies classify customers as UK resident or other. If you're "other", the identity requirements are limited to a drivers license, passport and return ticket. If you're "UK resident", the identity requirements include a UK license and two forms of proof of address, especially where using a UK debit card. There's lots of information out there regarding requirements, just google some of it, here's one: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g186485-i107-k9795782-Required_forms_of_ID_and_Proof_of_Address_for_Car_Rental-Scotland.html

[Poppin]

I have just looked at icarinsurance and changed my country of residence. See screen shot attached.

[simoh1490]

6 minutes ago, Poppin said:

I have just looked at icarinsurance and changed my country of residence to Thailand. 

Ouch, that's quite a recent change, let me see what else I can find.

[simoh1490]

I just sent an email to iCarinsurance to clarify, they sent me my renewal notice about two months ago hence my confusion on this. I'll post again as soon as I hear back from them.

[Stocky]

If you're hiring a car in the UK on a UK licence not only do you need your licence and usually some sort of proof of address, but you also need to go to the DVLA website and obtain a licence ‘check code’, if you don't do it yourself the hire company will charge you a fee for them having to do the check.

 

https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence

 

If you do hire a car in the UK do yourself a favour and check the consolidator sites in addition to going directly to car hire companies.

https://www.rentalcars.com/

https://www.travelsupermarket.com/en-gb/car-hire/united-kingdom/

https://www.carrentals.co.uk/

https://www.kayak.co.uk/cars

 

I've just hired a car for my five week trip back to the UK next month and there was £200 difference between hiring direct and using a consolidator website.

 

[simoh1490]

45 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Never been asked for additional I'd or proof of address and I rent every year. 

Yes you are and no you don't, the car rental companies all demand that extra paperwork so gawd only knows what you rent and from whom!

[Stocky]

7 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

...so gawd only knows what you rent and from whom!

To be fair, I usually end up renting from the same company, and because I'm already in their computer system they don't much worry about the proof of address, once they have my licence, UK credit card and DVLA check code.

 

Check code is important because you only need to provide your UK licence plastic card and no longer need to show the paper part. The computer accessed bit takes the place of the paper part of the licence.

Edited March 20, 2018 by Stocky

[Poppin]

How do you manage to get around proof of address on you license. My address is now 6 years old and as far as I know I can not change the address as they ask where you are living and how long you have been there. They also ask for NI number so they can check with the tax office and the DWP. Both of these have my Thai address

[JohnC]

I use Budget part of the Avis group and Hertz, all I have produced is driving licence, downloaded the bit from dvla plus credit card and I'm good to go . I'm not getting into this old argument about being illegal etc, non resident etc . 

Edited March 20, 2018 by JohnC

[Poppin]

What is the “bit” you download from DVLA?

[Poppin]

Hi All

I have searched through many companies now for excess insurance but all ask for a UK address. When I put Thailand in as Country of residence some of the companies state that they can not insure me, others insist on a UK address and phone number. I could provide both if I use my Sisters address but would this invalidate the insurance if I needed to claim if found out? Has anyone found a company that will insure non UK residents. I know Simoh 1490 is trying.

[JohnC]

Your driving record, points etc 

[Poppin]

I have now found a company that does not insist on being a resident of the UK. And does not tell me they can not insure me when I put Thailand in as my Country of residence. It is a little bit more expensive than icarhireinsurance but is cheaper than the hire company. £77 for 14 days and £95 for annual coverage but this covers for £50,000. I have yet to buy and put my Thai address in but on the form it has already put Thailand as my Country of residence so hopefully will work. Icarhireinsurance (see message above) has said to try again as they are trying to include other Countries and I have time yet to decide, also I will wait for a reply from Simoh as he has asked icarhireinsurance to clarify. Thank you all for your help and advice.