Anyone have a small, reliable car for long-term rent?

[simon43]

I'm having zero success at renting a small car for 6 months+.  One company didn't want me to drive outside of Pattaya (huh?), and the other company that promised a car has strung me along 2 times now waiting for the car to be available, and it never is!

 

All I am looking for is a reliable, small car.  That's it!  Color, make, model, auto or manual, looks are not important.  Oh, I will actually drive it outside of Pattaya, but overall monthly mileage will be low.

 

Send me a message if you know of a car that is available for rent NOW ????

[BritManToo]

Just buy a cheap car ........

My pickup cost me 150k, still running with almost no repairs or maintenance 11 years later.

[KhunLA]

51 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Just buy a cheap car ........

Agree ... could even go the extra baht, and get a new Celerio, as they start at ฿330k.  I peeked at one out of curiosity, and was quite impressed, considering the price point.  Inexpensive to operate at 20 kpL.

Edited May 15, 2022 by KhunLA

[Denim]

44 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Just buy a cheap car ........

My pickup cost me 150k, still running with almost no repairs or maintenance 11 years later.

Yup.Can't go wrong with an old Toyota manual. Cheap as chips , reliable then easy to sell when you are done with it. 75,000 will get you something like this :

 

https://www.one2car.com/en/for-sale/toyota-soluna-gli-bangkok-metropolitan-kanchanaphisek/9245140

 

 

[Olmate]

Check out the beach deck chair vendors, I hear theyare doing it tough lately!! 

[rumak]

Just now, Denim said:

Yup.Can't go wrong with an old Toyota manual. Cheap as chips , reliable then easy to sell when you are done with it. 75,000 will get you something like this :

 

https://www.one2car.com/en/for-sale/toyota-soluna-gli-bangkok-metropolitan-kanchanaphisek/9245140

 

 

i agree.....................BUT  remember that foreigners must show their visa information in passport AND  proof of address to Motor Vehicle to get vehicle transferred to their name .       (different complications occur depending on which province/ office you go to.)    Find out first !

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, Denim said:

Yup.Can't go wrong with an old Toyota manual. Cheap as chips , reliable then easy to sell when you are done with it. 75,000 will get you something like this :

 

https://www.one2car.com/en/for-sale/toyota-soluna-gli-bangkok-metropolitan-kanchanaphisek/9245140

 

 

Manuals more reliable than automatics?

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, rumak said:

i agree.....................BUT  remember that foreigners must show their visa information in passport AND  proof of address to Motor Vehicle to get vehicle transferred to their name . 

No need to register it in your name, just keep the transfer document.

When you buy tax and insurance (assuming you bother) nobody cares whose name is in the book.

[rumak]

39 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

No need to register it in your name, just keep the transfer document.

When you buy tax and insurance (assuming you bother) nobody cares whose name is in the book.

if you stay local , sure, can always say  ' oh, yet to do' 

but once you start traveling around its a potential problem.    at least OP speaks thai ( but how adept he is with dealing with problems i would not know)

heck.....even you got tired of getting around "things"  and just decided to do the immig thing the conventional way.

the older we get the less hassles i want to deal with........   stress levels and all that  

 

 

[LosLobo]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Manuals more reliable than automatics?

Never in my experience!

[Denim]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Manuals more reliable than automatics?

In rural areas mechanics obviously are more used to working with pick up trucks ....manual gears.

These are simpler for them to get parts for and the repair bill will be less. Secondly, unlike in Bangkok or a big city there are fewer traffic jams therefore the need for an automatic is less , unless you have a medical condition with your legs.

 

The car I showed also came with the option of manual windows that you wind down.  No big deal using these. My electric window switch on previous car broke and because it was not a common car here I had to wait for the switch for 3 weeks from Japan and pay 5000 baht for it.

 

If the OP is only talking about a 6 month stay in the north east might as well keep things simple.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

get a new Celerio, as they start at ฿330k. 

I'd get one if I had that cash laying around, though I don't. I was considering a Celerio when the wife and I were at the Suzuki dealer, and the 5k baht monthly payments were very tempting, not much more than a motorbike. Though sitting inside one is quite cramped, especially for the long distance cross country driving we like to do. We had to step up to the Swift. 20k down, 8k a month. Had it over a year now, good car.

[Moonlover]

43 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

  1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Manuals more reliable than automatics?

Your experience being what?

 

I've driven manuals all my life and never had a geartrain problem with any of them. And I much prefer them to autos.

[KhunLA]

21 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Your experience being what?

 

I've driven manuals all my life and never had a geartrain problem with any of them. And I much prefer them to autos.

Agree ...

Edited May 15, 2022 by KhunLA

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Manuals more reliable than automatics?

Reliable in what meaning ?

 

I've driven both, and simply prefer autos, for comfort, ease of driving and one less thing to concern myself with when driving.  As far as reliable, both give you warnings when they aren't going to be.  So anyone that maintains their vehicles properly, it shouldn't be an issue.  Neither have left me by the side of the road awaiting a tow.

 

Will say I never replaced an automatic, or had major work done on one, just simple screen & fluid change & adjustments.  Did have to replace clutches/plate/throw out bearings on the manuals, although all older vehicles.  Don't think I had issues with the manuals in the 2 Vios I had here, though < 150 kms on them.  Autos; Mazda2, again < 150 and newer MG ZS, and no issues.

 

•  

[scubascuba3]

11 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Reliable in what meaning ?

 

I've driven both, and simply prefer autos, for comfort, ease of driving and one less thing to concern myself with when driving.  As far as reliable, both give you warnings when they aren't going to be.  So anyone that maintains their vehicles properly, it shouldn't be an issue.  Neither have left me by the side of the road awaiting a tow.

 

Will say I never replaced an automatic, or had major work done on one, just simple screen & fluid change & adjustments.  Did have to replace clutches/plate/throw out bearings on the manuals, although all older vehicles.  Don't think I had issues with the manuals in the 2 Vios I had here, though < 150 kms on them.  Autos; Mazda2, again < 150 and newer MG ZS, and no issues.

 

Sensible to pick the most reliable option, no point spending 80k and you have gear trouble

[richard_smith237]

IF you can’t find a car in Pattaya - perhaps look as far as Bangkok.

 

It's strange that ‘some’ businesses don’t want a long term rental - thats good business for them. 

 

https://siam.rent/en/long-term-car-rental/

https://en.thairentecocar.com/1200497/monthly-car-rental

 

 

[KhunLA]

7 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Sensible to pick the most reliable option, no point spending 80k and you have gear trouble

Never had that experience, whatever gear trouble is.  Both will work flawless if you maintain them.  As with most machines.

[BritManToo]

25 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Never had that experience, whatever gear trouble is.  Both will work flawless if you maintain them.  As with most machines.

I never maintain anything ........... stuff mostly still works.

[Moonlover]

41 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Reliable in what meaning ?

 

I've driven both, and simply prefer autos, for comfort, ease of driving and one less thing to concern myself with when driving.  As far as reliable, both give you warnings when they aren't going to be.  So anyone that maintains their vehicles properly, it shouldn't be an issue.  Neither have left me by the side of the road awaiting a tow.

 

Will say I never replaced an automatic, or had major work done on one, just simple screen & fluid change & adjustments.  Did have to replace clutches/plate/throw out bearings on the manuals, although all older vehicles.  Don't think I had issues with the manuals in the 2 Vios I had here, though < 150 kms on them.  Autos; Mazda2, again < 150 and newer MG ZS, and no issues.

 

•  

Nothing gives me more driving pleasure than making that perfectly timed, perfectly executed gear change, be it up or down. It's both an art and a skill. An auto can never give that same satisfaction.

 

On the other hand, nothing makes me cringe more than being a passenger when the driver doesn't know how to use a manual box effectively and that's been my experience often in Thailand.

[simon43]

35 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

IF you can’t find a car in Pattaya - perhaps look as far as Bangkok.

 

It's strange that ‘some’ businesses don’t want a long term rental - thats good business for them. 

 

https://siam.rent/en/long-term-car-rental/

https://en.thairentecocar.com/1200497/monthly-car-rental

 

 

They do offer long-term rental, but want to charge me 18,000 baht+ per month...

 

If I fly down to Phuket, my ex will rent me her Chevrolet Captiva for 12,000 baht/month, no deposit, (because she can no longer afford the HP on that car).

 

So if no-one local offers me a car for rent, I'll fly from Utapao to Phuket and take up my ex's good offer. (But then have to drive back to Pattaya and then onto Isaan...).  Still it's a good price.

[LosLobo]

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Your experience being what?

 

I've driven manuals all my life and never had a geartrain problem with any of them. And I much prefer them to autos.

Twenty personal vehicles of mixed transmissions over 50 years of driving almost 1,000,000 km.

Over 20 years experience in Fleet Maintentance with fleets over 1,000 vehicles.
 

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

Nothing gives me more driving pleasure than making that perfectly timed, perfectly executed gear change, be it up or down. It's both an art and a skill. An auto can never give that same satisfaction.

 

On the other hand, nothing makes me cringe more than being a passenger when the driver doesn't know how to use a manual box effectively and that's been my experience often in Thailand.

I've never gotten a good BJ while shifting ... auto has it's advantages ... ????

[Liverpool Lou]

6 hours ago, Denim said:

Can't go wrong with an old Toyota manual. Cheap as chips , reliable then easy to sell when you are done with it. 75,000 will get you something like this :

 

https://www.one2car.com/en/for-sale/toyota-soluna-gli-bangkok-metropolitan-kanchanaphisek/9245140

Can't see how buying a 22-year old Soluna with the best part of a quarter of a million kilometers on it fits the criteria of the OP who wants to rent a reliable car that he, obviously, isn't going to have to pay to maintain and repair!

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

6 hours ago, Denim said:

Yup.Can't go wrong with an old Toyota manual. Cheap as chips , reliable then easy to sell when you are done with it. 75,000 will get you something like this :

 

https://www.one2car.com/en/for-sale/toyota-soluna-gli-bangkok-metropolitan-kanchanaphisek/9245140

 

 

Expand  

Manuals more reliable than automatics?

No small car that's done almost a quarter of a million kilometers can ever fit into the category of "reliable" unless it's just had a complete overhaul!

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, Denim said:

If the OP is only talking about a 6 month stay in the north east might as well keep things simple.

...by renting as he clearly stated in his OP!

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, Denim said:

The car I showed also came with the option of manual windows that you wind down. 

Wow, "fully optioned", top of the range.   First time I've ever heard manual windows described as an option!  

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

They do offer long-term rental, but want to charge me 18,000 baht+ per month...

 

If I fly down to Phuket, my ex will rent me her Chevrolet Captiva for 12,000 baht/month, no deposit, (because she can no longer afford the HP on that car).

 

So if no-one local offers me a car for rent, I'll fly from Utapao to Phuket and take up my ex's good offer. (But then have to drive back to Pattaya and then onto Isaan...).  Still it's a good price.

18,000 baht per month - thats a good deal at 600 baht per day (US$17-18 per day).

 

 

[EVENKEEL]

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

They do offer long-term rental, but want to charge me 18,000 baht+ per month...

 

If I fly down to Phuket, my ex will rent me her Chevrolet Captiva for 12,000 baht/month, no deposit, (because she can no longer afford the HP on that car).

 

So if no-one local offers me a car for rent, I'll fly from Utapao to Phuket and take up my ex's good offer. (But then have to drive back to Pattaya and then onto Isaan...).  Still it's a good price.

Just pay the 18,000thb/mo......I would.

[simon43]

53 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

18,000 baht per month - thats a good deal at 600 baht per day (US$17-18 per day).

 

 

Well, it's not such a good deal when an identical car is offered for 11,000 baht/month (except I have to wait a couple of weeks for it, which doesn't fit into my plans).  From other websites, I'm finally getting offers in the 10-11k region, so hopefully one of these will come good ????

 

@Denim - I plan to stay permanently (ha!) in the NE, but don't want to initially commit to a 12-month rental contract, in case the vehicle turns out to be a lemon...