for an hour. Surely there must be somewhere I can rent, borrow or steal one just for an hour...

Buy a cheap one made in China.. Then throw it away.. It won't last much past two or three uses anyhow..

I've been looking for a tool hire place too.. I was trying to sorce an engine hoist and trolly jack..

No luck so far..

There are plenty of second hand tool shops around town that you could buy a good one in at a fraction of the price.

Or try asking the owner if they would rent them out instead of outright purchase.

Why not take up Loy Toy on his offer ??

When ever I've looked in second hand shops in Thailand the prices are ( mostly )

80-90% of the new price and sometimes even 150%

So I agree just buy a the cheapest one you can find and hope it last out for the intended job.