Car Hire

[marsu]

Im looking to hire a car for two week and drive from Chiang Rai to Bangkok. I have been on most of the web sites looking for the best price and Budget seamed to be the best deal with a quote of £468 for the size of car we require, Then I was on the Thai visa web site and noticed that they offer car rental, so i gave it a go. The booking company is called Fast car rentail, I could not belive that they could book the same car through Budget for only £359. Now been a Yorkshire man the alarm bells started to ring, Is this true, Has anyone had any dealing with this company, They do not have a direct telephone number to talk to a rep but you can leave a message and they will get back to you ! It just seams to good to be true, and you know the saying if it's to good to be true it usually is.

Thanks in advance,

Mark

[xen]

I hired a car three times last year thru Fast Car Hire and i would use them again . You may not get the car you request but it will be similar - for example we requested a Honda Civic and got a Toyota Corolla .Made no difference to us. You can use Pay pal to reserve your car and pick up and drop off the car at the airport (Swampy and Chaing Rai ).

[roamer]

Also check out thairentacar, a big player in the market, a check I just did came up with £430 for Chiang Rai to Bangkok 14 days on a Toyota Vios. Might not sound that competitive but have the quotes you got included tax as I know Budget conveniently leave it off.

However thairentacar are always running promotions and its rare that you can't get around another 30% off for using various credit or loyalty cards. Check out the website and then give them a call, good bi-lingual service, in my experience they have always managed to give me a quote that beat anywhere else.

Here.

[Sporting Dog]

I've used Fast Car rental - via this - site a few times. They are just a 3rd party agent? and the actual cars came from Thai Rent A Car. I think I've used them 3/4 times in Khon Kaen, once in Chiang Mai and once in BKK.

Only once was I disappointed withthe car - BKK - but I guess it comes down to the actual renting company. Khon Kaen has always been good. Their prices have always been better than anything else I could find - including Thai Rent A Car direct via web. Though I would check them a few first as promotions come and go.

So they're OK.

Edited February 17, 2010 by Sporting Dog

[SantiSuk]

Fast Car Hire is the agency recommended by Thai Visa.com. I started using it about 18 months ago to get an approximately 20% discount for the hire that I had been booking directly with Budget for the previous 3 years. I used them successfully for a year (about 5 hires) until I got my own vehicle in September last year.

I recommend them. The lovely Budget staff at Ubon airport even commented 'you are getting a good rate there' (it was like getting the fully comp insurance for free) and towards the end would give me the Fast Car rate if I called them up.

Fast Car is just a booking agency. You should ultimately get a Budget contract so there is no haircutting of the finished product - though you will have to pay a non-refundable booking fee (I think), whereas the on-line or call-up Budget rates are fully non-pre-paid/non-commital.

Budget is the best car hire company in Thailand by a country mile in my view. Fast Car was for me an excellent find. Thanks TV.com and on my daughter's life this is an unattributed disinterested recommendation.

[Now no doubt someone will appear to say how they got ripped off or that TV.com have dropped Fast Car for fraud or poor service!!]

Edited to add that now I see a poster upstairs from me refers to a different car hirer when they rented via Fast Car. I guess that FC might be using different car rental companies, depending on the deal they have at particular locations.

Edited February 18, 2010 by SantiSuk

[marsu]

Thank you all your posts have set my mind at ease.

Mark.

[chinaski]

An expat friend reccommended me Sawasdeerentacar on Suk 23 near Asoke, anyone had experiences with them, prices and insurance look ok.

Looking at Ezycar-rent rent as well, even better prices but they don't reply to my mails (always quick reply from khun Asa at Sawasdee)

Don't find an e-mailaddress for Budget, would liket to ask them about monthly rates, will do it by phone later ;-)