Rent a Car in Udon, Drive Into Laos

[bud7]

I would like to rent a car in Udon and spend some time touring in Isaan, then drive over into Laos and spend time touring there.

Does anyone know if a farang is allowed to do this? Would appreciate anyone's experience with this.

[2008bangkok]

I dont know but it sure sounds like fun, when you come back can you post your pics?

[Briggsy]

You can as a foreigner take a car from Thailand into Laos.

You can rent a car in Udon.

You cannot combine the two as every car rental company in Thailand has a strict clause forbidding cars from being taken out of the country. Let me know if you discover one that will.

Solution.

Rent a car in Laos.

[Jay Sata]

You will find you cannot rent a car in Thailand and take it to Laos.

Unlike Thailand there are not many Laos self drive renters.

I have rented from this company in and they are quite helpful.

http://www.avrlaos.com/car_rental&booking.php

[khwaibah]

In short NO !

[Jay Sata]

If you plan to tour Laos you'll need a four wheel drive. Apart from major routes most roads are pretty bad by western standards.

Let us know how the trip goes.

[samran]

But....I've rented a car in Vientiane with Avis and bought it over to Thailand. Problem is the steering is on the wrong side when you do that...

[Jay Sata]

Yes you can do it from Laos to Thailand with the rental company I mentioned. Also ok to rent in Vientiane and drive to Vietnam and Cambodia.

However car rent in Thailand is still in the 1950's.

Hence no one way rental anywhere.

[bud7]

Thanks everyone. Looks like I need a Plan B!

[Jay Sata]

Car rent in Udon to see Isaan and then express bus Udon to Vientiene.

Reasonably priced and it will drop you at the bus station near the marketplace. Quite a few hotels within walking distance or get a Tuk Tuk to the centre.

The car rent I mentioned will let you drive to Vietnam and Cambodia but Laos roads leave a lot to be desired.

[paz]

Interesting, the prices seems very reasonable in Vientane, with a full SUV being $800 per week, unlimited mileage, basic insurance and tax included.

Edited November 14, 2014 by paz

[Jay Sata]

But....I've rented a car in Vientiane with Avis and bought it over to Thailand. Problem is the steering is on the wrong side when you do that...

Yes you can do that .However driving in Thailand is nerve wracking enough without not being able to see the other side of a double trailer truck weaving from side to side.

Sadly the Thai's won't rent the other way nor have they discovered there is a good market out there for one way rentals. Pick up in Bangkok and drop of in Chiang Mai? No sir..no,can do!

Avis,Hertz don't work in Thailand like they do in the rest of the world.

Edited November 14, 2014 by Jay Sata

[NeverSure]

Last year I rented from Avis in BKK, drove all over Isaan for a month, returned to BKK, flew to PP and rented a scooter because it was just a few days. Never had a problem. Could have flown into Udon and rented a car, returned, on to Vientiane, rented a car and so on. Too many reports of bad roads in Laos.

But I would start in Udon if i wanted to drive Isaan and then go to Laos.

[samran]

But....I've rented a car in Vientiane with Avis and bought it over to Thailand. Problem is the steering is on the wrong side when you do that...

Yes you can do that .However driving in Thailand is nerve wracking enough without not being able to see the other side of a double trailer truck weaving from side to side.

Sadly the Thai's won't rent the other way nor have they discovered there is a good market out there for one way rentals. Pick up in Bangkok and drop of in Chiang Mai? No sir..no,can do!

Avis,Hertz don't work in Thailand like they do in the rest of the world.

I'm still trying to work out the insurance situation but I think the issue is that Thai cars can only still just get 3rd party insurance in Laos which wouldn't be good enough for a Thai renter.

The car I had from Laos coming into Thailand was fully insured on he Thai side, so suspect that is what makes it okay.

I'm actually headed up to vientiane for work in a few weeks so I'm going to drop by the avis shop. I've seen the car passports for the one we had and it has chops for Vietnam and Cambodia in it, so will go back and ask who the insurance provider is for Cambodia. I've has no luck in getting coverage for taking my Thai car to Cambodia so maybe they have the name of the cambodian insurer who will cover a foreign cars given theirs seems to have coverage there.

Edited November 15, 2014 by samran

[Briggsy]

Avis,Hertz don't work in Thailand like they do in the rest of the world.

Yes and no.

Hertz in Thailand do one way rentals provided you rent for a minimum of 5 days.

Hertz in Thailand is not connected up to Hertz's international computer booking system in an automated manner so many bookings need to be locally confirmed and airmiles updates need to be done manually. Both of these involve a number of e-mails.

However I remain a customer of theirs as the staff are always helpful. But as ever things are done differently here, as you pointed out.

[Jay Sata]

Thanks for that Briggsy.

Where can I one way rent with Hertz?

It has always been a source of frustration that I have never been able to book one.

Not rocket science as it works ok throughout most of the developed world.

Slightly off topic I recommend anyone renting in Thailand take photos of the car before leaving the renter.

There are a few who hit you for existing scratches.

[Briggsy]

The computer system will always reject one-way rentals. This relates to my second point. It is not connected to software that can handle one-way bookings.

So, you need to make a local telephone booking, probably not involving their Bangkok Head Office. You need to phone directly to the branch where you intend to pick up the car and tell them where you want to drop it off. But don't forget the 5-day minimum rental period which is their policy.

Apologies for going slightly off-thread.

[mgjackson69]

Even in USA, Hertz/Avis/et al would rather not do one-way rentals. Oftentimes, they conveniently have no cars available if you request a one-way.

The solution? Rent local, drive to your destination, drop the car off at the local office. They do not like it, and you will be charged for the mileage, which you would have been charged anyway.

I have used this method several times due to canceled flights, and once after being stuck in Monterrey, Mexico after the events of 11 September 2001 (that one required a car hire to take me to Laredo, Texas first, then a Hertz rental local, turned in at Omaha, Nebraska).

There may be additional fees in other countries, YMMV.

[Briggsy]

Incorrect.

Hertz in Thailand is unlimited mileage.

Edited November 15, 2014 by Briggsy

[Jay Sata]

Even in USA, Hertz/Avis/et al would rather not do one-way rentals. Oftentimes, they conveniently have no cars available if you request a one-way.

The solution? Rent local, drive to your destination, drop the car off at the local office. They do not like it, and you will be charged for the mileage, which you would have been charged anyway.

I have used this method several times due to canceled flights, and once after being stuck in Monterrey, Mexico after the events of 11 September 2001 (that one required a car hire to take me to Laredo, Texas first, then a Hertz rental local, turned in at Omaha, Nebraska).

There may be additional fees in other countries, YMMV.

Interesting idea. I use one way rentals quite a bit in the UK. Do you think it will work outside of the USA?

[mgjackson69]

Even in USA, Hertz/Avis/et al would rather not do one-way rentals. Oftentimes, they conveniently have no cars available if you request a one-way.

The solution? Rent local, drive to your destination, drop the car off at the local office. They do not like it, and you will be charged for the mileage, which you would have been charged anyway.

I have used this method several times due to canceled flights, and once after being stuck in Monterrey, Mexico after the events of 11 September 2001 (that one required a car hire to take me to Laredo, Texas first, then a Hertz rental local, turned in at Omaha, Nebraska).

There may be additional fees in other countries, YMMV.

Interesting idea. I use one way rentals quite a bit in the UK. Do you think it will work outside of the USA?

Surely if you show up at a different branch office than where you rented the car, and say ”Here's your car!”, they will accept it. The unknown, for other countries, is what additional fees they might hit you with. In my experIence, in USA, the only additional charge was mileage. That may have changed by now,and could very well be different in other countries.

Before I bought my pickup truck here, I rented quite a few times from Petchaburi Carrent. I still receive emails from them touting 'specials' for one-way rentals. Usually these are either BKK to CMI, or vice-versa. I think they are using customers to ferry new cars up to Chiang Mai, or older stock back down to Bangkok for 'retirement' from the fleet.

Edited November 15, 2014 by mgjackson69