You can hire a car with a driver in Thailand by the hour through the Grab app (Grab Rent, from 500 baht for two hours as of October 2026), book a one-way trip to another province as an ordinary GrabCar, or arrange a car through your hotel or a local driver. Whichever you choose, agree the hours, the route and what the price includes before you set off.
A car with driver suits travelers who do not want to drive on Thai roads, families with luggage, and anyone visiting places that buses serve badly, such as national parks or a string of temples in one day. For a group, the cost is shared across the car. This page covers how to book one and what to check; it does not print typical day rates, because we found no official or published tariff for private drivers.
Car with driver: the options (checked October 2026)
- Grab Rent (by the hour)
- From 500 baht per 2 hours; packages of 2, 4, 8 and 12 hours; trip must end in the pick-up city
- GrabCar between provinces
- Possible; fare by distance, shown in the app
- Advance booking in Grab
- From 90 days to 75 minutes before pick-up
- Bigger groups
- GrabVan, 5 to 10 seats
- Plate to look for
- Yellow (taxi or hire car) or green (tour, rental and limousine service vehicles)
- Children up to 6
- Child seat required by law since 5 September 2022
Grab Rent: a car and driver by the hour
Grab's hourly service gives you a car or van with its driver for a block of time rather than a single trip. Grab's Rent page says prices start at 500 baht for two hours and offers packages of 2, 4, 8 and 12 hours. The last stop must be in the same city as the pick-up, so it is a tool for a day of errands, shopping or sightseeing, not for a trip to another province. Grab also notes that its drivers are not trained tourist guides.
Grab's own pages disagree on the details. The Rent page lists 13 cities including Samui, its FAQ names only Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Pattaya and Phuket, and the main transport page speaks of hire "up to 4 hours". The Rent page was last updated in 2023. Open the app in the city where you are and see which packages it offers that day. The basics of the app are in our guide to using Grab in Thailand.
Long one-way trips to another province
For a one-way journey, such as Bangkok to a beach town or Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, Grab lets you book an ordinary GrabCar between provinces, with the fare calculated by distance and shown before you confirm. GrabVan takes 5 to 10 passengers. Bookings can be made from 90 days up to 75 minutes ahead, which is useful for an early start on the day you check out.
A long trip raises questions a city ride does not. Ask whether the fare includes expressway tolls, and, if you book outside the app, whether the price includes the driver's empty drive home. On a route with a ferry, such as Bangkok to Koh Chang, check whether the car crosses with you or leaves you at the pier. For the classic northern run, our page on Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai compares a car with the bus, and if you are a group on a budget, minivans are the shared alternative.
Hotel car, local driver or app?
Why book through an app or your hotel
- A written record: the price, the driver's name and the plate
- Someone to complain to if things go wrong
- Hotels know the roads to the sights near them
- No cash needed in advance with an app
Risks of an informal arrangement
- Price and inclusions depend entirely on what you agree
- No platform to step in if there is a dispute
- The car may be on private plates
- Hard to replace the car if it breaks down
Our advice: use the app or the hotel for your first hire, and compare the hotel's quote with what the app shows for the same day. A local driver can be more flexible about stops and timing, and once you have one you trust, booking the same person again removes most of the risk. For an airport arrival, the walk-in limousine counters are another way to get a car and driver at a fixed fare; at Suvarnabhumi, AOT lists AOT Limousine at Level 2 at 550 to 1,300 baht. Our guides to Suvarnabhumi to central Bangkok and Phuket airport to the beaches compare those counters with taxis.
What to agree before you set off
Most disputes with private drivers come from things nobody mentioned at the start. Settle these points in writing, even if only in a chat message:
- Hours: when the hire starts and ends, and the charge for extra time.
- Route and stops: the places you want to see, and whether detours are included.
- Fuel, tolls and parking: included or extra.
- Park and site fees: who pays the vehicle fee at a national park gate.
- Overnight trips: who pays for the driver's room and meals.
- Payment: how much is paid up front and how the rest is paid.
- Child seats: whether the car has one, if you travel with small children.
Shopping stops are the other classic problem. If you do not want to visit a gem shop or a tailor, say so at the start. Overcharging and commission tricks are described in our page on avoiding overpaying for taxis in Bangkok, and if you need to complain afterwards, our guide to complaints and refunds in Thailand lists who to contact.
Ask the driver for the plate number in the chat before the day. It lets you find the right car at a busy hotel entrance, and it puts the vehicle on record if anything goes wrong.
Plates, licences and insurance
Thai number plates show what a vehicle is registered for. According to a summary of Department of Land Transport classes published by Toyota Sure (December 2023):
| Plate | Registered as |
|---|---|
| White, black letters | Private car, up to 7 seats |
| White, blue letters | Private car, more than 7 seats |
| Yellow, black letters | Taxi or hire car, up to 7 passengers |
| Yellow, red letters | Hire car for trips between provinces |
| Green (white or black letters) | Tour, rental and business service vehicles, such as airport limousines |
We could not reach the Department of Land Transport to confirm which licence a hired private driver needs, so we do not state it as a rule. Grab's own driver page does show the principle: drivers who rent a car through Grab must hold a public (commercial) driving licence or a Type 2 licence, not a private one. Every vehicle must carry compulsory motor insurance (the "Por Ror Bor"), which gives only basic cover; ask whether the car also has voluntary insurance that covers passengers, and check what your own travel insurance says about road accidents.
The driver should be Thai. Driving for hire is a job reserved for Thai nationals, as our page on whether foreigners can drive for Grab explains.
Seat belts, child seats and long days
Since 5 September 2022, Thai law requires the driver and all passengers to wear seat belts in every row, and children up to 6 must ride in a child seat or another means of protection approved by the police. Hired cars rarely come with child seats unless you ask, so request one when you book or bring your own; our guide to Thailand with kids has more on traveling with small children.
A 12-hour hire is a long day for the person at the wheel. On mountain roads or long highway runs, plan a break every couple of hours and avoid asking for a late-night return after a full day of driving. A tired driver is a bigger risk than a slower schedule.
Driving yourself instead
If you would rather drive, our guide to renting a car in Thailand covers licences, deposits and tolls, and our sister site weighs up driving yourself or taking Grab in more detail. For short trips inside Bangkok, a car with driver is rarely needed: our comparison of a taxi or a Grab in Bangkok covers everyday rides, and the shared electric tuk-tuks of Muvmi can be chartered from 350 baht an hour for short sightseeing inside one zone.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a car with driver cost per day in Thailand?
There is no official tariff, and prices depend on the city, the car, the hours and what is included. The one published figure we found is Grab Rent, from 500 baht for two hours with packages up to 12 hours (October 2026); check the app for the day's price.
Can I book a Grab from Bangkok to another province?
Yes. Grab says GrabCar can be booked for trips between provinces, with the fare calculated by distance and shown before you confirm. You can book from 90 days up to 75 minutes before pick-up, and GrabVan takes groups of 5 to 10.
What color plate should a hired car have?
A yellow plate marks a taxi or hire car, and a green plate marks tour, rental and business service vehicles such as airport limousines. A white plate means the car is registered as private, so ask the operator how it is registered and insured for paying passengers.
Do I need a child seat in a hired car in Thailand?
Yes, for children up to 6. Since 5 September 2022 the Road Traffic Act requires a child seat or another police-approved means of protection, and everyone must wear a seat belt. Ask for a child seat when you book, as most cars do not carry one.
Sources
- Grab Thailand – GrabRent: car with driver by the hour (checked October 2026)
- Grab Thailand – Transport services and FAQ (checked October 2026)
- Grab Thailand – Driver requirements (checked October 2026)
- Toyota Sure – Thai number plate colors and what they mean (December 2023) (checked October 2026)
- Airports of Thailand – Suvarnabhumi transportation (checked October 2026)
- Sanook News – Road Traffic Act amendment on seat belts and child seats (May 2022) (checked October 2026)