Since 30 December 2025, renting cars and motorbikes to consumers in Thailand has been a contract-controlled business. Most free rental contracts you can find online were written before that date, and many contain terms that are now banned. This agreement was rewritten for the new rules, and it puts Thai beside English so your foreign renters understand what they sign.

What the 2025 rules require

The Contract Committee notice, signed on 22 September 2025, covers cars, pick-ups and motorbikes rented for personal use, including online bookings (OCPB). In short:

• The contract must be in Thai, with Thai letters at least 2 mm high, and contain the terms of the official form: form ก for cars, form ข for motorbikes.
• Two identical copies, one handed to the renter as soon as it is signed.
• Deposit deductions only for actual damage you point out at the return check, backed by evidence the renter can check. No keeping the deposit when the renter hasn't breached the contract.
• A replacement vehicle of the same or a similar model if the rented one is off the road for more than a day after an accident or for maintenance, unless the renter's unlawful act caused it.
• Early return is refunded pro rata when the renter gives notice.
• You may end the rental early only if the renter breaches it.

A business that fails to give a compliant contract faces up to one year in prison, a fine of up to ฿200,000, or both, and terms that break the notice are void (Nishimura & Asahi summary).

Our agreement includes these terms and states that, where anything conflicts with the notice, the notice applies. The Thai version prevails if the two languages differ.

What else is in it

Beyond the required terms, it covers the everyday problems: late return charges, fuel and mileage, cleaning, smoking and pets, cancellation, accidents and breakdowns, theft, lost keys and helmets, a permitted area, and a ban on ride-hailing, delivery work and sub-letting. Annex A is a handover and return check; Annex B is a damage price list that caps what the renter pays for common items.

Licences, helmets and insurance

Licence and IDP. Thailand issues and accepts International Driving Permits under both the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna conventions (Department of Land Transport). A car licence does not cover a motorbike, and an owner who lets an unlicensed person drive commits an offence too (Daily News). The agreement lets you refuse handover until a valid licence is shown.

Helmets. Rider and passenger must both wear one, and nationwide enforcement was stepped up from 1 June 2025 (The Bangkok Insight). Cars need seatbelts in every seat and a child seat for children aged 6 or under.

พ.ร.บ. compulsory insurance pays for injury and death, not for damage to your vehicle or anyone's property. The agreement explains this to the renter and has options for class 1, third-party or compulsory-only cover. Our rental vehicle insurance guide explains what each class pays.

Passports and deposits

Don't keep original passports. The UK government tells its travellers not to hand them over to rental businesses (FCDO travel advice), and renters need them for hotels and immigration. The agreement says you check the original and keep a copy or photo, and take a money deposit instead. For amounts and dispute handling, see how much deposit to charge.

Fines that arrive later

When the driver isn't stopped at the scene, a camera ticket is posted to the vehicle's owner, often weeks after the rental (The Standard). Under the new rules you can't hold back the deposit "just in case". The agreement instead lets you pass the renter's details to the police so the ticket is transferred, and claim only what you actually paid, with the receipt.

Using the builder

The form on this page is already set to Thailand. Add your logo, business details, vehicle, prices and deposit, late and fuel rules, and your insurance class, then download a Word file or a print-ready PDF. Anything you leave blank becomes a line to fill in by hand. Print two copies and give one to the renter at signing. If you rent cars, check which plate they need first: green, yellow or white plate.

This page is the Thailand edition of our free bilingual rental agreement, which also comes in versions for other Southeast Asian countries.

Let RoveHQ do the paperwork

RoveHQ fills in this agreement from each booking automatically. The renter signs it on their phone, and their passport and licence details are read from a photo, so nobody types them out at the counter. Start free with RoveHQ.