What Is the Main Difference Between a Rental Car and Taxi?

With the rise of ride-hailing apps, the traditional taxi is disappearing. Ride costs are going down, but there are several disadvantages to both traditional taxis and ride-hailing apps, and those ‘lower costs’ can add up quickly. 

Conversely, rental cars offer an immense amount of freedom and flexibility regarding travel plans. This makes them especially economical for visitors to Thailand who are staying for more than just two or three days. In fact, with a metro area of over fourteen million people, it is easier than ever to hire a car in Bangkok. 

Cost Considerations

Anyone who has ever tried using a ride-hailing app understands the frustration of peak hours. This doesn’t necessarily have to be rush hour–a rainy day means the entire day will be charged at peak rates, which can lead to some outrageous fares. 

Another factor of cost is driver availability. Finding an available car during busy times or rainy days can be nearly impossible. The fact that drivers may cancel on you even after you’ve waited a long time only adds to the frustration. 

Rental cars offer a solution to this dilemma by offering a fixed price up front. You’re only responsible for the fuel charges, which are slowly diminishing in cost thanks to today’s ever-more-efficient engines. 

Rental cars also offer you the convenience of choosing your vehicle type. This can be an important consideration, especially with larger groups or specialised itineraries. Ride-hailing with a large group requires upgrading to a pricey SUV or even hiring two cars. This can add to your costs significantly, considering most outings are a round-trip affair. 

Finally, taxis are unlikely to be available at all for travel further than thirty minutes outside of a large city. This is complicated by the fact that once the driver is outside of the city, you must pay them to wait or hope that you can find another taxi back into town. Knowing visitors are far from the city with few options gives drivers every incentive to squeeze you for everything they can. Travellers can avoid situations like this by planning on the fixed price and practicality a rental car offers. 

Convenience and Flexibility

Many visitors to Thailand find themselves confined inside cities. Those who wish to visit farther destinations are often at the mercy of tour agencies on set itineraries or costly taxi rides. 

All-in-one group tours can be attractive, though being crammed into a sixteen-passenger van for a five-stop, seven-hour journey isn’t the most comfortable way to travel. These tour services often operate on a schedule that aligns with multiple agencies all visiting the same five destinations. Travellers wishing to get Kodak moments of popular sites may find them overcrowded as multiple tour vans arrive simultaneously. 

Renting a car offers flexibility. Want to wake up with the roosters so you can stroll through an ancient temple without any other tourists? No problem. Have a late night out and want to sleep in till noon and see the sights in the quiet late afternoon? A rental car makes it easy.  

Any long-term resident in Thailand will tell you that the cities are great for living, but the real magic lies in the villages and picturesque remote areas. Thailand has some of the most scenic drives anywhere in the world. Renting your own car in Bangkok and heading to Kanchanaburi for a day of jungle waterfalls in the cool mountain air allows you to experience the real Thailand at your own pace. 

Cultural Experiences

Stunning views in the countryside are just one reason to get out of town. Life in the villages is what the Thais describe as ‘slow life.’ Rental cars open all sorts of doors unavailable to taxis rushing to destinations. 

The ability to pull over anytime at innumerable roadside markets allows an opportunity to interact with locals or try fresh local honey collected from bees on a fruit farm. Delicacies like this can cost a fortune in the West, but in Thailand, they are commonplace and affordable.

At Driver Car Rental, we want you to experience all of the unique culture that Thailand has to offer. Our rental cars are available in locations throughout the country, and we offer the ability to pick up in one location and drop off in another. 

We’re also going green and have recently begun offering electric cars. Book your dream holiday today, and let Drive Car Rental provide you with the flexibility you deserve!