Is a Small Car Enough for Kamala's Hills, Phuket?
Yes, for the roads: any small car in good order gets over the pass to Patong and up the hillside lanes of Kamala. The one exception is a steep private villa driveway with a full car, so send the villa location when you book. The strip above shows the week and month totals for a small car from our live search, insurance included; delivery to Kamala is named in the chat.
A small car in Kamala for 7 days: from 5 513 ฿ total (788 ฿/day, Toyota Yaris); 30 days: from 16 538 ฿ total (551 ฿/day, Toyota Yaris) + refundable deposit 5 000 ฿ for the Toyota Yaris.
- First-class commercial insurance is included; damage to third parties is covered up to 800,000 ฿.
- Delivery to your hotel, villa or the airport at any hour; it is counted separately, the sum for your address is named in the chat.
- Documents: a passport, a national driving licence and an International Driving Permit for every driver.
from 535 ฿ per dayall year round, 30+ days · delivery and deposit are extra
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What is included in the price
A small car in Kamala: 7 days from 5 513 ฿ total (788 ฿/day, Toyota Yaris); 30 days from 16 538 ฿ total (551 ฿/day, Toyota Yaris), first-class commercial insurance included.
- Full business insurance: first-class commercial insurance is included in the rental price; damage to third parties is covered up to 800,000 ฿, and a copy of the policy is available on request.
- Police assistance included.
- Roadside assistance 24/7.
- Refundable deposit: 5 000 ฿, separate from the rental price; left in cash at handover unless a non-cash option is agreed in the chat.
- Driving outside Phuket is agreed in the chat before the trip; some areas require additional coverage.
- Not included: delivery to your hotel, villa or the airport (counted separately, named in the chat) and fuel (the car goes back with the same level).
Cars and prices
Every model of this type in our live search, with its lowest price per day for three days, a week and a month, and the deposit for that model. Each name opens the page of the car. See also prices and rental terms for every model.
| Model | Class | 3 days, ฿ per day | 7 days, ฿ per day | 30 days, ฿ per day | Deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Yaris | Economy | 840 ฿ | 788 ฿ | 551 ฿ | 5 000 ฿ |
| Mazda 2 | Economy | 840 ฿ | 893 ฿ | 578 ฿ | 5 000 ฿ |
| Suzuki Swift | Economy | 945 ฿ | — | — | 5 000 ฿ |
Lowest price in our live search for pick-up in Patong, rentals starting 2 November or 16 November; checked 19 October, Phuket time. Delivery is counted separately; the search shows the exact total for your dates.
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The pass to Patong is about technique, not engine size
Kamala to Patong is about 15 minutes, up, round a few bends and down again. A small automatic with four people in it gets up fine. What the climb wants is a steady pace and a lower gear. More horsepower does not really come into it.
Coming down is where people get it wrong. Drop a gear and let the engine hold the car, don't sit on the brakes all the way to the sea. Same on the climb back after dinner.
The villa driveway is the real test
The roads are fine. The private ramps up to the hillside villas are something else — a few are short and sharp at the entrance, and on wet concrete a loaded small car can spin its wheels.
If that happens, ease off, roll back a bit and take a run at it from further down. Flooring it just makes it worse.
Send the villa name or location pin with your booking. If the ramp is one of the steep ones we tell you before delivery, and SUV rental in Kamala is the page for that case.
Down at the beach, small is better
The lanes from the main road down to Kamala beach are short and narrow, with hardly any room to turn at the end. A small hatchback turns there in one go. A long car reverses out.
There are free bays along the beach. From December to February the rows nearest the sea fill up in the morning, but a bit further inland there is usually space.
Laem Singh has no road down to the sand at all. Drive the 10 minutes on to Surin Beach, park there and walk over.
Which small car for Kamala
Suzuki Swift, Toyota Yaris and Mazda 2 are hatchbacks. Short, easy to turn in the beach lanes, good for two people who mostly stay in the village. Honda City is a sedan with a closed boot, the better one if suitcases or a week's shopping are riding with you.
The table below lists all of them, each with the rate for three days, a week and a month and the deposit, usually 5,000 ฿ for this class.
When it rains on the pass
Wet, the pass is a different road. Water runs across it instead of along it, and the inside of the bends holds puddles. Slow down before the corner, not in it, and leave a long gap on the way down.
In a small car the heaviest showers are worth waiting out at the top of the pass. Twenty minutes later the road drains and it is an ordinary drive again. Shopping in Bang Tao is the other direction anyway, a short flat run north along the coast with no hill at all.
Airport, delivery and the price for Kamala
One road, the 4025, runs through Kamala, and from the airport it is 30–35 minutes with no mountain bends. The car can meet you at arrivals at any hour, or wait at the hotel.
Kamala is one of the partner's pick-up points and the rental total there is the same as at the airport. Delivery is counted on top, and we name the sum for your address in the chat.
Cars of this class in the fleet
| Model | Seats | Gearbox | Engine | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Honda City2 cars of this model in the fleet | — | — | — |
 | Honda Civic RS | 5 | automatic | 1.5L Turbo, petrol |
 | Honda Civic Top Model | 5 | automatic | 1.8L, petrol |
 | Mazda 2 | — | — | — |
 | Mazda 2 Hatchback5 cars of this model in the fleet | 5 | automatic | 1.3L, petrol |
 | Mazda 2 Sedan | 5 | automatic | 1.3L, petrol |
 | MG 33 cars of this model in the fleet | 5 | automatic | 1.5L, petrol |
 | MG 52 cars of this model in the fleet | 5 | automatic | 1.5L, petrol |
 | Nissan Almera6 cars of this model in the fleet | 5 | automatic | 1.0L Turbo, petrol |
 | Nissan Note | 5 | automatic | 1.2L, petrol |
 | Suzuki Ciaz10 cars of this model in the fleet | 5 | automatic | 1.25L, petrol |
 | Suzuki Swift | 5 | automatic | 1.2L, petrol |
 | Toyota Vios8 cars of this model in the fleet | 5 | automatic | 1.5L, petrol |
 | Toyota Yaris Ativ Sedan8 cars of this model in the fleet | 5 | automatic | 1.2L, petrol |
 | Toyota Yaris Hatchback3 cars of this model in the fleet | 5 | automatic | 1.2L, petrol |
 | Toyota Yaris4 cars of this model in the fleet | 5 | automatic | 1.2L, petrol |
Common questions
Will a small car get over the hill from Kamala to Patong?
Yes. Any car in good order gets over the pass in about 15 minutes. Use a lower gear on the descent instead of the brakes.
What if our villa in Kamala has a steep driveway?
Send the villa name or location pin when you book. On the steepest wet ramps a loaded small car struggles, and then we suggest a crossover before delivery.
How much does a small car cost for a week in Kamala?
The strip at the top of this page gives the seven-day total from our live search with first-class commercial insurance included. The deposit is separate and refundable; delivery is named in the chat.
Is parking at Kamala beach easier with a small car?
Yes. The beach lanes are short and narrow, and the free bays along the sand fit a small car where a long one has to keep driving.
How far is Kamala from the airport?
About 30–35 minutes from the airport on the 4025, with no mountain bends on the way. The car can meet you at arrivals at any hour, night flights included.
Is delivery to Kamala priced the same as at the airport?
The rental total is the same for every pick-up point. Delivery is counted separately, and the sum for your address in Kamala is named in the chat.