# Can I Rent a Manual Car in Phuket? Page URL: https://kolesio.com/en/faq/can-i-rent-a-manual-car-in-phuket/ Manual rental cars in Phuket are rare: almost the entire island fleet is automatic, and every car we deliver has an automatic gearbox. For most drivers that is the better deal here anyway, because the hill passes and the stop-start evening traffic turn a manual into constant clutch work, on the left side of the road with the gear lever under your left hand. A manual still makes sense for someone who drives one every day at home and finds an automatic vague, and for older working pickups that carry loads. **A week from 5 145 ฿ total** — economy car 735 ฿/day · crossover from 9 555 ฿ · refundable deposit from 5 000 ฿ · live search, 7 days from 2 November, pick-up in Patong. [Ask on WhatsApp: Can I Rent a Manual Car in Phuket?](https://kolesio.com/go/wa/?p=%2Fen%2Ffaq%2Fcan-i-rent-a-manual-car-in-phuket%2F) ## In short - Automatic — the default across the island's rental fleet, manuals are rare - Every car — that we deliver has an automatic gearbox - L or M mode — limits the gears on long descents, the job a manual does by hand - Left hand — where the selector sits in a right-hand-drive car Kolesio Car Rental Phuket — car rental in Phuket. Booking and support by Kolesio on WhatsApp +66 99 647 8676. Checked 19 October. ## Daily rate by class and rental length, ฿ per day | Class | 2–3 days | 4–7 days | 8–14 days | 15–21 days | 30+ days | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Economy | 683 ฿ | 630 ฿ | 630 ฿ | 578 ฿ | 535 ฿ | | Crossover | 1 155 ฿ | 945 ฿ | 1 145 ฿ | 1 103 ฿ | 898 ฿ | | Minivan | 1 365 ฿ | 1 313 ฿ | 1 365 ฿ | 1 313 ฿ | 940 ฿ | | Pickup | 1 155 ฿ | 1 208 ฿ | 1 155 ฿ | 1 050 ฿ | 953 ฿ | | Premium | 2 100 ฿ | 1 995 ฿ | 1 890 ฿ | 1 785 ฿ | 1 236 ฿ | | Electric | 1 050 ฿ | 998 ฿ | 945 ฿ | 893 ฿ | 796 ฿ | Lowest daily rate per class in our current price list, all year round. Delivery and the refundable deposit are extra; the exact sum for your car and dates comes from the availability search. ## Why is it so hard to find a manual in Phuket? Because almost nobody rents one. The island fleet followed the demand, and the demand is automatic. Think about who rents a car here. Most visitors are driving on the left for the first time, in a right-hand-drive car, on roads with scooters on both sides. Take away the clutch and the gear lever, and half of what feels strange disappears. So rental companies stock automatics, and a manual, when you find one, is usually an older car. We made the same choice. Every car we deliver is automatic, from the economy class to the SUVs, and after a day in island traffic that choice tends to explain itself. ### I only drive manual at home. Will I cope? Almost certainly. An automatic is simpler, not harder: two pedals, a selector in D, and your right foot does the rest. The one thing to learn is how to hold the car on a descent, which we cover below. Give it ten minutes in the car park before you leave and the habit of reaching for a clutch fades fast. ## What that means for the car The main argument for a manual in the mountains at home is control on the way down. In Phuket you get the same control from the automatic's low range, marked L, or an M mode that lets you hold a lower gear. Use it on every long descent: from the pass into Patong, down to Kata or Karon, and on the southern roads towards Nai Harn. The engine holds the car and the brakes stay cool, which is exactly what a good manual driver does with third or second gear. Leaving the box in D and riding the brakes is the mistake that makes pads overheat. The selector itself sits to your left in a right-hand-drive car, the same side where a manual gear lever would be. For drivers from left-hand traffic countries that is familiar; for everyone else, it is one movement to learn instead of six gears. - D — normal driving, town and flat roads - L or M — long descents from the passes, the engine holds the car - P — only when fully stopped, before you switch off - Hill start — brake to accelerator, no clutch to balance ## When does a manual still make sense? In two cases. A driver who handles a manual every day and finds an automatic vague may genuinely prefer one, especially on long mainland drives. And older working pickups rented for carrying loads often come with a manual, which is the usual pairing for that job. For a holiday on the island, neither case usually applies. The hills, the evening traffic in Patong and the narrow streets of the Old Town all favour two pedals. > Do not coast down the passes in neutral or ride the brakes all the way in D. On the long descents into Patong and Kata that overheats the brakes, and a car that stops braking on a hairpin is the one situation no insurance makes easy. ## Which automatic suits a driver who likes manuals? A small one. An economy automatic with a light, direct feel is the closest thing to the car you drive at home, and it fits the streets of Kata and Patong better than anything bigger. What people who love manuals usually miss is not the gears but the feeling of being in charge on a bend. On Phuket's hill roads you get most of it back by driving the automatic deliberately: brake before the corner rather than in it, pick the low range at the top of every long descent, and let the car settle before you accelerate out. If your villa is on a slope or you are travelling as a family, a crossover gives more clearance with the same simple controls. For the whole range, see automatic car rental and economy cars. ## Documents are the same either way Whatever the gearbox, the paperwork is passport, national licence and an International Driving Permit, and every driver is named on the agreement in advance. Send the dates and the drivers' details in the chat: we bring an automatic with first-class commercial insurance to the airport or your hotel at any hour, with a refundable deposit and the total for your dates fixed before you arrive. ## Which automatics are in the booking search? Every car in our search is an automatic. The economy class lists saloons and hatchbacks such as the Toyota Vios, Toyota Yaris Ativ, Mazda 2, Suzuki Ciaz, Suzuki Swift, Nissan Almera, Nissan Note, MG 3 and MG 5; the crossovers include the MG ZS and the Toyota C-HR, and the minivan class the Toyota Veloz. What an automatic costs per day depends on the class and the length of the rental. The table on this page comes straight from our current price list, the lowest daily rate per class for each rental length, and delivery and the refundable deposit are extra. ## Cars for this question Cars from our fleet that fit this question: - [Nissan Almera: a sedan for island trips](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/nissan-almera-rental-phuket/) - [Honda HR-V: a crossover for hilly roads](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/honda-hr-v-rental-phuket/) - [Toyota Veloz: a seven-seater for a family](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/toyota-veloz-rental-phuket/) - [BYD Atto 2: an electric car for everyday driving](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/byd-atto-2-rental-phuket/) ## FAQ ### Can I rent a manual car in Phuket? It is rare. Almost the entire island rental fleet is automatic, and every car we deliver has an automatic gearbox. ### Is an automatic harder to drive for a manual driver? No, it is simpler. Two pedals and a selector. The one habit to learn is using L or M mode on long descents instead of a low gear. ### How do I control speed downhill in an automatic? Move the selector to L or use M mode to hold a lower gear. The engine then holds the car and the brakes stay cool. ### Why are rental cars in Phuket automatic? Most visitors drive on the left for the first time, on hilly roads with busy traffic. An automatic removes the clutch work and the gear lever in the left hand. ### Are pickups in Phuket manual? Older working pickups rented for loads often are. For a holiday, an automatic car or crossover is the easier choice. ### Where is the gear selector in a Thai rental car? On your left, because the cars are right-hand drive. It sits where a manual gear lever would be, with fewer positions to learn. ### How much does an automatic rental car cost in Phuket? See the daily-rate table on this page: it shows the lowest rate per class for each rental length from our current price list. All our cars are automatic, so the table answers the question for an automatic. --- Source: kolesio, https://kolesio.com/en/faq/can-i-rent-a-manual-car-in-phuket/. The canonical version of this page is the HTML at this address.