Deposit vs Excess: What You Actually Risk When Renting a Car in Phuket
A week with a car, insurance included: an economy car from 5 145 ฿ total for 7 days (735 ฿/day, Suzuki Ciaz; refundable deposit 5 000 ฿); a crossover from 9 555 ฿ total for 7 days (1 365 ฿/day, Toyota C-HR; refundable deposit 5 000 ฿).
- 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.
- After an at-fault accident part of the deposit may be held, from 5,000 ฿, depending on the model and the damage.
- The deposit and the excess are different things; how they link in your agreement is explained before you sign.
- Documents: a passport, a national driving licence and an International Driving Permit for every driver.
Lowest prices in our live search for a 7-day rental starting 2 November, pick-up in Patong; checked 19 October, Phuket time. The search shows the exact total for your dates.
The deposit is money Kolesio holds at handover and returns with the car; the excess, or deductible, is the share of a damage bill that the insurance leaves to the insured. With us the deposit is refundable, set by the model, from 5,000 ฿, and every car carries first-class commercial insurance that covers third parties up to 800,000 ฿. After an at-fault accident part of the deposit may be held, depending on the model and the damage; how the two link for your car is explained before you sign and confirmed in writing when you book on WhatsApp.
Ask about the deposit and the excess on WhatsApp
Updated 18 October
- Delivery to your hotel and the airport
- Answers in chat, no phone calls
- We go through the insurance before you sign
Is the security deposit the same as the insurance excess?
No. The deposit belongs to the rental: a refundable sum held against the car itself, settled against the handover record when you return it. It covers what the insurance never deals with, such as fuel below the level the car left with, damage that is not in the record, or a camera fine that arrives later.
The excess belongs to the insurance policy. The standard Thai motor policy wording approved by the Office of Insurance Commission defines the deductible as the first part of a covered loss that is borne by the insured, and the amount is set in the policy schedule. The insured on a rental car is the rental company, so what reaches you is decided by the rental agreement, which is why the link between the two is explained before you sign.
What insurance excess should I expect after an accident in Phuket?
We do not publish one figure for every car. After an accident where you are at fault, part of the deposit may be held, starting from 5,000 ฿ and depending on the model and the damage. The exact figure for your car and your dates is confirmed in writing when you book.
Three questions settle it in one message: is there an excess on the policy for this car; how much of the deposit can be held after an at-fault accident; and what happens if the damage costs more than the deposit. Ask them in the chat before the car is delivered, and keep the answer with your agreement.
When is the deposit refunded, and what can delay it?
A cash deposit comes back at the inspection when you return the car: we walk round it together against the record made at handover. A non-cash deposit is agreed in the chat before delivery, and how fast a card hold disappears from your statement depends on your bank.
Three things delay or reduce it: damage that is not in the handover record, less fuel than at handover, and fines that come in after the return. A car returned very dirty carries a 300 ฿ washing fee. Photograph the car at handover and at return, so both sides look at the same pictures.
What puts the whole bill on the renter?
Breaking the conditions of the cover, not the size of the accident. The insurance follows the drivers named in the agreement with a passport, a national licence and an International Driving Permit; an unlisted driver or a missing licence voids it, and the damage is then paid by the renter.
The standard policy wording also excludes driving with more than 50 mg% of alcohol in the blood, or 20 mg% for drivers under 20 or on a temporary licence, and racing. Trips off Phuket are agreed in the chat first, and the wrong fuel in the tank is paid separately because no policy treats it as an accident.
Does a longer rental change the deposit or the excess?
No. The deposit depends on the car, not on the number of days, so a month in an economy car is held at the same sum as three days in it, and the insurance stays the same first-class policy throughout. The card above shows the deposit next to the price of the cheapest car in each line.
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Common questions
Is the rental deposit the same as the insurance excess in Phuket?
No. The deposit is a refundable sum held by Kolesio and returned with the car; the excess is the part of a covered loss the policy leaves to the insured.
How much is the car rental deposit at Kolesio?
It is set by the model, from 5,000 ฿, and does not change with the length of the rental. The exact sum for your car comes with the quote.
Can I lose more than the deposit after an accident?
Ask before you sign: how the deposit and the excess link in your agreement is explained then and confirmed in writing when you book. Driving outside the conditions of the cover puts the damage on the renter.
When do I get the deposit back?
A cash deposit is returned at the inspection when you hand the car back. For a card hold, the timing of the release depends on your bank.
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