Motorbike Scooter Hire

If you decide to hire or rent a motorbike in Pattaya try not to be too ambitious when selecting the size of your motor on wheels. Be confident of your ability to handle the machine you intend to ride.

Standard 125cc motorbikes for rent in Pattaya. Click to enlarge .....

A small motorbike is easy to maneuver in the traffic that can become congested in Pattaya.

What will I need to hire a scooter or motorbike in Pattaya?

An international drivers license, or Thai license is the normal requirement by law. The owner of the motorbike, scooter will not usually ask to see your license. They will need to see your passport and in some cases they will want to keep your passport as collateral or ask you to pay 3,000 baht security deposit.

Wear a Motorbike Crash Helmet

Always wear a good quality crash helmet. Sometimes the helmet provided by the motorbike hire shop will be poor quality. A cheap helmet can be bought in a supermarket for 350 baht. How much protection do you think that will give you? If you think the provider is issuing you a cheap helmet ask him how much it is worth. If you lose it he might charge you double or even 5 times its worth. Establish its value before you ride off.

Some of the smaller motorbike hire businesses have limited first class bike insurance. Most don't have any. Make sure you read the fine print of your hire contract. What is your responsibility in the event of an accident? If they offer insurance coverage in a limited area of Pattaya it is a good indication that there is no insurance at all. Third party insurance is compulsory and every hire bike should have documentation. That is the responsibility of the bike owner.

Motorbike Insurance

Every motorbike should display registration or tax label and the third party insurance document should be kept in the compartment under the motorbike seat. While riding your motorcycle keep in touch with your defensive driving skills.

Don't expect Thai drivers to be driving with the same respect for the driving rules as most drivers in your country do.

There are many road accidents every week in Pattaya. Some foreigners die in these accidents. Eighty percent of these fatalities have been hirers of big motorbikes.
Take out some travel insurance.

Read how foreigners have been cheated by smaller motorbike hire businesses in Pattaya Bar Girls Report. There are many scams and they could spoil your holiday.
By the way the Pattaya Bar Girls Report exposes more than 12 scams that you should know about before you come to Pattaya.

A Motorcycle Guide to the Golden Triangle
by David Unkovich

 

      

This useful pocket guide includes everything the motorcyclist needs to know to travel from Chiang Mai to the Golden Triangle and back. Some of northern Thailand's best motorcycling roads are found here, winding through forested, hilltribe country up near the crossroads of Burma, Laos and Thailand.

Recommended routes, reliable accommodation, places of interest, and optional side trips and loops are all identified clearly, accompanied by practical tips and advice.

The manual includes details of routes, including road surfaces and inclines, travel times, and required level of expertise. Stick maps accompany the text. A must for any trip to the Golden Triangle by motorcycle.

Motorbike Hire Shops

We are developing a list of bike hire shops. But here is one of the reasons I love Thailand.

It is the land of abundance.

In almost every street in the accommodation areas of Pattaya you will be able to rent a motorbike. The rates of rental start at around 150 baht per day for a late model 125 cc Honda, Yamaha or Suzuki.

Don't be afraid to negotiate if you are renting a motorbike for one week or one month. I have seen monthly motorbike rental rates advertised for 2,400 baht per month.

In the low season (April to August) you can sure get a good deal for a hire bike.