Many tourists wonder, “How to rent a bike in Thailand? What kinds of cheating? What to look out for, and what documents are needed?” Without a motorcycle it is a bit problematic to move around Thailand, not for nothing it is the most popular transport in Thailand. If you are confident in your driving experience, if you have an international driver’s license of the A category (also suitable Thai driver’s license), be sure to take it. By the way, since the question of renting, I recommend to read the article about the rules of renting accommodation in Thailand. A rented bike will cost you an average of 200 baht per day or 3,000 baht per month.
Note. We have a more detailed and up-to-date article about bike rental in Phuket on our website, we recommend reading.
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Bike rental in Thailand requires to leave the passport as a deposit, I advise you to leave it only in trusted companies, because there is a risk of losing it (, we have already discussed.) Otherwise, look for other firms that make do with a photocopy of your passport and bank card, and a cash deposit of 1000-5000 baht. If you leave a photocopy of your bank card, it is advisable to erase the three-digit CVV code on the back of the card so they can’t use it. Read more about this in the article “How not to lose money while traveling”.
In Thailand there is another way of cheating when renting a bike, related to the usual inattentiveness and naivety of the tourist. I advise to read it in the article “Bike rental scams in Thailand”.
Bike rental salon in Thailand
What to look out for
- Damage. Examine it from top to bottom, take pictures or, even better, make a video of every scratch and crease on your bike. So that you cannot be cheated by the lessor who attributes some extra damage to it.
- Tires.Please pay attention to the state of the tires, why do you want a bike with bald tires?
- Grunk.If you will need to carry some things, and most likely you will, then choose a bike with more or less roomy trunk. At least enough room for a bag of groceries.
- Gearbox.The prices for motorcycle rental with automatic and manual gearboxes are virtually the same. So, to avoid the hassle of shifting, take the automatic version. The only thing is that with the manual you save a little gas and your bike can go uphill better.
- Mileage.Do not rent a bike with very high mileage, preferably not more than 10,000 km, well the limit is 15. Lessors are unlikely to change worn parts in time and in time to undergo maintenance. It would not be good if you break down somewhere, not reaching, say, a favorite beaches on Phuket Island.
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- Power. Thailand is known to be located in a mountainous area, so rent a bike, preferably more powerful, unless of course you want to drag uphill at breakneck speed with a passenger in the back seat and a trunk full of things you bought in supermarkets in Thailand.
- Test drive.Take a test drive, check the brakes, all the electrics, listen to the engine, appreciate its dynamics.
- Lent contract.Read the contract carefully before signing because if anything goes wrong in the process it may be more difficult to prove anything.
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How to use a rented bikeLet’s say you’ve chosen a bike, what’s next? Again, if you want to drive safely in Thailand, you need an international license “A” category, if you do not have one, you can get a Although there are rumors that allegedly rolled “B” category, but in general you can ride without a license, but have to ride, so to speak, “in Thai”. It is not necessary to drive on the highway, and it is desirable to know where police checkpoints are usually located. Otherwise you will have to pay a small fine of about 400 baht. There are also fines for driving without a helmet and drunk driving.
Bike inspection ticket
Tourists sometimes forget that there is left-hand traffic in Thailand, and therefore drive in the direction of the stream.
The traffic in Thailand is also little observed – the traffic is chaotic, so keep your eyes open, because if you cause an accident, and at this moment either you have no license, or you are overheated, the blame will, in any case, you! What to do when committing A traffic accident in Thailand on a bike, we have already discussed.
Petrol in Thailand is slightly more expensive than in Russia. Therefore, you will have to pay more for fuel on your rented bike. You can fill up your bike at gas stations, or you can buy bottles of gas from resellers. Yes, yes, they have gasoline in the color of carbonated beverages: red, yellow, green. Don’t mix it up when you’re thirsty! And it can be sold, by the way, right next to the fruit. It’s usually cheapest at the dealers, you can find it for 20 baht a bottle, the average price at the gas stations is 45 baht.
Typical Thai gas station with colored gasoline
If riding a rented bike is not your credo, the best option is to buy one, read about it in the article “How to Buy a Motorcycle in Thailand”.
How to return a rented bike
Return it preferably 2 days before your lease expires. Because if, for example, you have a flight tomorrow, and you have trouble returning it, you may miss it later. If you damage the bike in the process, prepare to pay an enriched amount. And if they are trying to attribute this damage to you, show them your photo/video at the initial inspection of the bike. And if even after that he is stubborn, tell him the following: “Okay, I’m calling the tourist police!”. As a rule, these police are more on the side of tourists, so the landlord will calm down. Fortunately, such frauds do not happen often, there are even cases where the condition of the bike is not checked when renting.
P.S. If you want to rent something bigger than a bike, I suggest you look into car rental in Thailand.
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