Renting a bike in Phuket in 2018 is unlikely to be any different from renting scooters and motorcycles in previous years. And, if you’ve never done it before, you’ll be interested to know some of the national characteristics of riding motorcycles and scooters on Thailand’s roads.
Riding motorcycles in SEA is one of the extreme sports. So if you’re not a motorcycle racer or you’re traveling with kids, you’d better not skimp and rent a car. It’s easy: just go to Rentalcars.com, which offers all types of cars.
Bike rental costs in Phuket
The shorter the term you rent a bike in Phuket, the more expensive it is. The fee for a day will be 200 to 300 baht. But if you take a motorcycle for a whole month, the total amount will be less – about three thousand baht.
The second pricing factor is the technical condition and design of the bike. If you want to get a loaner two-wheeled friend with a motor as cheaply as possible, pay attention to the following details:
- Bikes with a foot shift are cheaper than those with a variator.
- Local offices charge less than hotels.
- Rent for at least three days.
Tip! The most popular models in rental agencies are the Honda Air Blade and Honda Click with a manual transmission. They cost up to 300 baht per day. Variator models – Yamaha TMAX, Honda Forza, Honda PCX will cost you up to 700 baht. If you need a full-sized motorcycle with an engine capacity of 400 cc – Honda Steed, Kawasaki, Ducati Monster, Harley Davidsons, prices for renting a bike in Phuket can go up to 3 thousand baht.
Phuket gasoline prices
Hiring a motorcycle in Phuket involves buying gasoline for it. First of all, inquire what kind of gasoline you should fill it up with. If you don’t bother to ask the manager, open the cap of the tank and look at the inside. It usually says the brand name on it. Traditionally in Thailand, bikes are fueled with E20 or E10 – the equivalent of 91 on a green background. The price of gasoline is from 28 to 33 baht, which is slightly higher than in Pattaya. See the official websites of Thai petrol stations for current petrol prices.
If you’re looking for comfort on the road, try to fill up at the big chain terminals. There’s a European toilet, a 7-Eleven supermarket, a cafe usually works, and if not, there’s bound to be a makashnitsa somewhere nearby.
Rent bike maintenance prices
Long term renting a scooter in Phuket usually involves having to do minor repairs and routine maintenance of the bike yourself. Since the prices of Thai workshops depend on the number of tourists in the area, their services in Phuket are slightly higher than the national average. If you need to change the oil or adjust the brakes, find a large service center. But scratch repairs and straightening are still cheaper at the privateers.
Phuket’s car repair shops.
Title of Work
Cost (baht)
Replace a worn clutch
1100-1300
Change defective spark plugs
150-300
Clean the air filter
40-70
Change used oil
200-300
Remove scratches in the plastic
100 to 200
Replace a punctured camera
200-300
Replace damaged glass
150-350
Bike-and-self insurance
Renting a scooter in Phuket involves the likelihood of the risk of damage. So it’s worth taking out an insurance policy at between 100-150 baht per day. Especially if you are a beginner. This will save you a lot of costs, because for a damaged plastic trim or windshield can ask almost as much as this iron horse is worth.
Personal motorcycle insurance can’t be cheap, because the standard package doesn’t provide coverage for damage if you ride your bike. The policy must necessarily have an “extreme recreation” or “operating the vehicle” option. This is an expensive service. But we would not advise to neglect it on the roads of Thailand. In addition, it is worth bearing in mind that the insurer will refuse to pay if the traffic police will register your alcohol intoxication or will find out that you do not have an international driving license category A.
If you want to know exactly how much biker personal insurance costs, go to Cherepaha.ru or Tripinsuranse.ru and indicate “riding a moped/motocycle” in the terms of the insurance policy. You will be presented with several offers from leading Russian insurance companies. We described the entire process of obtaining insurance on Cherehap in this article.
How not to be fooled by renting a bike in Phuket
If you want to rent a bike in Phuket, look for street signs Motobike for rent or Motobike for hire. The task is made easier by going to BikesBooking.com. In the process of choosing a motorcycle, you should do the following:
- Externally assess the degree of wear and tear on the motorcycle.
- Start the engine and listen to it. Check that the brakes, headlights and turn signals are working.
- Check the mileage of the scooter. If it is more than 40 thousand, it is better to refuse to own it. There is a high probability of a sudden critical failure – the engine will jam.
- Don’t buy a brand new scooter. Any scratch on it is noticeable, and there are no guarantees that you will ride the entire term of the lease with no one and nothing has come into contact with anyone.
If you are going to rent a motorcycle in Phuket, first take a picture of the scooter from all sides and do it clearly, in front of the owner. Then you don’t have to prove the origin of the scratches and dents.
Unfortunately, all documents are in English. In this case the substitution of notions and ambiguous reading is possible. If you have the slightest doubt, please contact the manager of your rental company.
The main thing that should confuse you is the amount of compensation for damage and breakage. The cost of a dented fender should not be comparable to the cost of the entire bike.
Be sure to verify the correct start and end dates of the rental. If there is no motorcycle inspection card, refuse the service even if everything else is fine.
Bike rental in Phuket is secured by property, money, or documents. The safest option would be the cash deposit, which could be anywhere from 1,000-3,000 baht. In this case, you risk only a part of the “despicable metal”, which in today’s society is not a disaster. A photocopy of a bank card with a code on the back is more worrisome, but it can be blocked. A photocopy of a foreign passport is much more dangerous, a document in this form is often used for loans. And a complete disaster is to pledge the original passport, without it you are nobody in a foreign country. If you want to limit yourself to a cash deposit, go to BikesBooking.com, where its deposit is negotiated in advance.
Do you need a driver’s license in Phuket
Renting a scooter in Phuket without a license is possible, almost none of the rental agencies on the island will ask you for one.
Don’t be fooled if you have an internal Russian license category A. For the Thai police they do not exist. Because of this in case of an accident you will be found guilty, even without being one in principle. And you can forget about any insurance payments (read about the reasons why the insurance company may not pay). So take care of an extra insert for your international driver’s license before you leave Russia. They are issued in a few hours.
Peculiarities of Thai roads and fines
Thailand has left-hand traffic. But this is not the only difference from Russia. First, they are slightly, but still different Thais traffic regulations. Second, there is a difference in the mentality of the drivers. We advise you to search the web for the blogs of auto travelers in Southeast Asia. Their experience is simply invaluable.
We advise you to include the fines in the cost of renting a scooter in Phuket as well. The table below shows the main types of infractions and their rates.
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