Hiring a Motorbike/Scooter

[Merangue]

hi folks.

 

I am thinking about hiring a Motorbike/Scooter while over there in October. I don't mean in Pattaya as not much need for it but ill be visiting Isaan for a few days and reckon it could be handy there.

 

My question is about licenses.

 

I have a full UK Car Drivers licence nd have had it for 20+ years ( with Moped eligibility) but have never passed my Motorbike license. I intend to get my CBT anyway but wont have time to pass my Motorbike license in full until after my holiday. Will the CBT and my Car drivers license be enough for hiring a Geared Scooter or a 125cc?

[todd2rip]

...sorry can't help with the question, but a gal

just send me a photo of someone getting killed on a motorscooter...hope your careful of

the other guys..and wear a helmet..not because of the fine but for your nogin.

 

 

 

aki

[Merangue]

No worries about that. I have seen the result of a Motorbike accident with no helmet for protection close up. You won't Catch Me riding without a helmet.

[gogo dog]

To be legal you need a full UK motorcycle licence and an international driving permit. In practice almost any rental operation in Pattaya will rent you a 1000cc race replica without any kind of driving licence at all. Not many bike rental outfits in Isaan so you may have difficulty finding one.

[Merangue]

To be legal you need a full UK motorcycle licence and an international driving permit. In practice almost any rental operation in Pattaya will rent you a 1000cc race replica without any kind of driving licence at all. Not many bike rental outfits in Isaan so you may have difficulty finding one.

 

 

cheers mate. So in reality i am buggered if i mess up ( legally and medically ) but otherwise i am fine to ride any bike i please as long as i pay the baht.

[gogo dog]

cheers mate. So in reality i am buggered if i mess up ( legally and medically ) but otherwise i am fine to ride any bike i please as long as i pay the baht.

You are probably best off getting an international driving permit and renting a car or truck.

[Thaiaddict]

isn't the smaller scooter you don't need any licesne? like 100 and under?

[Infiniium]

hi folks.

 

I am thinking about hiring a Motorbike/Scooter while over there in October. I don't mean in Pattaya as not much need for it but ill be visiting Isaan for a few days and reckon it could be handy there.

 

My question is about licenses.

 

I have a full UK Car Drivers licence nd have had it for 20+ years ( with Moped eligibility) but have never passed my Motorbike license. I intend to get my CBT anyway but wont have time to pass my Motorbike license in full until after my holiday. Will the CBT and my Car drivers license be enough for hiring a Geared Scooter or a 125cc?

 

You can get an international driving permit from most big post offices these days just take a passport size photo with you, insurance would probably be a good thing also and the post office do that as well, but make sure it covers riding a scooter.

On a side note check when you get there to see if the police are having a helmet crackdown in the area, again its a nice little earner for them to fine a load of farangs for there anual policemans ball.

 

Infiniium

[THguypattaya]

why is it so dangerous to ride a scooter/bike in Pattaya? they dont' obey the law at all or what? I am thinking about renting a scooter to save some bucks...should I or shoudln't I?

[Limey]

Basically there's a rhythm to Pattaya traffic that takes some getting used to, lots of drivers and riders with little road sense, no lane discipline, and bikes can come at you from all directions -including against the flow nipping from soi to soi. So you have to ride even more defensively than in Europe or the USA, on the basis that you may be in the right, but you're just as dead or crippled as if you were in the wrong. If there is a problem, it's often serious because while you should wear a helmet (you'd be mad not to), wearing any other protective gear is just too damned hot, and nobody does - so a lot of skin gets left on the asphalt if you come off.

[sam diego]

I don't know how many times you have been to Pattaya, but the traffic is crazy. Crossing the street on foot is dangerous. Outside of Pattaya, I don't think it will be as bad. I don't know if I could get used to driving on the wrong side of the street!

[gogo dog]

why is it so dangerous to ride a scooter/bike in Pattaya? they dont' obey the law at all or what? I am thinking about renting a scooter to save some bucks...should I or shoudln't I?

Come to Pattaya, observe the traffic, if you think you can handle it then rent a bike. If you are here for a short mongering holiday and staying fairly centrally you wont need a bike, it will cost you less to get around by songthew.

[missinginaction]

why is it so dangerous to ride a scooter/bike in Pattaya? they dont' obey the law at all or what? I am thinking about renting a scooter to save some bucks...should I or shoudln't I?

Driving any sort of veichle in Pattaya aint easy. I rented a car earlier this year and drove from Chiang Mai to Pattaya via many places over a couple of weeks covering about 2000K. And the hardest part was the final 2K in Pattaya. Mopeds everywhere.

[whitespider - RIP]

To be legal you need a full UK motorcycle licence and an international driving permit. In practice almost any rental operation in Pattaya will rent you a 1000cc race replica without any kind of driving licence at all. Not many bike rental outfits in Isaan so you may have difficulty finding one.

 

Here are the instructions for UK citizens wishing to drive in Thailand - I would assume the reg's are similar for other nationalities.

 

http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/pdfs/Cr%20%20...%20Thailand.pdf

 

There is a timescale after which you must obtain a Thai licence, I think it is 6 months although some websites say 3 months.

 

You CANNOT get a Thai driving licence with a tourist visa, you must have a valid non-imm visa of some description. In other words if you are here on a short term visa you must have a motorcycle licence in your home country to drive a motorcycle legally in Thailand.

 

If you are here for less than 6 months the international permit + your own licence will suffice but after 6 months you must get a Thai licence or be driving illegally.

 

If you come from a non English speaking country you must provide a copy of your licence and permit in English. Technically you must also carry your passport but copies are usually acceptable.

 

As Gogo dog says most of the renters here would rent a 1200cc bike to a child so long as they got paid but bear in mind - if you do not have a full motorcycle licence your insurance is invalid (assuming they do insurance). More importantly if you have a serious accident your travel insurance is probably invalidated as you are riding illegally.

 

Failing to satisfy all the regs above will probably just get you a few hundred baht fine but the cost of an accident could be far higher if your travel insurance wont pay up.

[THguypattaya]

I have been to Pattaya once, I took scooter taxi and regular taxi and was thinking about saving some money this time by renting a scooter, I probably will stay in soi metro area so I will be traveling from soi metro to Walking Street, and Soi 6 also, maybe some of the attracttion places. I rode scooter and drove car in Taiwan and the traffic there is pretty bad too, but don't know how to compare it with Thailand traffic since I never driven there before. also I never driven on the wrong side of the road so I have to get used to that too. what do you guys suggest? just take scooter taxi or just be careful?

[gogo dog]

why is it so dangerous to ride a scooter/bike in Pattaya? they dont' obey the law at all or what? I am thinking about renting a scooter to save some bucks...should I or shoudln't I?

I thought I had seen most of the daft things Thais do on motorbikes but I was nearly wiped out (again) yesterday by a new trick I have not seen before.

 

I was riding along soi 10 (a one way street) towards Beach road when I was nearly harpooned by some tosser riding the wrong way with a beach umbrella on his bike sticking out into the oncoming traffic.

[Glynrhedyn]

I thought I had seen most of the daft things Thais do on motorbikes but I was nearly wiped out (again) yesterday by a new trick I have not seen before.

 

I was riding along soi 10 (a one way street) towards Beach road when I was nearly harpooned by some tosser riding the wrong way with a beach umbrella on his bike sticking out into the oncoming traffic.

OMG that sounds terrible. The picture I get is of knights jousting but you were unarmed. Glad you're here to tell the tale. I have driven in Patts but not a scooter or a bike, I think you've convinced me not to.

GR.