You have to have a motorbike

[georgegeorgia]

This is mainly aimed at Pattaya expats 

How do you get around if you can't ride a motorcycle 🏍️ 

 

If I lived in Pattaya I can't keep using Grabb/bolt etc too expensive on the monthly budget 

 

So in reality does it save you a lot by driving a motorcycle, this is where my budget would unfortunately in all wisdom and hindsight quadruple 

 

I guess you just use baht buses and the problem with that is if say you lived at Jomtien and wanted to go to LK metro a lot of running around changing buses etc 

So you really need a form of transport 

I don't trust myself on a bike 

I wouldn't mind those three wheeler things but I don't see many 

 

Ok for those of you expats who don't /can't ride a motorcycle are you finding it more difficult time wise and financial wise 

 

[FritsSikkink]

Choose accommodation somewhere where you don't have to travel much or take shorter holidays, so you can afford to travel.

[SAFETY FIRST]

47 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

I wouldn't mind those three wheeler things

I know where there's a cheap one for sale, if you are good with a spanner, just needs a tinker here and there. 

 

 

 

Edited May 7 by SAFETY FIRST

[georgegeorgia]

19 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Choose accommodation somewhere where you don't have to travel much or take shorter holidays, so you can afford to travel.

Very true if I moved to Pattaya 

Location to supermarkets ,bookshops ,cafes etc 

 

But....sometimes you want to travel a bit more 

Having no form of transport is difficult...but one may have to adapt to that 

[Upnotover]

People who want to travel regularly away from where they live buy cars.  

[impulse]

You could always buy a pedal bike and benefit from the exercise, as well as getting around.  Pattaya's not that big...

 

[Screaming]

It is insane to drive a motorbike in Thailand, a death wish.

[Oink]

So you have made 3,509 (THREE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND NINE) posts on the Pattaya forum but you have not worked out how to get around town yet?

[TroubleandGrumpy]

1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I know where there's a cheap one for sale, if you are good with a spanner, just needs a tinker here and there. 

 

 

 

 

too soon 

[OneMoreFarang]

It changes daily routines if you have a bike or not.

I live in Bangkok, and I have a small and a medium size bike. I use them all the time.

In the morning, I ride with my gf often to the fresh market. And likely we eat some food at the market or maybe 1 kilometer away from the market. With the bike it doesn't really matter if the market or food is 1min away from home or 10min away on the bike. It's just a short trip and it cost almost nothing.

We don't buy food for days in advance. We buy it mostly in the morning of the day when we want to eat it. It's always fresh, we only buy what we want to eat on that day, etc.

 

Without bike I/we would buy food maybe for a week in advance. We wouldn't ride to that good coffee shop 2km away because it would be too expensive with (motorcycle) taxi and inconvenient with public transport.

 

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, Upnotover said:

People who want to travel regularly away from where they live buy cars.  

When I stay in Pattaya I mostly drive a rented scooter.

Car parks at the hotel for few planned trips if any.

Preferably early morning.

Just read from another poster about the last weekend (4th May) with 2 hour gridlock on 2nd rd/central.

1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I know where there's a cheap one for sale, if you are good with a spanner, just needs a tinker here and there. 

How not to ride. Poor guy on a disability three wheeler.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Upnotover said:

People who want to travel regularly away from where they live buy cars.  

And then they spend a considerable amount of time looking for a space to park. And/or they spend a lot of time in traffic and in the parking garage.

You could offer me any car for free, and I wouldn't take it if I then had to use the car instead of a motorcycle. Riding on a bike makes life so much easier. 

[OneMoreFarang]

28 minutes ago, Screaming said:

It is insane to drive a motorbike in Thailand, a death wish.

Even if you repeat that 100 times a day, that doesn't make it true. 

[KhunLA]

If living in Patts, a MB would be essential for me.   Others, can simply use the baht buses, as loops around and takes you to walking distance to everything needed, even beyond on other baht buses.

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Upnotover said:

People who want to travel regularly away from where they live buy cars.  

My first 2 years here, I didn't have a car, and explored a good part of the whole country by plane, bus & trains.  Probably way more than some that do have cars, but rarely venture out of their province, or even Amphur. Never did the van/limo, private taxi thing, as not in any hurry.

[James105]

I'd feel a bit trapped in the condo if I didn't have a bike.   I don't use it often as I live centrally anyway but the traffic in Pattaya is horrendous for going any kind of distance whether in a baht bus or a car.  At least on the bike you can filter through the traffic.

 

People who don't ride bikes think it is dangerous.  As long as you keep your wits about you and ride it with the expectation that everyone else on the road has the capacity to be a moron and avoid places where there are likely to be angry soi dogs that like to chase bikes, then it is not particularly dangerous.  I often feel that I am in more danger walking on the side of the roads here than I do riding on the bike.   

[Oink]

I agree with James. Just assume that everone else on the road is out to kill you and drive accordingly and you should be a lot safer.

[scubascuba3]

Life definitely is better with a motorbike, if not you'd end up getting the baht bus everywhere that keeps you isolated in the square mile.

 

Also once you have a bike you can move further out, more choice, maybe quieter, probably cheaper. I also recommend still being walkable to central so you can go out for drinks without relying on taxi bikes

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

So in reality does it save you a lot by driving a motorcycle, this is where my budget would unfortunately in all wisdom and hindsight quadruple 

You initially asked for someone who cannot ride a motorcycle...... this second question contradicts that but here I go anyhow. Beyond the initial cost of buying a small motorcycle, it is really cheap to run one, and would save you a lot on Grab/Bolt/Win rides, and is a phenomenal convenience for getting around. 

Leave it at home when drinking though. 

[pomchop]

18 hours ago, Oink said:

I agree with James. Just assume that everone else on the road is out to kill you and drive accordingly and you should be a lot safer.

I rode for years and was always paranoid that i would get hit on a busy road by some idiot driver...in reality i had my accident on a dirt road near chiang rai  with not another bike car within miles...slipped on muddy road going very very (probably too) slow and thrown over handle bars in seconds....broke collarbone but fortunately had on a good helmet as landed pretty much on my head...if no helmet probably dead or in coma.

 

It is not always apparent where danger may lie but overall a motorbike is a dangerous vehicle as you have little to no protection.   Never rode again...i of course miss the freedom a bike gives you but also prefer not to roll the dice again.

[Ralf001]

Typically I drive one of my cars if not riding one of my bikes, like all my expats friend's do.

[Henryford]

If you live fairly centrally you can manage without a bike, or car, although it's a big help to get around. I think the baht buses are great, and cheap. I lived here for 2 years before i got a bike.  If you are not used to riding though it can be dodgy. Ride as though every one is out to kill you.

[Tropicalevo]

21 hours ago, Screaming said:

It is insane to drive a motorbike in Thailand, a death wish.

Yet millions ride a bike every die and do not have accidents.

I think that you have a problem.

[Tropicalevo]

20 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

How not to ride. Poor guy on a disability three wheeler.

The scooter rider did nothing wrong.

The driver that hit him did not slow down or look.

He could not see the scooter because of the vehicle turning right blocking his view.

He should have slowed down.

[redwood1]

Forget the motorbike...If you want to save money ride the baht bus and always try and talk the driver down...Tell him you will only pay 5 baht not 10...

[Henryford]

21 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Yet millions ride a bike every die and do not have accidents.

I think that you have a problem.

 

Yes correct

[impulse]

54 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Yet millions ride a bike every die and do not have accidents.

I think that you have a problem.

 

That doesn't negate the fact that, on a per km basis, you're 20-40 times more likely to get killed on a scooter than in a car.  That's from studies in the USA and OZ.

 

But that's relative risk.  In absolute risk terms, you'll probably survive, like millions of others.

 

 

Edited May 8 by impulse

[Robert Paulson]

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

Yet millions ride a bike every die and do not have accidents.

I think that you have a problem.

You gotta admit that some funny stuff. Read it closer if you didn’t get it.

 

if you get into an accident on a motorbike in Thailand, you’re dead. Of course there are exceptions, but I’ll act conservatively thank you very much. And you cannot drive in Thailand for any significant amount of time without an accident.

[KhunLA]

Patts definitely qualifies as a '15 minute city', so nobody has to have a car, or even a motorbike.   

[Ralf001]

1 minute ago, KhunLA said:

Patts definitely qualifies as a '15 minute city', so nobody has to have a car, or even a motorbike.   

hahahahahaha... 15 minute city !