2 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

I am 69, I ride a push bike on a designated 10km bike/walking/jogging circuit with hills etc around a reservoir in Phuket every day, I would not ride it on public roads though, I do not have a death wish.

 

In my experience farangs/Thais with money drive cars, the poorer ones with no choice ride motorbikes and pretend it is about freedom.

 

Even the most expensive motorbikes cost bugger all. 

 

Cycling or scooting around on a motorcycle isn't for everyone especially if you're not a very confident driver. 

 

I think confidence in your driving ability makes a world of difference driving around in Thailand or anywhere on a motorcycle or bicycle.

 

It does take a certain level of skill, even if everyone does obey the law.  Even more so, that defensive driving skill and living in a third world country or crazy City / urban driving in the United States.

 

I agree it seems cost is prohibitive for some but if you live in urban area do you really need a petrol or even an EV motorized transportation.   Walking or cycling just fine for 15 minutes City dwellers. 

 

Stated a few times, I could easily get by without motorized transportation, if not going out and about whenever, as everything needed is within 5 km.

 

12 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

You'd be wrong, i know guys in 70s and 80s who still cycle around Pattaya. Sounds like you are scared so wouldn't understand good cycling or advantages of a motorbike

 

6 hours ago, TedG said:

I also have a KTM 250 XC-F dual sport. 

 

I only have CRF`s here in Thailand now, but it is enough for us and easy to load up on the truck. I might buy a big bike when moving back for good again, if ever. Right now we got other priorities.

 

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

You'd be wrong, i know guys in 70s and 80s who still cycle around Pattaya. Sounds like you are scared so wouldn't understand good cycling or advantages of a motorbike

 

Getting a life long injury making my standard of life a living hell for the rest of my life, being 'scared' of that is a sensible attitude, why would I want to risk that.

 

The advantage of a motorbike, I will get to my destination five minutes earlier than with my car.

 

Disadvantage, I might not get there at all as is the case with tens of thousands a year. (Two farang neighbours of mine, two different motorbike accidents, (both dead).

 

Advantage of my car, I am 99% sure I will get to the destination in one piece.

 

Disadvantage of my car, it might get dented, which will be paid for by my insurance hence not really a disadvantage.

 

Further disadvantage of a motorbike, having to try and raise £50k to get back to the UK or pay for hospital bills as no insurance will cover us for a motorbike accident.

 

I would be OK in that case as I have the cash but a bet a lot of motorbike riders do not.

 

I wish I could afford a motorbike though and also dumb enough to ride one,  they are so cool. 🤣

 

 

 

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

 

Cycling or scooting around on a motorcycle isn't for everyone especially if you're not a very confident driver. 

 

I think confidence in your driving ability makes a world of difference driving around in Thailand or anywhere on a motorcycle or bicycle.

 

It does take a certain level of skill, even if everyone does obey the law.  Even more so, that defensive driving skill and living in a third world country or crazy City / urban driving in the United States.

 

I agree it seems cost is prohibitive for some but if you live in urban area do you really need a petrol or even an EV motorized transportation.   Walking or cycling just fine for 15 minutes City dwellers. 

 

Stated a few times, I could easily get by without motorized transportation, if not going out and about whenever, as everything needed is within 5 km.

 

 

 

 

It does not matter how confident you are or how defensively you ride you can not avoid all accidents, the Thais who ride motorbikes are well experienced and very confident but twenty thousand of those die every year in Thailand.

 

You can not stop those or car drivers crashing into you no matter how defensively you ride, the best defence is not to ride one. 

 

That is why I always go to my destination in my car, it could get dented but can be easily fixed, a body can not.

 

The cost of a bike is no prohibitive as they cost bugger all, what is stopping me from riding one is just pure common sense.

 

Why would I want to ride a bike in the hot sun, the dust, the fumes when I can be in the luxury of a car?

 

The reason so many Thais ride a bike is because they can not afford a car, the rich Thais I know never go near a bike. 

 

Two farang neighbours who had years of experience died on motorbikes coming back from work, two separate incidents, both dead leaving kids and a wife to fend for themselves. 

 

 

23 minutes ago, Hummin said:

 

I only have CRF`s here in Thailand now, but it is enough for us and easy to load up on the truck. I might buy a big bike when moving back for good again, if ever. Right now we got other priorities.

 

 

 

If you had posted pictures of a few top end cars in your garage, that would have impressed me and many others. 

 

23 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Some things just can't be explained or comparisons made, as just not the same.  Just have to experience.  Might not be for everyone, but I can't imagine not ever cruising surfside or on a winding, rolling mountain road.  Sometimes pushing the limits, others, just taking it all in.

 

Not a whole lot different going from a hard top car, to open ragtop.  Now go from the ragtop, to only a seat on 2 wheels.  You could put you feet down to touch the road, not recommended of course.

 

Convertible to MC, still hard to explain.  Take the seat & steering wheel out of the car, pretty much nothing else around you, then do 125+ mph.   Wearing shorts, t-shirt & sandals 

 

And a helmet, of course, and you feel of the elements on and all around you.

 

 

 

I suppose the difference between riding in the open on a motorbike or a nice open top car would be about £60,000 hence most people go for the motorbike experience. 

 

I had a sports car in the UK and after doing 0 to 60 mph in a few seconds etc now and then constant discomfort, I got rid of it after a month and bought a large comfortable car.

 

There is nowhere in the UK where we can zoom around at speed unlike when I live and worked in Germany and even less chance of doing it on the second class roads in Thailand but that is no problem as I am never in a hurry to get anywhere, I have all the time of the day.

 

 

7 minutes ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

I suppose the difference between riding in the open on a motorbike or a nice open top car would be about £60,000 hence most people go for the motorbike experience. 

 

I had a sports car in the UK and after doing 0 to 60 mph in a few seconds etc now and then constant discomfort, I got rid of it after a month and bought a large comfortable car.

 

There is nowhere in the UK where we can zoom around at speed unlike when I live and worked in Germany and even less chance of doing it on the second class roads in Thailand but that is no problem as I am never in a hurry to get anywhere, I have all the time of the day.

 

 

You cant compare to a car, if you compare to a car because of the price, you never had a biker hearth, simple as that. 

 

 

33 minutes ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

or pay for hospital bills as no insurance will cover us for a motorbike accident.

 

Of course they do, check the policy doc. Even cover on mandatory insurance 

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

You cant compare to a car, if you compare to a car because of the price, you never had a biker hearth, simple as that. 

 

 

 

Buying a bike is the easy bit, being dim enough to ride one is not for me.

 

I don't see what is so great about it, most people use bikes to get from A to B on a daily basis, just like a car but without the comfort or safety aspects. 

 

 

I have a friend that was healthy, spry, happy and living in Bangkok. Dumped his bike maybe ten years ago when he was about sixty. Minor accident, the kind of thing you laugh about when you're thirty, but he broke his hip. Ten years of recovery, and he can barely walk, even with a walker. Has to use a wheelchair to leave his room. 

 

3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Of course they do, check the policy doc. Even cover on mandatory insurance 

 

I was referring to tourists on hired bikes, they would not be covered by their travel insurance.

 

I don't know about long term private bike insurance, but even so bodies can not be fixed as easily as a dented car. 

1 minute ago, Yellowtail said:

I have a friend that was healthy, spry, happy and living in Bangkok. Dumped his bike maybe ten years ago when he was about sixty. Minor accident, the kind of thing you laugh about when you're thirty, but he broke his hip. Ten years of recovery, and he can barely walk, even with a walker. Has to use a wheelchair to leave his room. 

 

 

So if he had already got rid of his bike as you said he dumped it, what caused him to break his hip?

On 10/24/2025 at 6:01 AM, emptypockets said:

Why the need for a big shopping delivery?

I was wondering how much  he thinks 3000baht will get him at big c ?   

39 minutes ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

I was referring to tourists on hired bikes, they would not be covered by their travel insurance.

 

I don`t know about your country, but travel insurance from my country most certainly cover motorcycle accidents.  

1 hour ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

in Thailand but that is no problem as I am never in a hurry to get anywhere, I have all the time of the day.

Agree.   My brother would chuckle at me, by the way I drive in TH, vs the way I used to drive in the USA.  Talk about laid back and just taking it all in. 

 

Occasionally have fun on some of the back roads, but wife gets motion sickness, so very rare.

 

On earlier post, avoiding accidents, and a 'what if', which somehow, contrary to everyone else it seems, I avoid them, and others avoid me, as haven't been hit yet, except that one time, and that was my fault.

 

Wish I could say the same about driving in USA, as stated previously, 6 times, idiots crashed into me, thankfully was not on the MC.  And so many more times, almost had a oops on the MC over there, as people just don't respect them, unlike in TH.

1 hour ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

I was referring to tourists on hired bikes, they would not be covered by their travel insurance.

 

Yes they would, I always ensured my travel insurance covered my 125cc bike

 

 

 

I recommend Bob buy the biggest bike he can afford.

 

 

1 hour ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

So if he had already got rid of his bike as you said he dumped it, what caused him to break his hip?

I am going to assume you are not joking.

 

Dumping a bike means laying the bike down while moving to avoid a more serious accident. Had he been thirty, he'd likely have just picked the bike up and rode off. 

9 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

The main argument against bikes in Thailand is its too freaking hot to wear the correct protective gear.

Mesh jacket and pants are ok in the Thai heat.

9 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

The main argument against bikes in Thailand is its too freaking hot to wear the correct protective gear.

No hotter than northern Australia.

I wear the gear all the time.

4 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

Why would I want to ride a bike in the hot sun,

It's not bad while you are moving.  If it gets over 100, it isn't good. 

4 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

I am going to assume you are not joking.

 

Dumping a bike means laying the bike down while moving to avoid a more serious accident. Had he been thirty, he'd likely have just picked the bike up and rode off. 

 

Ah I see, in general English dumping something means getting rid of it and so I though he had done the same with a bike as that would be a sensible thing to do, so it is also a bike term I see.

 

If he was wearing shorts etc as I see most farangs do in Phuket that 'dumping'  would have meant third degree road burns as well on the skin. 

 

If he was in a car he could have just braked and if the car got bashed then no problem as it can be fixed, no injuries at all.

 

As I was driving back to day from a walk around the reservoir, a woman on a bike did a right hand turn from the other side of the road cutting across at 90 degrees  in front of me, if I had not braked hard she would have been in hospital now, it happens all the time here in Phuket. 

 

It means if she carries on riding like that then she might do the same trick with a bad car driver on his phone and that would be that.

14 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Even cover on mandatory insurance 

I thought it was only 3rd party/liability cover. 

16 hours ago, Namplik said:

I don`t know about your country, but travel insurance from my country most certainly cover motorcycle accidents.  

Perhaps - but never if the rider does not have a valid M/C Driver's Licence 

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I thought it was only 3rd party/liability cover. 

No, 30k medical and 80k if not your fault, i know someone who had all his medical expenses paid just a few weeks ago

On 10/24/2025 at 5:30 AM, georgegeorgia said:

I'm talking about Pattaya here thus i have posted in the Pattaya section 

 

Last time I was in Pattaya I stayed at various Airbnb condominiums thus using Grab a lot 

 

My budget expenses for one month was around 3000 baht 

That was going from Jomtien to Pattaya several times 

And up to Elite gym on Sukhumvit etc 

 

I often think to myself maybe I should learn to drive a motorcycle, 

 

Do you as a older retired expat living in Pattaya find you can do without a motorcycle ,what about food shopping etc 

 

as far as I know they don't do big  shopping deliveries in Pattaya ?

 

Who here is retired but doesn't have a motorcycle and no partner ,how do you rely on getting around ?

 

Baht bus?

I did use Grab motorbike several times but with no helmet I didn't feel safe 

Can you do without a motorbike 

 

 

 

 

its not if you are going to have an accident on a motorbike here it's when you're going to have an accident on a motorbike here if you've never ridden a bike before I would really suggest that you don't bother, grab cars way cheaper way safer

On 10/24/2025 at 6:22 AM, TedG said:

Stick to a moped. 

Please describe a moped.

25 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

Please describe a moped.

When I grew up, it was simply a MC with a small (~50cc) motor.   The originals, were converted bicycles, like ebikes today, but with small petrol engine.

 

Now, I would describe, call one, an ebike or scooter, something with electric motor & pedals, to increase range, of if dumb enough, drain the the batter too low to return 

 

Though most, of type below, I don't think anyone uses the pedals, and I've only seen one gal actually pedaling her scooter.  Many don't even have pedals anymore.

 

On 10/26/2025 at 5:01 PM, cdemundo said:

Exactly as I said, your case is somehow different.

I believe your comment was sarcastically mocking people who think they are safer.

 

Everyone rides with a different set of risk factors. Statistics are not relevant to individuals.

On 10/26/2025 at 3:06 PM, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

Hence the idea of using a car, it might take ten minutes longer to get the destination but we are sitting in air con luxury anyway, it is much better to get a dent in the car and live rather than get a life changing injury or death by bike. 

Then, when you get to your destination, you can frig around for another 15 to 30 minutes or more trying to find somewhere to park. In Pattaya, on many occasions and trips, using a car could take an hour longer than the same trip on a motorcycle, depending on how well you can slip through parked traffic on the motorcycle. We have a car, but we hardly ever use it in Central Pattaya. That's the area West of Sukhmvit Road.