el jefe Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 I bike daily in Bkk.Always wear a helmet and gloves. I live in a hilly area around Chiang Mai. I'm lucky enough to have my factory located 7 km from home. I enjoy biking to work mostly that I use countryside little roads (in average I cross 2 cars per journey!). I had a simple question: is a helmet mandatory by law in Thailand? I'm puzzled to see 100% of the bikers on the major roads of CM wearing one. Puzzled because when it's about driving a car or a motorbike it's a complete anarchy but then, for bicycle, what a discipline! Frankly, due to the lack of traffic on my itinerary, I'd rather avoid it even if I know "it may happen anywhere". A matter of statistics. There is no mandatory helmet law for bicyclists. I ride with two different groups of cyclists in Chiang Mai. One group, which is mostly Thai, always wears a helmet. I agree -- it's hilarious that when they're on a scooter they rarely wear the helmet but on a bicycle they always do. The other group I ride with is a mixed group -- 75% farang / 25% Thai. I'd say that only 2/3 of us wear a helmet. We're out almost 7 days a week, so obviously if you think that "100% of the bikers ... are wearing one" you've never seen our group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macx Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 If you have multiple bikes and plan to retire or spend a long time in Thailand, I'd suggest bringing one of your bikes. Life is too short to live without all those things we have and love It's probably a bit shorter if we are in retirement As you know, bikes do depreciate rather quickly, so a day in the garage is a dollar down the drain. Anyhow, you would be shocked to see how much Thais (as well as expats) spend on bicycles here. I regularly see $3-$5K USD bikes, both mountain and road, sometimes owned by people who don't ride them all that often. Lots of pretty decent places to ride. If you're feeling a bit adventurous, I would recommend bicycle touring the Golden Triangle or even the Luang Prabang to Nong Khai route. A good way to spend your time here and burn a ton of calories and replace them with good food and libations! Good riding! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alwayshavetimeforstupidity Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Great read, thanks for the post and information. I'm looking to buy 2 used road bikes and thought I would post a reply from this blog. Sizes between 54cm and 58cm, cash waiting and can pick up anywhere in Thailand. Please PM me or reply to this thread if you have a bike or bikes available. Thanks, Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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