Definition Of Bicycle In Thailand?

[impulse]

First my question: Does Thailand recognize electric bicycles within any limits as "bicycles" as opposed to "motorcycles", and can I buy one and ride it without a license and insurance, like I could ride a normal human powered bicycle?

Now the background: I'm considering buying an electric bicycle for short jaunts from my apartment to the grocery store. My other (2nd choice) option is buying a gas powered scooter, but that requires registration, insurance, licensing, etc. I do have a WP so I think I can get the license, but don't really want the hassle and risk as I don't heal up as quickly as I did when I was a kid.

In the USA, electric bicycles are defined as 2-3 wheels with operable pedals, maximum speed 20 MPH, max 750 watt motor, and no more than 100 lb. Within those limits, they're considered bicycles and regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Beyond those limits, they're considered motor vehicles and controlled by Department of Transportation (DOT).

By US federal law, electric bicycles don't have to be registered or insured anywhere normal bicycles don't have to be registered and insured. Riders of electric bicycles have the same rights and responsibilities as riders of any human powered bicycle and states can't regulate them differently.

I'm wondering if Thailand has any such distinction between electric bicycles, human powered bicycles and motorcycles? I love my e-bike in China and would really like to buy one here in BKK, but not if I can't use it legally.

BTW, the above US definition of bicycle is several years old and my no longer be current.

[ad61]

Give the world (and yourself) a nice gift by buying a "real" bicycle to do your shopping at the corner of your soi.

[el jefe]

I have no idea where you found a nationwide definition of an electric bicycle. I'm sure it exists, maybe under CPSC standards. But individual states have the right to regulate road users and those laws can supersede the regulations you state. there is currently a controversy in NYC about the use of electric bicycles. Despite their enormous popularity with food deliverers, they are illegal by statute even though they meet all of the requirements stated above. Because of their popularity, the City Council is trying to make them legal and may have already done so in the past 6 months. The proposal is that they have to be licensed.

As for your question, I can't imagine you ever having a problem riding an electric bike in Thailand. A significant portion of the population rides scooters without insurance and probably without a license too. That said, I'm in Chiang Mai and have little experience in Bangkok. And, as said above, get a real bike!

[impulse]

I have no idea where you found a nationwide definition of an electric bicycle. I'm sure it exists, maybe under CPSC standards. But individual states have the right to regulate road users and those laws can supersede the regulations you state. there is currently a controversy in NYC about the use of electric bicycles.

Wikipedia (as usual) is a good place to start:

http://en.wikipedia....ic_bicycle_laws

http://en.wikipedia....lectric_bicycle

For a slightly biased view with a lot of good backup information, try this one:

http://www.veloteq.c...nks_to_laws.htm

While Veloteq's view is biased, it actually matches the legal advice we got when we were evaluating importing e-bikes and small engine conversion kits to power bicycles with what amount to 35 cc gasoline weed-eater motors. Since we were in Texas, the states that haven't bent to the will of the Congress and reconciled their laws with Federal laws didn't really concern us. But you're right, it is pretty controversial and I haven't been involved in years.

As for why a 55 year old guy (who loved mountain biking and biked regularly for decades) would not buy a regular bike, look up "enlarged prostate", look at one of those knifeblade seats that come on a regular bike, then do the math. You can get a real wide and comfy seat on an e-bike. Wide seats do impede pedaling ability, but that's no big deal on an electric that stays within a mile of home.

Edited March 16, 2012 by impulse

[el jefe]

I have no idea where you found a nationwide definition of an electric bicycle. I'm sure it exists, maybe under CPSC standards. But individual states have the right to regulate road users and those laws can supersede the regulations you state. there is currently a controversy in NYC about the use of electric bicycles.

Wikipedia (as usual) is a good place to start:

http://en.wikipedia....ic_bicycle_laws

http://en.wikipedia....lectric_bicycle

For a slightly biased view with a lot of good backup information, try this one:

http://www.veloteq.c...nks_to_laws.htm

While Veloteq's view is biased, it actually matches the legal advice we got when we were evaluating importing e-bikes and small engine conversion kits to power bicycles with what amount to 35 cc gasoline weed-eater motors. Since we were in Texas, the states that haven't bent to the will of the Congress and reconciled their laws with Federal laws didn't really concern us. But you're right, it is pretty controversial and I haven't been involved in years.

As for why a 55 year old guy (who loved mountain biking and biked regularly for decades) would not buy a regular bike, look up "enlarged prostate", look at one of those knifeblade seats that come on a regular bike, then do the math. You can get a real wide and comfy seat on an e-bike. Wide seats do impede pedaling ability, but that's no big deal on an electric that stays within a mile of home.

Wikipedia agreed with the all the relevant points of what I wrote, most importantly that states' rights take precedence.

Sorry about the sarcastic remark about the "real" bikes.

I can't help you any further about the legalities of electric bikes in Bangkok, but I've rarely seen any traffic law enforced in CM.

[impulse]

Sorry about the sarcastic remark about the "real" bikes.

No apologies necessary. It's all in good fun.

I do miss pedaling, but I also like to sit down at the end of the day on both cheeks.

I have half a dozen other articles and websites from 2002-2005 saved in PDF format, but a lot of the links are dead. They're mostly written by early adopters of e-bikes lamenting the way police, even within the same state and city, don't know how to treat e-bikes. The gist of most of those articles was that Congress' intent was to mandate that qualifying e-bikes would be treated as any other bike, and states could no more differentiate their laws between human powered bikes and (qualifying) e-bikes than they could differentiate between red bikes and green bikes.

Apparently it hasn't gotten much clearer or more harmonized in the past 8-10 years.

Edited March 16, 2012 by impulse

[rebo]

Even though I always try to strictly follow Thai laws I wouldn't hesitate one second to use an e-bike here as long as it's still a bicycle and not a tuned up youngster race apparatus. I'm sure that most of all BIBs even don't know how to recognize such vehicles.

But at the end I agree with ad61 and el jefe ...