Is It Safe To Drive Motorcycle In Central Bangkok ?

[duiter]

Hi,

Is it safe to drive motorcycle in central Bangkok ?

What about motorcycle license for foreigner ?

Thanks

[anon210]

1. No, unless you got a death wish.

2. Cfr. the sticky post on driving license in Thailand.

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[eaustev]

If you are an experienced motorcyclist and good at defensive riding then it is OK to ride in Bangkok. If you are not experienced and don't have the ability to look in every direction all at once then forget it, as it will be up to you to accomodate the random manouvering of those around you.

If you have a valid motercycle license from your home country I believe you can get a Thai license issued in the same way that car licenses are done.

[stevenl]

If you are an experienced motorcyclist and good at defensive riding then it is OK to ride in Bangkok. If you are not experienced and don't have the ability to look in every direction all at once then forget it, as it will be up to you to accomodate the random manouvering of those around you.

If you have a valid motercycle license from your home country I believe you can get a Thai license issued in the same way that car licenses are done.

I am an experienced motorbike rider, both in my homecountry and in Thailand, and drive defensively. I have done circuit training for motorbike and car on several occasions, have done safetytraining for car with a former formula 1 driver on several occasions, have done off raod training on several occasions and have followed several safety training sessions from the motorbike organisation in my home country, and no way would I even consider riding a bike in central Bangkok.

[eaustev]

Clearly there will always be different views on this which is great as it gives the OP varying views and perspectives to consider. My view was purely based on my own and friends experiences of getting arpund central Bangkok over the last 20 odd years.

The other part of the question should be "is it always pleasant and convenient to ride around central Bangkok on a motorcycle"? Alot of the time it is hot, dirty, and at this time of the year occasionally very wet. If you are just pottering around the local area it can be convenient, but going further afield can be more of a challenge as you cannot use the expresswasy and are restricted from many of the flyovers, and can therefore sometimes be stuck at intersections that you would just drive over in a car.

For the time I have been here I have always had company and/or private cars as primary transport so any 2 wheeling has been supplementary to that. As purely local transport and with all due caution (and due note to the warnings of the fellow posters) this is one thing, but having four doors and a roof as primary transport is generally still best.

[eezergood]

When in Rome, just make sure you drink as much Mehkong as you can before each journey! It reduces the fear levels

[robblok]

I have driven in central BKK on the bike, its ok no problems. Only problems arise when its so busy you cant zig zag through traffic when the cars are stopped. Then its hot and anoying.

[VocalNeal]

Lots of people ride in Bangkok despite what all the worrywarts say. If you are an experienced rider and have driven in Asia then not a problem but it can be hot and grubby. If you are a new rider in Asia It helps initially to just go with the flow so stick with some other riders and follow them. Weaving in and out of stationary traffic is a local skill which takes time to learn and it not always possible on a bigger bikes. The road in Bangkok are very slippery when it rains so extra, extra (yes two extras) caution is required. You also have to develop fighter pilots eyes. Never let your eyes focus on the same thing for more than 10 seconds. You cannot relax or loose concentration for a second otherwise something will happen that you did not expect or anticipate. But this concentration is itself can be therapeutic.

Come from the US ( as an example) and want to cruise along listening to music with one arm metaphorically resting on the door frame? Forget it.

[telldem]

Last year after I came off the BTS at the On Nut station, I saw a horrific accident involving a bus and motorbike... The guy's perfectly formed brain was laying next to him outside his head.

Not safe.

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