Riding A Motorbike Throughout Thailand

[BAKABAS]

Hi all,

I have gained some great advice here for my upcoming holiday to LOS.

Another piece of the puzzle is to find out what i need to get ( license, insurance etc) if i want to hire a m/bike to travel around. Not just in the local areas, but lets say i wanted to hire a bike to travel from BKK to Pak Chong to Chiang Mai to Pattaya? Basically what do i need ( less brains) to get around Legally?

Maybe there are some threads about this , but it's Friday night and i would like some fresh thoughts by you pros.

cheers,

WAZZA

Sydney

PS: Man, the Tooheys Extra Drys are going down well tonight. FN hot out side in Sydney Town.

[pianoman]

Hi all,

I have gained some great advice here for my upcoming holiday to LOS.

Another piece of the puzzle is to find out what i need to get ( license, insurance etc) if i want to hire a m/bike to travel around. Not just in the local areas, but lets say i wanted to hire a bike to travel from BKK to Pak Chong to Chiang Mai to Pattaya? Basically what do i need ( less brains) to get around Legally?

Maybe there are some threads about this , but it's Friday night and i would like some fresh thoughts by you pros.

cheers,

WAZZA

Sydney

PS: Man, the Tooheys Extra Drys are going down well tonight. FN hot out side in Sydney Town.

You might check out the website www.gtrider.com Mostly riders from up north, but lots of good information about riding all over Thailand...

Pianoman

[whopper]

Regulations???

[otherstuff1957]

You cannot legally ride a motorcycle on a major Highway in Thailand. You can, of course, ride a bike on the frontage roads (look out for dogs, chickens and children though!) and on smaller roads.

Highways are being extended throughout Thailand, which is good news for truckers and people with cars, but bad news for motorcyclists!

[silverhawk_usa]

You cannot legally ride a motorcycle on a major Highway in Thailand. You can, of course, ride a bike on the frontage roads (look out for dogs, chickens and children though!) and on smaller roads.

Highways are being extended throughout Thailand, which is good news for truckers and people with cars, but bad news for motorcyclists!

Where do you get this information? It is true on the highways immediately in and around Bangkok, but I have driven thousands of miles (see gt-rider.com) in Thailand, North, East and South and have never heard of this before.

Not saying you are wrong, but please state a few more facts or sources.

[goldfish]

I have ridden a bike between Malaysia and Bangkok recently without any problems, if you dont count the buffulo, 3 girls on one moped coming the other way in the fast lane, trucks coming the other way etc etc.

I think your biggest problem is gonna be hiring a bike, if that is your intention. I suspect everywhere will wish to hold on to your passport. To buy a bike here is very expensive, probably unroadworthy if secondhand and to go into detail on bringing a bike in would take too long.

If you do succeed, good luck, you will meet some lovely people

[Briggsy]

You must carry a piece of paper or plastic that purports to be a driving licence. If you don't the police, take a dim view and this will up the amount you have to pay them and the increase the length of the hypocritical harangue they always give you. Best to get an international licence before you come or you might even buy a fake one on Khao San.

You also need to carry a photocopy of the bike's registration book.

The bike needs 2 stickers, tax and (minimal) insurance.

You must keep to the left of the road. You will be fined if the police catch in the outside lane of a dual carriageway. The fine is 400 Baht if you use legal channels and is paid at the police station. The more usual bribe is 100 Baht though you will be asked for more as you are a foreigner.

You are not allowed to use some flyovers. There is a tiny sign you will not see and a policeman will be waiting for you on the other side.

During rush hours and at night, there are no laws as the traffic police are either too busy or at home.

Nobody has insurance but I recommend you get health insurance that covers motorbike accidents.

[basjke]

Most of the rental bikes are not insured to travel allover thailand.They have only insurance for the district where they are for rent so you will have to take an extra insurance if you want to travel around.Also most of the shops will not rent you a bike if you tell them you will make a lot of kilometers.

An international driver licence is accepted by the police however when you have an accident you possible will have trouble as an international driver licence is not valid in thailand.

Also you are allowed on highways but not on tollways.Mostly you will not have a problem with police upcountry.I have travelled thailand from north to south to east by motorbike several times,never was stopped by police.Something you can't say when you drive in bangkok.They will always have a reason to stop you and get some money out of you.

Anyway have a nice trip and I can recommend you the north and northeast which are very nice top drive around.Reasonably good roads,nice sight seeings and not to busy.

[bkkmadness]

This is a nice topic, I was thinking about doing this some time myself. For all of you that have traveled Thailand by motorbike, how was the experience?

[Crossy]

An international driver licence is accepted by the police however when you have an accident you possible will have trouble as an international driver licence is not valid in thailand.

To clarify. If you have an International Driving Permit (IDP) obtained from your national motoring organisation (the AA ot RAC in the UK) along with your national licence you are 100% legal for up to 90 days from your entry into the Kingdom.

There are International Driving Licenses (sic) available from many websites, these are NOT acceptable and police in tourist areas know what they look like.

[Buckwheat]

This is a nice topic, I was thinking about doing this some time myself. For all of you that have traveled Thailand by motorbike, how was the experience?

I think Davethailand just rode his bike to and from Penang.

Dave?

[bkkmadness]

I wondered why I hadn't seem him about that much. Let's hope for a trip report. Did he make it back?

[Buckwheat]

I wondered why I hadn't seem him about that much. Let's hope for a trip report. Did he make it back?

Yes,

I've seen him since he came back. He posted that his Mum is either on her way, or may be here already. That may be why he hasn't been on much.

Sounds like a good reason to drop by the Blues Factory...humanitarian inquiry as to the whereabouts of Dave!!!

dvk1951.....wanna go?

[bkkmadness]

I wondered why I hadn't seem him about that much. Let's hope for a trip report. Did he make it back?

Yes,

I've seen him since he came back. He posted that his Mum is either on her way, or may be here already. That may be why he hasn't been on much.

Sounds like a good reason to drop by the Blues Factory...humanitarian inquiry as to the whereabouts of Dave!!!

Will Thaivisa sponsor this dangerous mission? If so I'm in.

[Buckwheat]

I wondered why I hadn't seem him about that much. Let's hope for a trip report. Did he make it back?

Yes,

I've seen him since he came back. He posted that his Mum is either on her way, or may be here already. That may be why he hasn't been on much.

Sounds like a good reason to drop by the Blues Factory...humanitarian inquiry as to the whereabouts of Dave!!!

Will Thaivisa sponsor this dangerous mission? If so I'm in.

16 December....Blues Factory.....Official Pissup

[t.s]

This is a nice topic, I was thinking about doing this some time myself. For all of you that have traveled Thailand by motorbike, how was the experience?

i did an 11 day bangkok hua hin, chupon, samui, koh phan ngan, Phannga, songkla, hatyai, ranong etc... 4 or so years ago before the "conflict." I twas brilliant. i keep telling myself i will do issan and changmai/mountain region tours as well, but as of yet have not.

it was wonderful. I had 2 vfr 400 rs and lent one to a friend. we took our time and did lots of side trips to wateralls etc. at only in noodle shops in smaller towns and stayed in smaller "hotels"

we also hit evry thai disco we could find. it would do it again tomorrow. we met alot of people and had some brilliant experiences as a result of tiny breakdowns.

no hassles from cops at all, but we had armour and kevalr pants(leathers too hot) and tended to travel at high rates of speed. just dont do it at night.

[terry57]

mate,

ive ridden a motorcycle all through northern thailand and it was fantastic.

started in chaing mai and headed north for 2 weeks.

i'll give you a big tip.

the main thing you need to do is be bloody careful. over here you are nothing on a bike and trucks, cars will run over you if you are not on your top game. if you get run over its your fault ok and never forget that.

the roads are in good condition so thats a big plus and the scenery is brilliant. might be a good place to start if you aint been here before.

you need an international drivers licence and a frigging iron clad insurance policy.

beside what ive said its the same as ozzy and if you take things easy you'll have a blast.

cheers mate

[terry57]

I have ridden a bike between Malaysia and Bangkok recently without any problems, if you dont count the buffulo, 3 girls on one moped coming the other way in the fast lane, trucks coming the other way etc etc.

I think your biggest problem is gonna be hiring a bike, if that is your intention. I suspect everywhere will wish to hold on to your passport. To buy a bike here is very expensive, probably unroadworthy if secondhand and to go into detail on bringing a bike in would take too long.

If you do succeed, good luck, you will meet some lovely people

it is no problem to hire a decent bike in chaing mai.

the holding of the passport is for security on the bike. as long as you return the bike in same condition you will not have any problem concerning your passport.

if you damage the bike you must pay to return it to the original condition.

dont have an accident.

[Nam Kao]

Please name me as beneficiary,

easy $$

[PeaceBlondie]

In roughly 40,000 kilometers of riding around northern Thailand - much of it commuting on the superhighway, in the fast lane, at over 120 kph - I never got stopped for anything. Of course, near the border, there are checkpoints to see that you're not smuggling vehicles or drugs; no problem. And in town, helmet checkpoints. The only thing that stopped me in my tracks was a dog. I saw the elephants, buffalos, and cows before I got to them.

And, you should never run out of fuel. On the road to Mae Hong Son, I chickened out when the tank had two liters left, and the lady hand-cranked a couple more liters in my tank, just in case. Fabulous road, if you like trillions of hairpin curves. Okay, so I exaggerate.

Ride with paranoia. They ARE trying to kill you.

[JimsKnight]

I have ridden a bike between Malaysia and Bangkok recently without any problems, if you dont count the buffulo, 3 girls on one moped coming the other way in the fast lane, trucks coming the other way etc etc.

I think your biggest problem is gonna be hiring a bike, if that is your intention. I suspect everywhere will wish to hold on to your passport. To buy a bike here is very expensive, probably unroadworthy if secondhand and to go into detail on bringing a bike in would take too long.

If you do succeed, good luck, you will meet some lovely people

it is no problem to hire a decent bike in chaing mai.

the holding of the passport is for security on the bike. as long as you return the bike in same condition you will not have any problem concerning your passport.

if you damage the bike you must pay to return it to the original condition.

dont have an accident.

The place I just rented my bike from accepted my drivers license as cover! I kept my passport!

Riding around North of Thailand is cool for cats but make sure you wrap up, as road surfing a 50 - 80 Kph isn't good for your skin!

Also wear gloves, even if only cotton, they will stop you getting sun burn, a lot of people forget that!

[BAKABAS]

mate,

started in chaing mai and headed north for 2 weeks.

i'll give you a big tip.

frigging iron clad insurance policy.

cheers mate

Hey Terry,

Thanks for the tip, i presume you are Aussie. Did you get the insurance deal here before going or in Thailand? If you got one here, who did you go through?

I will call the RTA in NSW to find out about the international drivers licence.

I had the same idea of starting from CM and going north.

Thankyou to everyone posting.

[BAKABAS]

Riding around North of Thailand is cool for cats but make sure you wrap up, as road surfing a 50 - 80 Kph isn't good for your skin!

Also wear gloves, even if only cotton, they will stop you getting sun burn, a lot of people forget that!

Good Day,

I was thinking of brining my own skid lid and gloves. On the other hand, i might buy them over there. did you but your gear there?

WAZZA

Sydney

Again thanks for all the tips guys.

[Briggsy]

Bring your own stuff with you. Good quality lids can be hard to find. Most people wear plastic pots on their head.

If you don't, there's a Shoei shop on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok near the underground.

Also never be the first to go after the lights change to green.

[goldfish]

Riding around North of Thailand is cool for cats but make sure you wrap up, as road surfing a 50 - 80 Kph isn't good for your skin!

Also wear gloves, even if only cotton, they will stop you getting sun burn, a lot of people forget that!

Good Day,

I was thinking of brining my own skid lid and gloves. On the other hand, i might buy them over there. did you but your gear there?

WAZZA

Sydney

Again thanks for all the tips guys.

I had a friend bring me over an Arai lid I bought on e-bay, sold all my gear before leaving England.

Shoei fits me better but Arai has better ventilation. Haven't tried a Thai lid, dont intend to

[Little Black Duck]

Riding around North of Thailand is cool for cats but make sure you wrap up, as road surfing a 50 - 80 Kph isn't good for your skin!

Also wear gloves, even if only cotton, they will stop you getting sun burn, a lot of people forget that!

Good Day,

I was thinking of brining my own skid lid and gloves. On the other hand, i might buy them over there. did you but your gear there?

WAZZA

Sydney

Again thanks for all the tips guys.

I had a friend bring me over an Arai lid I bought on e-bay, sold all my gear before leaving England.

Shoei fits me better but Arai has better ventilation. Haven't tried a Thai lid, dont intend to

Good Lid definately...Avex Full face essential aound B600-800 local and definately gloves, can get most things in Tesco Lotus or Big C..

[terry57]

mate,

started in chaing mai and headed north for 2 weeks.

i'll give you a big tip.

frigging iron clad insurance policy.

cheers mate

Hey Terry,

Thanks for the tip, i presume you are Aussie. Did you get the insurance deal here before going or in Thailand? If you got one here, who did you go through?

I will call the RTA in NSW to find out about the international drivers licence.

I had the same idea of starting from CM and going north.

Thankyou to everyone posting.

im from perth.

get your insurance from aussy and make sure it covers bike riding.

international license from home as well .

step 3. fly to bangkok and bolt to chaing mai.

hire bike in chang mai and head north.

game on.

have fun.

cheers.

[bmanly]

Hey Terry,

Thanks for the tip, i presume you are Aussie. Did you get the insurance deal here before going or in Thailand? If you got one here, who did you go through?

I will call the RTA in NSW to find out about the international drivers licence.

I had the same idea of starting from CM and going north.

Thankyou to everyone posting.

Forget the RTA. To get an International Drivers Permit you must go to the NRMA. If you are not a member it will be $50. Also be warned, read the fine print on your insurance policy, most will not pay up if you do not hold a license of the country you are riding/driving in. The International Permit does not mean you have a local Thai license and you may not be covered.

I ride a MC in Thailand all the time, it's great and I love it. This year I got pulled up 2 times in general roadside checks. Both times I was free to go as they go for 4 things for bike riders, helmets, license (local or International), rego and insurance. If one of those are missing expect a fine. Have fun!

[chuchok]

This site gives some great advise for touring the North of Thailand,with some great trip reports.

Written by an Aussie,so it's not perfect...

North Thailand GT

[BAKABAS]

This site gives some great advise for touring the North of Thailand,with some great trip reports.

Written by an Aussie,so it's not perfect...

North Thailand GT

Great bit of advice! on the site i was happy locating the " Great loops and day rides"

http://www.gt-rider.com/loops.html#SAMOENG

Just the sort of info i was looking for. Thanks.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie.. Oi Oi Oi