Hi All

What's the easiest way to explain to a mechanic that I want my bike fully serviced (tune-up, oil/filter changed, brakes checked/adjusted etc).

Thanks in advance.

For a start.

The term "maintenance motorcycle" in Thai:

การบำรุงรักษา มอเตอร์ไซค์ ( gaan bam-rung rák-săa  mor-dtêr-sai)

 

With this search term one finds some maintenance checklists.

Most of them in Thai only of course.

A few bilingual (but not very complete).

 

It might ease the job if you specify what motorbike you have (and how old/km). Maybe there are ready to use checklists.

 

A rich source of dedicated (auto)motor terms is here:

https://vallop-automechanics.blogspot.com/2012/05/blog-post_7280.html

Scroll down to see the English/Thai table of terms.

A lot of them just Thai pronounciation of English words like break -> " bràyk".

 

Oil  น้ำมัน

Oil Filter  หม้อกรองน้ำมันเครื่อง

Brake  เบรก, ห้ามล้อ

Brake Fluid  น้ำมันเบรก

Air Cleaner; Air Filter  หม้อกรองอากาศ

Fuel Filter  ตัวกรองเชื้อเพลิง, หม้อกรองเชื้อเพลิง

...

adjust brake การปรับปรุง เบรค

As the previous poster has alluded, the Western concept of a full motorbike or car service is rarely applied here. If you go in with Western ideas you will be disappointed.

 

The conversation will proceed as follows (assuming the farang can speak Thai)

 

Farang : I want a full service.

Mechanic : Ok, I will check everything.

Farang : Great. What time can I pick up the bike?

Mechanic : (hesitates; time is a tricky concept).

Farang : 4pm today?

Mechanic : Okay.

(At 4 pm)

Farang arrives and is presented with a bill for a paltry 200 Baht. Farang is perplexed. How can it be so cheap?

Farang reads bill which only shows oil.

Farang : Did you check the valves?

Mechanic : Yes (the lie answer) No need (the lazy option)

Farang : Did you change the oil filter?

Mechanic : No need

Farang : Did you change the brake fluid?

Mechanic : No need

 

So, you will need to specify precisely what you wish done in order to have the slightest chance of the mechanic doing it.

What bike do you have? What is wrong with it, if anything? When was it last serviced? How old is it?

 

2 hours ago, Briggsy said:

As the previous poster has alluded, the Western concept of a full motorbike or car service is rarely applied here. If you go in with Western ideas you will be disappointed.

 

The conversation will proceed as follows (assuming the farang can speak Thai)

 

Farang : I want a full service.

Mechanic : Ok, I will check everything.

Farang : Great. What time can I pick up the bike?

Mechanic : (hesitates; time is a tricky concept).

Farang : 4pm today?

Mechanic : Okay.

(At 4 pm)

Farang arrives and is presented with a bill for a paltry 200 Baht. Farang is perplexed. How can it be so cheap?

Farang reads bill which only shows oil.

Farang : Did you check the valves?

Mechanic : Yes (the lie answer) No need (the lazy option)

Farang : Did you change the oil filter?

Mechanic : No need

Farang : Did you change the brake fluid?

Mechanic : No need

 

So, you will need to specify precisely what you wish done in order to have the slightest chance of the mechanic doing it.

What bike do you have? What is wrong with it, if anything? When was it last serviced? How old is it?

 

true ; often motorbikes shop have many customers and no time to do everything deeply

I know only one shop, not many customers, much time to work and this shop changed my brakes shoes on two motorbikes, they told me it can be dangerous if not changed ( thai name ; เกือกเบรก, ฝักเบรก, keu-ak brek, fak brek ) , nobody else in five years looked at the break shoes , they told me also ( as somebody else ) that a good oil motor is Castrol, change every 1000 kms, they changed also my tires with Michelin tires ( tired of flat  tires ) 

Oh, in direct answer to the OP's question, the easiest way is :-

20,000 mile service

Borigan rot song meun kilo

บริการรถสองหมื่นกิโล

 

(I have used the example of 20,000 kms here.)