Motorcycling in Thailand
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Is motorcycling dangerous in Thailand?
This is a question that many people ask & I'm here to tell you that if you do things right then it needn't be.
First thing to ask yourself is am I capable of riding the bike that the shop has? If you don't ride a motorcycle in everyday life then please stick to twist & go mopeds & don't hire a big bike. Pattaya has a fatality every day due mainly to the fact that the riders aren't used to powerful machines.
The second thing to find out is if the shop has a good reputation for quality bikes or not. The best way to do this is to ask the locals & people who have already hired a bike from them. This is only advice & you should always check the bike over thoroughly yourself aswell.
Below is a list of things that I always check myself as the shop will have you over a barrel if something goes wrong with the bike such as a seizure or a crash, a 250 trials bike will set you back 90,000 Baht or more & a 750 much much more.
Tyres:condition, pressure & most important too the correct size.
Engine: Oil level (everyday!), condition of spark plug/colour of exhaust end can for evidence of oil usage.
Brakes: Pads & shoes must be in good condition with at least 2mm of material on them. If they're at all dodgey get them changed & if the shop owner tries to flannel you then tell them to change them or you are going to another shop, they'll change them then. If they don't go to another shop cos if they're going to argue about brakes then the rest of the bike will be questionable too. The other thing is to check the level and condition of the hydraulic fluid in the reservoirs, they MUST be correct levels & the fluid shouldn't be black!
Exhaust: If it's got a hole in it it will not only be loud & get on your wick after 30 miles it will also increase your fuel consumption & reduce the bikes performance.
Handlebars/Forks: Check for trueness & alignment these bikes that you hire in Thailand get dropped on a regular basis.
Finally. Make sure that you take a piccy or 2 of the bike before you set off so that any damage that the bike has sustained before you got it is recorded so that there is no arguments as to the condition of the bike when you give it back. Remember the shop owner usually holds your passport!
The only other things to remember are that helmets are compulsary & have been since '97, an international driving licence is required but seldom asked for (until you get the police involved), the larger the vehicle on a Thai road the more right of way it has!!
Roads in Thailand vary from motorway (highway 1 for instance from B/kok to Chiang Mai) to dirt paths. The best way to ride as explained to me by German Joe from Goodwill Motorcycles at Chiang Mai) is to ride at 75% of your riding skills thereby allowing 25% to cope with the unforseen that you will encounter. I've gone round corners on mountainous jungle roads to find that the road has simply slipped down the mountain or to come face to face with a herd of cattle having an afternoon siesta in the road!
Lastly, insurance is a joke in Thailand and what usually happens is the police mediate an amicable payment, amicable to the locals that is!
Rides out.
Ride No 1.
The best Ride of my life is in North Thailand & Ive been riding bikes for 23 years!
It's the road between Chiang Mai & Mai Hong Son. After leaving Chiang Mai head north & about 15 miles you come to a small town where the road opens up to 3 lanes both ways. At the traffic lights turn left towards Mai Hong Son (it's signposted) and you've got one of the twistiest roads in Thailand in front of you. The Thais call it the road of a thousand curves but I think that there's a couple more than that! The road surface is variable to put it politely & trucks & buses often come round the corners on the wrong side of the road so remember the 75% riding advice or you will have an accident, oh & there's no hospitals worth mentioning out here in the jungle!
Halfway along there's a small town called Pai where the less fit or more laid back might want to stop off at for a night. If you do, try to get accommodation at Chez Swan. 250 Baht a night for an apartment & Guy the French fella who owns it & the rafting shop down the road will do anything to help you out.
When you get to Mai Hong Son you will be surprised by the number of Thais from B/kok who come here for their holidays, not many farangs here though! Accommodation is plentiful here and most of it is good, just avoid the big place by the lake. A good place to eat is Lucky's just off the main drag through town.
Ride No 2.
From Phitsanalok head East along Highway 12 and turn left after approximately 30 miles towards Loei (I think it's highway 230) & you'll be treated to some of the most beautiful twisting tarmac that Thailand has to offer. Ride through Loei & carry on to Chiang Khan where you'll probably want to stay and explore the national parks around the area as you can ride your bike in them.
Chiang Khan is on the Mekhong river and the best place to be is the Tongkong guesthouse run by Ben & Paitoon. Excellant food, clean rooms & Paitoon is a certifiable nutter.
Important note.
The speed limit in Thailand is 90 Kph but the police rarely enforce it, just remember that if they do stop you it's usually cheaper to sort it out at the roadside rather than down the station where you'll invariably be held for a good few hours to sort out the paperwork & the fine will be bigger too.
Drink driving happens all over the place in Thailand but I would warn against it as most of the Thai hospitals are s**t & falling off drunk may not hurt at the time but it sure does the next day. No it hasn't happened to me!
I hope that this entry might be of help to people going to ride in Thailand and if you want to talk to somebody else in the know then the main man is David Unkovich who has his own web site, if you are in Chiang mai thaen the best bike shop in the city is Goodwill M/C's which is run by German joe & Pommy Tom. Mention that I sent you & you might get a discount.
This is a question that many people ask & I'm here to tell you that if you do things right then it needn't be.
First thing to ask yourself is am I capable of riding the bike that the shop has? If you don't ride a motorcycle in everyday life then please stick to twist & go mopeds & don't hire a big bike. Pattaya has a fatality every day due mainly to the fact that the riders aren't used to powerful machines.
The second thing to find out is if the shop has a good reputation for quality bikes or not. The best way to do this is to ask the locals & people who have already hired a bike from them. This is only advice & you should always check the bike over thoroughly yourself aswell.
Below is a list of things that I always check myself as the shop will have you over a barrel if something goes wrong with the bike such as a seizure or a crash, a 250 trials bike will set you back 90,000 Baht or more & a 750 much much more.
Tyres:condition, pressure & most important too the correct size.
Engine: Oil level (everyday!), condition of spark plug/colour of exhaust end can for evidence of oil usage.
Brakes: Pads & shoes must be in good condition with at least 2mm of material on them. If they're at all dodgey get them changed & if the shop owner tries to flannel you then tell them to change them or you are going to another shop, they'll change them then. If they don't go to another shop cos if they're going to argue about brakes then the rest of the bike will be questionable too. The other thing is to check the level and condition of the hydraulic fluid in the reservoirs, they MUST be correct levels & the fluid shouldn't be black!
Exhaust: If it's got a hole in it it will not only be loud & get on your wick after 30 miles it will also increase your fuel consumption & reduce the bikes performance.
Handlebars/Forks: Check for trueness & alignment these bikes that you hire in Thailand get dropped on a regular basis.
Finally. Make sure that you take a piccy or 2 of the bike before you set off so that any damage that the bike has sustained before you got it is recorded so that there is no arguments as to the condition of the bike when you give it back. Remember the shop owner usually holds your passport!
The only other things to remember are that helmets are compulsary & have been since '97, an international driving licence is required but seldom asked for (until you get the police involved), the larger the vehicle on a Thai road the more right of way it has!!
Roads in Thailand vary from motorway (highway 1 for instance from B/kok to Chiang Mai) to dirt paths. The best way to ride as explained to me by German Joe from Goodwill Motorcycles at Chiang Mai) is to ride at 75% of your riding skills thereby allowing 25% to cope with the unforseen that you will encounter. I've gone round corners on mountainous jungle roads to find that the road has simply slipped down the mountain or to come face to face with a herd of cattle having an afternoon siesta in the road!
Lastly, insurance is a joke in Thailand and what usually happens is the police mediate an amicable payment, amicable to the locals that is!
Rides out.
Ride No 1.
The best Ride of my life is in North Thailand & Ive been riding bikes for 23 years!
It's the road between Chiang Mai & Mai Hong Son. After leaving Chiang Mai head north & about 15 miles you come to a small town where the road opens up to 3 lanes both ways. At the traffic lights turn left towards Mai Hong Son (it's signposted) and you've got one of the twistiest roads in Thailand in front of you. The Thais call it the road of a thousand curves but I think that there's a couple more than that! The road surface is variable to put it politely & trucks & buses often come round the corners on the wrong side of the road so remember the 75% riding advice or you will have an accident, oh & there's no hospitals worth mentioning out here in the jungle!
Halfway along there's a small town called Pai where the less fit or more laid back might want to stop off at for a night. If you do, try to get accommodation at Chez Swan. 250 Baht a night for an apartment & Guy the French fella who owns it & the rafting shop down the road will do anything to help you out.
When you get to Mai Hong Son you will be surprised by the number of Thais from B/kok who come here for their holidays, not many farangs here though! Accommodation is plentiful here and most of it is good, just avoid the big place by the lake. A good place to eat is Lucky's just off the main drag through town.
Ride No 2.
From Phitsanalok head East along Highway 12 and turn left after approximately 30 miles towards Loei (I think it's highway 230) & you'll be treated to some of the most beautiful twisting tarmac that Thailand has to offer. Ride through Loei & carry on to Chiang Khan where you'll probably want to stay and explore the national parks around the area as you can ride your bike in them.
Chiang Khan is on the Mekhong river and the best place to be is the Tongkong guesthouse run by Ben & Paitoon. Excellant food, clean rooms & Paitoon is a certifiable nutter.
Important note.
The speed limit in Thailand is 90 Kph but the police rarely enforce it, just remember that if they do stop you it's usually cheaper to sort it out at the roadside rather than down the station where you'll invariably be held for a good few hours to sort out the paperwork & the fine will be bigger too.
Drink driving happens all over the place in Thailand but I would warn against it as most of the Thai hospitals are s**t & falling off drunk may not hurt at the time but it sure does the next day. No it hasn't happened to me!
I hope that this entry might be of help to people going to ride in Thailand and if you want to talk to somebody else in the know then the main man is David Unkovich who has his own web site, if you are in Chiang mai thaen the best bike shop in the city is Goodwill M/C's which is run by German joe & Pommy Tom. Mention that I sent you & you might get a discount.
