the joke about Boris Johnson was he was always wanting to park his bike in too many different girls' bike racks, so in your case it is a bit of a toss up (toss off?) - should we be more interested in knowing the bikes you have ridden or who parked whose bike in whose rack?Originally Posted by gerefan2
More important than the bike is the possible damage you could cause a person and being you are a foreigner you will be expected to pay BIG!
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
After two days of being driven around by the maniacs that are motorcy taxi riders I decided to take a chance and rent a bike again. The first shop I went to wouldn't do business with me because I didn't have an international drivers license, but thankfully the second shop wasn't so fussy. I have a European bike license, but not the international one. My own fault for not doing enough research before I got here.
The shop initially wanted 150 baht a day to rent the bike, but we agreed on 100 baht a day for 20 days and off I went.
I know I'm taking a chance because my travel insurance won't cover me for riding a bike, but I feel a lot safer being in control of the bike myself rather than some of the taxi riders I've come across. And I'm not insured as a passenger on a bike, I checked this with my insurance company.
I ride the bike in a sensible manner, slowly and defensively, and if I have to pay a fine or two, so be it. I think it's worth it for the freedom and fun your own bike can bring.
I will post a detailed report of my holiday in due course, but suffice it to say I'm pretty disappointed with the bars so far, but very happy with the apps.
arsenal (January 7th, 2020)
Just like everyone else on the road in Thailand
Not so, if you drive as you would in the UK you won’t come to much harm. You will have eliminated most of the danger.
It’s only when you drive “Thai Style” that problems will arise.
I’m sure you will be OK Tony, just don’t be vexed by any of the other maniacs on the road (or on here!)
arsenal (January 7th, 2020)
Frankly I think you are out of your mind wanting to rent a motorbike in Thailand: to wit ...
Thais-on-bikes are lethal, crazy, massively dangerous, full of a philosophy which tells them "it'll never happen to me", nut cases etc etc etc.The 10 most dangerous places to drive
Eritrea - 48.4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
Dominican Republic - 41.7.
Libya - 40.5.
Thailand - 38.1.
Venezuela - 37.2.
Nigeria - 33.7.
South Africa - 31.9.
Iraq - 31.5.
(Also this: https://www.torque.com.sg/news/thail...motorcyclists/ )
Don't do it.
Just another reason why I love living in Thailand
Of course you're right Smiles, but I tend to factor in the risk versus the reward and I know on the roads around pattaya I travel I rarely get over 15/20mph, I am ( usually) in total control of the bike and the traffic os usually fairly sensible around me ( as they too can only do 15/20mph) and I now ( thanks to the bloody breathalyser check points everywhere) only tend to ride my bike during the day when pottering about. The only other bigger ride might be when going towards Jomtien and again that is a reasonably clear road on which if I choose to drive carefully I am in reasonable control of what's going on.
Saying that......I did have one situation where when sitting at traffic lights minding my own business ( with a ladyboy on the back....dont askas young (drunk or high) Thai guy who hadn't seen me ( or any of the other many bikes and cars also sitting there!) suddenly hit the brakes, the bike fell over and he slid right past me, with his leg just gently graving my exhaust as he passed. The lights changed and we all drove across the crossing and I stopped to look back to make sure he was ok and the ladyboy almost punched me in the ribs and said "you drive on NOW" and sure enough in the time it took me to turn around even I could hear the guy and a few bystanders starting with the ' ohhhh farang, he cause accident" ( I SO didn't) .......so taking my friends advice I departed the scene ( slowly) and am sure that had I stayed about to check on the guy I would all of a sudden been facing a bill for his medical care or worse - and all as we all seem to have accepted now without any actual REAL insurance cover.
So yes when the likes of that happens ( or worse) they anyone who says "you're mad" IS 100% correct, but again I still tend to balance that with my thoughts of the perceived daily daytime driving 15mph risk too. Actually on my last trip I totally left the bike parked up and if nothing else I can home a bit fitter from all the walking and it didn't really impinge on my holiday BUT the bike does still give you that little bit more instant freedom I guess. As I said just a case of "risk versus reward" I guess.
The thought of Nirish-guy buzzing around on his bike in Pattaya at the not so eye watering, but eminently sensible, speed of 15-20mph brought to mind a scene from the 1968 Robert Aldrich film, The Killing of Sister George:
Mrs Croft (Coral Browne): How wonderfully cheerful you look buzzing around on your bike.
June "George" Buckridge (Beryl Reid): Well, you’d look cheerful too with fifty cubic centimetres throbbing away between your legs – ahahaha!
Walking is so easy. When it's too far to walk, they have baht buses.
Aux1010 (January 20th, 2020), christianpfc (January 12th, 2020), francois (January 11th, 2020)
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