Even though I agree with this wholeheartedly, it really depends on what choice you have these days.
After my “incident” I needed to rent a bike for a couple of days. All the usual shops were out, so I started hitting the streets in Kamala, but none would even consider renting me a bike without a passport. Same result the few places I tried in Patong (Nanai). Even those I’ve rented from before. And waiving my WP at them didn’t help much either.
So unless your hotel cannot provide one for you, it looks as if you’re out of luck.
(Come to think of it though, my face was pretty scratched up so that might’ve had something to do with it
)
In the end my landlord fixed one for me. But I guess I could’ve used my "lost" (non-perforated) passport. Unless they check for missing visas that is. Might be an option to consider if you don't want to relinquish your real one...