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#1
15-02-2007, 13:24
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Motorbike rental
Looking at renting a small motorbike to get around Pattaya and later perhaps Phuket. I've heard so many bad stories about uninsured bikes...so what's the real deal? Any way to rent a decent bike with comprehensive fair dinkum insurance so all the riding is worry-free?
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#2
15-02-2007, 13:50
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What kind of bike.. Real bike or scooter ??
Almost all of them will be uninsured.. If you cant deal with that reality I suggest you dont rent..
__________________
Men have only 2 emotional states, hungry and horny.. So ladies, if you see me without an erection, make me a sandwich.
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#3
15-02-2007, 15:05
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Thanks LivinLOS.
Just a scooter like everybody else has. The reality is that people talk about places where you can get the insured scooters but nobody can tell me exactly where those mysterious places are. It's not a matter of not wanting to deal with reality. You know yourself what a pain it is to negotiate a taxi fare to Jomtien a 3:00 am. Or try to get your golf clubs in a Baht taxi. We all like to have wheels and be insured.
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#4
15-02-2007, 15:19
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In 5 years here I have never known a scooter come with insurance also 'insurance' to a Thai would often mean you dont pay for the bike not that you or 2nd and 3rd parties are covered..
Theres lots of bike rents.. I know of many here on Phuket but it comes with the you break it you pay for it (and anyone else you break) clauses.
__________________
Men have only 2 emotional states, hungry and horny.. So ladies, if you see me without an erection, make me a sandwich.
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#5
15-02-2007, 17:57
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Speaking of riding these scooters or motorbikes as my GF calls it... do you need to have any kind of special drivers licence to ride these machines? I only have a Dutch car drivers licence and not for motorbikes.
My gf has one and she wants to use it on our trips, but she also wants me to drive, so she can relax against my back  .Who can give the answer? Thanks.
__________________
 Operation SnowGirl will continue 
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#6
15-02-2007, 18:08
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Technically, I think you should have an IDP, but I have never had any problems with a US state license (car only). Always carry it when riding. 200 baht fine if you don't and get caught up in a checkpoint. This is all Phuket... mind you, but that is the area I thought you were referring to.
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#7
16-02-2007, 01:48
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I thought it was 300 baht for no license, 300 baht for no helmet and 500 baht for leaving your motorbike on the wrong side of soi sansabai  (which was reduced to no helmet, go figure....) And of course, don't forget the cost of motorbike taxi or tuk tuk to and from the police station!!
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#8
16-02-2007, 09:20
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Basil.......you can drive on your Australian drivers licence .......not necessary to get an IDP........
and as LiL said it is all at your own risk....and check your own travel insurance to see if there is a disclaimer on riding bikes
__________________
 ....but of course I was verey verey draaank at the taaame!!!
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#9
16-02-2007, 11:43
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Patong guys let a lot of things slide. The cops tend to be more strict and wanting an IDP in Kathu and Karon. Worse case it is a 300 baht ticket.
If you have an accident, you are paying for everything including bike repairs. They may even want you to continue to pay for bike rental while repairs are being done. Side Note: I put one of those carry boxes on the back of our bike, now the cops never stop me anywhere. Is it secret code for "I'm a nutty longstay farang, leave me alone"?
__________________
Women with a past and men without a future grope and shuffle on the dance floor.
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#10
16-02-2007, 12:15
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I will have a hawaiian with extra mushroom on a thin crust.. With garlic bread please..
__________________
Men have only 2 emotional states, hungry and horny.. So ladies, if you see me without an erection, make me a sandwich.
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#11
16-02-2007, 12:43
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I got collared by the "Chalong" police in Karon on my way back to Patong a couple of weeks ago. No license AND no helmut. Total fine was 500 baht for the two infractions. I knew from the past that no helmut was 300 baht, so I inferred that no license was the other 200 baht. Maybe I got a discount for two??
Anyway, they had set up a booth back a ways from the road right there so you could pay the fine on the spot, get a receipt, and get back on your bike (with helmut this time). The line to pay was 20 deep.... Let's see, as a quick calc, 300 baht, 3 minutes to write out the receipt... that's 6,000 baht per hour. Nice business...
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#12
16-02-2007, 13:37
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Box is too small. I only do freelance McD deliveries Tanman, guess you got a 2for1 deal. Strange as they get a cut of the tickets they issue. They are busting tourists near the chalong circle everyday as well.
__________________
Women with a past and men without a future grope and shuffle on the dance floor.
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#13
16-02-2007, 16:09
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Got to love the Kamalalala Federales then.................They stop you for wearing a helmet and then take you for a beer!
I'll take a seafood 'n' salami on a thin crust as well ATM........Hit the bottom of the hill in Kamalalala and keep going...........I'm Hank Marvin! 
__________________
The idea is to die young.........as late as possible.
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#14
16-02-2007, 16:54
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The cops tend to be more strict and wanting an IDP in Kathu and Karon. Worse case it is a 300 baht ticket.
Been through checks in Kathu 5 times in the past week...when they are working from the police box on the central reservation they also usually set up in Soi Bang Tong near the ATV track. Had no problem every time showing my UK car drivers licence which incidentally expired 6 months ago Friend of mine once got through by showing a DIVING licence!!
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#15
16-02-2007, 17:20
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Never had any problem showing my Norwegian car drivers license.
__________________
Pull my strings and I'll go far
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#17
17-02-2007, 00:52
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I think as long as they see the word LICENCE and a picture that looks like you, that's good enough
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#18
19-02-2007, 09:19
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I got pulled over by the MIB riding through Karon around 5pm, last September. They had both sides of the road covered and were stoping everyone on motorbikes. I had an Aussie licence that covers me for bike, car and truck, and I was wearing one of those stupid looking helmets. He was very friendly and as soon as he saw the Thai King pendant round my neck (present from GF) he started stroking it and making sort of cooing noises.
He even waved as I rode away. Moral of this story is get or get given a Thai King Pendant.
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#19
21-02-2007, 18:22
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Cheap deal! I showed them my British licence (no photo) and they waved me on, no charge. It only occurred to me later that it had expired months before.
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#20
25-02-2007, 06:55
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I was stopped for not using a helmet, and while in the Police station met a South African who had big problems trying to persuade the police officer there that his drivers licence also covered the use of big bikes.
So maybe riding a small bike/scooter is alloved on any car-license, but riding the big bikes are more seriously checked by the police? But the quality of the rental bikes is terrible! Worn out shocks, drive-chain, bearings! You have to really check before you take the bike out, if it is roadworthy at all!
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#21
25-02-2007, 15:39
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Right ! I bought a little toolkit and did nearly a full overhaul on the road. The renters think if it fires up, it's good. Turned the bike in well tuned and repaired never even got a thank you.
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#22
05-03-2007, 14:09
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My only "bad" experience in Thailand in over 20+ visits was with renting a scooter. Long story but basically it got nicked outside the Brazilian restuarant in Samui about 2 hours after we rented it. Strange thing was it was parked on it's own right outside the door and we were in there less than 5 minutes cos restuarant was fully booked. hadn't even thought about insurance up to this point. Thought about doing nothing and checking out & leaving the island at the end of the week but ran it past my hotel (Thai owner) and she recommended I report it cos stuff like that gives us farang a bad name. So went to the shop, and we went to police. First surprise - police say I need to pay compensation cos I lost the scooter. Over the next 6! hours and two police stations, 5 police officers and 4 Thai's that seemed to have an interest in the bike shop, plus their wives & kids we played out the same stalemate. Police say I owe 1,000 USD for "lost" bike - I say there is nothing about that on the rental T&C so I won't pay. Police say the owner can take me to court, I say take me to court. Eventually (after a lot of abuse from police and Bike owners) we are let go (1am) with no compensation paid but I have signed a statement saying the bike was stolen (not lost). next day the rental guy turns up at the hotel, poolside, says he's "found the bike" but I am an expletive deleted and so is my wife and the clincher "Bin Laden is a hero!" Thing is, the terms and conditions were awful, I even offered to write something better but I wouldn't accept that a stolen rented bike was 100% my resposnibility. I know that, had I offered something in compensation, they would have bitten my hand off but by that stage they'd wound me up so much my stubborn streak had kicked in.
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#23
05-03-2007, 14:16
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Why not ??
You rent a bike.. It has no insurance.. and its nicked.. Why dont you owe for a new one ?? Stunned you got away.. here they would throw you in the cells.. seen it happen with my own eyes even when cops admitted it was probably a scam (we see this owner say same thing many times) even if its a scam they cant prove it.. You take a bike uninsured you have to pay the value of it if its nicked or you lose it... If it was your bike and it was nicked and you had no insuirance thats what it would cost you !! Why should it be any different when its someone elses.
__________________
Men have only 2 emotional states, hungry and horny.. So ladies, if you see me without an erection, make me a sandwich.
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#24
05-03-2007, 14:37
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is nicked meaning stolen or scratch... if meaning scratched.. no way... stolen different story... u are probably going to be held accountable. i know when i rented one in pattaya the renter gave me a chain and lock... something u can purchase very cheaply.
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#25
05-03-2007, 14:52
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