Did you drive a Scooter & Motorbike before in Thailand?
Rule #1
if you have in no way pushed a motorized motorcycle for your existence, don’t count on you recognize what you’re doing. Scooters are clean to trip after you determine them out, however it does take a chunk of exercise.
The scariest component you may do is rent a scooter on a major-road condo after which try and determine all of it out at the busy avenue. I’ve witnessed greater scooter inexperienced persons wobble to their crash than I care to do not forget.
without fail, anybody that came to visit us in Thailand from the west – had it on their agenda to “learn to experience a moped” here. I’m interested by it. by all method. however after witnessing our first visitor do a faceplant with a scooter they had simply rented, Regina and that i decided to present everyone a short one hundred and one with our own scooter beforehand – simply to make certain they might be somewhat assured while riding faraway from the rental area.
again, the small 110cc to 125cc scooters aren’t difficult to trip, however ask someone with experience to expose you the ropes so that you can (with a bit of luck) store your self the embarrassment of spending the relaxation of your Thai holiday with scraped up limbs (a commonplace sight among backpackers).
a person I know lately rented a scooter and – for the primary time in his lifestyles – commenced riding it. now not five minutes later he took off too rapid at the same time as trying to transport the scooter from one fuel pump to every other – hit a concrete block. This induced him to fall and chip his the front enamel, ripped open his jaw (had to be sewn together from inside his mouth with something like 18 stitches), and inflicted all types of other (critical) body damage he says he will be afflicted by for the rest of his lifestyles.
He have to have had a person do a couple exercise runs with him first!
ultimately, be very assured in your personal driving abilities before you ever try to take a person in conjunction with you. in case you locate it tough to stability the scooter whilst driving it your self (it’s best an problem while you get going or stopping), you may discover it impossible when there’s a person on the lower back of it. especially if they’re inexperienced motorbike passengers.
Rule #2
put on that freaken helmet. I realize it’s miles a cheap, scratched up piece of plastic however consider me, it has the capability to store your existence.
a few months ago we decided to go for a pleasure experience round Chiang Mai. even as scooting around the outer maximum elements of the town, we saw a man waving traffic to go with the aid of.
turns out, some neighborhood granny had hit a pothole or something (on the street), lost manage of her scooter (probable now not even going speedy), and – at the same time as taking place – slid and hit a protruding tree root along with her UNPROTECTED head. It turned into a ugly aftermath to witness.
In hindsight, I wish I had taken a image to make a point right here, but we continued (slower) with goosebumps throughout our bodies. We have no concept if she was nonetheless breathing (a few locals have been attending to her) however what we did know is she regarded to have cracked her cranium and became laying in a massive pool of her own blood. I had a difficult time slumbering that night time.
I grew up using motorcycles in South america and sure, we never wore helmets. nobody did. In hindsight it turned into simple silly on our part.
a variety of locals here don’t wear helmets either, specially when they cross quick stretches (that is probable why that granny by no means wore one), however don’t be the idiot that makes the identical mistake. The helmet does now not do you or anybody else any accurate, when it’s underneath the seat or inside the front basket (as is a not unusual sight).
you could no longer be aware about this, but roughly 18,000 people (many foreigners) die in Thailand every year because of motorcycle accidents. They appear. no one is resistant to them. you may be an wonderful and skilled rider, however no longer all people is. which means you can get into accidents that aren’t your fault. So the least you may do is, guard your head.
here’s a picture I took at an unmarked intersection in Chiang Mai, Thailand a few weeks ago. it’s far the aftermath of a scooter twist of fate. It passed off before I were given there and anyone turned into already long past, however the Police paint markings at the pavement cautioned it became a scooter twist of fate (and there has been a number of scooter particles laying round nonetheless).
more or less 18,000 people die in Thailand each 12 months due to bike injuries!
Scooter twist of fate aftermath in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
notice the high-quality hat that was left at the back of? Whose ever it was, they have to have worn a helmet as a substitute. The crumpled up pile of bloody paper towel (barely seen in photo) says the identical. I’m left to expect the character was rushed to the sanatorium. Why else could they’ve left their hat there?
that is only a theory, however truth is: accidents manifest!
Then – some days when I took that photo – someone asked for kind A poor blood donors in a nearby nomad group on facebook. Her friend – who were in a scooter coincidence here in Chiang Mai – changed into nonetheless in important condition and badly wished this rare blood.
I don’t accept as true with these ultimate accidents to be the equal, however they might were. Frankly it doesn’t remember. The factor is the identical: The very least you may do is wear that freaken helmet. It simply may also store your life.
I frequently comic story that riders (particularly foreigners) who don’t experience the need to wear helmets in Thailand, ain’t were given plenty up there (in their head) worth protecting.
Don’t be that idiot and defend the gray matter between your ears!
Rule #3
Thailand is not the wild wild west and scooters virtually aren’t tame ponies. There are rules here and also you must follow them or expect to stand results, similar to you would lower back domestic.
matters may be very one-of-a-kind here from where you stay, but remember: you are the foreigner!
I pay attention of nomads getting pulled over right here by using Police right left and middle for stupid such things as now not carrying a helmet, not carrying a shirt, having an open beer bottle at the same time as riding, and so forth. All they ever say is “I got targeted because I’m a traveler!”
Ya suppose?
I just these days heard a person bitch how they had been pulled over three times of their first two months in Thailand. two times for not carrying a helmet. I said “you asked for it!”
right here’s the kicker: i’ve been on and stale in Thailand since 2011 and feature in no way been pulled over. you can say I got lucky, however I disagree. I by no means gave police officers a motive to drag me over.
positive, the machine is corrupt and sure, the police officers are targeting vacationers, however in case you’re a law abiding rider, they don’t have any purpose to prevent you. even though they did, what ought to they likely rate you with, if you didn’t spoil any policies?
lastly, in case you get into an accident with a rented scooter, personal up to it. Don’t faux the scratches were there from before. Don’t make it sound just like the condo area is making an attempt to take gain of you.
To keep away from getting taken gain of (i have in no way been, for the file… and i’ve rented scooters all around the usa), constantly take photographs of the 4 facets of the scooter (using your telephone) before you trip off. That way – have to you get wrongfully accused – you’ve got images that show your innocence.
In conclusion
Have fun. recognize the policies and use your commonplace experience, but have fun.
Renting scooters here may be very reasonably-priced (typically two hundred baht or less according to day) and but can be a ton of amusing to cruise round with.
most importantly even though, live safe. stay secure so that you can return for lots more Thai holidays and enjoy all of the fun this tropical paradise has to provide!