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3 weeks in Thailand - bike options please?! 3 weeks in Thailand - bike options please?!
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West and South Asia From Turkey to Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Ladakh and Bangladesh
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Photo by Ellen Delis,
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  #1  
Old 23 Nov 2010
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3 weeks in Thailand - bike options please?!
Hi everyone,

We're currently in Thailand as part of our RTW and have a friend coming out to join us for 3 or 4 weeks.

If anyone's done it what's the best way to do it? Rent (if so, any recommendations?) or buy something and sell it back at the end?

I've already contacted GT riders etc but thought I'd try my luck here too. Any help would be much appreciated.

thanks in advance
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  #2  
Old 24 Nov 2010
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Bike Options Thailand
Hi there,

You don't say which area of Thailand you wish to rent from, or the size of bike you are looking for?. If for instance you wish to rent in Chaing Mai try Mr Mechanic, Motorcycle Rental & Car Hire Service | Mr Mechanic, Chiang Mai, Thailand he has a range of bikes from 110cc to 650cc, be warned that your friend will have to leave his passport as security at the rental shop. If you wish to rent at say Pattaya, Hua Hin, Phuket, most of the big bikes are not well maintaned, they are for local use around town. Small 125cc bikes are available everwhere at about 200 Baht a day, and you don't have to leave your passport, just a photocopy.

Be more specific about your requiements and I will try and help you. If you are anywhere near Hua Hin, get in touch and come and stay for a day or two.

Joyce
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  #3  
Old 24 Nov 2010
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In February we rented from Pattaya, there are plenty of bike rental places there, make sure you are getting registered bikes as most are not and you will attract unwelcome police attention. It is fairly cheap depending on the size of bike but we found that 250cc are easier to get and you do not need much more on Thai roads. Hope that helps.

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Old 24 Nov 2010
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Thanks for the quick replies guys and sorry for leaving out the obvious.

My friend's flying into Bangkok do the ideal is to rent there and then hit the road, but if that's not possible we can adapt, but i'd be surprised if we can't find something in Bangkok;

Thanks for the very kind offer Joyce (as well as the advice). We'll be looking at potential routes in the next few days and if we're coming your way we'd love to take you up on your offer!

Trix, thanks for the info and the photo. that's a great looking bike and exactly the kind of thing I was thinking about.

Keep the ideas coming!
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Old 25 Nov 2010
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Bike Rental in Bangkok
Hi,

Bangkok is not an obvious choice for motorbike rental, as most people would avoid the city as though it has the plague for riding in or through, it is not because it is any more dangerous than any other major city, the main reason is that motorbikes of any size are not allowed on the motorway, freeway, major highway etc, this makes navigation a nightmare. But perhaps you already know this, anyway I have done some searching and come up with the following:

Rent a Motorbike Bangkok - Thailand:
Rent a motorbike: VISIT LAOCHAIWAT OFFICE
Tel: 0-22-781-348
1, Soi Prommit, Suthisarn, Sam Sen Nai, Phaya Thai, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

Rent a motorbike: RATHASAP CO., LTD.
Tel: 0-26-441-789
1108/61, Soi Phen And Phuen, Prachasongkhro, Din Daeng, Din Daeng, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

We have never rented in Bangkok so I can't reccomend either of these companies. One of the more well known bike shops in Bangkok may be able to help you and recommend someone they are Red Barron at 78 Ramkahmhaeng Rd., Saphansoong BKK 10240 tel. 02-729-4131-2

All the best

Joyce
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Old 25 Nov 2010
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Trix,

A bit of a long shot but do you remember the name of the place you hired your bike from? Did they have a range of bikes (my friend loves the idea of the d-tracker but is a tad short in the leg so i want to have a back up incase the d-tracker is too tall.

thanks
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Old 25 Nov 2010
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Somewhere i may have the guys card I will check and get back to you if I can find it but if not it was down on the sea front heading towards walking street he was the only one with more than one D tracker and all his bikes were registered, and it is opposite a jewellery shop on the corner of a side street. That is a bit vague but I think you will find it.
As for the height, I am 5'4 and the better half is 5'2 we both had no problem with the d tracker .
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Old 26 Nov 2010
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Forget about starting the ride in Bangkok. If you don't know Thailand it'll be a navigation nightmare. Closest would be Pattaya (east) or Hua Hin (south) but I'd recommend flying form BKK to Chiang Mai (or use the train, 2nd class aircon is o.k.), plenty of bikes to rent there. And the north offers the best riding anyway. I did 18000km on a Honda Dream 125cc back in the late 90ies, 3500km 2 up with luggage. Don't need much stuff in the tropics in the first place and if you break down, anyone can fix the littel bikes.
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Old 26 Nov 2010
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Forgot to add: bigger bikes are available too of course, especially 250cc, which is all you really need in Thailand. And you can check the forum Bikes in Thailand - Thailand Forum , lots of info from expats there.
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Old 26 Nov 2010
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Thanks Frank. I think we we're going the common advice and rent in Pattaya. My friend can jump on the bus and we'll ride over and meet him there.

A 250 seems to be the way forward, and he won't need to crry anything as he's new rider and i've got room forhis little bag.

Our plan is to head north and do the Golden Triangle but if you (or anyone else) has other suggestions or recommended roads I'm all ears!
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Old 1 Dec 2010
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North is the way to go, definitly.

But instead of heading along the boring Lowland Highway from Pattaya all the way to Chang Mai (2 days) you can try a few more interesting and only slightly longer versions I'd say.

But it all depends on what you are planning to do. If you're going back south anyways I would keep the Mae Hong Son Loup for the route back, if you going into Laos I would probably try to do the loop clockwise and start in Mae Sot, passing Sukothai for some culture on the way there.

Another really pleasent route to take and distract from the highway would be Lom Sak to Phitsanulok. It's nothing life changing, but the roads are in a great shape and it's real nice driving. I's also not really a big detour.

Oh yeah, btw, keep as far away from Bangkok as you can, I guess I'd take the 304 just to get away from the whole chaos. Also cause I generally prefer the 3-Digit roads as they are in great condition, mostly, and far less used. Enjoy it.

For Routes in the north, the GT-Rideer Site is perfect. The Nam loop they have on there is great.
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Old 1 Dec 2010
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a little vid of the mae hon son loop


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Old 20 Dec 2010
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What the others said, traffic in Bangkok is some of the worst in Asia...

The North of Thailand is (for me) the pick of where to go, although good tracks are everywhere.

I spent a month north of Chiang Rai in sight of the Burmese border, be a little careful, although the place is cleaned up mostly there's still gangster types around both civilian and military. Despite what you hear, Thai and Burmese troops (on incursions to Thailand) do kidnap/shoot civilians.
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