Scooter and Bike Rentals in Phuket

Where to rent a scooter or a bike in Phuket?

Renting a bike in Phuket (or a scooter) is extremely easy, and as soon as you arrive, you will notice bike rental shops and roadside rentals are everywhere in the tourist areas of Phuket. Still, you should know a few important things before you rent.

Note that a bike in Thailand refers to a scooter, usually a Honda or a Suzuki, between 110 and 150 CCs. You can rent big bikes in specialized shops if you want to, but it comes with higher prices and bigger risks because with great power comes great responsibilities.

Don’t expect to find bicycle rentals to go around the island: it’s considered too dangerous because they are slow and are in the way of fast bikes and even cars. The only places you can find mountain bikes are tour agencies specializing in defined itineraries, usually safe and scenic.

Things to know before you rent a bike:

• In theory, you need an international driving license to ride a bike, but any shop will agree to rent you any bike with your country’s driving license. Most people do, and everything is fine until you get involved in a serious accident. You will not be covered properly without an international driving licence, and your holiday can become a nightmare. So check early in your country; it might not be that difficult.
• You can purchase a small extra coverage in case of a minor accident; that’s good peace of mind.
• You will need to present a passport at the rental shop, but never leave the passport, only a copy.
• Check the bike for scratches before leaving, and take photos if you spot any damage. It’s not a big risk, but it won’t take long and better safe than sorry.
• Make sure you understand that driving in Thailand is quite different from driving in your country, and this is for many reasons: locals bend the rules a lot! They keep going through the red lights for several seconds; they can drive on the wrong side of the road to reach their destination faster, and they can drive fast and without helmets. But it doesn’t stop here: tourists are often a problem: they have poor control of their bikes as they have very little experience, the roads can be slippery with sand and have poor signage at night. Most of all, Phuket is a party island, and people tend to drink and drive more than in many countries, both locals and tourists alike.
• There are police checkpoints here and there. They usually check for your helmet and driving licence. If you don’t have one of these two, you may be fined 500 baht. This fine is often payable on the spot, and you will be given a receipt allowing you to keep driving for several days, which is convenient. They also estimate if you have had too many drinks; if you did, you might have to go through a breathalyzer test.
• Ideally, renting a bike from a shop seems better than in the street; it just seems safer. Look at the overall condition of the bikes to give you an idea of the shop level.

More reading