Yes i also heared storys like that but never had any problems my selfe. Way easyer and cheaper to rent bikes insted of shipping them. Even if you drop a rented bike all the parts are available and cheap to replace. We are talking about bikes worth only $500 total. Also my bikes allways came with a helmed. In laos and India they did not even take my passport so i could have sold the scoter as spare parts insted of returning it. In Thailand you can buy a passport for $5 at every second corner so no need to give your real passport.



Just take photos of every side of the scooter before you leave WITH the owner on them then everything is fine




It does exist but then the scoters are double the normal price =$10 per day.



http://schoene-motorradreisen.de/?re...and_chiang_mai

I was travelling around with an American couple in the South. She scratched her mirror. It cost her $100US to get her passport back. We went around all the shops to buy a mirror and they all refused to sell us one..

Another mate of mine overstayed his rental by 45 mins. The shop had twenty other available scooters and charged him a full days rental plus a fine to get his passport back.

Maybe its a problem with the south. Lots more drunken teenagers.

Maybe im being a little negative.

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Well you have to get use how to deal with people in third world countrys. One ALLWAYS have to negotiate. Thats normal. Its also about the way you lock and ackt. If you look like money on legs in a place with lots of drunken idiots, they will treat you as an atm and try to get money out of you, no matter if your in a bar, at customs or in a bike shop. Thats why i prefere to travel far away from normal tourist areas :-)

True there are lots of scam going on specially on the islands of Thailand.

If you show that your not an easy victim as 99% of the tourists there and pretend to call the tourist police or make a big shout to scare away other customers in the shop they will return your passport for free in no time.
If not tell them you will go to your embassy to mark your passport as stolen WITHOUT returning the scooter, they will return your passport before loosing their scooter. A passport has 0 value for them...

I know what you're saying... And I'm no push over with scammers. I didn't loose a penny because I refused to. But If you have to spend every day of your holiday playing games just so not be scammed or deceived then it's just no holiday. It just gets boring.. FAST !!

I've been all around the world and I have to SADLY say that I found Thailand the most dishonest, two-faced place I've ever been to. You couldn't even get on a bus without being forced off five miles short in the middle of the night to be blackmailed into taking a mega-priced Tuk Tuk. Or told by your tour operator that there were no cash machines at the border so you had to change it from him at his rate.

I know this happens everywhere that rich westerners holiday in other people's poverty. I've been to most of them..But I genuinely had this experience EVERY DAY.. I was in SE Asia for two months and I don't think I saw I single smile which didn't have a price-tag or an ulterior motive.

I've been robbed at gun point by Soldiers in Venezuela and I felt happier about it. Because at least they were honest about their intentions.

I didn't see it all obviously and I was probably there at the wrong time of year. (December/January). But I've got no desire to go back.

Everyone's experiences are different... And everyone should go any find out for themselves..

__________________
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I should give Thailand a miss next time Ted, Venezuela sounds more interesting?

With 10000s of motorbikes being rented every day in Thailand if scamming is as widespread as you are implying then why ints the internet full of complaints?

The rental shop owner is onto that one and when that happen there just ring your country embassy and report there are holding YOUR PASSPORT?
No new passport will be issued because not LOSSES?

Thats true but also an adventure and if you stay away from the normal tourist plaes the little local farmers are soooo friendly!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNlt3Y20Nrs




If they keep YOUR passport for what ever reason they steal it from you. At least a German passport cant be used as a deposit but belongs to the government...

You'll find the Thai police give ZERO F**KS about who owns the passport !!

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Rode some bikes.
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If you want 100% security, stay at home. Its allways bad to fight with people so better dont. Usuarly there is a friendly way to deal with each other. If you have a bad feeling, just dont rent there. If the shop owner is cool, enjoy your trip. If the worst comes to the worst, a passport is just a paper, nothing else. Yes people in Latin America are way more friendly :-)

There is a whole TV Series called "big trouble in Thailand" on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CsOUzYQp1A

It's always an adventure...

I prefer more good times and genuine people in my travelling though..

That's why I won't bother with SE Asia again.

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Hi Ted
Thank you for posting the lonely Plant article, but this is just a general warning about scams throughout the world and not in line with what this thread is about.?
With over 30.000.000 people visit Thailand each year you would think the internet would be awash with complaints about Motorbikes scams in Thailand if you are correct.?

All Passports belong to the Government of each country and not you.?
And when a rental company holds your passport as security there are not stealing it?

It is !! This thread has a few of them.

Would you like me to find you some more ???

Here's just one to get you started. Happy reading.


https://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-...articles/75907

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.