Has anyone used this Bangkok Rental Agency?
 

Homepage for Bangkok Bikes Rental

I wondered if anyone had used this Bangkok agency to rent a bike? I am looking to rent a trail bike for a month and visit bits of Thailand. Laos and Cambodia. Any obvious pitfalls there?

The agency say that I can take the bike out of Thailand with their permission, although I notice they would like me to leave my passport behind with them which will make border crossings difficult.

I have trawled through the Hubb and RideAsia.net but have found lots of conflicting advice on what borders one can and cannot cross, and the best way to tour the area on a bike, so I am a bit confused.

Some advice from someone who has recently rented/bought (I had originally planned to buy a bike but have been advised that the paperwork required is endless) a bike and toured Thailand/Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam would be really useful.

Issues like; what insurance will I need; border crossings, how they work; rental agency, will they try and rip me off if there is a small scratch on the bike when returned; what is the licence requirement, do I need a special International licence; what happens if the bike breaks down up country/out of Thailand etc etc.

Many thanks in advance,
Rick

Hello Segart,

Firstly buying a bike in Thailand is easy, finding a big bike with a green book is hard, finding a 125 with green book [reg doc] is easy, so what size of bike do you want. If you need full instruction on buying a bike I can provide them.

But if you are only here for a month it's not worth buying. Also in a month you will not be able to see very much.

All bike rental shops will take your passport as security, which means you cannot leave the country unless you have two passports. Renting a bike in Chaing Mai gives you much more choice than Bangkok, and better riding roads. Although rental shops may rent you a bike without an international licence if you are stopped by the police and do not have one you will be fined [in Thailand] Most rental shops will have very basic insurance so you will be liable for some costs, in any accident involving a farang the farang is at fault and must pay up, saying that we have ridden in Thailand for six years and never had an accident so don't let that put you off.

Thailand and I am presuming the other countries do not provide breakdown cover for rentals, if you are local to them they will send out a pick up to get the bike back, but it you are a distance away you will have to get the repairs and then try and get your money back, bear in mind that in Thailand repairs are very cheap, and mechanics are available even in the sticks, we just had both our 125's serviced for 8 pounds.

Crossing the border into Cambodia is easy but there are restrictions on crossing into Laos, if there is a friendship bridge bikes cannot use it, so you need to look for a boat crossing or a bridge that is not a friendship bridge, crossing into these countries you can get insurance at the borders. Have you tried looking at GT riders website?

Good Luck
Joyce

Thanks for that Joyce. I agree that one month is not going to give me a chance to see very much but it is all I have spare.

From your advice and my researches it seems that my best option is to rent and confine myself to touring a bit of Thailand only.

Just in case the purchase option becomes possible could you give me the run down on what I would need to do to buy a 125 bike? I have a British Passport and full bike licence.

All the best
Rick