After riding around on a scooter for a few weeks all over Thailand I'm looking into the logistics buying a motorbike/scooter..

I've also seriously looked into bicycle touring but feel this would be more my style at this stage of my life.

I'm thinking "scooter" because I prefer to stay off of highways and travel smaller local roads and see the actual places I travel through at a slow speed - not race by as fast as I can go.

I'd prefer to go slow and use up my entire visa per country - or even extend. This trip has no time limit etc.

Plus a scooter is cheaper to buy, fuel and maintain.. it also seems a lot more fun in my mind.. and if I don't like it or get bored; it will be easier to sell or dump and move on with my life..

If I was in the USA I'd probably buy a 49cc Honda Ruckus and do all of North, Central and South America etc.

So I'm thinking of just the basic 125cc Asian scooter like a Honda Click or Zoomer-X.

Not sure if I would do used or buy new.

I'm currently in Thailand but open to going anywhere else in SE Asia to make this happen.

After doing some research.. aside from China(where it seems I can't go to with my own bike) I will need a "valid" Drivers License and an International Drivers Permit.

US Citizen

Drivers license is expired

No motorcycle license

No International Drivers Permit

I believe both the Drivers License and International Drivers Permit need to be issued from the same country?

Can I get these from a country outside of the USA? Meaning can I get a Drivers License and International Drivers Permit from XYZ country here in Asia?

Will I be able to register the bike on a tourist visa?

Will I be able to get insurance?

Crossing borders seems to be a real challenge as well, thoughts on this?

Anyone have advice, thoughts or experience with any of this?

Any feedback is appreciated!

Hi FlippinFlags and welcome,
I like your thinking about taking a small motorcycle, I have travelled on small, large and by bicycle and it is a good compromise particularly suitable in Asia but perfectly good elsewhere.
My first suggestion would be to go back to the US and get a motorcycle licence, I am not sure about getting one locally but to have one that is recognised globally and that will allow you to get an IDP would be a good place to start, apart from being legal on the road there will also questions about any vehicle or medical insurance being valid without one.
If you use the search engine in the top right hand corner you will find most of your questions about what you can buy and where you can take them have already been answered.

Mark has pointed out some important things, namely tht you need a valid national license and a valid IDP. And that you will need to go to where youre passport is issued - USA. If you dont have this paperwork you will most certainly void all insurances.

About Thailand I know a littlebit as I have bought a bike there myself. They dont care what kind of visa you have so its totally irrellevant. But you will need a sertificate of recidency to legally buy a vehicle in Thailand. You can get that at any immigration office or even your embassy. But you will need to get your landlord or similar to write a document that says you stay in this or that place and then bring it to the Immigration office.
When you buy a vehicle in Thailand it takes a while to get paperwork sorted and a new plate. But you can travel with it domestically, but you cannot cross any borders before you have all paperwork done and new plates on the bike. How long this takes varies from province to province. In my case it took 2-3 months before I got all paperwork done and new plates. But other provinses might be faster (or slower).

You will get basic third party insurance as it includes in the rego costs. But of course if you cross into another country you will need to buy insurance there.

Yes crossing borders in SEA is a PITA, and it has become even more difficult the last years.
Laos for example do not allow bikes less than 250 cc into their country. Well at least from the thai side. So you on a 125 will not be allowed into Laos coming from Thailand. Laos has also just started to demand thai plated bikes to ride in groups of at least 5 bikes and have permits from issued via Lao travel companies. The only bordercrossing that dont enforce this for the moment seem to be Chiang Khong/Huay Xai border.

For Cambodia - some border might allow you in but in general they want you to have a permit from central authorities. But then again - Im not so sure they are happy with small thai plated bikes into their country.

For Malaysia - it should be possible to enter if getting the correct paperwork.

For Myanmar you will need permits and guides - its mandatory!

And for further travel - such as India, Pakistan, Iran you will need a Carnet. Also Indonesia and Australia are Carnet demanding countries. And as far as I know there are no Carnet issuing organisations in Thailand - so thats gonna be a problem. I have heard about some foreigner who got Carnets in Malaysia for their thai plated bikes, thus it might be possible....

There are many things you need to consider...

__________________
In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

Yes thank you, I'm seeing how much I would have to go through to do this all from Asia and not have to go back to the USA to then renew my license, get IDP, get motorcycle license, buy new bike, wait for plates, buy carnet, insurance..

And then at that point I would just drive South from the USA to Argentina.. and if I enjoy the trip, have the bike shipped somewhere overseas to continue the journey.

So much work ha.

Are you saying I can't get a valid license and IDP in another country if I am a US Citizen? And I won't be able to get insured?

Yes SE Asia really does seem to be a pain in the ....

I've read up on carnet, the prices seem to be all over the place. Since I'm a US Citizen I have to buy one from a US company, is that the rule?

You can get a thai license in Thailand but it wont be valid in other countries. Maybe in a few neighbor countries they will accept it. And I dont know any organisation that issue IDPs in Thailand. But there might be one....

Insurance - you can get basic third party insurance in most countries, but it must be purchased in the country itself. Theres not such a policy that covers all of SE-Asia. In Cambodia and Indonesia I think its not possible to get insurance. For personal insurance medical/accident you can get it from anywhere. Where you are for the moment shouldnt matter.

About te Carnet - no I dont think there are any rule that say you need a Carnet from Usa since you are a US citizen. I belive it is much more practical to get a Carnet in the country the bike is registrated. But for Thailand there is this tiny little problem that there isnt any organisations or companies that issues Carnets. You might ask organisations in Usa, maybe they do? As mentioned above - I have heard of people who got a Carnet in Malaysia for a thai plated bike. I have also heard the organisation who do issue Carnets in Malaysia have had some serious problems.

Maybe better to rent a bike in every country....?

__________________
In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

I guess I was under the impression I could could possibly get a drivers license or maybe a motorcycle as well and as long as I had an IDP from the same country I would be ok to travel into all/most of the world?

Do you need to secure insurance before trying to enter a country or is something you generally take care of upon entry?

I read this about carnets:

In North America specifically, the only organization authorized to issue personal tourist vehicle Carnets for Canadian and US-registered bikes, is Boomerang Carnets based in Barrington, Illinois.
Paperwork | Horizons Unlimited

Wasn't sure if this means IF I do buy a bike in the USA that I have to use them for my carnet?

Even for a new Honda Ruckus it seems to run over $10,000 USD just for the carnet, is this a normal price as far as carnets are concerned?

An IDP is basically only a translation of your personal license, it doesnt make it more (or less) valid internationally. I dont know how many countries around the world who would recognise for example a thai license but I know for sure its not recognised where I come from (Norway)

Insurances - there are a few places in the world that you can buy a insurance that covers several countries, such as the EU and Mercosur (a trade agreement amongst some of the countries in south-America) But most common is to buy for each and every country. Often there are insurance sellers at the borders (for example crossing from Thailand to Laos) or it can be bought in the nearest town. It differs from bordercrosing to bordercrossing and from country to country. Some countries I think its not possible to buy insurance at all for foreigners passing through on a foreign plated vehicle, for example Indonesia, Cambodia, Kyrgizstan etc. Some places you can even buy insurance online but personally I was scammed once doing this so Im not sure if I recommend it.

Carnet - I just heard about a western guy who got a Carnet in Switserland for his thai plated motorbike. Thats good news, you just have to contact different carnet issuing organisations and ask if they do.
Yes price of Carnet can be a bit - but never ever 10 000 USD. That must be the deposit amount - which you will get back when you return the Carnet with the correct in and out stamps. The price of the Carnet should be very much less.
I dont know the prices for a Carnet around but what I paid for my Yamaha 660 cc was around 100-110 € and then a deposit of 5000 €. The deposit was the smallest possible, the guy at the norwegian automobil organisation was cool with me...

__________________
In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

Hi Flippin Flags

So I had the same idea around 4 years ago. I knew I wont be possible to buy one in Thailand but in Malaysia. And there its really easy. Or at least it was easy 4 years ago. I didnt had any motorcycle license just a international driverlicenes for car.

I bought my bike in alor setar, a small city close to langkawi. A good place could be aswell in Penang. Kuala lumpur will be expensive probably.

I had no problem to enter Thailand and Laos aswell. But I heard the things change in Thailand and now I think its not possible to enter the country as a foreigner on a motorcycle. But Malaysia is the neighbor courty so I think it will be possible.

Anyway borders are always a hustle.

If your planing to go to alor setar I can give you a contact of and older chinese guy how helped me. I know a cheap hotel close to the street where they sell the motorcycles.

let me know abou your plans

Yes, Malaysia you can buy ,just need any address. But thailand is limiting your time with an entry permit, Viet Nam only by paying out a large fee.
It depends upon how long you want to stay, a scooter-we rode 2up on our fz150 for 110days in 2016 before the limitation. But slow to cover distances as crossing Thailand.
You can rent or buy-dont have the particulars in Viet Nam and as I understand go out and back in to Viet Nam with a VN plated bike.
We will use Tigitmotorbikes in Viet Nam for our rental next april, they have shops at three locations. That is a .com site.

There is one more question :
Small scooters dont have much luggage space.
And with huge bags chances of getting unstable are higher.
How you are planning on that as well?

__________________
Travel Blogger @ The Poor Nomad
Follow @ Facebook | Instagram