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Home » Reader question » Reader question: Rent a scooter in Mae Hong Son and return it in Pai?
Dear readers,
Is it possible to rent a moped/scooter in Mae Hong Son and return it in Pai?
We, a family of 2 adults and 2 teenagers, want to go on holiday to Thailand this summer. We would like to go rafting from Pai to Mae Hong Son, stay there for a few days and then drive back to Pai by moped/scooter. Tips for the area Pai and Mae Hong Son are always welcome.
I hope you will post this question or tell me how I can get this information in another way. I have emailed a scooter company in Mae Hong Son but unfortunately have not received a response.
Bedankt,
Irma
Dart most likely won't go. Because then they would have to pick up the engine themselves. Most motorcycle rental companies are small businesses. They don't have branches in other cities. In addition, you normally have to hand over your passport to rent the motorbike. So maybe you better go to Pai first and then rent the motorbikes there and then drive to Mea Hong Son and then back to Pai
Surely it could.
However, remember, the means of transport 'scooter' or 'moped' does not exist in Thailand. To be able to claim your NL health/travel insurance you MUST be in possession of a valid NL motorcycle license.
If the parents have that, and the children go on the back, there is no insurance-related obstacle.
Yet it remains very dangerous for inexperienced drivers….
Arjen.
@Cees,
I would like to point out to the readers that you said “In addition, you normally have to hand over your passport to rent the motorcycle”
I was also told this during my last holiday by a landlord and I am surprised about this.
NEVER do this (not even at a hotel), have a copy of your passport made with a copier machine or with a smartphone (possibly hold your BSN finger to prevent fraud)
You should not think that the landlord is not there or that he has lost your passport!
There are plenty of landlords who do not take your passport, and I think it is also forbidden to hand over your passport.
And to come back to the question; I don't think this is a problem, everything is possible in Thailand, if you show the landlord enough notes with the king on them and very importantly come up with proposals/ideas/possibilities yourself, I think it can be realized.
In Chiangmai and surroundings you just have to hand over your passport, otherwise you won't get a motorbike. Maybe if you spend 30.000 or more baht.
It sounds strange but I never actually hear that it goes wrong.
Sorry Cees but that is certainly not true. It is forbidden by law to demand the passport as collateral. Some landlords still try to do that, but it is certainly no longer the rule.
Of course you therefore pay a decent deposit. But to issue a passport? Definitely NEVER do it!!M
Really, at the M hotel (Tha Phae Gate) there are several motorbike rental companies that ask for your passport, but if you don't want to hand it over (also NEVER do) they ask for 5000 Bhat Deposit.
Cees. I have lived in CM for three years now. The first two years I often rented a scooter. I also always go along when guests want to rent a scooter. No passport has ever been requested. Only a copy and 2000 bht deposit.
Hi, renting a motorbike in Mae Hong Song and returning it in Pai will probably not work. Those rental companies there are only small-scale. Just like tourism in MHS.
You could contact Aya service or they can do something for a little extra payment. They are located in Chiang Mai and Pai and are the largest motorbike rental company and the cheapest.
Good luck the Mae Hong Song loop is super beautiful.
Communication with tourist companies in Mae Hong song can be difficult, most of them don't even have a computer or can't handle it. Very old - fashioned but the telephone is often your only option . Also has its charms.
As a next tip, Nam Rin Tour from MHS also does a 5-day trek through the mountains to Pai. It is a small family business, they speak good English. They are difficult to find on the internet, but there are some reviews on them (they don't have a PC either), but they do have a telephone. +66 53 614454 . The office is located right next to the pond (side street) in the center.
Please note that there are quite a lot of accidents with scooters in Thailand. I wanted to go to Pai by scooter from Chiang Mai and it was advised against by a Thai boy in the hostel (scooter rental went through him and I assume that he could even earn money from me by renting). He had seen people get into accidents before.
Now the road from Chiang Mai to Pai is quite busy, 1001 bends and not always good road surface. I don't know how it is from Mae Hong Son. I finally went by bus.
Pai is a nice village, not great, but I can imagine that the ride there on a scooter is very nice if you are sure that it will end well.
In another post today on thailandblog is about the number of deaths in Thailand. The road from Chiang Mai to Pai is also mentioned here:
According to a report by the agency, the most dangerous areas for diving are Tawan Beach (Koh Larn, Pattaya), Chaweng Beach (Koh Samui), Mu Koh Similan (Phangnga) and Koh Hae (Phuket). The report also lists the most dangerous roads: Chiang Mai-Pai, Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai, two highways in Phetchabun and a highway to Mount Karon in Phuket.
https://www.thailandblog.nl/nieuws-uit-thailand/forse-stijging-aantal-omgekomen-toeristen-in-thailand/
Luckily not the road you're talking about.
Marcel and Peter are right: it is even forbidden to hand over your passport! If they do not accept a copy, go to the next one. I don't know if you have experience with scooter riding (especially in Thailand) but with 2 children on the back in Th? I have been riding here (scooter and motorcycle) for 6 years and have about 50 years of experience with motorcycles, so you may want to take it from me that I STRONGLY RECOMMEND your plan. It seems very adventurous, but the risks/consequences of your intention can be very serious. And does your wife (also) have experience with scooter riding in mountainous areas (in TH)? Moreover, you are also personally liable if YOU run over someone because you are absolutely not insured against this! And what do you do if you have an accident somewhere between MHS and Pai? I regularly see foreign tourists without apparently any experience driving around here in Chiang Mai on scooters and motorcycles and I'm heartbroken when I see what kind of feats they do!
Love your children (and your wife) and please forget it.
regards,
Last year we drove from Chiang Mai to Pai with the scooter, woman on the back.
The whole way it went fine, and despite all the bends encountered no problems. Until we arrived in Pai, and I was cut by a Thai on a bike. We on our record, saw a hospital in Thailand for the first time, and so not happy…..
To stay on topic: As far as I know MHS to Pai is not just possible. Indeed, Aya does offer bikes between Chiang mai and Pai vv, and they asked “only” 3000 Baht as a deposit without having to hand in your passport.
If you manage to get bikes for the MHS – Pai route, it will probably be a lot more expensive because the rental company will have to pick up the bikes again in Pai.
So you only have the best chance if the landlord has branches in both MHS and Pai.
Good luck!
And in addition:
Listen to other experts by experience here!
It is better not to do this adventure, especially not with children!
In the period of 8 Jan. until Feb 3. Rented a light motorcycle 125 cc in ubon ratchatani, chiang mai, jomtien and hua hin and didn't have to hand over my passport anywhere. I may avoid the highways. I am now 24 years old and in all those years I had 74 slips due to slipperiness after rain, because then most roads are covered in sand.
“Mopeds” that can quickly reach 100 km/h, 2 teenagers in the group, drive on the left, unexpected holes in the road, many dangerous fellow road users. However, there are a few risk factors. Perhaps evaluate the situation? Alternative: rent a car, taxi (don't take a line minibus). Or if possible go with a normal air-conditioned bus: you can also look around you and take pictures. And rafting: check your insurance and/or travel insurance to see if this is covered. Have a nice and safe holiday.
Visit the website of Mr. Mechanic in Chiang Mai.
Maybe they can help you .
My husband and I know both Thai owners personally.
Jan Beute.
At the time, on the road where you want to drive, I was almost killed when a car appeared out of nowhere in front of me in a bend. The car overtook on my side of the road and due to the curvature it wasn't visible to me until it was almost too late. The driver couldn't see me either! I steered to the verge and I saw the driver of the car jerk the wheel. Because of one thing and another, I didn't have to be cremated that time. It happened on a left turn in front of me. After that incident, I drove close to the berm on all left turns. Fortunately, because after that it happened at least three times that at such a bend an oncoming vehicle on my side of the road overtook someone at great speed.
Best family,
As far as the scooter/motorcycle/moped problem is concerned, sufficient “gas” has been given.
But have you considered that the water level of the rivers is still quite low in July, and you will have to lug the bamboo trunks over the rapids yourself. And Pai to MHS is quite a stretch.
Good luck with your adventure
I drove from Pai to Mae Hong Song in January and can only say that the road is dangerous for scooters and the like. Be careful, I wouldn't.
Best family,
With Chang Mai's moped I would do with a mini van. When you arrive in Pai, rent a moped. Have done this myself. If you just drive quietly, it's a lot of fun to do. It's a nice route. Have done this yourself. And as far as the passport is concerned, they simply make a copy. Never hand over.
A nice vacation.