Hello Thailand blog readers,
I have a question about renting a 50cc moped.
When I am on holiday in Thailand I always see scooters for rent everywhere. They vary from 110 to 150 cc engine capacity, so you must have a Dutch motorcycle license A for that. Previously I always rented a Honda Click or another scooter, so they are 110,125,135 or 150 cc.
But now I read about a South African couple who also rented a scooter, without a valid driver's license and who are in a hospital after an accident with almost 1 million baht in hospital costs (she suffered a brain trauma due to a fall with the motorcycle). And that is / was not reimbursed by the travel insurance of the couple. I hope that never happens, so where can I rent a 50cc moped in Pattaya.
And what other rules are there for being allowed to ride it, such as an internal driving license and helmet obligation? Or you can get a temporary Thai motorcycle license at a traffic school to feel free for 4 weeks during your holiday (I do have a moped license and a car license, but I don't want to rent a car).
I used to always drive between 4000 and 5500 kilometers in those 4 weeks vacation because I love to discover the outside area of Pattaya (Si racha, Koh Chang, Satahip, Chonburi and places like that).
Greetings and have a nice day from Holland.
Oewan
You will not find a 50 cc moped here, but there have been. I had one myself, was in the early 1s. Were imported from Japan by shiploads, but the government put an end to that. They did not need a driver's license, no license plate and no road tax. But it was also not allowed on the highway and the top speed was not allowed to exceed 80 km / h. This being Thailand, you can guess what ended up there. By the way, they were 50nd hand rubbish and are prohibited here.
I have a “Thai motorcycle license” on my moped license! How ? You go to the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok and ask for a document - in English - stating which driving license you have (or driving licenses). In my case BE and AM. I then went to the driver's license office and after a color test and a reaction test I received - after payment of course - a motorcycle license and a car license. The Embassy document stated that I had a driver's license for a motorcycle license for a 2-wheeled vehicle! These driving licenses were for 1 year and then they were extended for 5 years without any problems. I hope I help many with this. But beware: it is something different; so be careful . The tires are also often – as with the click – actually much too narrow for the speeds you can achieve with them.
50 cc are still there but for rent??? but grab a bike just as dangerous 🙁
Just this; the internat. driving license is only valid here for 3 consecutive months, not 1 year; then have it converted into a Thai driver's license, but you are no longer insured after 3 months if you don't!!
My (Belgian) international driver's license is valid for 3 years.
According to the information I received, it should not be used for more than 1 year in the country of residence.
3 months means nothing to me.
Please note: I am not saying anything about right or wrong, but there is room for misunderstanding here.
Is there a real specialist here?
Regards,
Dirkphan
The questioner asks if he can get on a motorcycle here with a moped license.
As a tourist you first need an international driver's license and what does it say?
I have NL driver's license B, BE and AM. My international rbw only shows B and BE. As a tourist, I shouldn't be allowed to get on a motorcycle.
Now I live here and got a motorcycle license on that AM here and in a simpler way than writer roja just now. I pointed them to the bicycle with auxiliary engine under the AM and got a motorcycle license here. Now my Thai rbw and motorcycle are in agreement with each other.
But that doesn't answer the question. How many run enormous risks if it is true that you are not insured if you are not allowed to drive those cc's in your home country?
Who knows the answer ? An insurance expert perhaps?
I got the international driver's license last year just to be on the safe side, because that's how we heard it was 'suddenly' made mandatory. Together with 2 mates I was arrested 2 x I did have an int. driver's license not theirs, the 1st time just showing our NL driver's license (incl. motorcycle) was enough for me too, the 2nd x was completely laughable when I only pulled my haircut and it was still closed, he believed it and if we could pass through. Still a waste of money :-)!!!
What shows, what Piet says, that an International driving license that clearly states a start and end date of one year, would only be valid for three months? That would be strange and should be mentioned in the document. All the more so because the ANWB always asks for which country the driving license is intended.
Furthermore, in terms of insurance, it is most important that your health insurance in the Netherlands pays for the treatment costs. In my opinion, health insurance does not look at the cause of your complaints, but at the need to have them treated abroad. Even if you have tried to commit suicide, the costs will still be reimbursed. It is of course different with a car and the liability for damage, but this posting was about mopeds I believe. You are not insured for damage to third parties with a rental moped.
is not true. If you own a Mastercard Platinum and paid for your trip with the account to which this card is linked, you are insured for any rented vehicle, for damage to third parties, for legal assistance, advance bail and the like. At least that is what is stated on my credit card documents.
Of course an international driver's license is valid as long as the date has not passed, but…..
In Thailand, a tourist with an international driver's license can drive in the vehicles for which he has a driver's license. A Dutch driving license is generally not a problem either. However, for a stay longer than 3 months, Thailand no longer sees you as a tourist but as a resident (in general, you must also have a different visa). For that reason, you must have a Thai driver's license.
If you have obtained a motorcycle license with your AM entry, you are a good buyer, because that is normally not possible. However, it remains Thailand.
Hello Oewan, a 50cc is available for rent here, but you get a mini thing like that. Nothing for us. You don't have to go to the embassy if you collect an income from the ANWB. Get a driver's license. Valid for 1 year in Holland, 3 years in Germany and Belgium. They call it Europe 1. Then you go to the driver's license building and have your tax collected. driving license and a valid Dutch driver's license AND a home address. The Thai driver's license is also an ID card. I think (but I'm not sure) you also need an annual visa. Also a color test (I failed), a reaction test and a "depth test", Hope this is enough for you . gr. ps For a scooter driving license here you need a driving license A from Holland and ask your travel insurance in Holland whether there is coverage on a Thai scooter, here it is not insured with the rental and a driving license for 4 weeks does not exist
The Thai police in Pattaya, who are regularly catching up with fines, could not think of anything when the registration of my moped, my crash helmet and my International driver's license were in order. They don't do it for a normal Dutch driving license in my experience.
If, like me, you regularly, i.e. several times a year,
If you come to Thailand as a tourist, you can use the International Driving Permit for one year. I have also been able to save myself with a copy that had expired years ago. Western calendars are apparently too difficult for some agents.
A few years ago I contacted the ANWB (travel insurance) about being insured with a motor scooter. The information is based on "normal" holiday accommodation.
If you are involved in a (unilateral) accident, you can recover the medical costs from your health insurance. On the other hand, you cannot insure the rental motorcycle in Thailand, damage to it is therefore for your own costs (no insurance) who is willing to pay for it. You are insured for damage to third parties. However, it does apply that you are in possession of a correct valid Dutch motorcycle license, otherwise every insurance policy will tell you that you have driven an incorrect vehicle and will see a good chance not to have to pay.
An international driver's license is required in Thailand. Why make it difficult? If you are arrested and your driver's license is confiscated, you will issue the international driver's license and not your official one. If something happens to the document, it will save you a lot of money and bureaucracy for collecting a new driving license in the Netherlands.
An international driver's license is valid for one year.
I obtained it from the ANWB in November 2013 for my holiday in December for 2 months.
And I also used it again for my 6-week vacation, May and June 2014.
I just can't make it before December, have to go get a new one.
Best regards. Roland .
Reading is apparently difficult.
If you stay longer than 3 months, Thailand does not see you as a tourist, I wrote. If you go for a month 4 times a year, you are just a tourist because you are not in Thailand for more than 3 consecutive months. And as a tourist, the int driver's license is sufficient, provided that the date has not expired and provided that the correct driver's license is marked.
A Dutch insurance will only insure you abroad for that for which you are also insured in the Netherlands, even if different laws apply.
This means that you are not insured if you ride a motorcycle according to Dutch standards with a moped license and not with a car driver's license. You need a motorcycle license for Dutch insurance to be covered by Dutch insurance. This also applies to accident insurance.
About the speed of such a device: although a 50cc is not equivalent to suicide, any motorcycle or moped that cannot quickly get you out of situations is already a disadvantage here in Thailand. Moreover, the law of the strongest and boldest applies here. I had a Yamaha for a while, the usual, 100 cc. I still have this one with sidecar. Last year I bought a Honda PCX. This is also not a heavy one, but it belongs to the "big bikes". At every intersection, without going crazy on the gas, I am 90% of the time the first to cross and well ahead of the others. In a situation where people once again don't know where to drive on the road (happens very often here), with a little more gas, I can be gone in no time. Of course I also brake in time if necessary.
The distance between the mirrors is also much greater and I have a wide view to the rear without having to force my body into a weird curve to see anything behind me. And I'm not fat!
The smaller models have the mirrors too close together.
I want to say that with a moped that has a weak power, you are really at a disadvantage. You're put in more danger by not being able to give way fast enough.
Just to add to Sjaak, I bought my 6th motorbike last week and with every motorbike I purchase I immediately have wider mirrors installed, you get chromed ones and the screw thread does need to be adjusted and it really costs a few cents more but much safer, it is recommended that the standard mirrors are standard mirrors. for the slim Thai gr.
Thanks for all the responses.
So the best thing is to get a motorcycle license in the Netherlands.
Greetings and have fun in and with Thailand/blog
Oewan