What you have to know before driving a motorbike in Phuket
A holiday in Phuket without a scooter is like pancakes without syrup. It’s possible, but it’s not that nice. If you want to go somewhere with public transport, it’s possible, but you depend on the hour and it’s not always reliable. Tuktuks are great as well, but they are more expensive and so are the taxi’s. Renting a car is realizable, but when you want to go around easily, a car on the road in Phuket is definitely not convenient. You should be aware of what you have to know before driving a motorbike in Phuket and in this article you will get to know!
Why you should rent a motorbike in Phuket
You are on a holiday, the sun is shining, it’s very hot outside and you want to explore the island. Imagine sitting on your scooter with the wind through your hair, the smell of sunscreen and the sunglasses on your nose that makes it more easy to see the beautiful nature around Phuket. You go from beach to beach, from restaurant to restaurant. You are free to do and go where you want. You don’t have to rely on crowded buses or crazy taxi drivers. Can this holiday be even better?
But where can I rent a motorbike
If you look around the island, there are a lot of scooters and so are the the rental shops. You should know before driving scooter Phuket that you must choose the shop you rent a motorbike from wisely, because they’re not always great. Mostly, the people from the lobby at your hotel can recommend a good rental shop. Make sure the renter inspects the scooter you’re about to rent, because it’s possible that the renter will make you pay for damage that was not even yours. If you really want to be sure, book your scooter here.
Driving on the road
Make sure you have a valid International Driving Permit. If you get caught without one, the police will charge you around 1000 baht. Driving slowly is possible, but stay on the left so the other drivers can pass you easily. The traffic can be chaotic, so watch out for Thai drivers who tear around. This is something you really have to know before driving a motorbike in Phuket. At last but not least: always wear your helmet. Mostly, it’s around 20 baht and it can save your life. You get a fine as well, when caught by the police.
Smart bus on Phuket Island
The route and stops
The Smart bus on Phuket Island starts from the airport and goes to CherngTalay, Surin Beach, Kamala Beach, Karon Beach, Kata Beach, Rawai Beach and then back along the same route. Use the timetable correctly if you want to know when your bus arrives. Also, make sure you can recognize the Bus Stop Sign before you go. The buses run every 30 to 45 minutes. The first departures will be from the airport and Rawai at 6 am, while the last will be at 8 pm. The total is 32 times a day. There are 50 bus stops where people can sit and wait.
The Bus
The vehicle they are using is the newest Mercedes-Benz bus model on the market. These buses have many key features installed. Of course, space to put luggage or large baggage. We know that tourists who are traveling will use the buses. Secondly, there is accessibility for wheelchair users. The buses are provided with a special door with a ramp to lift wheelchair users onto the bus. Also good to know is that here are 3 CCTV cameras per bus. The staff monitors the CCTV at all hours that the service is in operation, to ensure safety.
Payment
The payment system for the buses is via a “Phuket Rabbit Card” which you can buy at various locations and can be topped up online or manually. They are available at McDonald’s, Family Mart stores… You can also just pay cash, use ‘prompt pay’, or buy a Days Pass Card, depending on how many times and how far you want to travel.
When tourists come to Phuket, they can see that public transport is problematic. Now, this is an opportunity to get rid of Phuket’s scams. Phuket is far more beautiful than that. Another nice and convenient way to travel around the island is with a high quality scooter from this website.
How hiring your motorbike Patong, Chalong, Cape Panwa
How hiring your motorbike Patong, Chalong, Cape Panwa. Firstm you have to do some homework. Make sure, you search for the most suitable rental company around Phuket.
Research
You often read in several forums online, that peoples had a bad experience. How to hire your motorbike Patong Chalong, Rawai, Phuket. Avoid this issue by simply do some research on the internet.
Read reviews
In social media websites or forums, you will find a treasure of information for all your needs. Filter the good from the bad. Simply by reading the reviews from previous customers from that particular rental companies. Check, if the written reviews are trustworthy. For example, check if there are many different reviews from one country. Reviews should be written by multi nationalities, as many tourists visiting, Phuket.
We have Facebook, we have TripAdvisor, we have Lonely Planet and many more travel websites where you can find your answers to your questions. You can check the website of the hiring company if you want to start hiring a motorbike in Patong, in case they don’t have any website, this should be a sign for you. Every company that takes his job serious and professional, at least they have a personal company website online.
Answers on bad reviews
Take your time to read the comments from the previous guests, especially the bad comments. What is very important is to read the answers from the company manager how they solve or how they follow up the issues. This gives you an impression how staff and management function in real.
Let’s give you an example. A customer complains about the condition of a motorbike and still has to pay the full rental fee. Written in a comment on social media. The answer from the management was so ridiculing rude, impolite and most of all very unprofessional.
For hiring and reservations, book a reliable scooters, motorbikes at affordable rental fees, good conditions, from big companies in Phuket with foreign management