Phuket Scooter Rental: Your IDP Must Have Category A to Drive Legally
🚨 Your Valid License: The Key to a Safe Trip
You’re here for a dream holiday: great weather, amazing food, and beautiful sights. Renting a scooter offers incredible freedom—but this dream can quickly turn into a nightmare if you’re involved in an accident without the proper documents.
Your valid motorbike license is not optional; it is required for your safety and to avoid legal trouble.
Why the Thai Police are Strict
The Thai police take traffic laws very seriously, especially concerning motorbike licenses for foreigners. If you are stopped or involved in an accident without the correct license, you risk:
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Hefty Fines: You will be fined by the police.
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Insurance Denial: Your travel or medical insurance may refuse to cover your medical costs if you are in an accident and were driving illegally.
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Legal Trouble: Being detained by police or dealing with complex local legal procedures.
To drive a rental scooter or motorbike in Phuket, you must adhere to the rules just as you would in your home country.
🛑 What License Do You Need to Rent in Phuket?
To drive legally and be covered in the event of an accident, you need two documents:
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A valid Motorcycle License from your home country.
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An International Driving Permit (IDP), which must correspond to the correct motorcycle license category.
🔍 License Category Requirement
The Thai police are specific about the categories listed on your International Driving Permit (IDP).
| IDP Category | What It Covers | Accepted by Thai Police in Phuket? |
| Category A | ALL motorcycles (110cc and larger, or higher power). | YES! This is the only category accepted for all bikes. |
| Category A1 / A2 | Lightweight motorcycles (e.g., 110cc, 125cc, 150cc). | NO. Despite the bike size, these categories are often not accepted for IDP holders by police in Phuket. |
Simply put: To guarantee legality, your IDP must show Category A.
Note on ASEAN Countries: If you hold a valid driver’s license from one of the 10 ASEAN member countries (e.g., Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines), you can use your national license without an IDP.
Below are the categories:
In Phuket, Thailand the Royal Thai Police accept.
A: All motorcycles, with 110 cc or larger cc, carry driver and 1 passenger.
Honda Forza 300cc, Yamaha XMAX 300cc, Honda Forza 350cc.
– an International Driving Permit (IDP) / International Driver’s License (IDL) Thai police accept only category A. All other categories the police don’t accept.
Foreigners holding a valid driver’s license of the 10 ASEAN member countries can use their national driver’s license in the nine other countries without the need to obtain an IDP. These countries are Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Valid driver’s license renting a motorbike in Phuket
Valid scooter driver’s license in Phuket.
Book a motorbike with us and have the time of your life in Phuket.
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.