10 Tips to Rent a Scooter on Koh Tao

Scooter Rental on Koh Tao & Safety

Renting a scooter is a great way to see as much of Koh Tao as possible. However, there are obviously inherent dangers when driving in any country and Thailand is no exception.

Stay Safe

If you do decide to rent a scooter during your time on Koh Tao, you will have lots of fun exploring the island and this is how you can stay SAFE.

Best Tips to Rent a Scooter on Koh Tao

1. Always Wear a Helmet

Whenever anyone is riding a motorbike or a scooter on any road there is always the possibility of an accident.

It does not matter how good a rider you are. There are other scooters, motorbikes, cars and trucks sharing the road and not all of them will be as considerate or as proficient as you, especially some of your fellow tourists.

If you were to have an accident on your scooter, wearing a helmet will help to minimise the potential injuries you may suffer.

Wear A helmet

Importantly it is the law in Thailand to wear a helmet when riding a scooter. The police on Koh Tao regularly conduct road safety awareness campaigns and if you are not wearing a helmet, you may find yourself being stopped.

At a roadside stop, you will receive advice from the officer and then have to pay a fine for the pleasure of hearing that advice.

A fine for not wearing a helmet is often 3 times as much as the scooter cost to rent, so a relatively inexpensive way to explore Koh Tao, just got a whole lot more expensive.

2. Drive SLOWLY

Demonstrating good awareness of other motorists around you along with common sense is a great attitude to have when riding a scooter on Koh Tao.

Part of demonstrating good road awareness is to drive slowly. The roads on Koh Tao have recently been upgraded and improved, so are of a good standard.

However, the island is only 7 kilometres in length by 3 kilometres wide and the roads are the equivalent of countryside roads in Europe, which means they are not designed for you to drive fast.

Drive Slowly

The best roads on Koh Tao are only 1 lane on each side and are not designed for overtaking at speed.

Safe speed limits need to be adhered to, especially in the villages with lots of pedestrians walking across and along the road.

3. Use Mirrors

Before you even turn the engine on after renting your scooter, set up your two wing mirrors so you can comfortably use both.

Use your wing mirrors whenever you are pulling the scooter away from a starting position and whenever you are turning corners.

In Thailand scooter riders will undertake and overtake. Riders and drivers often pull out of a junction without looking over their shoulder as they have right of way, NOT the motorist already motoring on the main road!.

Quite often you will see motorbikes and scooters on the wrong side of the road approaching you from the front – refer to point 2 above.

Get into good habits. Always use your wing mirrors. Always be aware.

4. Drive on the LEFT side of the road

In Thailand you drive on the left hand side of the road. This is unusual for most visitors to Koh Tao who may be familiar with driving on the right hand side and it will take time to adjust to.

5. Rent a Scooter based on your Experience

There are many motorbike and scooter rental options on Koh Tao and you should choose the best option suited to your level of experience.

There will be three types of scooters available for rental on Koh Tao; Automatic (no gears), Semi-Automatic (5 gears, but no clutch) and manual which will be 5 gears with a clutch.

The automatic is the easiest to ride and is the best option for inexperienced scooter and motorbike riders.

Do You have experience?

Semi-automatic requires a little more experience but is not very difficult to master and it offers you more control when riding up and down some of the hilly roads around Koh Tao.

A manual motorbike with clutch control is only advisable for a motorcyclist with experience and a licence for it.

Also consider the size of the bike. On Koh Tao you will have a selection of 110cc & 125cc automatic and semi-automatic scooters and for the more experienced riders 150cc & 225cc motocross and trial bikes.

6. Inspect the Scooter before Renting

When you rent a motorbike or a scooter on Koh Tao, the scooter shop will ask you to complete a rental agreement.

Prior to agreeing to and signing this document, the usual procedure will be to check the scooter or motorbike.

Often the renter will point out existing damage such as small dents or scratches and will take some photos of the motorbike in its current state.

Pay attention when this is done and take photos on your phone as you will sign the agreement saying the bike is in a good and roadworthy condition.

Check the Scooter

If you return the scooter or motorbike in anything but the condition as stated in the agreement you will be charged extra.

It is important you ensure the bike is in good working order, so here are a few other points you should check:

• Sit on the motorbike and bounce up and down. Make sure the suspension is working well.
• Adjust the mirrors so you can see behind in both right and left hand side mirrors.
• Ride the motorbike forward slightly and test the brakes are working well.
• Also ensure the bike is not too small. Your knees should not be sticking out – or too big, you should be able to touch the floor with both feet flat.
• Make sure the helmet fits.
• Check how much fuel is in the motorbike. Usually it is either almost empty, or it is expected that you return the bike with a pre agreed amount.
• If allowed to, a slow drive up and down the road, or around the block will allow you to test the scooter to ensure everything is in good working order.

7. Breakdown & Repair Protocol

Sometimes you may have a small accident or get a flat tyre. If the scooter breaks down you should have the telephone number of the renter to call so they can come and pick you up.

You can inflate a tyre at most gasoline stations. Sometimes it is free if you are buying fuel, if not it will cost 10 baht. If you have a puncture, a repair should cost 100 – 150 baht.

If you do cause some minor damage it may be worth visiting one of the many mechanics on Koh Tao and getting it fixed yourself as it may be cheaper.

If you rent a scooter through us, we guarantee you will be dealing with a reputable scooter rental shop, so any repairs will be at the market rate.

8. Do NOT Ride with a Pillion Passenger with No Experience

Another example of awareness and common sense. If you are relatively inexperienced at riding a scooter, do not take your friend on the back of the scooter or motorbike.

You will task load yourself and probably be the cause of an accident.

9. Wear Appropriate Clothing

The most common motorbike or scooter injury that tourists experience in Thailand is an exhaust burn. Referred to as a Thai tattoo and usually located on the inside of the right leg, exhaust burns hurt.

Remember the exhaust can get very hot, very quickly.

Falling off a scooter will be painful enough. By wearing appropriate clothing you will have fabric between you and the road and will reduce another common injury called road rash, otherwise known as gravel rash.

This is when somebody has had a fall, usually on dry gravel and suffers skin injuries caused by abrasions from the road surface, often when only wearing a bikini or a pair of swimming shorts.

Wearing long sleeve tops and long sleeve pants can help to minimise this type of injury should you be unlucky enough to have a small fall from your scooter.

10. DO NOT drink Alcohol and drive

The most obvious and best tip of them all is do not drink alcohol and drive.

We can say without hesitation that unfortunately, the majority of motorbike and scooter accidents on Koh Tao are caused by the rider or riders being intoxicated or drunk.

Drink driving in Thailand is illegal and you risk being stopped, breathalysed, fined and/or imprisoned.

Do Not Drink & Drive

It is also highly dangerous, especially on the small roads of Koh Tao with the number of scooters on the road at certain times of the day and during the high seasons.

Riding a scooter on Koh Tao will and should be a highly enjoyable part of exploring a beautiful island in a comfortable and safe way.

Following these simple tips will help to ensure it stays that way and does not become an expensive and painful experience.