Rent a scooter and see the whole island

Thailand expects foreign riders to carry their home driving licence together with an International Driving Permit. UK government advice states: "You'll need to carry both the 1968 version of the international driving permit (IDP) and your UK driving licence while driving," and the UK's own IDP guidance lists Thailand under the 1968 convention. Two things follow. First, an IDP is only a certified translation of the licence you already hold — it never adds entitlement. If your home licence has no motorcycle category, your IDP will show car (category B) and not motorcycle (category A), and buying one does not give you the right to ride a scooter. Check both documents before you travel, and check with your issuing authority if you are not sure what your licence covers. Second, you cannot buy an IDP once you are here: UK advice says "You cannot buy an IDP outside the UK, so get one before you travel." IDPs are issued in your home country — PayPoint shops in the UK, AAA in the US, CAA in Canada, the state motoring clubs in Australia. We are a rental shop, not a legal adviser: please read your own government's current travel advice for Thailand and confirm your own position with your licensing authority and your insurer. Checked August 2026.

UK government advice for Thailand is blunt about it: "If you drive a car or ride a motorcycle in Thailand without a valid licence, it could invalidate your travel insurance and you'll be unable to claim if you have an accident or injury." That matters more than any fine. The same advice notes that all Thai hospitals require a guarantee of payment before treating patients, and serious cases from Koh Lanta are usually transferred off the island to Trang, Krabi or Phuket. Before you travel, check with your own insurer that your policy covers the vehicle type and the engine size you intend to ride — many policies set an engine-size limit, and some exclude riding off recognised roads. We cannot tell you what your policy covers; only your insurer can.

Yes, and yes. Two helmets come with every bike at no extra cost. UK government advice for Thailand states: "By law, you must wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle," and Thai law requires this of the passenger as well as the rider. Wear them for every trip, including the five-minute run to the shop. Riding illegally can also affect an insurance claim.

No. Your passport stays with you. We photograph or photocopy it for identification and hand the original straight back — you should never have to leave a passport behind to rent a scooter.

We take a refundable cash deposit and return it in full at drop-off, after we look over the bike together. Message us on WhatsApp with the bike and dates you want and we will tell you the exact amount before you commit — you should never find out the deposit at handover.

Check the brakes, the tyres, the lights and the horn, and start the engine before you sign anything. Ask for the printed condition sheet with the bike outline and make sure every existing scratch, dent and scuff is marked and initialled by both of you. Then film a slow, continuous walkaround of the whole bike with our staff present and aware you are recording, and take close-up photos of every mark. Save it to your phone and to cloud storage before you leave. We encourage this — it protects you and it protects us.

Every registered bike in Thailand carries compulsory Por Ror Bor cover, and that paper is in the bike along with the registration book. It is medical cover for people injured in an accident, subject to statutory limits. It does not cover damage to the rented motorcycle, damage to other vehicles, damage to property, or theft. Ask us on WhatsApp about cover for the bike you have in mind. Do not assume your travel policy fills the gap — many travel policies provide no third-party liability cover for a motor vehicle at all, so check yours before you ride.

Tell us straight away. We photograph every bike with you at handover, so what was already there is never in dispute. For anything new we will tell you what the repair actually costs before any work is done. Ask us on WhatsApp about damage cover for the bike you have in mind.

North of Klong Nin the road is flat and sealed, and a 110 or 125 automatic is fine. South of Klong Nin the road climbs steeply and winds toward Kantiang Bay and Bamboo Bay, and a small automatic carrying two people struggles on those gradients. If two of you are heading to Kantiang, Bamboo Bay or the national park, take a 155–160cc — a PCX 160, NMAX 155 or Click 160. One caveat you should know before you book: some travel insurance policies cap motorcycle cover at a stated engine size, sometimes under 125cc. Check your own policy, because the bike that is safest on the hills may be the bike that sits outside your cover.

Yes, and it is normal here. Both of you must wear a helmet — that is the law, not a house rule. On a 110 or 125 automatic, keep two-up riding to the flat north of the island. For the southern hills, take a mid-size bike.

Be honest with yourself. Koh Lanta's flat northern road is a reasonable place to learn slowly on a small automatic, but the southern hills are steep, the surface breaks up and there is sand on the bends. If you have never ridden anything, tell us — we would rather point you at a taxi for the far south than sell you a bike you are not ready for.

There is essentially one main road down the island and it is generally in good condition, but it has potholes, and sand and gravel collect on the corners and side roads. It is good as far as Ba Kantiang Bay; south of there it narrows, the gradients steepen and the curves tighten toward the national park. Some of the descents to Bamboo Bay and the southern beaches are steep unsealed dirt, not sealed road, and gravel is the specific hazard — braking on it makes the bike slide rather than stop. If a track looks loose or sandy and you are not confident, turn round. Surfaces change with resurfacing, so ask us on the day.

We would rather you did not, and never after drinking. Roads are slippery in the rainy season from May to October, the southern hills have no street lighting, and stray dogs and children cross the road. If you are going south for sunset, plan to be back on the flat before dark or stay put and come back in the morning.

Full-service petrol stations are concentrated in the north around Saladan and Klong Dao, with smaller pumps further south, and roadside bottle vendors island-wide. Fill up in the north before you head south — the southern pumps are small and their hours are not reliable. Sources disagree on exactly how many proper stations the island has, so the safe advice is: top up before the national park run. Prices at pumps move weekly, so we do not publish a figure.

Expect them. Checkpoints are a routine feature on Thai tourist islands and officers are generally looking at helmets and licences. Carry your home licence and your IDP, wear your helmet, and keep the bike's registration and insurance paper with you — they live in the bike. We do not publish fine amounts because we cannot verify current figures, and we are not in a position to advise you on the law.

Deal with injuries before anything else. Call 1669 for an ambulance, or 191 for police. The Tourist Police English-language line is 1155. Do not move the bike unless it is unsafe to leave it where it is or the police ask you to. Photograph everything — the bikes, the road, the position of the vehicles. Do not admit fault and do not make informal cash payments at the roadside. Call us on WhatsApp, and call your insurer's assistance line before you agree to pay for anything. Thai hospitals require a guarantee of payment before treating patients, which is why travel insurance with medical cover matters here.

Message us on WhatsApp at any hour and we will work out what you need. A flat tyre near Saladan and a breakdown at Kantiang are very different problems — tell us where you are and we will talk you through the quickest fix.

From our shop on the main road opposite Rawi Warin Resort & Spa on Koh Lanta Yai. There is parking outside and we are open around the clock, so come whenever suits you. We will go round the bike with you, photograph it together and hand over the helmets before you ride off.

Usually yes, as long as the bike is not booked after you. Message us before your rental ends and we will confirm the rate for the new total length — longer hires cost less per day.

Ask us first. Taking a rental bike off Koh Lanta is not something every shop allows, and the answer depends on the bike and where you are going. Message us on WhatsApp with your plan and we will give you a straight answer.

In high season, roughly November to February, yes. Stock books out and walk-up renters tend to be left with the oldest bikes. Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and the bike you want and we will confirm availability before anything is final. There is no online payment and no card taken in advance.