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.