See Thailand by Scooter: The King of the Road
Written by Zarin Tasnim
If you’ve ever been to Southeast Asia you know there’s no mode of transportation more popular than the scooter. Here a scooter, there a scooter, everywhere a scooter. That’s because they’re affordable, they have great gas mileage, they’re cheap to fix, they’re small, and they’re easy to ride.
Travel Insurance is Your Friend
As a tourist in a foreign land, it can be really intimidating at first, especially if you just arrived in Bangkok where the chaos never stops. Morning, noon, and night you’ll witness constant traffic and you’ll wonder to yourself, “where the heck are these people going at all hours of the day?”
It does take a little time getting used to, but in the end, you’ll come to the realization that you’re missing out on the very essence of what Thailand is all about. How else are you going to see the beautiful vast open countryside, the tea fields terraced along rolling hills, or lush rainforests in the mountains? Are you going to see all those places out the window of a bus? No way!
Before you take the keys and hop on your scooter seat, there are a couple of things you should know and prepare for.
Renting a scooter is all fun and games until it isn’t. That isn’t to say something bad is going to happen, but there is always that possibility, and there’s nothing worse than being unprepared. I little bit of road rash won’t kill you, but you’ll certainly need to make a trip to the hospital to have it treated properly. That’s where your travel insurance will come in handy. Not to mention anything else that can happen like food poisoning or infection.
Experience is Definitely a Bonus
While it is true many people hop on a scooter for their first time when they visit places like Phuket or Chiang Mai, that’s not always the wisest idea. The quality of roads and the sheer number of drivers can be challenging for beginners, so it’s a good idea to try out a scooter in your hometown before making the jump to Thai roads. You’ll feel much more comfortable once you get to Thailand and you will greatly reduce your risk of injury.
Some of my fondest memories of Thailand involve riding scooters to visit beaches, caves, waterfalls, and exploring remote villages. Those can be your memories too if you explore the country by scooter. Just remember to be safe and wear a helmet!
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I am a content writer and web developer at Gofke Marketing, a Dutch multimedia marketing agency.