The first thing most new visitors to Chiang Mai do is going up Doi Suthep (Mount Suthep) and visit the Buddhist temple Wat Phra That and perhaps the royal Bhubing Palace. It takes about half an hour to travel up there and Doi Suthep is an obvious goal for a day tour. The gleaming golden stupa of the temple looks interesting through the low morning clouds and it is a quick visit by scooter or by songthaew pick-up.
If you want to do a Doi Suthep tour you can just take a taxi or songthaew up there for the afternoon; there is no need to rent a scooter. If you want to go further, to Mae Rim and the Queen Sirikit Botanical garden the best option is to rent a scooter or motorcycle and go by yourself. Go up north on the 107 highway for about 20 minutes; turn left on the 1095 and follow the signs to Samoeng. You are now driving on the famous twisty Samoeng Loop.
Motorcycle rides - the Busy and the Easy ones.
- The busy road to Pai.
- The Perfect Curve - the Samoeng Loop
- Other motortour possibilities.
- Motorcycle rentals in Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai motorcycle routes to national parks.
The highways around Chiang Mai are busy and quite dangerous; many drivers go at speeds of 80 to 100 km/hour and sometimes much faster. Moreover the highways have many U-turn places; sometimes every mile or so - with drivers waiting to make a turn and watching the traffic coming at high speed at them. A motorcycle or scooter is easily overlooked so you have to watch the crossings and U-turn spots very carefully.
1] The busy road to Pai.
Many tourists travel by scooter on their first long motorbike trip to Pai; which is not the best choice if you are an inexperienced driver. The road to Pai (nr. 1095) is a 130 km long drive; it is very twisty with its 762 turns and is a quite daunting mountain road for beginners - and even for experienced motorbike riders it's not a routine ride. There are few viewpoints and there is a lot of traffic; for example the many minibuses travelling to Pai which usually drive at high speed. In short: it is not safe and not for beginners!
The Samoeng loop on the other hand is a much better road which has much less traffic and many interesting things to see: there are for example great viewpoints, elephant parks, and a famous large botanical garden. And there are fewer potholes.
When going to Pai, leave your large backpack home.
2] The Perfect Curve - the Samoeng Loop
The Samoeng loop is one of the most magnificent drives in Thailand; 100 kilometers of nearly perfect winding mountain road. And for the most part it does not have too much traffic. The Samoeng loop has what drivers call "Perfect Curves". The superelevation or bank of the curves is just right, the road is smooth, the scenery is great; all you have to open up the trottle and let the bike lean into that perfect curve. As fast as possible but not 100% on the limit, with just a nice small safety margin.So what is the Perfect Curve? It's the one where you feel the bike purring happily below you, you are on top of the world and you hope that there are 20 more curves like this ahead. And then 200 more. That is the Purrfect curve.
The Wawee coffee shop.
Why not start your route in the morning and from Chiang Mai head north on the busy highway 107. The Dara Pirom Palace Museum in Mae Rim is worth visiting, and one can have a cappuccino or cake in one of the coffee shops, like the wonderful artsy Wawee Coffee. These hip coffee shops cater to wealthy tourists who are enjoying the posh hotels in Mae Rim and Mae Sa valley.
From here the road gets much quieter as it continues west towards Samoeng; you can drive through the beautiful valleys and mountains on a scenic twisty road though the Mae Sa valley dotted with villages, temples and forest. Past a few elephant parks is the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden (QSBG) which is a famous mountainside arboretum and garden. The large glasshouse complex on top of the mountain is a conservatory for a wide collection of tropical plants, cacti and orchids.
The Samoeng Forest viewpoint on the road to Samoeng village.
After doing the "Samoeng loop" around Doi Suthep which takes about 3 hours (or 4 hours including a lunch break in Supanee's restaurant in Samoeng) you're back safe and sound in old city of Chiang Mai.
3] Other motorcycle tour possibilities.
- The Mae Tha fault loop, between 110km and 160km through Mae Takhrai National Park on different sections of the Mae Tha fault.
- The Elephant Valley loop, 150km. Drive north to Mae Taeng river valley and have a look at the many elephant camps and parks there. A bit up north is Chiang Dao, the 3rd highest mountain in Thailand. (elephant parks)
- Long off-road rides on ancient elephant trails though stunning landscapes.
- And many more trips and loops are possible; to hot springs, ancient cities (Wiang Kum Kam, Wiang Tha Kan), waterfalls, botanic gardens.
Remote route through the villages around Chiang Mai.
4] Motorcycle/motorbike rentals in Chiang Mai
A motorcycle ride can be done with a scooter, for example a Honda Click 125cc or a Honda Wave 125 cc. If you prefer a zippier dirt bike like a Honda CRF250 (Enduro or dirt bike) is also possible. And you can also rent a larger bike like a Phantom, a Honda CB500F, a Kawasaki Ninja 650 or Kawasaki Versys 650.
Most motorbike and scooter rental places in Chiang Mai are close to Thapae gate like Mr. Mechanic motorcycle Rental, C&P Big Bike (Kotchasarn Road), Pop Motorcycle/Car rent (next to C&P on Kotchasarn Road), Dang Bike Hire (Kotchasarn Road), Tony's Big Bikes (TBB, Ratchamanka road). At the largest POP store, the Pop Car rent main store on Kotchasarn Road, on the eastern moat there are dozens of big bikes on display. Pop Car Rent has fast big road bikes like Kawasaki Versys 650 at 1800 THB and Kawasaki Ninja 650 for about the same price.
Pop has several motorbike locations throughout the city (besides the large Pop Motorcycle/Car rent there is also Pop Rider and several small Pop Motorbike shops) but they are one of the most expensive; and they get rather bad reviews for the service. Walk around a bit away from Tha Phae gate to find a cheaper rental office. A Kawasaki Versys can be rented a lot cheaper than 1800 THB per day if you visit some other bike stores not far from Thapae gate. I can recommend M25 Motorbike rental on Ratchamanka road, not far from Tony's Big Bikes.
Pop Motorcycle/Car rent main store, Kotchasarn Road Chiang Mai.
Bike shops like to keep your passport as safeguard; but most motorcycle rental shops also accept a deposit of 2000 to 3000 baht for a scooter and 5000 baht for a motorcycle. An international driver's license is also a requirement but is not checked when renting a bike.
The longer you rent a bike, the cheaper the daily rate can be ... negotiate! A 250CC trail bike like the Honda CRF-250 costs 700 to 800 baht per day, but for 5 days or more 600 and for 10 days 500 baht per day. The newer 2017 Honda CRF250 Rally is more expensive. Especially outside the high season a determined haggle can bring rental fees down.
Scooter rentals
There are lots of scooter rental places in Chiang Mai all over town. Most are small shops, for example on Moonmuang Road, the street along the moat north of Taphae Gate there are quite a few. The Honda Click, Honda Scoopy en Yamaha Fino are common scooters for rent; the cost can vary widely but most are in the range of 150 – 250 baht a day. The more powerful 125CC scooters will be over 200 baht a day.
Additional insurance
When renting your scooter you can also buy additional insurance. In Thailand all motor vehicles and scooters have by default third party insurance (damage caused to OTHER vehicles in case of an accident). The damage to your own bike can be covered by this additional insurance which is around 100 baht a day.
The regular police check in Chiang Mai. Notice the old blue "Half helmet".
Open face 3/4 helmets are better than these Half helmets.
Motorcycle helmets and license
Scooter rental is very easy and scooters and motorbikes can be rented at almost every corner; helmets however are a problem.
Motorcycle helmets are usually free with a motorcycle rental; however they are also nearly always low quality and may not fit very well. Many people in Thailand wear horribly bad helmets and almost usless ones. Take your time to find a good one. Wearing a helmet is compulsory and carries a fine of 500 baht. (* Read the warning below)
* Since 2017 the Thai police have set up daily checkpoints in Chiang Mai where all foreigners' licenses are checked. Motorcycle and scooter drivers need to show a valid motorcycle license.
In many European countries one does not need a motorcycle license for mopeds: small bikes of 50CC. This is not the case in Thailand where scooters are more powerful. Most scooters for rent in Thailand are 100 to 125CC and can easily do 80 to 90 km/hour (50-60 miles/hour). Therefore all scooter drivers need a valid Motorcycle license and an International Driving Permit.
Note: An International Driving Permit or International Drivers License is required for motorcycle driving in Thailand but this is not checked when renting a bike. The International Driving Permit (IDP) is NOT a license to drive, only a translation of your countries license. At the Thai police checkpoints the police will ask for your IDP which should show the motorcycle endorsement if you drive a scooter. If you don't have a motorbike license then your international permit won't cover scooter driving.
Most travel insurance companies have in the fine print that you must have an International Driving Permit in the event of a claim for accident damages or medical costs. You are not covered for any medical cost if you rent a scooter without a proper motorcycle license.
+MORE on the Driving Permit for car and motor rental companies.
Licence requirements for car rental companies
Here are the licence requirements for the major car rental companies:
Avis:
Renter must hold Driving License or International Driving License at least one year.
Budget:
All drivers must hold a current, non-probationary license. The license may either be Thai, or from a renter's country of residence (with an English translation) or an international drivers permit.
Hertz:
Must hold a valid Thai driving license / international driving license or a driving license from a renter’s country of residence (with an English translation).
National:
All renters must produce a valid Driving license, Passport and/or Identification Card with their name when pick up the car.
Sixt:
All renters and drivers must present a valid driving license and a valid passport upon collection of their Sixt car rental in Thailand.
Licence requirements for Motorcycle rent
A passport is asked for by all rental companies; but not an International Driving Permit (IDP). However, at ALL the Thai police checkpoints the police will ask for your International Driving Permit.
Most travel insurance companies have in the fine print that you must have an International Driving Permit in the event of a claim for accident damages or medical costs.
You are not covered for any medical cost if you rent a scooter without a proper motorcycle license.
Links on Wikipedia and Wikivoyage
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