You could ride in BKK... But is in enjoyable? Fuck no.

 

Strange, I love it on the little CBR250. Blasting in and out, then bursting off when at the front. Love the feeling. But I've loved motorbike riding since I was teen (20 yrs ago) and riding in BKK every day for the past 6 years, so know how the traffic and locals move.

 

Guess it's different strokes for different folks. I couldn't stand sitting in a taxi or standing in the BTS, Would do my nut. :D

Edited January 2, 201511 yr by massimo

I have been riding motorcycles for 40 years.  My last few were Honda Goldwings.  I quit riding because of to many near misses with people in cars texting and on the phone.

I am glad I stopped before an accident.  Even if I was still riding I would not ride a motorcycle in Bangkok!

I have no intention of driving in Bangkok

I plan to rent a small bike when I get out and away from the big cities and wanted to stay above board so went and got my IDP here in Canada, it cost $30 and took about 30 minutes.

I am still a little concerned about "other" drivers in Thailand.

I am hearing many people drive drunk which is not cool.

I think I will play it by ear and ride if I feel comfortable enough.

I have been riding motorcycles for over 50 years so it's not my ability I am worried about.

Cheers

I always rent a 125cc scooter in BKK and actually enjoy riding in BKK. I will keep 500 baht in the pocket in case the police pulls me over but it never happened. I always wear a helmet though. 

I've logged over 42,000 km on my motorcycle in Thailand, that's about the circumference of the world, and I've only been in a couple accidents, but there were a lot of close calls so my bike stays in storage, and I would never ride in Bangkok.

I do ride here in BKK, but I wouldn't say it's anything close to enjoyable. I just appreciate the freedom to come & go as I please and not have to worry about a car or anything. But the traffic here is super frustrating to drive in, and I have been hit by a drunk motorcyclist here too. Although he was very obviously drunk (and helmetless), the police didn't care to give him any sort of test which I think speaks to how little they care about drunk driving. 

I've been riding bikes since I was 10 and now almost 20 years of having a bike in Thailand clocking up well over 300,000km here.

I'm not going to say its safe, there's always a risk with bikes, but I find it safer to ride in Thailand than I did in the UK and Europe. In Thailand most people have ridden bikes themselves and have learnt to drive a car when there are bikes around you constantly, so they're used to you being there. In the UK (and most other European countries), there's few bikes and drivers aren't used to looking for them.

Like every country I've ridden in, you need to adjust your riding style accordingly, but I love getting out of the city on the big bike and do enjoy cruising around Bangkok on the scooter too. Best way to get around by far!

I've lived in Thailand more than 20 years, and l haven't ridden my motorcycle since 2012.

Edited September 11, 20251 yr by Woody Woodpecker

Damn, I wonder if I should rent a bike in Thailand. I've driven a motorcycle in India before while traveling, but never in very heavy traffic. Just "traffic" - way more than the average in Canada though.

Do people in Bangkok drive reckless and/or fast?

I found in India (mumbai) people drive reckless, but not too fast since there's just too many cars. In Goa however they drive reckless & fast, and that combo is pretty hard to navigate if you're not used to it (im not).

When you get outside the city, up North, and it gets dark, local custom dictates you turn your lights off and ride around in the dark!!!

I've rented cars in Khon Kaen and driven around that area quite a bit. Try and avoid driving at night. It's a bit chaotic even in the day. I would never in Bangkok. I have noticed a certain amount of other drivers on the road seem to get impatient with me not running motorbikes off the road when they are in front of me.

So I got an answer to my question. My cousin who lives there told me not to try riding in Bangkok specifically. He said anywhere else he would feel safe recommending me to do it, but that riders in Bangkok are too rash

motorbikes safer in Saigon where they all drive like 20 mph.  In bkk they drive like fucking maniacs, would avoid like the plague.