Advice to those considering motorcycles

If you're afraid and unsure, don't do it. Your fear and lack of confidence will cause an accident.

I've seen and heard stories of people making decisions to buy and/or ride a motorcycle in Thailand based on someone else's bad experience or accident. Making a decision that way is a bit like deciding not to go to UD Town based on auto accidents on Phosri Road -- or not flying in an airplane because some crash.

There are many more motorcyclists who have many successful rides than those who don't. Yes, Thailand has its challenges, but the motorcycle rider must be forever vigilant in any country. There is more risk than in a car, and your head must be on a swivel. The rider either has the confidence to do it well, safely and successfully or he doesn't.

My motto: "When in doubt, don't." Again, your fear and lack of confidence and experience will cause an accident. Stay off of motorcycles if you think something bad will happen to you.

Get a samlor instead!

Nevermind the local opinion of them as a poor man's pickup truck rather than a three-wheeled motorbike (go figure...). The "facts" are overwhelming they are far safer than a motorbike. I have yet to even see a samlor with accident damage let alone see one in an actual accident.

If a cruising speed of under 50 km/hr is plenty enough to get to where you are going and you desire the ability to occasionally carry up to 400 kg of cargo or people back with you, then give it a go. Riding around surrounded by real steel with decent protection from the sun, rain, and road flak as well as no worries about lose gravel/dirt/mud on the road is a good feeling and a great alternative to a second car or motorbike.

Oh! And a license (or helmet) is not required (I've been told - not sure if that is the law, though). Nice benefit for foreigners looking to drive with no trouble from the BIB. You will get waved past all the police roadblocks stopping mortorbikes and cars. Samlor - not to be confused with a tuk-tuk.

KHONDAHM wrote:Get a samlor instead!

Nevermind the local opinion of them as a poor man's pickup truck rather than a three-wheeled motorbike (go figure...). The "facts" are overwhelming they are far safer than a motorbike. I have yet to even see a samlor with accident damage let alone see one in an actual accident.

If a cruising speed of under 50 km/hr is plenty enough to get to where you are going and you desire the ability to occasionally carry up to 400 kg of cargo or people back with you, then give it a go. Riding around surrounded by real steel with decent protection from the sun, rain, and road flak as well as no worries about lose gravel/dirt/mud on the road is a good feeling and a great alternative to a second car or motorbike.

Actually I have to disagree with you on this. I have been riding motorcycles for 40 years and I believe that the maneouverability of a bike will allow you to avoid a lot of accidents. they are quick and agile and you have better visability. A samlor is slow although if you were to get hit the samlor does offer more protection than a bike but nothing like a car. I have seen accidents involving samlors and tuk tuks and people were thrown out of them. Not a lot of difference from a bike. I guess as as a biker I find them a lot more fun as well.

Having had to take numerous motorcycle safety classes while associated with the US Military (38) years total, and having driven big bikes in Japan proper, Okinawa, Philippines, and for the last 17 years in Korea, my advice is that when in doubt about purchasing/riding a bike, DON'T! I putt around on a small motorbike with my dog in the village dodging cows, buffs, chickens, dogs and the occassional tractor being driven by a small kid and this is dangerous enough. I am going to convert bike to three wheels so my dog can drive while I ride....

KHONDAHM wrote:Oh! And a license (or helmet) is not required (I've been told - not sure if that is the law, though). Nice benefit for foreigners looking to drive with no trouble from the BIB. You will get waved past all the police roadblocks stopping mortorbikes and cars. Samlor - not to be confused with a tuk-tuk.

Hmm... săam lór = tricycle or three-wheeled, săam lór krêuang = motor-tricycle

Skylab:



Tuk Tuk (dtúk-dtúk):



Not to be confused with.....



End of lesson

@Jai - If you've seen one samlor in an accident, then you've seen one more than me.

I too have been riding motorcycles since age 16. Mostly over 750cc variety and cruising at mosquito speeds. Never had an accident until I came to Thailand and was rear-ended by an idiot Thai woman chatting on a mobile while I was stopped with signal on and one foot down to turn into a driveway. Manueverability? Ha! I'm sure that was what was going through my mind as I was thrown 15 meters or so forward - enough time to recall those acrobatics learned 25 years earlier to be able to land on my feet and unhurt. Spiderman, eat your heart out.

Driving my samlor, I have zero problems as most drivers stay far away so as to not damage their plastic bumpers on my solid steel frame.

@Papa - Any Thai knows not to confuse the types. It's foreigners who, as you demonstrate, confuse the distinctions. The 3 wheeled bicycles are called "samlor teep". No Thai would be confused between that and a "samlor" which has the motorbike engine. End of lesson.

my ex's papa had a skylab, but he called it a Tuk tuk, but who's splitting hairs..haha

Semi, if you have little or no motorbike experience, then stick to the car matey, otherwise there will be a white cross by the roadside with your number on it..

42yrs riding bikes, of all sizes and makes, I used to get a lift with my thai mates on their bikes, oyiiiiiiii, and then hired one and rode all around Isaan, and I lived to tell the tale, but it can so easily turn out the other way. Just look at the number of farang we read about dying in Thailand on motorbikes..getting knocked off by other motorbikes is the most common cause, them young fellas doing 100mph down the main street on thier little hotted up machine, then theres the fella running the red light, them ruddy fast moving 4x4's who stop for knowone, and then theres the buffalo, sleeping dogs, potholes the size of Texas hiding in the dark, wet oily roads after a long dry spell, and no road rules..

you might get away for awhile as a new rider, but sooner or later someone, or something will get ya..I wouldnt like to fall off in Thailand even at slow speed, because it would take ages in that heat for skin grazes to heal..but you see them all in T-shirt, shorts and flip flops, and no helmut...go to the Udon Hospital Semi, and you will see a ward full of young fellas with head trauma from motorbike accidents...get a convertible if you want to feel the wind in your hair. Its safer

Another plus about driving a samlor is that generally, you are going to be slower than most traffic which means you will almost always be far left and out of the flow of traffic. That's a big plus. Accidents may happen around you, but unlikely to involve you because of that and your slower speed (= more time to react). If rear-ended, the seat back will protect you from whiplash (if it's high enough).

IMHO, the greatest dangers are from red light runners and car door openers.

Another plus is that parking spots are often better than cars or motorbikes. A minus is the gauges are rarely correct, but one learns what is really what as one becomes familiar.

@Maaka - He was likely just being accomodating in the same way we use broken English.

maaka wrote:them young fellas doing 100mph down the main street on thier little hotted up machine, then theres the fella running the red light, them ruddy fast moving 4x4's who stop for knowone, and then theres the buffalo, sleeping dogs, potholes the size of Texas hiding in the dark, wet oily roads after a long dry spell, and no road rules..

You make some excellent observations. The fact that you are aware (as am I) certainly helps in avoiding those pitfalls. It's just as easy to ride safely and fully aware as it is to ride totally unaware or in a lackadaisical manner. By the same token, anyone in any form of transportation can be hit by a falling meteor.

The point of my OP was not to compare motorcycles to any other form of transportation in Thailand or even to disparage motorcycles. I ride mine every day and have several. My point was to encourage those who have fear or a lack of confidence in their motorcycle riding ability to stay off of them.

To each their own.

Samlors are made for midgets and thai people. OT bought a samlor a few years ago and found the riding position so uncomfortable it was difficult to ride. The upright seat means you cant slide your backside back to the get comfortable or lean back. I felt hunched over the handle bars. Lucky I didn't buy it for myself, I bought it for a Thai person but as mentioned before it would also suit a midget.


OT...................

I live at times to times in Hua Hin. The hospital in Hua Hin, one must complete at least one surgery per day due to massive skull and/ore spinal injuries resulting from accidents on a motorcycle. These motorcycle accidents take so much from the budget so other care needs suffer. It is obviously much more dangerous to drive a motorcycle in Thailand than it is in Europe and you will have a lot of experience and luck to not get hurt while driving a motorcycle in Thailand. For inexperienced drivers tenfold risks because they can not read traffic properly and not or can maneuver away from the risk of accidents in the same way as an experienced driver can make.

I have seen around 10 people ded on the street after motorcycle accidents the last 5 years in Udonthani - how many have i seen in Sweden under 5 years...........Non! Per capita....i think the risk is at least 1000 bigger in Thailand than in Sweden but....even in Sweden, unexperienced drivers is a problem to!

Buy a car instead!!

I won't even ride TW's bike around the village now and haven't done so for 5 years or more. I was once a reasonable "Enduro" (50Km to 150Km , cross country 'Moto Cross' style on a 350cc Kawasaki) competitor but after just missing a toddler running onto a slimy, buffalo crap covered road in front of me and me dropping the bike to avoid him was enough. AND I admit, I'm too old now and don't repair as well as my old race days.

How do all of these comparisons in statistics between Europe and Thailand and more motorcycle stories affect the fear and lack of confidence of riders in Thailand?


The OP was not for or against motorcycles -- or any other form of transportation. The OP was to discourage people from riding motorcycles if they fear them or lack the confidence to manipulate through Thailand's roads and traffic. Period. Nothing else.