  Renting
a Car or Motorbike in Khao Lak
First, if
you are not already an experienced motorbike
driver, please don't rent a motorbike
anywhere in Thailand, it is not a good place
to learn. If you are, go ahead and
rent a bike and enjoy yourself. Be
careful - and know that the insurance - if
there is any at all - on the
motorbike is usually inadequate by Western
standards. But, at worst, you are
unlikely to seriously injure anyone but
yourself.
Second,
an international driver's license (IDL) is a
must, no matter how many times you hear that
one is not required. Though a rental
agency may be happy to rent a car or bike to
you without an IDL, the vehicle's insurance
may be invalidated if you are in an
accident. An injury accident can be a
criminal issue in Thailand and it is
important to sort these things out BEFORE
you have a problem.
This
raises the next issue - don't rent the
cheapest car you can find. They will,
invariably, have inadequate insurance.
The minimum car insurance can be as low as
B15,000 - enough to take care of a broken
arm and that is about it. If someone
is seriously injured you will be
out-of-pocket to solve the problem.
Rent your
car from an internationally reputable car
hire - rental agency. If you are going
to do it - do it right. Check the
forum on this website for a discussion
of
good agencies with proper insurance.
Enough
scare-mongering! Driving in Thailand
is not difficult if you keep your speed down
and don't do anything quickly. Traffic
here follows the "school of fish" principle
in which traffic flows around any obstacles
and always takes the path of least
resistance. As long as you know that -
no problems.
Try to
not drive at night as the roads are usually
poorly lit - and unlit vehicles, animals and
people will be on the road. If you do
drive at night - just take your time and
keep your speed down, don't outdrive your
headlights.
Some
rental/car hire agencies will want to hold
your passport - don't let them do that.
Take a photocopy of the face page of your
passport and that is all that the reputable
agencies will require - along with a
photocopy of your IDL. Scam artists
will hold your passport hostage as they try
to extort money from you by claiming new
scratches or dents on the vehicle when you
return it. Just another reason to rent
from a reputable agency.
All that
said, Thailand generally has good roads,
that are usually signed in Thai and English
- and having a look around the countryside
is a great way to get to know the area.
Go,
enjoy! |
