Ways of Biking In Thailand

As many of you know Thailand is a popular holiday destination for tourists, expats and hardened bikers.

Biking in this country can be a rewarding experience but also a dangerous one. The highways and roads are not for the faint-hearted.

For all that you will get to see parts of the country independently that you would otherwise struggle to otherwise.

Ways of biking in Thailand.

There are some problems to driving here in Thailand. The main problem is that riding a bike in Europe and the USA is much more structured and regulated. In Thailand the rules are seldom enforced and the 'style' of driving and riding is a lot more relaxed and liberal. Personally, biking and driving in Thailand is a breath of fresh air compared with the neo-stalinist traffic enforcement back in the west. But some newcomers will be put-off riding on the roads here in Thailand as they will be used to stricter rules.

For first time tourists in Thailand the big shocks on the roads and streets can be the thai style of driving and riding. Thais enjoy their freedom and laws requiring the wearing of helmets and seatbelts are often ignored, sometimes due to carelessness. Often due to the 'live for the moment' and the carefree thai style that appeals to the thais many expats and visitors are both perplexed and drawn into it!
There are a few key basics to riding and surviving in Thailand.

The Thais drive on the left-hand side of the road; this appeals to the UK, Irish and Japanese expats but visitors from continental europe and the Americas etc will need to get used to this.

The bigger vehicle you travel in gives you right of way over all smaller vehicles; This applies mainly for when there is two or more lanes, the bikes and slower vehicles usually stick to the bike lane and left-hand lane respectively. Faster cars and trucks stay in the right-hand lane when overtaking.