SIM card

Buy a tourist SIM on arrival — AIS, DTAC or True Move all work. You can also use an eSIM ordered before departure if you prefer to have data from the moment you land.

If you fly into Bangkok first, there are SIM card vendors right at the baggage carousel area — around belt 18 at Suvarnabhumi. Quick, easy, sorted in under five minutes. For around 20 to 30 euros you get a large data package or unlimited internet. Fly into Phuket direct and the airport has the same options airside.

Download your GPX files and offline maps before riding into remote sections — signal drops in jungle and border areas.

Visa

Most Western nationalities get a 30-day visa exemption on arrival. For longer stays, a tourist visa is available.

Important: Thailand now requires you to pre-register your arrival online before flying. Fill in the arrival card at tdac.immigration.go.th/arrival-card, get the confirmation to your email, and have it ready on your phone at immigration. Skipping this means a longer wait at the border.

Always check current rules before departure — exemption periods and entry requirements can change.

Money

ATMs are widely available in cities and larger towns. In rural areas and near the border, availability drops significantly. Carry enough cash for at least two days of riding when heading into more remote sections. Most fuel stations, guesthouses and local restaurants are cash only.

Best time to ride

November to April is the dry season on the west coast — Phuket, Krabi, Khao Sok. The east coast has its own rain pattern, wetter from November to January. February to April gives the most reliable riding window across the full south loop.

That said — riding in the wet season is possible. Rain in the south tends to come in short, heavy bursts rather than all-day drizzle. It dries fast. I've ridden the south in the wetter months and it was fine. Just be aware that remote jungle roads like Hala Bala are better avoided after heavy rain.

Riding licence

Thailand requires a valid motorcycle licence. An international driving permit (IDP) based on your home licence is the standard approach and what most rental shops ask for.

A lot of people rent scooters without a proper licence and get away with it most of the time. Police checkpoints are common and usually wave tourists through. But if you have an accident without valid documentation, your insurance won't cover you. That's a serious risk. Get the IDP before you travel — it's straightforward to arrange in most countries.

Renting a scooter for the south

This is something most people don't think about until they're already at the rental shop: many scooter rental companies in Phuket and Krabi don't officially allow their bikes south of a certain point. Some have restrictions starting around Trang or Hat Yai. Take the bike further than that and you're technically in breach of the rental agreement.

In practice, most shops will allow it if you're upfront about it beforehand. The key is to tell them exactly where you're going before you sign anything. Negotiate. In my experience, once you explain the plan and show you know what you're doing, most shops agree — sometimes with a higher deposit. I've had to leave an extra 700 USD deposit for a deep south trip before. Got every cent back. It just requires a conversation upfront rather than hoping nobody notices.

Don't try to hide it. If something goes wrong far south and the shop finds out you weren't supposed to be there, you'll have a much bigger problem on your hands.

If your bike breaks down

If something goes wrong near Phuket or Krabi, contact your rental shop directly — most have their own recovery service for the local area.

Further south is a different story. Most rental shops in Phuket will tell you it's your problem if the bike breaks down in the deep south — and they're not entirely wrong given the distance.

For riders in or around Betong and the Route 410 area: there is a local shop there called Betong Route 410. I don't personally know them, but at some point I reached out and asked if I could contact them in case something ever went wrong in that area — and they said yes. I don't want to share a personal phone number without their consent, so I'll leave their Instagram here instead: instagram.com/betongroute410

I can't make any promises about availability or service — this is just a contact I've noted for myself and thought worth sharing. Reach out to them before your trip if you want to know what they can help with.

The practical advice: save the contact before you leave, keep your phone charged, and don't ride into the remote sections on a bike that was already making strange noises.

Safety basics

Helmet is required by law and enforced at checkpoints — use a proper one, not the thin local shell. Ride at your own pace. Overtaking on blind corners is common local practice — don't follow it. Dogs appear frequently on rural roads, especially at dawn. On remote days, never pass a fuel station when you're below half a tank.

A note on the Deep South: the provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla have been listed as conflict zones in some Western government travel advisories for years, due to a long-running separatist insurgency. This is real and worth being aware of.

That said — I've ridden through these areas many times and never encountered anything concerning as a foreign traveller on a motorcycle. The conflict is largely localised and does not typically involve tourists. Local life in these provinces goes on normally. Use common sense, stay on your planned route, and avoid anything that looks like a political gathering or checkpoint situation.

Read your government's current advisory before travelling and make your own judgement.

Scooter vs motorcycle

If you have the choice, go for a proper bike. My recommendation is the Honda ADV 350. It's powerful enough for everything on these routes, comfortable over long distances, handles occasional rougher surfaces without issue, and is widely available to rent in Phuket. It sits in a completely different category from a small automatic.

A 125cc or 150cc automatic will get you through most of these routes — the roads are mostly paved and the distances are manageable. But on longer highway sections the bike feels light and moves around more than you'd want. You'll notice it by day two.

If the ADV 350 isn't available, a Honda PCX 160 or similar mid-range automatic is a solid second choice. Anything smaller than that and you're making the trip harder than it needs to be.

Arrival tip

Fly into Phuket. The routes start there and the bike rental scene around Nai Yang and Patong is well established. Give yourself half a day after landing before riding — sort the SIM, sort the bike, eat something, rest. Day one starts fresh the next morning.