You can spot a motorbike taxi driver by his single colour waste coat which he wears over his normal clothing. Generally, these colours are green, orange, blue or purple and groups of riders gather at the end of roads and ferry people up and down that street for between 10 and 30 Baht although you can go further distances and negotiate a price but we don't recommend it.

It used to be that in Bangkok and Thailand, you did not have to wear a crash helmet, but the law has changed and you'll be expected to wear a helmet which the motorbike taxi rider will provide for you but forget any idea of a full face crash helmet. Enter the skateboard helmet (at best).

The idea of a helmet isn't about saving lives or protecting the head of the passenger, it's about showing a helmet is being worn weather it is a building site helmet, a skateboard helmet or a World War II German Panzar helmet. So as long as you have a helmet you won't get stopped by the police and fined 200 Baht.

Motorbike taxis can be found almost anywhere

How Safe Are They?

Not safe at all especially if you've never been on one because you need to balance with the driver and if you don't it could cause and accident. Not only that but many factors about Bangkok traffic makes riding a motorbike dangerous due to the fact that there are no rules. Or, if there are, no-one obeys them and motorbikes are the least of people's concerns.

Motorbike riders also drink Red Bull and can be a bit enthusiastic about how they drive or they think it's a laugh to give you a shocking ride to see how you'll react and so do yourself a favour and avoid motorbikes, and that includes renting one to drive yourself.

Travel Insurance And Motorbikes?

Your insurance policy might stipulate that you are not covered for accidents caused by riding a motorbike, especially in Bangkok or Thailand where many, many visitors meet a sticky end or end up having an accident. When we looked into getting BUPA health insurance there was a clause about motorbikes and not paying if an accident was caused by riding one.

Benefits

Apart from getting about quickly, motorbike taxis can be used to deliver food or run errands such as delivering messages, or picking things up if you are too busy. Generally, there are dedicated messengers to do this, but a motorbike taxi can also be used especially if your favourite take-away can't deliver for some reason.