Good to know · Riding legally
The licence you need
to ride in Thailand.
Yes, you need one, and it has to cover motorcycles. Here is what Thai law actually requires, in plain words, before you rent a scooter from us or from anyone else.
What Thai law requires
To ride any scooter or motorbike on a public road in Thailand, even a small automatic one, you need a licence that covers motorcycles. For a visitor that means one of two things: a Thai motorcycle licence, or your home-country licence with a motorcycle category on it, carried together with an International Driving Permit that also shows the motorcycle category.
Engine size does not change this. There is no cc threshold below which a scooter stops counting as a motorcycle - a 125cc automatic needs the same motorcycle entitlement as a big bike.
A car licence is not enough
This is the one that catches most people. A car licence from home does not let you ride a motorbike in Thailand, and neither does an International Driving Permit issued against a car licence. The IDP only translates the categories you already hold: if there is no motorcycle category on your licence at home, there is no motorcycle category on your IDP, and on a scooter you are riding unlicensed. The UK government's travel advice makes the same point: ride a vehicle your licence category does not cover and your insurer may not cover you at all.
The International Driving Permit, briefly
An International Driving Permit is not a licence of its own. It is an official multi-language translation of your home licence, issued in your home country, usually by the national motoring association, and it is only valid carried together with the licence itself. Thailand is a party to both of the treaties IDPs are issued under, the 1949 Geneva convention and the 1968 Vienna convention, so a permit issued under either is recognised here. Which one you get depends on your country; a 1949 permit is valid for one year, a 1968 permit for up to three.
The practical point: get it before you travel. An IDP can only be issued in the country that issued your licence, so you cannot sort one out after you land in Thailand.
Police checkpoints and fines
Checkpoints are a normal part of riding in Chiang Mai, especially around the Old City and on the roads tourists use. Under Thailand's Vehicle Act, riding without a licence carries a fine of up to 1,000 baht, and the law allows up to a month in jail on top; not carrying your licence, or riding on an expired one, is fined separately. Helmets are required by law for rider and passenger. The fine is the small part, though. Get stopped repeatedly and you will pay repeatedly, and the real exposure is what comes next.
The insurance problem
If you ride without a licence that is valid for motorbikes in Thailand, you can expect insurance to fail you exactly when you need it. Travel insurers routinely refuse claims for accidents on a bike the rider was not licensed for, which can mean paying hospital bills in full yourself. Government travel advice is blunt about it: ride unlicensed and you may be unable to claim at all. Thailand's roads are among the world's most dangerous for motorcyclists, so this is not a theoretical risk. It is the strongest reason not to chance it, stronger than any fine.
What RideMate checks
We check the licence before any bike changes hands, and we cannot rent to you without one that lets you legally ride a motorbike in Thailand. That rule has no exceptions. Beyond that, the process is quick:
- Your licence - a Thai motorcycle licence, or your home licence plus an IDP, both showing the motorcycle category.
- An ID document - we take a copy of your ID card or passport and hand it straight back. We never hold your documents.
- A rental contract - so the terms are written down for both of us.
- A deposit - required on every rental and returned at the end. We confirm the amount before you commit.
Basic insurance is included in every rental. Sorted on the licence front? Have a look at the ADV 160, the ADV 150 and the Click 160, or see our monthly scooter rental page if you are staying a while.
Licensing rules, fines and enforcement change. This page is general information, not legal advice - confirm the current requirements with your home country's IDP issuer and official Thai sources before you travel.