Motorcycle Tours Thailand.
Guided motorcycle tours in the Mae Hong Son area of Northern Thailand.
Frequently Asked Questions.
In an attempt to answer the usual questions we get asked, we have put together the following.
Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about motorcycle touring in Thailand.
email us - looking@motorcycletoursthailand.com
When traveling in Asian for the first time your senses are bombarded with new sights, sounds, smells and tastes, its unlike anything in the West. An open mind is needed and sometimes lots of patience.
Tour Dates.
JANUARY 2009. OFFROAD TOUR, JANUARY 12th to 22nd 2009.
This tour is confirmed, we now have some bookings, places available.
FEBRUARY 2009 ONROAD TOUR, 20th February to 25th 2009.
This tour is confirmed, we now have some bookings, places available.
Frequently Asked Questions.
What is the trail riding like ?
Dusty hard tracks usually in good condition sometimes rutted, very very rarely wet so no mud.
You set your own pace, usually a tour will split into 2 smaller groups with a fast group out in front and a slower group bringing up the rear.
Thai people drive on the left so keep on the left and be prepared to cope with anything you might meet around the next bend.
We run adventure enduro trail riding trips where we explore the trails on 4 stroke 250s.
Do you have any bikes with a low seat height?
We can organise you with a Honda AX1
I'm traveling alone do I have to share a room?
Accommodation on a MCTT tour is on a single room occupancy basis.
What about a Visa to enter Thailand?
People traveling from the following 40 countries and 1 special administrative region – Hong Kong SAR – are not required to obtain a visa in their home country before entering Thailand for tourism purposes and will be permitted to stay in the Kingdom for a period of not exceeding 30 days on each visit. (show your return airline ticket at immigration on arrival in thailand)
1. Australia : Commonwealth of Australia
2. Austria : Republic of Austria
3. Belgium : Kingdom of Belgium
4. Brazil : Federative Republic of Brazil (****)
5. Bahrain : State of Bahrain
6. Brunei Darussalam : Negara Brunei Darussalam
7. Canada
8. Denmark : Kingdom of Denmark
9. Finland : Republic of Finland
10. France : French Republic
11. Germany : Federal Republic of Germany
12. Greece : Hellenic Republic
13. Hong Kong : Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ~
14. Iceland : Republic of Iceland
15. Indonesia : Republic of Indonesia
16. Ireland : Republic of Ireland
17. Israel : State of Israel
18. Italy : Republic of Italy
19. Japan
20. Korea : Republic of Korea (****)
21. Kuwait : State of Kuwait
22. Luxembourg : Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
23. Malaysia
24. Netherlands : Kingdom of the Netherlands
25. New Zealand
26. Norway : Kingdom of Norway
27. Oman : Sultanate of Oman
28. Peru : Republic of Peru (****)
29. Philippines : Republic of the Philippines
30. Portugal : Republic of Portugal
31. Qatar : State of Qatar
32. Singapore : Republic of Singapore
33. Spain : Kingdom of Spain
34. South Africa : Republic of South Africa
35. Sweden : Kingdom of Sweden
36. Switzerland : Swiss Confederation
37. Turkey : Republic of Turkey
38. United Arab Emirates
39. United Kingdom : United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
40. United States of America
41. Vietnam : Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Note- Make sure your passport will not expire within 6 months of the end of your stay in Thailand.
What about insurance?
The bike hire comes with Thailand compulsory 3rd party insurance cover. Comprehensive travel insurance covering you for motorcycle riding in Thailand purchased in your home country is recommended and a requirement of acceptance of booking.
Driving license and ID
Bring it with you and carry it,
in Thailand, tourists are required to carry their passport with them at all times, if you are stopped at a military or police check point, you may be expected to show ID. many people photocopy relevant pages of passport and laminate them to cary with them when out on the bike.
How much spending money will I need ?
The national currency of Thailand is the Thai Baht.
exchange rate is around 64 Baht to the £
Sterling.
you will get more for your money exchanging cash in Thailand.
How much will you need ? Not much is the answer, nearly everything is included in our tours, accommodation, bike hire, fuel & oil, drinking water and meals.
If buying Thai baht to take with you, ask for small notes e.g. 100 baht as you will find 1000 Baht notes difficult to spend.
All you will need is money to buy beer and any thing you pick up in the market. a large bottle of beer costs around £1.50
you can use your ATM card at the hole in the wall in Chiang Mai in the same way as you do at home, remember to tell your bank you will be traveling in Thailand in case they monitor some unusual activity on your account and put a stop on your card, Once we are outside Chiang Mai its a cash economy no more ATM's.
What riding clothes should I take ?
On our off-road trips most riders ride in a pair of cargo pants, (lots of pockets, looser and more comfortable than jeans) a long sleeved T shirt and light weight motocross top (keeps you covered up to protect you from the dust, + a brightly coloured top can be seen by other road users) we recommend body armour as its better to be over protected than spending time in a clinic,
knee protection, knee pads are great for when you fall off (everybody falls off) as your knees are often the first thing to hit the dirt.
Helmets, A motocross style helmet is good as it offers very good protection for the type of riding we will be doing. Bring your own or buy one here. they are cheaper to buy here but maybe not built to the same spec as something bought in the UK and they don't have any EU safety approval.
Boots, - ankle protection is a good idea so if you have them, bring along motocross boots if not a walking boot with ankle support is recommended.
Goggles - motocross goggles keep the bugs and dust out of your eyes.
We have bought stuff online from theses folk before (in the UK) http://www.dirtbikestore.com/
For our On-Road tours. wear the same kind of riding gear as at home, just bear in mind its going to be around 24 degree C with much higher humidity.
What about Tigers and Snakes and Spiders
The biggest problems come from something much smaller... The mosquito.
Read more about this in our
We sometimes see snake - even big ones on the trails -
as for the spiders, they are are huge and can run very fast....
if you want to see Tigers whilst in Thailand we recommend a visit to Tiger Temple its near Kanchanaburi and the bridge on the River Kwai
Buying stuff
Haggling in the market is expected, treat it as a game and don't be too hard on the traders.
If an item has a price tag then you're not expected to bargain.
You are not expected to bargain in a restaurant either.
Pat and Bo will be happy to help you buy things in the night markets
I don't like foreign food........
maybe its time to experiment, not everything is hot and spicy,
Thailand is famous for its food, simple meals are quickly prepared using a combination of sweet sour and spicy flavours.
check out our food page
Can I drink the water ?
Drink only bottled water in Thailand.
There will always be bottled water available as we will carry supplies in the support vehicle.
Electrical Questions ?
Thailand is on 230 Volts.
you may need a 2 prong travel adaptor.
Safety
Always remember to smile and be polite, don't shout. Let our Thai guide help.
Like anywhere in the world, Thailand has thieves. Robberies happen, though they tend to be snatch and grabs rather than muggings. The golden rule is don't take anything out with you that you can't afford to lose, and keep copies of all important documentation such as your passport, and travelers cheque's. Keep a list of important phone numbers somewhere too perhaps leave them with the us in the support vehicle. Most guesthouses and hotels offer safety deposit boxes. Use them. it’s wise to use a money belt; avoid leaving your mobile phone or camera sitting on a restaurant table or bar;
motoring offences are dealt with by the police at the road side and usually involve the payment of a small fine. Be cool
Insurance
Take out proper travel insurance that will cover you for your trip and get you back home and make sure it includes cover for the type of trip you are doing.
If there is any damage to the hire bikes then you will be expected to pay for that damage.
Mobile phone and internet
Mobile phone coverage is very good even in remote areas where we are often surprised to get a signal. We supply you with a Thai sim card for local calls so you can keep in touch with other members of the party.
Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son and Pai have internet access. so there are opportunities to collect emails.
We carry our laptop so you can burn digital photos to a CD to free up memory cards.
Departure tax changes?
Traditionally the Airport tax in Thailand has always been paid on departure from Thai Airports. However as of February 1st 2007 the departure tax/airport tax (PSC – passenger service charge) will be included in the airline ticket price.
and Finally
MCTT is a registered company in Thailand
MCTT has a TAT inbound carriers lisence to run motorcycle tours in Thailand
Everything is included in our tours - excluding beer and flights.
We use a high spec Toyota Fortuna 4X4 air conditioned support vehicle.
Thai registered guides
We provide a range of extras including - souvenir map, MCTT souvenir T shirt, use of Thai mobile phone, use of helmet camera, lap top to burn digital pics to CD.
