When you rent a bike in Thailand, be careful when choosing a rental office, there are scammers among them. The scheme is this: they give you a bike on the security of a passport, and when you come return the vehicle must be some small scratch (or not small), often in hard to reach and not immediately visible places. For example, on the bottom. And for this damage the distributor begins to demand a large amount, threatening Do not return your passport in case of non-payment. Most often this type of fraud is found on the islands of Tao and Phangan. Right away make a reservation, in other places it is not a problem to find a rental of bikes without passport pledge.
The content of the article
- 1 Rent a bike on Phangan and Tao
- 1.1 Bike rental and passport fraud
- 1.2 How I was bred on Phangan
- 1.3 Proven rentals on Phangan
- 1.4 Proven offices in Tao
- 2 What to do to return your passport
- 2.1 Self Repair
- 2.2 Police
- 2.3 Bargain
- 2.4 How not to do
- 2.5 The most effective and correct way
Contents
Rent a bike on Phangan and Tao
Bike rental and passport fraud
I already told in some detail how to rent a bike in Thailand, read. There, and about the driver’s license, and about that, What kind of scooter to choose, and about renting without a passport, and about that, how to control the bike. In general, all the nuances. We presume that you This already all know, including, that passport to leave bad idea.
The most problematic rental locations are found on Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. It is there that it is very difficult to find an office that will not require a passport as a deposit. Therefore, these islands need take off:
– The very case when you need to take a bike from a Russian-speaking, those who live on the island and donate bikes are the easiest to negotiate with them and usually they don’t breed. If you do something, just replace and everything. Search exactly also in Russian groups, usually there ads posted. – In a proven Thai box office. But how practice shows, today it is proven, and tomorrow is gone. – have whom you rent a house, they should not ask for a passport, you should deposit left for housing
Tenants explain to tourists the requirement to leave a pledge a passport in that they allegedly may, if anything, escape from the island, not paying and this is such a security measure. In fact, if u you are asked for a passport, this is a clear signal to be on your guard – great the likelihood that further you try to dilute the money. Although, Still, divorces are most often found on Phangan and Tao, in I have not encountered this in other places, even leaving my passport in pledge.
And, if we talk specifically about Phangan and Tao, then the point is not even passport And the fact that when the bike is handed over it will be examined from head to foot and in most cases will try to roll you a fine for scratches. If you left your passport, you will extort money, if you left a cash deposit, then return only part of it for less scratching. Not so long ago, this was a little easier on Phangan, made a fixed price for rent 250 baht / day (everywhere banners hang on the island) and in the contract they wrote the value that will take for each damaged part (price is 2 times more expensive than shop). Moreover, they even take a scratch, and not in the case of an exit out of action this part. Type put things in order on the island, yeah. From one On the part, it’s good that they’re not taking the price from the ceiling 5-10 thousand baht), but nevertheless, there are still divorces and pay even smaller amounts for other people’s scratches are unpleasant. Read below my personal experience.
Rent in Phangan fixed 250 baht / day
Price in the contract for each damaged part
How I was bred on Phangan
When I handed over the bike, the technician immediately began to look skillfully at the right places and telling me what would happen. Although I never fell and generally drive carefully. The maximum that could be so on parking someone scratched. But I think all this is pure divorce, painfully professional he rubbed. 1,700 baht on top for 4 scratches on details that have not really lost their functionality.
I repent, I set foot off not VIDEO, but PHOTO, and even not all sections took off, as it turned out. Something apparently just did not pay attention, relaxed too. However, in this case, the photo was all the same it’s useless to do, I have 2 scratches well and clearly visible on photos, but the owner did not believe the photos, they say, I made them, when already scratched everything. Moreover, the date is in the files, but not in what, waved his hands and did not behave like a buddhist at all.
So the guys only VIDEO on Phangan and no photos. And, continuous and every corner, and that it was the owner himself though would be at some point shooting and still date with a voice standing next to him to speak Or, if the photo is taken, then the owner’s hand should be on photo or it entirely, so that later not otmazatsya. No wonder that while photographing, when I took the bike, Thais from hire all hid immediately.
By the way, another very cool thing came up – a crack on plastic parts. When you take a photo, and generally you look With my eyes, it seems that this is just a strip. But in fact, it’s a crack, you can press and see the rift. Fuck you then prove you’re not yours considering that in the photo it looks exactly like a strip.
Judging by the reviews, there are plenty of such rentals on Phangan, but none less I will write at least about this one. Called Kate Motorbike for rent (and in Google Kate Jeep & Bike). If you go from the main pier to Tong Fat, then immediately after 7-eleven, across the street from him (here’s the point). There two rolled nearby, in the next Adam Bigbike is also not worth taking, also bred.
Rent a bike on Phangan, where exactly bred
This kind aunt plays the role of a good cop.
And her husband is an evil cop
Proven rentals on Phangan
Below is a list of annuities with positive reviews. True, it is always necessary to take into account that everything in life changes and where everything was good for others, someone may not be lucky with the bike owner or by the situation.
- on Haad Rin you can take a bike from the Indians, rent Om Ganesh
- hire in Tong Sala (this is a large port on Phangan), right opposite the road to the port, near the roundabout
- rental in Tong Sala. From the pier to which the ferry arrives, go straight, cross the road, there will be a 7-Eleven store. We pass several meters right behind Seven, there will be bikes “For rent” next to cafe on the same side as seven.
- rental in Chaloklum area. Called AUTAIN. The owner is Thai, name is his auten (uten). But as a deposit, he still asks for a passport
- TON rolling office in Tong Sala. Located opposite the building Top Charoen Optical, near the roundabout
Proven offices on Tao
- a row to the left of the central pier at the 7-Eleven store mopeds
- in the center of the beach Me Had
- Rent in Island Travel – next to the pier, up the road next to with Cafe del Sol
- on the beaches of Sairee Beach and Chalok
What to do to return the passport
What can you do if you give a passport and require you to money for various minor damages on a bike?
Self repair
Just in case, here’s a price list for the most popular parts and work.
The first thing people try to do is replace it yourself damaged part. Some get it done a lot cheaper. But on the small islands everyone knows each other, therefore this option is quite difficult to crank. Also often on rented bikes are stickers rolled almost with phones rolled, or even marked parts (practiced on Phangan). Here with such a bike will not accept you in most services, will refuse to repair, say go to the distributor. But on the same Phangan there are several services that are clogged on it and will be ready to fix, will have to search for them. I know exactly two: in Chaloklama (if you go from Tong Sala, then from 7-11 to the left 100 meters) and in Ban Tae after the arch (if from Tong Sala go), there is still Bandon Hospital nearby.
Service on Phangan (Ban Tai), where they can repair the rented bike
Police
The second option is to contact the police. Again, in small cities, all local will be for each other, so most likely the police will only spread their hands. In fact, in most cases the police will insist that you decide this question yourself and agreed with the owner, so if you have no connections or you don’t If you can give bribes, do not expect help from the police.
To bargain
Third – try to bargain. With some skill you can significantly reduce the amount payable. Go to the service, make a calculation, and do not forget to smile more. To bargain it is impossible without a smile, and even more so to raise your voice and swing rights, so you will not achieve anything.
As a final argument, you can say that your passport do not need, turn around and start to leave. Also a good option may work. In the end, you can really fly away from Thailand’s return certificate, without a passport (such as lost).
How not to do
Much worse if you begin to act according to the “eye for an eye” scheme. and decide to teach the scammers yourself – without giving a bike leave the island, damage the bike in any way (add sugar in the gas tank) or even figure out how to foul the rental owner. Such methods are fraught with further trouble in the first place. for you. They can solder the same theft. Better always act only within the law.
The most effective and correct way
Here is what Alex Mf’s immigration officer says discussing one of the cases of fraud on the island of Tao (office called Euro Shop) about holding passports in unreliable rents and other establishments, departure for help without passport or legal attempt to return it.
Just give the bike and do not pay for “scratches”. Owner of that offices can not do anything. If he has your passport, and he does not give it, contact the consulate of the Russian Federation, then it is pure jamb, the police should withdraw your passport and return it to you. Everything.
For example, took 4 bikes? Fine! 4 applications addressed Russian Consul in Bangkok, el. mail and tel. there is on the site The embassies. Subject of the message – illegal retention of passports of citizens Of the Russian Federation, the inability to return to Russia due to the retention of passports, on-stream fraud, inaction of local authorities when referring to them. When you hold passports consulate responds quickly. Now there is a direct hotline of the Embassy of the Russian Federation with the Main management of the Thai police, it can be done.
To get START (return certificate) you must have police report on the loss of a passport. That is a statement in the police have to do it anyway. And I will make this statement correctly, that is, as it is, point out the illegal withholding of a passport and note that the Russian Consulate is up to date. Therefore, it is necessary first declare to the consulate about what I wrote above, only 4 point: the illegal retention of passports, the inability to return to RF for this reason, fraud and extortion of money, negligence and inaction of the local police. List all 4 items required And the next day, go to the police to make a statement and take a report. If this is not done, then you can get under the divorce and threats, this is a common thing.
That is, as written above, to return the bikes as they are and – then there is the fact of holding passports, and you are in white. From this position will act rightly and within the law.
Not yet in the topic of rental, in the topic of an accident. By law, parties to an accident may agree amicably pre-trial, and a police officer should to fix in the minutes of the agreement of the parties, where indicated the amount of compensation to the injured party. Wherein, thank the cop is considered good form 
P.S. Be careful not to fall into the hands of fraudsters!
Life hacking 1 – how to buy a good insurance
Choosing insurance is now unrealistically difficult, therefore, to help everyone travelers, I make a rating. To do this, constantly monitor forums, I study insurance contracts and use insurance by myself.
Insurance Rating
Life hacking 2 – how to find a hotel 20% cheaper
First, choose a hotel on Booking. They have a good base offers, but the prices are NOT the best! The same hotel is often possible find 20% cheaper in other systems through the RoomGuru service.
Discount hotels
