Ride a bike in Pattaya or taxi everywhere?

[Chris100UK 519]

Watching an expat YouTube video and he was arguing that a bike was not necessary in Pattaya. You could taxi bike or baht bus everywhere and it was too risky to use a bike even if you were proficient back home.

I don't ride a bike but if I lived full time in Pattaya I would have thought it would be useful to get around. Shopping, bit of exploring on darkside or jomtien, go somewhere with friends who have bikes.

Is a bike an important thing for you here as an expat / long term stayer? Or do you do fine without one?

[forcebwithu 4,822]

I have a friend who walks most of the time and occasionally uses a motorbike taxi or baht bus. He gets along fine, but for most, myself included, having at least a motorbike is a necessity for the independence it offers.

[yorta2 686]

I don't want one - I'd lose it within a couple of hours, parked amongst a thousand others and with me slightly tipsy....

[sailingbill 1,015]

I have one since i live on Wongamat Beach with no BB service. I still do a of cooking at times and got tired of dragging the grocery bags on Baht buses. Then walk or get a taxi down Soi 18. I like having a bike to go to Foodland and Villa in the early morning. But if cheap Bolts had been available i may not have got one. At the time the taxi mafia ruled since the tourists were here and was usually quoted 300 baht coming out of Central. 

[forcebwithu 4,822]

1 hour ago, yorta2 said:

I don't want one - I'd lose it within a couple of hours, parked amongst a thousand others and with me slightly tipsy....

LOL, happened to me twice in years past. Good thing too as I was way over the limit and in no shape to ride.

Edit to add: It was quite the chore going back the next day on a search and recover mission with a vague idea of the general vicinity of where I left the bike.

Edited October 28, 2021 by forcebwithu

[jacko 8,786]

20 hours ago, yorta2 said:

I don't want one - I'd lose it within a couple of hours, parked amongst a thousand others and with me slightly tipsy....

Well not really the best idea.... I have 2 rules about the bike..... no drinking on it and avoid night time riding. 

I am also getting to the age where I start to wonder how much longer I will use one.

But I see one as very necessary and it makes life substantially easier... just to be able to get around quickly, do  a few shopping jobs etc. 

I agree they are not essential, with the baht buses and the WINs there are alternatives... if you live where they are readily available, but the independence is good. Do you think you are any safer on the back of a WIN than the front of your own bike?

[BeerBelly 1,026]

If you live in Pattaya or even Jomtien between second road and beach road, you probably don't need a motorbike to get around.  Pattaya is so much larger once you have a motorbike though. I live on the much cheaper darkside and no way would I be able to do so without some form of transportation. 

If you like to cook, I would say it is MUCH easier to gather ingredients if you have your own transportation. Sure, you could just do a motorbike taxi or Bolt taxi, but the cost of those add up and will impact your buying decisions. For example, I am out of thyme. I will make a special trip to go buy thyme so I can make some sausages. It would not be worth paying a taxi to go get thyme. These types of decisions would probably impact me often enough that I would cook much much less, spending much much more. 

[Odense 489]

While I am impressed that you make your own sausages I am guessing that must expats do not.
That is a level over the cooking most people do.

Sendt fra min ANE-LX1 med Tapatalk

[jacko 8,786]

5 hours ago, Odense said:

While I am impressed that you make your own sausages I am guessing that must expats do not.
That is a level over the cooking most people do.

Sendt fra min ANE-LX1 med Tapatalk
 

My Mrs used to have a go at that.... copying the North Thailand style of sausage, which are very good.

They were pretty good.... bit of spice and meaty.

[BeerBelly 1,026]

12 hours ago, Odense said:

While I am impressed that you make your own sausages I am guessing that must expats do not.
That is a level over the cooking most people do.

Sendt fra min ANE-LX1 med Tapatalk
 

While I have made proper hog casing sausage, in this case, I am referring to what is called "Jimmy Deal Style" sausage. Basically, breakfast sausage patties. Even the last time I made Italian sausage, I just wrapped them in plastic wrap to avoid stuffing the casings.

I make sausages because I want to avoid as many carbohydrates as possible. Way too many processed goods you can buy include some kind of filler (flour) or even sugar.

[Chris100UK 519]

I was watching another expat video looking at condo renting and he said he couldn't live with just 2 cooking rings. He wanted 4 so must have a few things on the go at once. 

I always thought I'd be eating out most nights. Pain cooking all the veg that they throw in to most Thai dishes. Can't be much cheaper cooking if you eat at Thai places? Maybe ok as a hobby or if the g/f wants to knock up something? 

Apparently not that many condos have an oven? 

[Chris100UK 519]

Back on topic...what are your thoughts on push bikes? Good for fitness but wouldn't like to ride one at busy times. 

Not sure if they are much safer than scooters. At least you can keep up with traffic on a motorbike. Cutting into traffic to turn right would be a nightmare on a push bike.

[tallguy 1,460]

3 hours ago, Chris100UK said:

I was watching another expat video looking at condo renting and he said he couldn't live with just 2 cooking rings. He wanted 4 so must have a few things on the go at once. 

I always thought I'd be eating out most nights. Pain cooking all the veg that they throw in to most Thai dishes. Can't be much cheaper cooking if you eat at Thai places? Maybe ok as a hobby or if the g/f wants to knock up something? 

Apparently not that many condos have an oven? 

Personally I don't do a lot of cooking, mostly reheating and microwaving but lots of people do a lot more,even if is mainly making fresh soups and stews and the like.

Probably more common to see ovens in newer condos but definitely not standard. The same can be said for washing machines.

[Shooter 857]

IMO if you live in a location not served well by baht bus loops or mototaxis it's hard not to own one.  Like sailingbill living on Wongamot beach.  Tough to get there without.  And I guess if I lived there full time I'd have one.  But I am really set against it unless you absolutely need one.  There is no question in my mind every person posting here with a bike has either been down or will go down.  Usually it's not too bad and they live.  The question you have to ask yourself it "am I willing to accept the pain that will come when some idiot on a car swerves into me and I get a broken leg and both arms"? 

And it really doesn't matter if you are a skilled rider.  Maybe, if you are under 40 with good reflexes and skills you can avoid most encounters and will bounce back quick from any injuries that you can't avoid. 

Ah well it's just me.  I am anti-bike push or motor.  The traffic in Pattaya is a meat grinder.  And I prefer to remain unground.  ?

[forcebwithu 4,822]

5 hours ago, Chris100UK said:

Back on topic...what are your thoughts on push bikes? Good for fitness but wouldn't like to ride one at busy times. 

Not sure if they are much safer than scooters. At least you can keep up with traffic on a motorbike. Cutting into traffic to turn right would be a nightmare on a push bike.

During the day I use my push bike exclusively for errands and exercise. If you can keep up with the traffic around you, push bikes are probably slightly safer than a scooter. Reason being is you have a bit of height advantage so can see and avoid better what's happening up front. Push bikes are also more nimble than a scooter and can brake faster, again if you're alert enough to see and avoid.

At night, even though I'm a competent rider, I would never go out on a push bike. The risk is just too high for my taste with the darkness and increased congestion around the entertainment areas.

[jacko 8,786]

1 hour ago, forcebwithu said:

Push bikes are also more nimble than a scooter and can brake faster, again if you're alert enough to see and avoid.

Well as we have discussed before, there are a lot of drainage grids one has to watch out for on a push bike with narrow tyres. 

[BeerBelly 1,026]

On 11/2/2021 at 5:29 AM, Shooter said:

There is no question in my mind every person posting here with a bike has either been down or will go down.

That's kind of a pointless statement. The "or will go down" part is impossible to refute. Driving a bike is not a passive act. Riding on the back of a baht bus or motorbike taxi IS, however, a passive act. When doing those activities, you are giving your control over to someone else.

I think like many things, people have to do their own risk/reward analysis and determine if the rewards outweigh the risks. For me, the rewards far outweigh the risks.  

[Shooter 857]

2 hours ago, BeerBelly said:

That's kind of a pointless statement. The "or will go down" part is impossible to refute. Driving a bike is not a passive act. Riding on the back of a baht bus or motorbike taxi IS, however, a passive act. When doing those activities, you are giving your control over to someone else.

I think like many things, people have to do their own risk/reward analysis and determine if the rewards outweigh the risks. For me, the rewards far outweigh the risks.  

I did point out the convenience of them.  And it isn't as if I tell anyone else how to live their life.  The question was asked and I am sharing my opinion which is they are very dangerous to ride in Pattaya.  I hope you would agree a minor accident on a motorbike is much more likely to get you injured than riding in the back of a baht bus despite being a passive form of travel? 

 

[chippendalesam 37]

I will be moving to Pattaya-Jomtien in the VERY NEAR future and would like to buy a push-bike (bicycle). Anyone have one they no longer use or know of a good bicycle shop they would reccomend? Thankyou in advance. 

 

[forcebwithu 4,822]

16 minutes ago, chippendalesam said:

I will be moving to Pattaya-Jomtien in the VERY NEAR future and would like to buy a push-bike (bicycle). Anyone have one they no longer use or know of a good bicycle shop they would reccomend? Thankyou in advance. 

Two that I have dealt with that have good quality bikes for sale, and decent repair service are:

S.V. Bike on Thepprasit and Soi 8.

Eastern Bike on Sukhumvit near 3240.

And if you're interested in checking out different places to ride outside of Pattaya, have a look at this topic...

 

[Shane 1]

If you are thinking about renting a motorbike in Pattaya you should read this https://pattayarentacar.com/blog/the-truth-about-bike-insurance-in-thailand

All of the rental bikes in Pattaya do not come with decent insurance 

[Gary 4,108]

While living in Jomtien, I had a 175cc Kawasaki and a pickup truck. If going into Pattaya, I parked the bike or the car in Jomtien and took the baht bus. I would NEVER ride the Kawasaki into Pattaya. I would take the pickup if I needed to haul something. Finding a parking place in most Pattaya areas is simply a pain in the ass. I nearly got hit on Jomtien Beach Road by a speeding pickup truck. I did drop the bike but didn't get hurt. After that, I sold the Kawasaki. It's simply not worth the risk.

[keyman 1,379]

I've been going to Pattaya for many a year and pretty much the first thing I do is get a bike delivered to my accommodation. I ride a lot in the UK and thoroughly enjoy riding around Pattaya and surrounding areas. Yes, riding a bike can be dangerous anywhere in the world and I agree riding in Pattaya isn't the most safest place to ride. However, it is up to the individual how and where they ride. I can't say anyone will be safe on a bike in Pattaya, nor can I say anyone will be unsafe. Only you can decide your own risk level, based on your personal skills and experience

There are many risks we take in life, but what may be risky to one may not be risky to another.

KM

[yselmike 378]

On 11/3/2021 at 6:34 AM, Shooter said:

I did point out the convenience of them.  And it isn't as if I tell anyone else how to live their life.  The question was asked and I am sharing my opinion which is they are very dangerous to ride in Pattaya.  I hope you would agree a minor accident on a motorbike is much more likely to get you injured than riding in the back of a baht bus despite being a passive form of travel? 

 

My travel insurance does not allow riding motorcycles,not sure about a push bike.Its considered a dangerous sport!

[Gary 4,108]

I considered myself a fairly skilled rider but after nearly getting hit by a speeding idiot driving way too fast, I decided that it only takes ONCE to get hurt or die even though it is not your fault. After many years of enjoyable riding, nearly all on big bikes, I gave it up.