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Ko Samui Thailand Island motorbike driving cautions...
 Ko Samui Thailand
motorbike driving can be dangerous, especially if you are
not familiar with riding a motorbike. The motorbikes that we have in
Thailand are not mopeds.
They look similar to mopeds and you'll want to believe they are
mopeds... but, mopeds in the USA are limited to 50cc (cubic
centimeters) and also have rev limiters that keep your top speed
down below 45 mph (about 70 km per hour). Motorbikes in Thailand (Ko
Samui) that you can rent can be 125cc or more if you choose a
different style of motorbike that still looks a lot like a moped.
These are real motorbikes. They are fast - my motorcycle is an older 2-stroke
model and it can go 115 km per hour which is over 70 mph. A person
can die on a motorbike at just 20 mph. If someone hits YOU, you
could die not moving at all. The helmet rule on Ko Samui is that the
driver and the passenger must be wearing helmets. The locals know
when they can get away with not wearing them and they don't wear
them. You really should wear yours and insist your passenger does
too.
Ko Samui Thailand is a very dangerous place for motorbike riding. There are more
accidents on this island and on Phuket island than anywhere else in
Thailand. This is likely due to the party atmosphere and the large
number of people that are drunk and that are not familiar with
either: how to drive their motorbike; how to drive on the left side
of the road; and those not familiar with the roads and the rules of
the road - written and unwritten.
If you're driving a motorbike on Ko Samui you must be very careful
of the road's surface. There are many places where construction is
being done and Thais' don't mark the road well - to keep everyone
safe. YOU must be responsible for seeing the road and deciding if
you're going a good speed. Recently my girlfriend's good friend
attended a funeral over the new years holiday in Isaan - northeast
Thailand because there was construction being done on a HIGHWAY and
there were no signs to warn anyone. She was traveling along the
highway by motorbike and hit a hole and flipped over the motorbike
and broke her neck and hit her head hard. She had a helmet, but it
didn't help.
You've got to be aware of everything. Ko Samui van and tuk tuk
drivers, truck drivers, heck - EVERY driver on Ko Samui drives
aggressively it appears.
Please be very careful driving a motorcycle - motorbike - motor
scooter, whatever you choose to call it on Koh Samui Thailand island... don't
become another fatality on Thailand's roads.
Ko Samui
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