Many visitors consider renting a motorbike on Koh Tao to get around the island. While it can be convenient, it’s important to know the risks. A bike in inexperienced hands can quickly lead to an abrupt, painful, and expensive end to your travels!

Koh Tao is not the best place to learn how to ride a motorbike for the first time. The island is small, so walking or renting a bicycle is often a safer choice. For those looking to explore further, you can also join one of our boat trips around Koh Tao or even head out on a scuba diving adventure.

Important Safety Notes

  • Quad bikes are not allowed on Koh Tao, so you won’t find them for rent.
  • Helmets are required by law and included in the rental price. Always wear one.
  • Road conditions vary: some sections between Mae Haad and Sairee Beach are under construction with sand, gravel, and one-way traffic. Ride slowly and carefully.
  • Even experienced riders find Koh Tao’s roads challenging due to sandy patches and uneven surfaces.

If you’re unsure about riding, consider alternatives like joining a guided rock climbing trip or hiring a longtail taxi boat with friends.

Recommended Motorbike Rental Shops

For experienced riders, we hear consistently good things about the following rental operations:

  • RPG Travel on the Yellow Brick Road (AKA beach path) in South Sairee Beach – they have mostly 125 Honda Click automatics, with maybe one or 2 110 autos. The 110 is not really suitable for more than one person up any sort of hill.
  • Oli’s Bike Rental in Mae Haad (top of Down Road) – has a selection of Honda Click 125 and some Semi-autos for rental. Offers resort pick up & drop off so very convenient.
  • RPM on the Songserm Road in Mae Haad – has the largest selection of different types of bikes including a few more powerful manual bikes.
  • KP Travel in central Sairee Beach as a good, honest option that has received consistently good feedback. They do not charge for scratches and have a clear policy regarding the cost of broken replacement parts.
  • 23 Bikes on Songsern Road, Pong Mechanic, Mae Haad – Pong is a former Kawasaki Racing Mechanic and the BEST mechanic on Koh Tao so his bikes are in top shape mechanically. He is a really nice guy and doesn’t charge for scratches.

Typical prices: 150–350 THB per day for a Honda Click 125i. Often, the slightly more expensive shops are better value because they include scratch insurance. Avoid very cheap rentals, as some operate “scratch scams” where you could be charged thousands of baht to get your passport back.

Regardless of where you choose to rent from, it is a good idea avoid shops with the following:

  1. Rental agreements that are only written in Thai – don’t sign things you can’t understand!
  2. Extortionate parts prices in the rental agreement (a pair of mirrors costs 300THB in the Honda parts centre, you shouldn’t be paying 2,000THB for them!)
  3. Companies with PRISTINE bikes. If it looks like nobody has ever crashed it, then the last renter probably did and paid a fortune for it. Pick bikes which have minor damage to panels and mirrors.

If renting a motorbike on Koh Tao doesn’t feel safe for you, try a bicycle from Apnea Total in Sairee, or simply walk between the main areas. To see more of the island, you can also charter a private boat or join us for an unforgettable diving course.