Be careful when renting e-scooters in Phuket

Phuket is a popular tourist destination and due to the relaxed entry requirements more and more tourists come to the country or the island. What has always worked well in Thailand is the motorcycle rental for the visitor. Whether the driver’s license also qualifies for a motorcycle driving, the rental stations of course do not care. So it comes then gladly to unsightly scenes in the traffic up to accidents with injured or even dead.

With the E-Scooter one thinks still less thereby. What could happen? But even in Germany, reports of accidents and recklessness are piling up. Not to mention the dubious eco-balance.

In October 2021, we saw for the first time a rental station for e-scooters in the old town of Phuket. Simply download the app, register, deposit your credit card and you’re done. Already you could explore the city center in the late evening hours with little traffic.

Today (March 2022) we are here again and now there are also in Patong Beach e-scooters for rent. But we had previously read articles and posts on Facebook that strongly advised against it.

Post in Bangkok Post about e-scooter
Post in Bangkok Post

Why not ride an e-scooter through the streets of Thailand?

First things first: Even though it is technically possible to book and use an e-scooter with the app, it is forbidden to use it on public roads in Thailand. Just like in our country – unless you register or insure the e-scooter, but this is not even possible in Thailand. Failure to do so can result in fines of up to 10,000 baht!

Only on the own property the use is allowed.

How to rent e-scooter with beam app
How to rent an e-scooter with beam app

In Thailand, there is no insurance and registration office for an e-scooter. Therefore, there is also no license plate on the e-scooter. The provider of this service has probably not considered this. Normally, the police also overlook this. But since especially in Patong Beach the percentage of crazy and drunk tourists is significantly higher and thus the recklessness in traffic increases, the police is cracking down here.

So, even if it is a pity: Better rent a motorbike and do without the e-scooter.

This applies not only to Phuket, but everywhere in Thailand!

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