On this page9 sections
At a glance
- Licence for visitors
- An International Driving Permit, shown with your passport and national licence
- UK licence holders
- The 1968 International Driving Permit, with the UK licence
- Motorbike helmets
- Required by Thai law
- Passport as a deposit
- Do not hand it over to a motorbike or jet-ski rental
- Tourist Police
- 1155, 24 hours, with help in eight languages
Sources for these facts (3)
- Licence for visitors: Royal Thai Embassy, London: driving in Thailand, checked 1 Oct 2026
- UK licence holders, Motorbike helmets, Passport as a deposit: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Thailand safety and security, checked 2 Nov 2026
- Tourist Police: Thailand Tourist Police: 1155, 24 hours and eight languages (22 October 2026), checked 2 Nov 2026
Licence and International Driving Permit
Thailand's embassy in London says a visitor drives on an International Driving Permit, shown together with the passport and the national licence. UK travel advice, checked 2 November 2026, says UK licence holders need the 1968 permit, and warns that to ride a motorbike your licence must carry the correct motorcycle entitlement.
A shop's willingness to rent you a scooter does not make you licensed or insured. Before you fly, ask your own licensing authority which permit it issues for Thailand, and make sure your home licence includes the motorcycle class if you plan to ride. We did not confirm the rules for every country's licence, so treat your authority's answer as the one that counts.
Insurance: yours and the rental's
UK advice warns about riding without the correct motorcycle entitlement and insurance. Read your travel insurance wording before you ride: whether it covers riding at all, which licence it accepts, the largest engine it covers and how alcohol affects a claim.
Ask the rental, in writing, what its own insurance covers: damage to the vehicle, theft, injury to you and to other people, and the excess you pay. We found no published standard for what a Pattaya rental includes. Some operators put the damage on the renter: Room Koh Larn, a resort on Koh Larn, lends its guests a bike but holds them liable for damage.
Deposits and your passport
UK travel advice says not to leave your passport as security with a motorbike or jet-ski rental. Canadian and UK advice both describe rental disputes in Thailand where a business demands money for damage or theft, or keeps the passport until you pay.
- Agree the deposit, the daily price and the return time before you take the keys, and get them written on the contract with a receipt.
- Keep your passport with you or in the hotel safe. If you need to show identification, a copy of the photo page is what UK advice says is usually enough.
- Read the contract for what the deposit covers and when you get it back.
Helmets and riding in traffic
Thai law requires a helmet when you ride a motorcycle. Ask for one that fits and fastens, and do not ride with a damaged one. Pattaya's roads carry scooters, baht buses, coaches and pick-ups together; if you are not already an experienced rider, a scooter holiday is a poor place to learn.
Never ride or drive after drinking. In the rain, at night or with a passenger, the risks rise: take a ride-hailing car instead.
Police checks and identification
Carry the documents a police officer may ask for when you ride or drive: your national licence, your International Driving Permit and identification. Canadian advice says the police may demand your original passport; UK advice says a copy of the photo page is usually enough, but you may be asked to bring the original to a station within 24 hours.
We found no current official list of traffic fines or checkpoint procedures for visitors in Pattaya, so this guide gives no amounts. If a fine is demanded, ask for an official receipt. If a dispute with an officer or a rental shop turns serious, call the Tourist Police on 1155, 24 hours a day, with help in eight languages.
Rental scams and how to avoid them
| Risk | What to do |
|---|---|
| A damage claim when you return the vehicle | Before you ride, film every side with the owner present, including old scratches, the tyres and the fuel gauge, and keep the video until the deposit is back. |
| A theft claim, or a bike that goes missing | Lock it, park where it is allowed, and ask the shop what its contract says about theft before you sign. |
| Your passport kept until you pay | Do not leave it in the first place: UK advice says never to give it as security. |
| An unclear contract | Ask for the terms in English, and do not sign anything blank. |
In an emergency, call 1669 for an ambulance or 191 for the police. More scams and how to avoid them are in staying safe in Pattaya.
If you would rather not drive
Most visitors do not need their own wheels. Baht buses run the main roads, and ride-hailing apps quote the fare before you book: see getting around Pattaya. For a day with several stops, Grab's Grab Rent page, checked 1 October 2026, listed a car with a driver from 500 baht for two hours, for up to four passengers, with tolls and parking extra.
On Koh Larn, some resorts rent bikes to their guests: see the Koh Larn day trip guide. Your first day's data, cash and apps are in your first day in Pattaya.
Questions
Do I need an International Driving Permit to rent a scooter in Pattaya?
Yes, with a home licence that covers motorcycles. Thailand's embassy in London says visitors drive on an International Driving Permit shown with the passport and national licence, and UK advice names the 1968 permit for UK licence holders. A shop renting you a scooter does not make you licensed.
Can a rental shop keep my passport as a deposit?
Do not let it. UK travel advice says never to leave your passport as security with a motorbike or jet-ski rental, and Canadian and UK advice both describe rentals keeping passports until a damage or theft claim is paid. Agree a deposit in writing instead, with a receipt.
Is a helmet compulsory on a scooter in Thailand?
Yes. UK travel advice, checked 2 November 2026, says a helmet is a legal requirement when you ride a motorcycle in Thailand.
Does travel insurance cover a scooter accident in Thailand?
Only if the policy covers riding and you hold the licence it requires. UK advice warns about riding without the correct motorcycle entitlement and insurance. Read your policy, and ask the insurer in writing before you ride.
