I've done the Mae Hong Son Loop, and it's really an amazing ride. Highly recommended! Very well put together video too. The people there are so friendly & nice!
Nice video. I live in Chiang Mai and have been around the MHS loop several times, in one day twice. In the last three years, I've ridden over 25,000 km in NW Thailand alone. (Thailand is almost as big as Texas.) Mae Ya, just before Mae Klang is 300 meters tall and 400 meters wide. The Holy Relics site is built around CHEDIS or STUPAS, not pagodas. There is an alternate loop that has you go down to Hot and turn west to Mae Seriang. This route follows the river that feeds the largest waterfall in Thailand. Excellent river gorge scenery is on that section. I can't emphasize how many more NW Thai roads are excellent, going south from Mae Seriand to Mae Sot is also excellent sport biking. Before I retired in the US, I lived about an hour from the TAIL of the DRAGON. There are comparable roads 2 KM from my condo. I would also mention, Thailand doesn't do much traffic enforcement so worrying about speed traps or pursuit, it ain't happening. Regardz, let me know if you return! Oh, one other thing, after living here over 3 years, I have NEVER heard of anyone having a problem leaving a passport for deposit. On the other hand some places will rent for a copy of your passport. It is up to you, but I hope you don't waste your time in Thailand being paranoid.
Whenever you hire anything or stay in a hotel in Thailand NEVER leave your passport. EVER. They can take a photocopy of your passport and that is what is legally required. They may ask you for a cash deposit which is fine. Make sure you get a receipt. If they won't rent to you without your passport then go somewhere else. There are plenty of places to rent from and the prices are about the same in any given area.
In my experience, the prices can differ alot, as well as other things like condition of the bikes and the managers. In Chiang Mai I recommend Mr Mechanic. A small bike rental shop which offers insurance for 100 baht/day. On top of that you get 100 baht discount for every day you use it. As we were used to European standards, we didn't like the bad condition helmets they offered, they were too big, too small, had broken visors, hatches etc. No problem, one of the workers went and bought a completely new helmet for me to unbox. I wanted to get a mount on the bike for my backpack. A worker fixed it. My friend's brake disc was bad. A worker fixed it. All for "free" and within an hour. Good luck finding this customer service in EU. My point is, if you get your bike from Mr Mechanic you are in good hands and don't need to worry about giving away your passport. I rode a Honda Rebel 500 for about 2 weeks, you can see it on my channel if you want to, it even managed the jungle!
I echo what others have said here - NEVER leave your passport. It is one of the #1 ways the rental companies try and rip you off. They can hold to ransom as you can't do without your passport!!!!
Great video.. very well made.. it's a beautiful country Thailand. You did well and the trip worked for you. It's a wee shame there are so many experts in the comments. Just so you know my wife and l have a house in Chiang Mai ... we know the loop well .
Mae Ya is a huge waterfall, Mae Klang is second or third largest. If you take the Doi Inthanon route you miss some of the curves between Hot and Mae Seriang. I like running the loop clockwise, altho I've run it 6 times, once in one day. The monuments at the King and Queen monument are called chedis or stupas, not pagodas. It's a once in a lifetime run but after 3 years of wandering NW Thailand, this loop is only one of many! Cheers!
Great video. I just did the doi inthanon ride in january, I think I got a bit better weather on my day. I'm back again this year and going to do the loop. I'm still trying to decide what bike to go for, and funnily enough it was either going to be the cb500 or the v-strom. Did you feel they were decent bikes or would you say overkill? Also how much where they to rent in baht if you can remember? Thanks for the video tho, enjoyed watching it!
G'day mate. I loved the V-Strom. It wasn't overkill and meant I always had plenty of power when I wanted it. The CB500 was good too according to Konstantin. I really enjoyed the V-Strom. Cost was only AU$75 a day if my memory is correct. Glad you liked the vid! Enjoy the loop when you go back! Keep the rubber on the bottom! Mike
I live here and would advise at leasy a 500CC bike for maximum enjoyment. There is also an alternate route in thru Mae Win and across the face of Doi Inthanon. The 500 CBR Honda rents for about a 1000 baht a day with insurance. I take my visitors to Chaing Mai to Tony's Big Bikes, Brits, well maintained, safety check outbound, crash suits boots and helmets included if you want. Pop's has some Suzuki 650's. Tony's has 850 Triumphs. Enjoy!
Iv lived in Thailand three to four months a year for the past year and never, ever been asked to give them my Passport. They make a photo copy and I fill out a check in form.
Yea I have one time but would never give up my passport again. It's just dumb to be in a foreign country without your passport. There are always other shops who would be happy to accept some cash as deposit or whatnot.
I live in Chaing Mai. I keep up with ex-pat and tourist issues. I have never heard of anyone having a problem using a passport as a deposit. Maybe some places bad idea, but I live here and don't see the evidence. Regardz!
honestly iv done it so many times over the years from Chiang mai and Nepal ,Vietnam, Laos ,Cambodia and others ,never had any issue .plus never heard of anyone that it happened to . stick to the popular places they won't mess with you they have a rep to keep . getting a deposit back would be worse as they can start saying ohh this is scratched and thats wrong . video on day of hire with the guy and you should be ok . best of luck people .
NEVER leave your Passport . I;m not saying they are dishonest but it is the property of the Federal Government here in Oz . I have rented MANY times in Thailand and always refused to surrender my Passport . The first time i did the Loop was in 2013 with my Son - WOW . I hope you enjoyed Thailand .
Sorry but you said $75 a day, Wow! That's insane pricing. People please don't pay these prices. $5 a day MAX is all you need to pay. I have done this journey at least 7 times and have done it 3 times on a Honda click 115cc 100 baht a day
Thailand does not seem to care if one is carrying a passport. In 3 years and 25,000 KM of travel in Thailand, I have never been asked for my passport at highway checkpoints, vechicle inspections, or any time EXCEPT border crossings, opening a bank account, visa renewals, and vehicle tax payments. I do not dispute your basic premise, it is proper to carry a passport in most of the countries on Earth, but in Thailand, it is less tense.
Thing is nick and your probably right, but you'll get nothing iv tried lots of times , and if you want something good like say a bmw gs the deposit is ridiculous , .
Would never ever ever advise leaving passport in Thailand. Take copies of passport to give instead. If they insist just offer cash deposit. Very risky to leave your passport. The other consideration here is the loop used to be a drugs route and police still stop you. No passport = more potential issues.
I live in Chiang Mai, I've been around the loop a dozen times and ridden 25,000 km in NW Thailand in the last two years on a sport bike. I have never been asked for my passport at any checkpoint, the Thai Border Police pay attention to routes that provide entry from Myanmar but ignore MHS loop traffic, nobody I know has ever been asked for their passport, and I have never heard of anyone having a problem leaving their passport for deposit. Best regards, your advise is good in 99% of countries.
Suzuki V-Strom was rented for 3 days, and Honda CBX - for 7 days. We never said we rented them for a month. And in the video description we say - Day 1 - Day 3. Thanks for the comment:)
I've done the Mae Hong Son Loop, and it's really an amazing ride. Highly recommended! Very well put together video too. The people there are so friendly & nice!
Thank you Rob.
nice video looking forward to watching the rest of the series
Nice video. I live in Chiang Mai and have been around the MHS loop several times, in one day twice. In the last three years, I've ridden over 25,000 km in NW Thailand alone. (Thailand is almost as big as Texas.) Mae Ya, just before Mae Klang is 300 meters tall and 400 meters wide. The Holy Relics site is built around CHEDIS or STUPAS, not pagodas. There is an alternate loop that has you go down to Hot and turn west to Mae Seriang. This route follows the river that feeds the largest waterfall in Thailand. Excellent river gorge scenery is on that section. I can't emphasize how many more NW Thai roads are excellent, going south from Mae Seriand to Mae Sot is also excellent sport biking. Before I retired in the US, I lived about an hour from the TAIL of the DRAGON. There are comparable roads 2 KM from my condo. I would also mention, Thailand doesn't do much traffic enforcement so worrying about speed traps or pursuit, it ain't happening. Regardz, let me know if you return! Oh, one other thing, after living here over 3 years, I have NEVER heard of anyone having a problem leaving a passport for deposit. On the other hand some places will rent for a copy of your passport. It is up to you, but I hope you don't waste your time in Thailand being paranoid.
So this loop can be done in one whole day?
Thanks for great video, doing the look next week! Where did you stay when you came down the mountain?
That awesome moment when you watch a random moto trip video and it features your friends. Greetings to Kostja and Alex!
Whenever you hire anything or stay in a hotel in Thailand NEVER leave your passport. EVER. They can take a photocopy of your passport and that is what is legally required. They may ask you for a cash deposit which is fine. Make sure you get a receipt. If they won't rent to you without your passport then go somewhere else. There are plenty of places to rent from and the prices are about the same in any given area.
In my experience, the prices can differ alot, as well as other things like condition of the bikes and the managers. In Chiang Mai I recommend Mr Mechanic. A small bike rental shop which offers insurance for 100 baht/day. On top of that you get 100 baht discount for every day you use it. As we were used to European standards, we didn't like the bad condition helmets they offered, they were too big, too small, had broken visors, hatches etc. No problem, one of the workers went and bought a completely new helmet for me to unbox. I wanted to get a mount on the bike for my backpack. A worker fixed it. My friend's brake disc was bad. A worker fixed it. All for "free" and within an hour. Good luck finding this customer service in EU. My point is, if you get your bike from Mr Mechanic you are in good hands and don't need to worry about giving away your passport. I rode a Honda Rebel 500 for about 2 weeks, you can see it on my channel if you want to, it even managed the jungle!
Leave a 2,000 baht deposit instead of leaving your passport
I echo what others have said here - NEVER leave your passport. It is one of the #1 ways the rental companies try and rip you off. They can hold to ransom as you can't do without your passport!!!!
Great video.. very well made.. it's a beautiful country Thailand. You did well and the trip worked for you.
It's a wee shame there are so many experts in the comments.
Just so you know my wife and l have a house in Chiang Mai ... we know the loop well .
Thank you Peter.
$75 a day for vstrom is about 10x what a scooter costs. Seems like you could probably find a better deal than that.
I could get a BMW sedan in America for that price (or less)
Yeah that sounds like a lot for a bike over there
@Bruce Snyder for a single rider 155cc is fine. These guys had passengers so easier on the hills with bigger bike. Enjoy your trip!
i love Thailand and i Love To Ride the Mae Hong Son Loop With My Big Bike , Africa Twin
Is Doi Inthanon from Chiang Mai a doable 1-day trip to take everything in?
Yes!
Thanks for video. What month did you do it?
The ride was in December.
whats best for the hills, twisties. Versys 650 or will a cb500x work ?
Hope you had a great experience for riding motorbike in Thailand😊😊
Mae Ya is a huge waterfall, Mae Klang is second or third largest. If you take the Doi Inthanon route you miss some of the curves between Hot and Mae Seriang. I like running the loop clockwise, altho I've run it 6 times, once in one day. The monuments at the King and Queen monument are called chedis or stupas, not pagodas. It's a once in a lifetime run but after 3 years of wandering NW Thailand, this loop is only one of many! Cheers!
whats good for 2 up riding ??
Me and a buddy doing this ride in feb ! ;)
Great video. I just did the doi inthanon ride in january, I think I got a bit better weather on my day. I'm back again this year and going to do the loop. I'm still trying to decide what bike to go for, and funnily enough it was either going to be the cb500 or the v-strom. Did you feel they were decent bikes or would you say overkill? Also how much where they to rent in baht if you can remember?
Thanks for the video tho, enjoyed watching it!
G'day mate. I loved the V-Strom. It wasn't overkill and meant I always had plenty of power when I wanted it. The CB500 was good too according to Konstantin. I really enjoyed the V-Strom. Cost was only AU$75 a day if my memory is correct. Glad you liked the vid! Enjoy the loop when you go back! Keep the rubber on the bottom! Mike
Cheers buddy! keep up the entertaining vids :)
I live here and would advise at leasy a 500CC bike for maximum enjoyment. There is also an alternate route in thru Mae Win and across the face of Doi Inthanon. The 500 CBR Honda rents for about a 1000 baht a day with insurance. I take my visitors to Chaing Mai to Tony's Big Bikes, Brits, well maintained, safety check outbound, crash suits boots and helmets included if you want. Pop's has some Suzuki 650's. Tony's has 850 Triumphs. Enjoy!
Iv lived in Thailand three to four months a year for the past year and never, ever been asked to give them my Passport.
They make a photo copy and I fill out a check in form.
Yea I have one time but would never give up my passport again. It's just dumb to be in a foreign country without your passport. There are always other shops who would be happy to accept some cash as deposit or whatnot.
hi. just wanted to ask,the bike rental was ausd75 a day?
Yes Peter it was.
Dude. Are you related to Tom Hanks?
wonderful thanks a lot
Thanks for watching, make sure you watch Part 2 and Part 3 videos!
The is song from norteast thailand
music don't help with voice aat the same time !!
i wait part 3 :)
Thanks for watching! Part 3 goes live this Saturday! Subscribe not to miss it!
very very lovely
Hope it was useful! Don't forget to subscribe:)
ur doing it way too rushed imo... i like slowly i do this in 3 weeks hahhahaa
Nice video. You need to improve pronunciation of place names though lol. Very far off correct ^^. Safe travels :)
Hi Zed, Don't worry he does it with Australian towns to mate! Americans hey! (Aussie Mike)
@@mikehaydon89 😂😂
เพลงไม่เข้ากับภาคเหนือเลยต้องเพลงล้านนาสิครับ
Do not leave your passport....bad advice
I live in Chaing Mai. I keep up with ex-pat and tourist issues. I have never heard of anyone having a problem using a passport as a deposit. Maybe some places bad idea, but I live here and don't see the evidence. Regardz!
honestly iv done it so many times over the years from Chiang mai and Nepal ,Vietnam, Laos ,Cambodia and others ,never had any issue .plus never heard of anyone that it happened to . stick to the popular places they won't mess with you they have a rep to keep . getting a deposit back would be worse as they can start saying ohh this is scratched and thats wrong . video on day of hire with the guy and you should be ok . best of luck people .
NEVER leave your Passport . I;m not saying they are dishonest but it is the property of the Federal Government here in Oz . I have rented MANY times in Thailand and always refused to surrender my Passport . The first time i did the Loop was in 2013 with my Son - WOW . I hope you enjoyed Thailand .
worlds most expensive bike rental in the world....how much for a car?...$200 maybe,
Sorry but you said $75 a day,
Wow! That's insane pricing.
People please don't pay these prices.
$5 a day MAX is all you need to pay. I have done this journey at least 7 times and have done it 3 times on a Honda click 115cc 100 baht a day
It does seem a little high, but they are motorcycles, not scooters.
Hello
You guys need to stop letting them keep your passports. It's illegal, also it's illegal to be without your passport in a foreign country.
Thailand does not seem to care if one is carrying a passport. In 3 years and 25,000 KM of travel in Thailand, I have never been asked for my passport at highway checkpoints, vechicle inspections, or any time EXCEPT border crossings, opening a bank account, visa renewals, and vehicle tax payments. I do not dispute your basic premise, it is proper to carry a passport in most of the countries on Earth, but in Thailand, it is less tense.
Thing is nick and your probably right, but you'll get nothing iv tried lots of times , and if you want something good like say a bmw gs the deposit is ridiculous , .
I will never carry my passport, i will take my chances in the safe at the hotel vs losing it on the street somewhere.
Would never ever ever advise leaving passport in Thailand. Take copies of passport to give instead. If they insist just offer cash deposit. Very risky to leave your passport. The other consideration here is the loop used to be a drugs route and police still stop you. No passport = more potential issues.
That’s fair enough. We didn’t have a problem, thankfully 😅
I live in Chiang Mai, I've been around the loop a dozen times and ridden 25,000 km in NW Thailand in the last two years on a sport bike. I have never been asked for my passport at any checkpoint, the Thai Border Police pay attention to routes that provide entry from Myanmar but ignore MHS loop traffic, nobody I know has ever been asked for their passport, and I have never heard of anyone having a problem leaving their passport for deposit. Best regards, your advise is good in 99% of countries.
Brah you goofed you cant rent a bike for a month for that much money
Suzuki V-Strom was rented for 3 days, and Honda CBX - for 7 days. We never said we rented them for a month. And in the video description we say - Day 1 - Day 3. Thanks for the comment:)
A bike goats can outrun.
I stopped watching as soon as he said leave your passport with them.... uhmmmm...no...never do that!
NEVER LEAVE YOUR PASSPORT!! BAD IDEA
WOW!!