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Archive for the ‘Motorcycle Insurance’ Category

After I arrived in Chiang Mai and lived here for several months I never even considered driving here and never had any thoughts of buying a motor vehicle. Why? Because the traffic seemed just too busy with vendors with carts, bicycles, mortorbikes weaving in and out, drivers of cars and trucks not adhering to the rules of the road and with dogs laying out in the streets reluctant to move. And this is from a person who has driven a car since he was 18 years of age.

My means of transportation when I first arrived was the tuk tuk (or touk touk) which is three wheeled motorcycle with a small bench seat at back covered by a canopy. Either that or a red taxi which is pick up truck with two bench seats placed in back and also a canopy. It was red taxi or tuk tuk at first and then on the back of my girlfriends motorbike. It may look at bit odd but it isn’t uncommon here. A lady weighing 40 kilos driving the honda motorbike powered by a 100 cc engine with a big farang “foreigner” sitting on the back of the motorbike.

But then the time came where we needed to rent a car. We wanted to go to Myanmar and this gave me a chance to get my retirement visa stamped close to the one year period of it’s issue date. As the drive would commence at about 4 a.m. in the morning and be primarily highway driving I agreed to rent a car. The car was remted from North Wheels. As usual in my meticulous ways I checked every rental place I could here in Chiang Mai. Prices were close and North Wheels won it. They had the largest fleet, the best insurance, free pick up, and 24 hr. service in case of trouble. Some of their competitors had marginally lower prices but I think it is because there cars are older.

Well it took a little getting used to. First of all where I am from the steering wheel is on the left side of the car and not the right side and the shifter on my right hand side and not on my left as is common here. Also I have to drive on the left side of the road. But off we went and we made it there and returned in once piece. It was about a 4 1/2 drive there and same coming back. Not that much traffic but what you will find is that for half the trip there is nowhere to pass. You will witness reckless drivers passing on turns and up and down hills where they shouldn’t because they cannot see far enough ahead. The trip is up and some hilly terrain- very hilly.

Will you need to rent a car?

The climate here in Chiang Mai is either warm or hot during the day and warm or cool at night. I arrived on November 23 and during the first 3 months I did not see a drop of rain. It was sunny every day, warm during the day and pleasantly cool in the evenings and at night. If you were sleeping with the window open you would require a blanket.

My girlfriend told me that the time would come where we would get rain every day. Hmmm. She must be exaggerating I thought to myself. Perhaps rain every 2 or 3 days but not “every” day.

Well I was proven wrong. Starting in May we got rain every day. At times a quick shower during what seemed like the same time each day and ocassionaly a continuous rainfall. It was at this time that I realized that we should buy a motor vehicle. The drive on the motorbike at the time to here beauty salon was just too far and with rainfall it took even longer. The other consideration was that when we went shopping for groceries we were buying for 4 of us. Her mother, her daughter, her and me. A fair bit of groceries to carry by a big farang on a motorbike. So I went to look at cars or should I say trucks. Motorbikes outnumber cars here about 3-4 to 1 and trucks outnumber cars here by about 7-8 to 1 reason being is that they are taxed less than cars and therefore more affordable.

First of all I went to Nissan to look at their new trucks. The prices ranged from about 360,000 baht or $9,700 U.S. for a truck with one row of seating for 3 people. For seating front and rear for 5 people the price was approximately 460,000 baht or #12,200 U.S. Excellent prices if you are used to buying vehicles in North America. The price gets even better once you take into consideration that the price for the larger vehicle with seating for 5 ncludes first class insurance for one year, it includes a front bumber, rear bumber, includes the alumiunum castings on the side that you would step on to get in and out of the vehicle and a liner for the turck body and also an attachment where someone inside of the body of the truck could hold on to when they are standing up. All in all lots of extras and a great price.

I almost went ahead with that purchase. Now keep in mind that the most popular vehicles makes here are Toyota, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, then Nissan and then Ford way down the list. We decided to look at used vehicles probably because I thought either I or Wan who had yet to learn to drive and would be driving the vehicle may bang up the truck. At one of the dealerships they did an impeccable job of preparing the vehicles. They were cleaned inside and out and including the engine and engine compartment. The color was good as was the mileage which was only 17,000 km. at a price of 400,000 baht. We added the front and rear bumpers for about 4,000 baht and we were ready to cruise. /p>

The truck is mainly used to drive Mommie to school and for grocery shopping. On ocassion we make a trip to the hot springs or reservoir.

So what have I learned that I can pass on:

1/ If you come here on vacation you will probably not need a rented car unless you plan on seeing the sights out of town. If you come here to live long term you may want to buy a vehicle and probably a pick up because of the price. But chances are you will need it that often and you can get by on a motorbike and renting a car on ocassion. That is the case if you live here alone. Should you meet a lady then things change and you may want to buy a vehicle.

2/ Buy a used pick up as the driving will take getting used to and it may get banged up by you or by your girlfriend who may want to learn to drive it.

3/ Buy a popular make as it is easier getting service. So a Isuzu, Mitsubishi, or Toyota pick up or a Honda car. The driving is alot easier for you and the girlfriend or wife if you have an automatic. Hard to find but keep it in mind.

4/ Stay with a small engine as most of the driving will be city driving and you do not need the horsepower. Keep the money in your pocket as the oil Sheiks have enough of our money.

5/ I decided on getting Auto Insurance and it cost me about 19,000 baht or about $500 U.S. for a year. After one year the Insurance contacted me and said if I wanted to renew the rate would be 30% less as I did not have any claims. What? Are they nuts? Don’t they know that in North America if you do not have any claims and have an impeccable driving record for SIX YEARS that the insurance companies will still increase your rates. So this is your call. If you do not feel that comfortable with the traffic then get the insurance and especially if the girlfriend or wife will also be a driver. After a year you can decide to renew or drop. There is a mandatory insurance here for motor vehicles. If I remember correctly it costs about 1-2,000 baht or $30-$55 U.S. and doesn’t cover much but it is mandatory. And should you decide to sell your vehicle and if you have insurance remaining you will not get a refund from the insurance company but rather the insurance is carried forward to the new owner. So that being the case you can ask more for vehicle.

6/ I have written an article about driving here in Chiang Mai. If you want to rent a car or thinking about buying a vehicle I suggest you read the article over.

7/ The driving here some getting used to. But once you do it is reasonably easy. You have to watch for vehicles running red lights VERY COMMON here. You have to watch for vehicles passing where they shouldn’t and expecting you to move out of your lane- VERY COMMON here. You have to watch for vendor, dogs, motorbikes, and more but I have faith in you. If I can do it anybody can do it.

8/ I am recommending North Wheels Rent A Car. Largest fleet, best insurance, newer vehicles and they know how to treat their customers. Recently I decided to recommend a few of the service providers in Chiang Mai. If you are a visitor you can spend half of your time checking out hotels, car rentals, restaurants, and the like. Best to spend it on having a good time and take my recommendations in good faith. My goal is to see that you have a good time here. Good enough to decide to return here in your retirement.

If you are interested in vacationing in, retiring to Thailand or Chiang Mai then you should visit a website designed to help people by providing interesting and essential information and also deals on accommodations and vacation packages.

Just visit:
http://www.retire-on-550-month.com

George Dowhan
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/buying-a-car-in-thailand-53192.html

These figures are courtesy of yesinsurance.co.uk, who said that over the past 25 years the fatality rates of all other types of transport have dropped considerably, the risk of riding a motorcycle has maintained its dangerous fatality rate.

In 2006 6,484 motorcycle users were killed or seriously injured according to the Department for Transport, this is in comparison to 14,254 car users. Motorcyclists are 51 times more likely to be killed than car drivers, this figure is considered per mile travelled, they are also twice as likely as pedal cyclists, the next most vulnerable group.

Paul Purdy of yesinsurance.co.uk said: “The rising cost of fuel and the exemption of motorcycles from the London congestion charge have been two of the factors encouraging car drivers to switch to motorcycles.

“This has implications for other cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham, where the introduction of a congestion charging system could lead to a rise in road casualties. Deaths and serious injuries of motorcyclists in their forties have almost doubled over the past ten years, whilst figures for those in their twenties and early thirties have declined.”

He added: “Whilst we support the move to encourage car drivers to use other forms of transport in city areas, as an insurer we are acutely aware that the risk factor for motorcycles is over 50 times higher than it is for cars, as far as deaths and serious injuries are concerned.”

There is a prevalent trend for relatively inexperienced middle aged men to switch from cars to powerful motorbikes, this is something that is contributing to the rising number of accidents. The sheer number of accidents are pushing up bike Insurance prices for all motorcyclists.

Motorcycle traffic has increased by 37% over the 10 years leading to 2006, this is according to Department of Transport figures. Paul Purdy recommended: “Wherever possible, we encourage drivers to turn to public transport rather than motorcycles when avoiding the congestion charge.”

Motorbikes are often seen as a dangerous form of transport, and it seems from these figures that the assumptions are correct.

Although it could be the sheer vulnerability of the motorcyclist if an accident should occur, the injury and fatality levels are higher, but unlike a car passenger there is no metal shell protecting you on a motorbike. With a car you have a metal frame work that will take the brunt of the impact in an accident, you are also surrounded by safety features such as seatbelts and airbags which minimise injuries. On a motorcycle the only protection you have is a helmet and leathers.

Motorcycles are also harder than cars to see on the road, a car can clearly see another car approaching but it can often be hard to see motorcycles approaching, especially if they are driving to one side of a car.

It is said that two thirds of motorcycle accidents are attributed to speeding, braking or manoeuvres on the UK’s roads. The two main reasons behind motorcycle accidents are collisions with fixed objects and negotiating around corners and sharp bends. Corners and sharp bends can be fatal to motorcycle users if not taken safely, bad weather conditions can also contribute to accidents, as can deteriorating road surfaces.

Jemma
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/motorcycles-more-dangerous-than-cars-400921.html

An electric bike can easily be confused with other vehicles like scooters or motorcycles. However, they are not at all the same thing. Many people opt to use an electric bike so that they can get around easy without having to rely on a car. There are many rules involved with riding an electric bike. Make sure that you know all of those rules and laws for where you live. Many electric bike owners have had the misfortune of receiving tickets after disobeying laws that they hadn’t been aware of.

An electric bike is much cheaper to power than a scooter or motorcycle is. It is not a vehicle in any way. All it requires is the ability to recharge. Electric bikes do not require any fuel at all and this is one reason why many people choose them. It can save a lot of money on gas and car expenses if you do not have all that far to go to get to work or school. Motorcycles are not a cheap option in comparison. An electric bike is a fantastic green option for those that are seeking a clean way to get around without harming the environment.

An electric bike experiences much less depreciation than a vehicle or a scooter. Because it is essentially just a good bicycle that is powered, if it is kept in good shape the resale value diminishes minimally. Take care of your bike by storing it away properly in a garage. Don’t leave it outside in the elements or it could rust and not work properly. Store it and keep it clean so you lose virtually none of the value.

Modes of transportation such as scooters or motorbikes cannot run on solar energy. An electric bike can be designed to use solar power so that the source of your energy is all natural. It costs nothing once you already have your bike equipped to use solar power. It also prevents the need for a gas station. Since solar powered cars are not yet a commonly produced product, electric bikes have a great advantage over all regular petrol fuelled vehicles.

Scooters and motorbikes have an actual engine that requires gasoline to run. Electric bikes do not have a combustible engine. Therefore, they have absolutely no greenhouse gas emissions the way those types of transportation do. Those vehicles also require a special driver’s license to drive them. If you can ride a bike, then you are ready to go on your electric bike with no further permits required.

Though some states may require that an electric bike be registered, they usually do not. And they rarely ever require any form of Insurance since it is a bicycle that has been electrically equipped. A regular bicycle can be turned into an electric bike by purchasing a conversion kit. This makes electric bikes a transportation method all their own. Motorbikes and scooters are not at all in the same class. The advantages of an electric bike are apparent. They can squeeze into all of those tiny spaces a car or motorbike never could and they are environmentally friendly.

Levi Quinn
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/the-difference-between-electric-bikes-and-engine-powered-bikes-748928.html