Gear and equipment forum

You can buy helmets anywhere, they're generally very cheap and of average quality (they're skid lid type, not full face helmets. Some motorbike taxi guys will have a spare one, but not always -- if you insist they'll generally be able to find one for you to borrow. They're cheap enough to hardly warant trying to sell.

Third time post -- what happened to the earlier versions?

Posted from within Vietnam.

I try to make a habit of copying everything I write to the clipboard for 'errors' such as that! Ive wasted too much time learning the hard way.

Thailand and Vietnam, 99% moto taxi have helmets. Price for it in Vietnam is around USD10 to USD15 - reasonable quality, in Thailand is from USD20 to USD30. Cambodia around 15$ but very good quality. For Laos, I've never bought any, but I know that they are now force the moto taxi to have helmets for passenger, as they are holding the next SEA Games.

I've experienced a few (though not many) motobike taxis in Bangkok who didn't have a helmet to spare, but never in Vietnam. There, it's a pretty sizable ticket if you or your passenger is caught riding without a helmet.

I can't speak for BKK, since I never bought a helmut there. But the hemlut in your avatar is available where I live (Mukdahan) for about 150 baht. In fact, that's what I paid for mine.

"Hey all this Motorcycle talk.....Im terrified of them!!! Am i going to survive SEA without getting on one? I mean really, can I get around without them at all?"

Never be terrified of anything. It makes life less fun.

But to answer you question - sure. In Bangkok you can always take a bus, sky train, taxi... in provincial locations a Tuk Tuk (or skylab) is usually available. So yeah, they're avoidable. But man they're fun.

Rohan

They were Poms - and they had their own very highly rated TV show. Two have a very big TV viewer following. Clearly, they had BIG heads.

For ordinary mortals like you and me, no probs.

Cheers

"thanks madmac..they may be fun but not when your 12 year old son is on the back of a bike with a stranger and im holding on for life on another bike. i dont see any fun there. i wouldnt trust anyone with that task. :-) wish me luck im heading over in october"

My little girl always rides with me... I would not trust her to a Thai motorcycle taxi (she's 2).

But my son rides here, and he loves it! Course he's 22 and he always has a good looking girl glued to him riding on the back of my bike!

Ko Samet so small there's hardly a need for motorbikes -- can't imagine helmet law being enforced, though am sure if you needed one they'd be able to scrape one together for you. Can't help on dirt bikes -- not sure if they're available on Samet.

Just got back from Cambodia and while by law, the drivers must now have helmets, passengers don't and none of my drivers had extra.

But you can buy a decent helmet for $15-17 easy, which is what I did. They all thought it was pretty funny, since the Cambodians seem to universally hate the helmet law and have no idea why you'd wear one if you didn't have to.

I gave mine to my driver when I left Siem Reap, it was nicer and newer than his and I wasn't about to lug it back to the States, where I'm sure it doesn't meet our safety standards.

I'll miss my trusty Space Crown brand helmet, though.

That's weird, but I don't recall ever wearing a helmet on a moto in Vietnam.

Last time I was there was a couple of years ago.
I even checked my photos.
Definitely no helmets.

Haven't been to Cambodia in years, but never saw a passenger in a helmet there either.


Always wore a helmet in Bangkok, but not elsewhere in Thailand.

Unfortunately I haven't been in Thailand for years.

Maybe next year?