Motorbike rental in Kathu, Phuket

Kathu is the geographic centre of Phuket, the district between Phuket Town and Patong where people who stay on the island long-term actually live. There is no beach and no nightlife here; instead there is a busy market, three golf courses, a water park, a jungle waterfall and the mountain pass behind which the sea begins. The nearest beach, Patong, is 8–9 km away over the ridge, and that one fact changes everything: tuk-tuks come up to Kathu reluctantly and at tourist prices, and public transport amounts to occasional songthaews along Vichitsongkram Road. A motorbike in Kathu is not a holiday toy, it is ordinary daily transport.

We do not have a walk-in office in Kathu — our nearest branch is in Karon, at Patak Road 306/3, roughly 30–35 minutes away over the Patong hill road. We bring the bike straight to your house, condo or hotel in Kathu: send the address, the model, the rental period and a photo of your passport on WhatsApp. Paperwork takes about 10 minutes and we do not ask for a driving licence to rent: we make a copy of your passport, the original stays with you, and you leave a cash deposit — 3 000฿ for scooters up to 160cc and 7 000฿ for the Forza 350 and ADV 350.

Rental prices

The longer you keep the bike, the cheaper the day: from 7 days a Click 125 is 230฿ a day and a PCX 160 ABS is 350฿. The full table for every model is on the prices page, and the rental conditions are in our rules.

Which bike to choose for Kathu

Kathu itself is flat. Vichitsongkram Road and Phra Phuket Kaew Road are wide divided roads that any scooter handles comfortably. Engine size matters the moment you leave the district: almost every route to the sea means a pass.

• Honda Scoopy 110 or Click 125 — enough for life inside the district: Kathu market, the supermarkets, the school run, the shopping malls on the way to Phuket Town. The cheapest option and the easiest to squeeze into a tight condo parking bay.
• Honda Click 160 ABS or PCX 160 ABS — the working choice if you cross the pass into Patong every day. Route 4029 is a long, sustained climb and a 125cc with a passenger clearly runs out of breath on it; on the way back down the brakes matter more, and ABS on wet asphalt is not marketing.
• Honda ADV 160 or FORZA 350 — for long days out: the airport, the northern beaches, Chalong and the Big Buddha in one run.

Every bike comes with two helmets and medical insurance covering hospital treatment up to 50 000฿ in case of an accident. All our bikes are new and Honda only — on long climbs you feel the difference.

Parking a bike in Kathu

After Patong and Karon, Kathu feels like a parking paradise: space is almost always there and almost always free.

• Kathu market and the supermarkets on Vichitsongkram Road have large bike areas, full in the morning: avoid the 07:00–09:00 rush.
• Condos normally have covered bike parking. Ask security where the guest bays are — many bays are effectively assigned to long-stay residents.
• Do not block the entrances to the narrow sois and do not park on the red-and-white kerb markings. Kathu is pickup-truck country, and police work regularly around the school and market in the morning.

We have separate guides on where to park a motorbike in Phuket, including free parking, and on how to avoid having a bike stolen.

Where to ride from Kathu

From the middle of the island the west-coast beaches and Phuket Town are equally close — that is the main advantage of living in Kathu.

• Kathu Waterfall — 3 km from the centre of the district along Soi Namtok, about ten minutes. Four tiers of cascades in thick jungle, free entry, a stone staircase up to the first level. There is real water in the rainy season, roughly June to October; in the dry months it is barely a trickle. Above the falls is the highest point of Phuket, around 540 m.
• Over the pass to Patong — 8–9 km and 15–20 minutes on Route 4029, with a viewpoint over Patong Bay on the way. Ride it in daylight the first time: it is the most accident-prone stretch on the island.
• Phuket Town — 9–10 km east, a quarter of an hour: Thalang Road, the old shophouses, coffee and street food.

Day-trip routes with stops are collected in our article on the best motorbike routes around Phuket. For the beach districts see Patong just over the pass and Karon a little further south.

Police checks, licence and helmets

In Kathu the checkpoints usually stand on Vichitsongkram Road at the foot of the pass and on the exit towards Phuket Town. We do not require a licence to rent — a passport and the deposit are enough. Under Thai law, however, riding a motorbike needs a category A or A1 licence (international or Thai), and that is exactly what the police check: the fine for riding without the right licence is 1 000฿, and riding without a helmet costs up to 2 000฿. A helmet is mandatory for rider and passenger alike, which is why we hand over two with every bike. What exactly gets checked is explained in our article on renting a motorbike in Phuket without a licence.

One more thing about the pass: on the descent into Patong do not hold the brake lever down the whole way, or the pads overheat and stop biting. Brake in short pulls, use both brakes, and expect sand and water on the bends after rain.

Bike delivery to Kathu

Delivery runs from our Karon office: Patak Road 306/3, open daily 08:00–20:00, phone and WhatsApp +66 622 843 198. The ride over the hill takes 30–35 minutes, so we agree the time in advance. On rentals of 5 days or more delivery to your address in Kathu is free; on shorter rentals it is paid — the cost depends on the distance and the manager confirms it before you book. We can also collect the bike at the end of the rental. For a long stay, look at monthly motorbike rental: a fixed price, servicing at our cost and a replacement bike if something breaks. You can reach us from the contacts page.

Bike rental in other Phuket areas:
Patong · Karon · Kata · Nai Yang · Bangtao · Airport · Monthly rental