Motorbike rental in Nai Yang and Mai Khao

Nai Yang and Mai Khao are the quiet north-west corner of Phuket: casuarina pines, the beaches of Sirinat National Park, and the airport runway close enough that landing aircraft pass over your head. Nai Yang village sits about 3 km from the terminals, and Mai Khao stretches roughly 11 km north of them — the longest and emptiest beach on the island. The area is built on distance rather than density: shops, restaurants and hotels are spread along the airport road and the Thepkrasattri highway, and taxi drivers here price every trip like an airport transfer. A motorbike in Nai Yang turns a half-hour wait for a car into a five-minute ride.

We do not have a walk-in office in Nai Yang or at the airport — the nearest branch is in Bangtao: 126 Srisoonthorn Road, Choeng Thale, about 20–22 km and 30 minutes away, open daily 08:00–18:00, phone and WhatsApp +66 808 948 672. We deliver bikes to hotels, villas and condos in Nai Yang, Sakhu and Mai Khao. Send the address, model, dates and a passport photo on WhatsApp; if you land in the evening, agree delivery a day earlier, as the office closes at 18:00. Paperwork takes about 10 minutes and no driving licence is needed to rent: we make the passport copy ourselves, 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

From 7 days the daily rate drops: a Click 125 becomes 230฿ a day, a PCX 160 ABS 350฿, an ADV 160 ABS 370฿. The full table for every model is on the prices page, and the conditions are in our rules.

Which bike to choose for Nai Yang and Mai Khao

No mountain passes here, but distance and highway: Route 402, the Thepkrasattri road, is a fast four-lane road where traffic turns across the carriageway at U-turn gaps rather than at junctions.

• Honda Scoopy 110 or Click 125 — fine if your world is the village, the beach road, the 7-Eleven and the occasional run to the terminals. Short distances, easy to park anywhere.
• Honda Click 160 ABS or PCX 160 ABS — the right call if you will use Route 402 regularly. A 160 holds the speed of the traffic instead of being overtaken by it, and it is far steadier in the crosswind on the open stretches beside the airport.
• Honda ADV 160 or FORZA 350 — for real distance: Sarasin Bridge in the far north, Phuket Town, Patong 35 km away, the southern capes. Better wind protection at highway speed and more room under the seat.

One local detail: the coastal road south to Nai Thon is short but genuinely hilly, so two-up take a 160 rather than a 125. Every bike comes with two helmets and medical insurance covering hospital treatment up to 50 000฿ in case of an accident, and all our bikes are new Hondas.

Parking in Nai Yang and Mai Khao

• The Nai Yang beach road runs parallel to the sand, narrows and then dead-ends. Cars struggle; a bike does not. Park under the casuarinas near the first restaurants — free and shaded.
• Do not ride onto the sand itself — the front wheel digs in within a metre.
• In Mai Khao use the parking at Turtle Village, the water park and the hotels. Several beach accesses are unpaved tracks that turn to mud after heavy rain.
• At night park under lighting or inside the hotel grounds; the salt wind here is constant, so do not leave the bike at the water's edge all day.

More detail in our guides on where to park a motorbike in Phuket and how to avoid having a bike stolen.

Where to ride from Nai Yang

• Mai Khao and the plane-spotting spot — 8–10 km north. Phuket's longest beach, almost undeveloped and a sea-turtle nesting site; the viewing spot is at its southern end by the runway fence, where access is sometimes restricted.
• Nai Thon and Layan — 8 km and 14 km south along the hilly coastal road, with Banana Beach hidden between them. This is the best short ride in the north of the island.
• Sarasin Bridge — 22 km north, 25–30 minutes. The first bridge to the mainland, opened in 1967, and a good sunset stop.

Longer day routes are collected in our article on the best motorbike routes around Phuket. See also Bangtao, the airport and Kathu in the centre of the island.

Police checks, licence and helmets

Checkpoints in this part of Phuket work mainly on the Thepkrasattri highway and around the airport junctions. We do not require a licence to rent — a passport and the deposit are enough. Thai law, though, requires a category A or A1 licence to ride, either an international permit with the motorcycle category open or a Thai one, and that is 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. The details are in our article on renting a motorbike in Phuket without a licence.

Two local hazards: cars crossing the whole carriageway at the U-turn gaps on Route 402, and the unlit, shoulderless roads around the park and the airport. After dark ride slower and watch for dogs.

Bike delivery to Nai Yang and Mai Khao

Delivery runs from our Bangtao office at 126 Srisoonthorn Road, Choeng Thale, open daily 08:00–18:00, phone and WhatsApp +66 808 948 672. It is about 30 minutes to Nai Yang and 40 to the Mai Khao hotels, so we agree the time in advance. On rentals of 5 days or more delivery is free; on shorter rentals it is paid and the cost depends on the distance — the manager confirms it before you book. We collect the bike at the end of the rental too. If you are arriving by air, see our separate airport rental page, and for a long stay look at monthly rental. You can reach us any time from the contacts page.

Bike rental in other Phuket areas:
Bangtao · Airport · Kathu · Patong · Karon · Monthly rental