Which scooter should you rent in Phuket?

Choosing a scooter in Phuket is less about brand and more about the job. The island is hilly: the climbs to Karon Viewpoint and the Big Buddha genuinely strain a small engine, especially with two people on board. Yet for one rider cruising the coast, the simplest 125cc scooter is plenty. Below are the six models nearly every rental shop stocks, with the honest pros and cons of each.

The city staples: Honda Click 125/160 and Yamaha Filano

The Honda Click is Thailand’s workhorse and the most common rental scooter. Light, nimble in traffic, cheap, with a flat floor that takes a small bag at your feet. The 125 is enough for one person almost everywhere; the Click 160 is noticeably stronger on climbs. The Yamaha Filano and Grand Filano are its retro alternative: a soft, wide seat and a photogenic look, but the small 12-inch wheels handle bumps worse and the engine is strictly a city one. Both are about relaxed riding, not dynamics.

Premium comfort: Honda PCX 160 and Yamaha NMAX 155

The PCX 160 is the pick for two-up riding and longer routes: soft suspension, a long comfortable seat and a roomy underseat trunk that fits a helmet. The downside is weight – it is harder to manoeuvre in parking lots and dense traffic than a Click. The NMAX 155 sits sportier and rides stiffer, holds corners better, and newer ones have ABS. A helmet usually fits under its seat too. Rental prices are close; the difference is character: the PCX carries you, the NMAX is ridden.

Sporty and rough-road picks: Yamaha Aerox 155 and Honda ADV 160

The Aerox 155 is the raciest of the mass rental scooters: aggressive looks and a responsive engine, but stiff suspension, a tall sporty seat and no flat floor. It is uncomfortable for a passenger and a helmet does not fit under the seat – this is a machine for a confident solo rider. The ADV 160 is a semi-adventure scooter with long-travel suspension and high clearance: it copes best with broken tarmac, speed bumps and steep climbs, and carries two with ease. That is also why it rents for more than the rest.

Phuket hills: how much engine you actually need

For one rider, 125cc is enough for almost any climb on the island – slowly, but it gets there. Problems start two-up: a Click 125 with two adults and a backpack slows to walking pace on the switchbacks up to Karon Viewpoint or the Big Buddha. If you plan to ride two-up around the viewpoints and the south of the island, take 150–160cc: a PCX, NMAX, Click 160 or ADV. The power reserve is also a safety margin when overtaking on the main roads.

Storage, fuel and prices

• Underseat storage: a helmet fits in the PCX and NMAX, not in the Aerox; in the Click and Filano it depends on the helmet, usually only a compact one. The Click and Filano do have a flat floor for a small bag, though.
• Fuel: all six models are frugal, roughly 40–55 km per litre. A full tank on any of them costs around 100–150 THB and covers a full day of riding around the island.
• Daily prices: Click typically 200–300 THB, Filano about the same, PCX and NMAX 300–450, Aerox 300–400, ADV higher, often 400–600 THB. Weekly and monthly rates come with real discounts: a month on a Click often lands around 3,000–4,500 THB.
• Paperwork and helmets: riding legally requires an International Driving Permit with category A (motorcycle) – without it insurance does not apply. Helmets are mandatory for both rider and passenger.

Advice for beginners

If you ride solo and your experience is limited, take a Click 125 and skip the “sporty” models: it is lighter, forgiving of mistakes and cheaper if you scratch it. Do not make Patong Hill your first-ever scooter ride – it is a steep switchback road with dense traffic, the worst possible place for a first lesson. Practise on the flat streets of your own area first, and only then plan routes over the hills.