# Scooter Rental in Ao Yon, Phuket Page URL: https://kolesio.com/en/bikes/ao-yon/ In Ao Yon we bring the scooter straight to your hotel or villa in the bay, because there are no rental shops on the beach itself and bikes otherwise have to be collected over the hill. It is not the place for a first ride: the only road into the bay crosses a steep pass with a concrete surface that grips less than tarmac after rain. Cape Panwa is next door for shops, a pharmacy and fuel, and there is no fuel station in the bay. ## In short - Over the pass — the only way into the bay, with no road along the shore - Concrete slabs — the surface on the climb, less grippy than tarmac when wet - Category A — the motorcycle category must be on your licence and IDP - Panwa next door — the nearest cape with shops, a pharmacy and fuel ## Can I rent a scooter right in Ao Yon? Not from a shop. The bay lives like a village rather than a resort: fishermen's houses along the water, a couple of restaurants on stilts, a few villas on the slope, and no rows of rental bikes. So the bike comes to you. ### How it works You give us the villa or hotel in the bay, we bring the scooter and collect it from the same place on your last day. That helps with an early flight, when nobody wants to push a suitcase over the hill to hand a bike back. Here only for a day or two, for the beach and the viewpoint? A short rental makes more sense than keeping a bike for the whole trip. - Give an exact address and a landmark — streets in the bay have no signs, so we look for the villa - Keep your licence to hand at delivery — the category is checked before the keys, not after - Ask for the second helmet up front — if two of you ride, it comes on the same trip > There is no fuel station in the bay. The tank is checked at handover, but after that the fuel is yours, and running dry halfway up the pass is the most common trouble our Ao Yon guests run into. ## What that means for the bike The climb decides everything. The road into the bay goes up the slope between Ao Yon and Cape Panwa, and near the top the gradient is steep enough that a small engine with two people on it sags badly. Couples take a stronger scooter here, one that does not need the throttle wide open on the pass. The difference in price per day is small; the difference in how the climb feels is large. ### Brakes and surface The top of the climb is concrete with grooves across it. Dry, it grips well. Wet, it is noticeably more slippery than tarmac, especially on the way down when the front wheel runs over the grooves. Rain in the south-east comes in short bands, half an hour of downpour and then sun, and the first minutes are the worst, when dust and oil rise to the surface. ### Before you ride off Tyres matter more on this route than almost anywhere on the island. Worn tread is no problem on the flat road into town and a real one on wet concrete. Check both tyres, the rear brake, the headlight and brake light, and the mirrors, because passing a pickup on the narrow road is done by mirror, not by eye. ## Where to park: the bay and the viewpoint Parking in Ao Yon is free and unorganised at the same time: no markings, cars and bikes standing along the road by the water. Put the scooter on something firm, concrete or packed verge, because a side stand sinks into sand. The sea air brings salt; leaving the bike out for a day is fine, but overnight roll it under the villa's roof if there is one. The main sight nearby is the tower on Khao Khad hill, looking out over Koh Lon, the bridge across the bay and ships at anchor. The parking area below it is small, so bikes stand tight. Further along the shore Cape Panwa, with the aquarium and piers, is ten unhurried minutes away on the same road. - Park on a firm surface — in sand the stand sinks and the bike falls - Keep clear of house entrances — locals drive pickups with boat engines in the evening - Empty the seat compartment at the beach — a bag in it on a deserted lot is a bad idea ## Licences, helmets and the police Your licence and International Driving Permit must both show the motorcycle category. A car category does not cover a scooter, and after an accident the insurer goes by what the document says. Both rider and passenger wear helmets; fines are issued on the spot. Your passport stays with you, not with us. The first day's habit to build is keeping left. The risky moment is not the road itself but pulling out of a car park or a villa gate, when your head turns left out of habit while traffic comes from the right. ## Where you can realistically ride from Ao Yon The near circle is easy: Panwa's aquarium and piers, the Khao Khad viewpoint, the fish market and Rassada pier for boats to the islands, all on one road. Phuket Old Town is the natural next step, a simple wide road without climbs, busy at the entrance to town at rush hour. The west coast beaches are far from here, and a sunset trip to Karon or Kata eats half a day; ride across the island only on a good forecast, and fill the tank in Panwa before the climb home. A soaked rider in a helmet on a highway is a slow and grumpy one, and on long crossings of the island a car simply wins. Many guests here keep the scooter for the near circle and take a car for the day they want the west coast. ## FAQ ### Can I rent a scooter on the beach in Ao Yon? No, there are no rental shops in the bay. We deliver the scooter to your villa or hotel there and collect it from the same place. ### Is the road into Ao Yon hard on a scooter? It crosses a steep pass with a concrete surface at the top. With two riders take a stronger scooter, and ride it slowly when wet. ### Where is the nearest petrol station to Ao Yon? On Cape Panwa, next door. There is none in the bay, so fill the tank there before the climb back. ### Is Ao Yon good for learning to ride? No. The only road in climbs a steep pass, and it is slippery after rain. Learn on flat roads first. ### What can I reach easily from Ao Yon by scooter? Panwa's aquarium and piers, the Khao Khad viewpoint and Rassada pier are all close on one road. Phuket Old Town is a simple longer ride. ### Do I need a motorcycle licence for a scooter? Yes. The motorcycle category must be on your licence and IDP. Without it the insurance does not apply after a fall. --- Source: kolesio, https://kolesio.com/en/bikes/ao-yon/. The canonical version of this page is the HTML at this address.