If you are staying in Phuket for a month or longer, renting a scooter by the month is almost always cheaper and simpler than paying day rates or juggling taxis. This guide explains how monthly scooter rental in Phuket actually works at Nicky Scooter Rental — who rents long term, how the monthly tiers are built, what is included, and which bikes we recommend for one to six months on the island.
We are a small shop on Phuket Road in the Old Town, open 10:00–19:00 every day, and roughly a third of our fleet is out on monthly contracts at any time. What follows is what we tell people who walk in or message us asking about a long-term motorbike rental in Phuket.
Who rents a scooter by the month in Phuket
Monthly renters are a different crowd from the week-long beach holiday. The typical cases we see:
- Digital nomads and remote workers. Since the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) allows stays of up to 180 days per entry on a five-year multiple-entry visa, more people are basing themselves in Phuket for a full season. Most settle in Rawai, Chalong, Kathu or Bang Tao and need a bike for co-working spaces, gyms and supermarkets.
- Muay Thai and fitness camps. The gyms around Chalong and Rawai run on monthly packages, and the DTV explicitly lists Muay Thai training as a qualifying "soft power" activity. Camp accommodation is often a few kilometres from the training hall, so a scooter is the default.
- Long-stay retirees and snowbirds. People who spend November to March in Rawai or Kathu and don't want to buy and register a bike for a few months a year.
- Families on a long holiday or school-break stay, usually renting two bikes rather than a car.
If any of that sounds like you, keep reading. If you are only here for a few days, the scooter rental price guide for 2026 explains the daily tiers instead.
How monthly scooter rental pricing works
Monthly rates are flat prices per month, not daily rates multiplied by 30. Each bike in our fleet has three monthly tiers:
| Booking length | How it is priced |
|---|---|
| 1 month | One flat monthly price |
| 2 months | A lower monthly price, charged per month |
| 3 months or more | The lowest monthly price, charged per month |
The longer the commitment, the lower the per-month figure. The exact numbers for every model are published on our prices page and that page is the only place we quote them, because they move with the season and we refuse to have an article contradict the rate table.
A few practical points:
- Payment is month by month at the start of each month, by cash, credit card or Alipay. You are not asked to prepay three months.
- The deposit is paid once at handover and refunded when the bike comes back. The deposit amount is per model and is listed on the same prices page.
- Switching tiers: if you book one month and then stay for three, we move you to the lower tier from the point you extend, not retroactively.
- Partial months are charged at the weekly or daily rate that applies, whichever is cheaper for you.
What is included in a long-term rental
Every monthly rental from us includes:
- Two helmets (one for you, one for a passenger — Phuket police check both)
- Compulsory third-party insurance that every registered bike in Thailand carries
- A phone holder on request
- Free delivery and collection anywhere on the island — see free scooter delivery to Phuket hotels for how pick-up and drop-off work
- Routine maintenance (oil changes, brake pads, tyres from normal wear) for the length of the rental
Fuel is not included; you return the bike with roughly the same amount you received. For what the insurance does and does not cover, read scooter rental in Phuket with insurance before you sign.
Maintenance, servicing and swap policy
This is the part that matters more on a three-month contract than on a three-day one. Our approach:
- Scheduled service. Hondas and Yamahas in our fleet get an oil change roughly every 3,000 km. On a monthly rental we ask you to bring the bike past the shop (or we come to you) when the odometer gets close. It takes twenty minutes.
- Wear and tear is ours. Flat battery, blown bulb, worn pads, a nail in the tyre — message us on WhatsApp with a photo and your location and we fix it or bring a replacement bike. We do not charge for this.
- Crash damage is handled under the deposit and insurance terms, the same way as a short rental. Photos at handover protect both sides, so take them.
- Swaps. If a repair will take more than a day, you get an equivalent bike so you are never without transport. If you want to change model mid-contract (say, upgrade from a Click 125 to a PCX 160 once you start riding to Bang Tao daily), ask — if the bike is free we re-price from the swap date.
Ask us on WhatsApp before you book if you have a specific question about servicing; it is easier to agree it up front than to argue about it in month two.
Best scooters for a long stay in Phuket
For a month or more, comfort and fuel cost matter more than the headline rate. Our three recommendations, in order:
Honda PCX 160 — the long-stay default
The Honda PCX 160 is what most of our monthly renters end up on. It has a liquid-cooled 157 cc engine, ABS, an 8.1-litre tank and a roomy under-seat box that swallows a helmet or a laptop bag. On Phuket's hills (Patong, Kata–Karon, the road up to Big Buddha) it holds speed without screaming, and the fuel economy in the mid-40s km per litre keeps monthly running costs low.
Yamaha NMAX 155 — the PCX alternative
The Yamaha NMAX 155 is the same class of bike with a slightly sportier feel and ABS as standard. Riders who find the PCX seat too wide usually prefer the NMAX. Running costs are near-identical.
Honda Click 125 — the budget long-stay bike
If you mostly stay within one area — Rawai to Chalong, or the Old Town to Central Phuket — the Honda Click 125 is lighter, cheaper per month and easier to park in a crowded soi. It is less relaxed on the hill between Kathu and Patong with two people, but perfectly fine solo. Our scooter size guide walks through the 110 vs 125 vs 160 decision in detail.
For couples who will share one bike and ride to the west coast often, we steer you towards a 160; for solo riders in one neighbourhood, a 125 is enough.
Where long-term renters live, and what it means for your bike choice
Where you base yourself changes what you need:
- Rawai — flat, quiet roads, lots of long-stay villas and Muay Thai gyms. Any bike works; a Click 125 is popular here.
- Chalong — the gym belt. The road up to Big Buddha and the busy Chalong Circle argue for a 160 if you ride it daily.
- Kathu — between the Old Town and Patong, with the Patong hill in between. We recommend a PCX or NMAX for anyone commuting over that hill.
- Bang Tao — long, spread-out beach road and a 30–40 minute ride from town. A 160 cc bike with a proper seat makes the daily distances comfortable.
We deliver to all of these areas free, and collect at the end of the rental from wherever you are.
Documents and licence for a long-term rental
The paperwork is the same as a short rental: passport and a Thai motorcycle licence or an International Driving Permit with the motorcycle category, as Thai law requires. If you are on a long-stay visa and plan to be here for months, converting to a Thai licence at the Land Transport Office in Phuket Town is worth the half-day. Our guide on whether you need a licence to rent a scooter in Phuket covers the details, and the first-time rider checklist covers everything else before you ride off.
Booking a monthly scooter in Phuket
Tell us your dates, where you are staying and whether you ride solo or with a passenger, and we will suggest a bike and confirm the monthly rate from the current table. Walk in at 107 Phuket Road any day between 10:00 and 19:00, or message us through the contact page and we will deliver the bike to your door anywhere in Phuket.