Rental scooter broke down in the middle of Bangkok and I had no backup plan

Last month I was in Bangkok for a budget trip and rented one of those cheap scooters for $8 a day. Everything was fine until I got stuck in traffic near Khao San Road and the engine just DIED on me. No warning, no lights, just dead. I had to push it half a mile to a shady repair shop where the guy charged me $30 just to look at it. Turns out the battery was completely shot and the rental place knew about it but didn't tell me. I ended up missing my afternoon plans to visit the Grand Palace because I was dealing with this mess. Has anyone else had a rental vehicle fail on them abroad and what do you do to avoid getting stuck like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathan_moore124d ago

Wait, did the repair shop actually give you any proof that the battery was shot before they fixed it, or did you just take their word for it and pay up? Makes me wonder if they were in on it with the rental place.

grant_ross274d ago

Ever had one of those moments where you realize you've been an idiot for years? Because that's me right now. I used to think paying extra for travel insurance or a proper rental company was a waste of money, like why spend more when the cheap option works fine. Then I rented a moped in Bali a couple years ago, got a flat tire on a mountain road at sunset, and the guy who rented it to me wouldn't answer his phone. I ended up walking two hours to the nearest village, paid a local guy who looked like he fixed bikes out of his shed, and the whole thing cost me way more than just getting a decent rental from the start. Now I always check the battery, tires, and brakes before I even hand over the cash, plus I take photos of everything with a timestamp just in case. Your story about Bangkok sounds like a total pain, but honestly it's one of those lessons you only learn by getting burned.

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