Thailand Motorcycle Tour Companies: The Complete Guide
Thailand has the most developed motorcycle touring industry in Southeast Asia, and that cuts both ways. You can book a one-day ride out of Chiang Mai or a ninety-day expedition across the region. Those two products come from companies with almost nothing in common, and the words on their websites ("adventure", "guided", "all-inclusive") won't tell them apart.
Below is every company with Thailand tours listed on Moto Mass: where they're based, what they run, who they suit. Prices are the figures on our listing pages, in the currency the operator quotes. Confirm current rates and dates before you book.
How Thai operators differ
Three things separate them, and price isn't one of them.
- Geography. Chiang Mai companies sell mountains: the Mae Hong Son Loop, Doi Inthanon, the Golden Triangle. Pattaya and eastern-seaboard companies sell coast, islands and the roads west towards Kanchanaburi. Both are excellent, and they're not interchangeable.
- Trip length. Some operators sell one and three-day rides you can slot into a holiday you've already booked. Others run multi-week international expeditions and treat anything under a fortnight as a warm-up.
- Bike class. A Honda CB500X, a Triumph Tiger 900 and a Honda CRF300L all do the Mae Hong Son Loop well, and all three produce a different day. Ask what's actually in the fleet, not what's in the photographs.
If you already know your travel month, read the best time to ride in Thailand first. Burning season in the north rules out several of these itineraries for a good chunk of spring.
The operators
Motorbike Madness (Pattaya)
Eight tours, the biggest catalogue on Moto Mass and the widest reach inside Thailand. Based in Pattaya on the eastern seaboard, running since 2008. The fleet is built around the Honda CB500X and Yamaha Ténéré 700, both sensible mid-weight choices for Thai roads, and they run road tours and off-road instruction.
They're useful for the spread of trip lengths, one day to a fortnight, and for reaching parts of Thailand almost nobody else sells: Isan in the northeast, the Mekong corridor, the border country around Kanchanaburi.
- A Great Day Out, 1 day, ฿6,900. A full day's guided riding from Pattaya.
- The Eastern Thailand Isan Adventure, 6 days, ฿54,000, through Thailand's least-touristed region.
- West Thailand Kanchanaburi Tour, 9 days, ฿89,000. River Kwai, Erawan and the Myanmar border roads.
- Golden Triangle Grand Tour, 15 days, ฿135,000, their longest northern itinerary.
All eight sit on the Motorbike Madness profile, including the Mekong, southern Thailand and island tours.
Bike Tour Asia (Chiang Mai)
This is the expedition company. Based in Chiang Mai, operating for over a decade, running guided, self-guided and private tours in Thailand and across Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and China. The fleet leans premium adventure: BMW R 1300 GS and F 900 GS for road work, Honda CRF300L for dirt.
Their six listings show the ambition: several are multi-country crossings measured in weeks. If your idea of a holiday involves a border post before breakfast, this is your shortlist of one.
- Ride to the Andaman: Chiang Mai to Phuket, 10 days, the length of the country.
- The Four Corners of South East Asia, 25 days across the region.
- Chiang Mai to the Great Wall, 25 days, Thailand to northern China.
The full catalogue, including the 90-day Ride of a Lifetime, is on the Bike Tour Asia profile.
Thailand Moto Tours (Chiang Mai)
Two listings, the same trip twice: an eight-day Chiang Mai loop through Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son and Pai, once on the road and once on the trails. I like that symmetry. It lets a mixed group of friends split the difference, and it kills the ambiguity that ruins so many listings sold as "adventure".
- OnRoad Tour, 8 days, the Mae Hong Son Loop as a sealed-road ride.
- OffRoad Tour, 8 days, the same region on trails, via Mae Win.
Both are price on request through the Thailand Moto Tours profile. If it's the loop itself you're researching, our Mae Hong Son Loop guide covers the route section by section.
RIDE Adventures (US-based, operating in Chiang Mai)
An American company headquartered in Bend, Oregon, running guided and self-guided tours on five continents since 2010. Their Thailand product is one tour: a thirteen-day Northern Thailand Experience out of Chiang Mai, with the longest inclusions list of any Thai tour on the platform. Bilingual guide, support truck and trailer, panniers, crash protection, Thai permits, twelve nights' accommodation, fuel, third-party liability insurance, almost all meals, luggage transport, tools, a satellite phone and airport transfers.
- Northern Thailand Experience, 13 days, $5,749, roughly 2,500 km on a Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro or BMW R 1250 GS.
See the RIDE Adventures profile. They also run a northern Vietnam dual-sport tour, covered in our Vietnam operator guide.
Thailand operators at a glance
| Operator | Base | Bikes | Duration | Listed price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motorbike Madness | Pattaya | CB500X, Ténéré 700 | 1 to 15 days | ฿6,900 to ฿135,000 |
| Bike Tour Asia | Chiang Mai | BMW GS, CRF300L | 10 to 90 days | On request |
| Thailand Moto Tours | Chiang Mai | Road and trail | 8 days | On request |
| RIDE Adventures | Bend, Oregon (US) | Tiger 900, R 1250 GS | 13 days | $5,749 |
Three currencies, because the operators quote in three currencies. We don't convert here: rates move, and a stale conversion is worse than none. For a like-for-like per-day comparison, see the Thailand motorcycle tour cost guide.
How to choose
Three days, already in Chiang Mai
Book a one-day guided ride first. It costs little and it tells you straight away how you feel about riding on the left in Thai traffic. A good guide will also tell you honestly whether you're ready for the mountain loop.
Buy the one day before you buy the eight.
You want the Mae Hong Son Loop
Decide road or dirt before you shortlist. Operators who sell both let you pick. Operators who sell one will quietly sell you theirs. The loop is around 600 km on Highways 108 and 1095 and takes most groups four to eight days, depending on the side roads.
Two weeks or more
This is where Thailand stops being a destination and becomes a starting point. Itineraries into Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia are common at this length.
You're riding with a non-rider
Look for support-truck tours. Any itinerary with a support vehicle and luggage transport can usually take a passenger for part of the day, which turns a long transfer stage into something you both enjoy.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence and an IDP to join a Thailand tour?
Yes. UK government advice says to carry the 1968 version of the international driving permit and your home driving licence while driving in Thailand, and warns that riding without a valid licence can invalidate your travel insurance, so you can't claim after an accident. Helmets are a legal requirement. Reputable operators ask to see your licence. If nobody asks, treat that as a warning sign. Current guidance is on the UK Foreign Office Thailand page.
What's a fair group size for a Thai tour?
Six to twelve riders is normal for road tours, and the operators here cap in that range. Off-road groups run smaller. Big groups slow down at fuel and photo stops far more than people expect: with twelve riders, a five-minute stop routinely becomes twenty.
Are self-guided tours worth it in Thailand?
They work well. Thailand is one of the easier countries in Asia to navigate alone: roads signed in Roman script, fuel everywhere, easy accommodation. A self-guided package gets you a prepared bike, a route and a phone number if it goes wrong, for meaningfully less than the guided price. You lose the local knowledge that finds the good lunch stop and the unmarked viewpoint.
Which operator covers southern Thailand and the islands?
Coverage of the south is thinner than the north right across the market. On Moto Mass the southern and island itineraries come from the Pattaya operator, and the Chiang Mai to Phuket runs from the expedition company. Expect hotter, busier riding and more main-road kilometres.
Can I extend a Thailand tour into Laos or Vietnam?
Yes, and several operators build exactly that. Just don't decide on the day. The paperwork takes lead time.
How far in advance should I book?
Three to six months for the November to February peak in the north. Large-capacity fleets in Thailand are small and the good machines on popular dates go first. Shoulder and wet-season departures are usually available at much shorter notice.