I rode 3000km to Phuket on my motorcycle, here is how I did it

On 1st January of 2025, I took up a challenge that has been itching at the back of my mind for the past few months ever since I bought my 2 wheeler: a solo road trip up to Thailand.

It just makes so much sense! I get to go on a holiday where I save on the flight, and visit many cities in Malaysia/Thailand along the way that I would take a whole “single holiday” in one trip. I needed some introspective reflection time for myself, to tune in with my inner self and plan ahead for the year, so that was my excuse.

Of course I knew my family members would be worried, and that was also the reason I chose not to tell them until dinner of 31st December. (Don’t learn from me kids) We all need that courage to make that wild decision in our lives for ourselves, and for me, that was a solo road expedition.

Knowing how I am like as a person, I wanted to travel without any plan to stumble on gems along the way. However I succumbed to my own habits (it saved me from a lot of hassle!) and did research beforehand for the trip. These are some of the tips I have for any aspiring 2-wheeled tourers out there looking for their first adventure.

Insurance

Nothing can ruin a journey as fast as any injuries or accidents along the way. Being a foreigner in a foreign land, it is always mindful to take extra caution when on the road. Make sure you purchase sufficient insurance coverage and inform a trusted person of your journey and send them the insurance documents so that they can liaise with your insurer in Singapore if anything goes south. You’ll need to buy insurance for your vehicle when you reach the Thailand/Malaysia border to cross the custom. You’ll see a lot of signage along the way in Alor Setar and Changlun. I got my insurance from GM Insurance.

Safety

On the point of being careful, wear riding gear as much as possible. The only time I am not wearing gear is when I have to wash them and for those days I won’t be travelling far and will stay around the vicinity. Riding gear includes padded pants, armour jacket, padded gloves, and helmet. A full face/modular helmet is recommended to cover your jaw. I didn’t know the importance of it so I only bought my modular helmet after my trip. A good pair of riding shoes is recommended but I usually wear safety boots/hiking shoes as it works for me.

Defensive Riding

There is no better protection on the road than riding defensively. As a new rider on a tiny 190cc motorcycle, I tend to stay on the left lane/shoulder while on major expressways. It is legal and even recommended to ride on the road shoulder in Malaysia given the higher speed limit of vehicles on major expressways (110km/h). However, you’ll need to be careful even while on the shoulder as they tend to be built up of sand/gravel from the road side, or even road kills like monkeys or snakes. It is not fun riding over a dead snake(speaking from experience). The best tip would be to ride at a speed where you’ll still be able to anticipate the danger ahead of you.

GPS Planning

Knowing the road that you are taking is very important. As the route I was taking is a common touring route taken by many people, I wasn’t too worried about connectivity, getting lost, or road closure. I personally download an offline map on Google Maps for every location prior to visiting the place in case I lose connectivity along the way. As you venture further up north to Laos/Myanmar/Central Thailand, there might be cases of mountain roads being closed, flooding, landslides, or even terrible road conditions. Make sure to anticipate those in advance or ask people from the villages around the area before heading forward.

Documentation

As a foreigner, you’ll draw a lot of light and attention on yourself given a foreign license plate. Make sure you have the proper license and documentation for every custom/country you visit. For Singaporeans, our vehicle log card is digital so I just printed a copy out and some other riders recommended getting it stamped and acknowledged by LTA(I didn’t do that as I only knew about it after the trip).

I'm guessing this isn’t compulsory as I manage to cross the customs anyways but it is indeed a safer method to cross the custom. I printed copies of my vehicle log card, vehicle ownership document, copies of my passport, copies of my driver license, international drivers permit (if needed, not needed for Malaysia and Thailand as we have a Tri-country agreement), temporary import of foreign vehicle form, etc. In Thailand, these forms are called TM2,3,4, and so on. Do a quick google search of the forms to see which ones are required and prepare 2 copies of each(entry and exit).

Rest

You are on a holiday and a long journey! There is no point in reaching your destination feeling lethargic and exhausted. Ensure that you have catered for sufficient rest and fuel stops in between. A good gauge for two wheeled riders is to take a break every 100-150km, or a maximum of 2 hours on the road. For road trips in cars, I tend to go ahead for 2-3 hours and rest after. Driving in a car is a different ballgame than riding on the road as you tend to be too comfortable and zone out more easily. For the journey, I stopped at certain cities for 2 days as I wanted to explore more of the city. I also ensured I have at least 8 hours of sleep to be safe on the road

Fuel

Being Singaporean, I tend to take for granted the convenience of pumping petrol anywhere and everywhere as long as I need it. However your rest stops while on a road trip should be planned around the fuel stops available! The last thing you would want is to be stuck in a deserted remote mountain-foot with 4 litres of fuel and 90 more km to the next fuel stop (totally not speaking from experience here). Bear in mind the difference in using fuel stations overseas too, there are service attendants in Thailand, but you’ll need to pump yourself in Malaysia. 97 Fuel does not exist in Thailand but they have Gasohol E20 (check if it works for your vehicle, it doesn’t work for mine). As a Singaporean, you are only allowed to pump 97 in Malaysia as 95 is at a subsidised rate for the citizens.

I’ll be honest here, this piece took quite a while to write and I had more things to share but I can’t remember. If you are interested to see how I documented my journey through my IG stories, take a look at my TikTok here. https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSM4jYVVv/

For reference, this is my itinerary:

SG -> Ipoh (2 nights)

Ipoh -> Hat Yai (1 night)

Hat Yai -> Krabi (1 night)

Krabi -> Phuket (2 nights)

Phuket -> Ko Lanta (1 night)

Ko Lanta -> Hat Yai (1 night)

Hat Yai -> Penang (1 night)

Penang -> KL (2 nights)

KL -> SG

Anyways, these are some pointers I would like to share with anyone who is interested in touring on a motorcycle. What is something you wish to do for yourself in 2025? Document your growth with us here on the RVI platform!