Bike Week

Every year for Songkran, Phuket roars to life with Bike Week in Phuket. This past April was the 23rd annual event in Patong Beach, and certainly won’t be the last. Bike Week is a huge event for Phuket, drawing over 50,000 visitors and 10,000 motorbikes of all kinds. What do bikers do during Bike Week in Phuket? Well, they ride back and forth. Fast. Loud. They scream down the roads, taking them over completely. You can hear motorbikes rattling your windows for weeks at a time because, though the event is finished in three days, not everyone goes home. They keep riding back and forth. They go to Krabi. They come back to Phuket. They go to Hua Hin. Some go to Malaysia. What is Bike Week really all about though? It’s a recurring event where bikers can meet up with others riding their loud bikes. I mean, that’s basically it. Sure, there’s a Miss Bike Week beauty contest that is worth taking a look at. The smell of leather hangs heavy in the air at the bars. I mean, who can wear leather in 38°C? These guys can. Why? Because they’re tough guys, that’s why! The attention to detail in the construction of some of the bikes is mesmerizing. Many of the riders have built their bikes from scratch. Others have spent thousands of dollars upgrading to chrome or gold plating. If you can appreciate well-built machines, you’ll dig Bike Week. There’s a general motorcycle exhibition where there are thousands of motorbikes parked at Loma Park, and you can walk around and gawk at them. There is a custom bike exhibition where some extreme bikes are shown – drawing a big crowd as well. Of course, there is street food and motorcycle shirts and other gear all over the place. Merchants come from all over to sell their stuff. So, if you’re considering a wild and crazy Songkran for next year, why not go to Phuket and check out Bike Week… you might find a bike you like for sale and become part of the group!

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