French · 7 years on Samui
French motorcycle tour guide living on Koh Samui for 7 years. Marc leads group rides across southern Thailand and knows every road on the island.
Updated: May 2026
Riding the full ring road counterclockwise last March with a pillion on the PCX 150 - 62 kilometres of mixed coastal and elevated tarmac - I arrived back in Chaweng with a pillion who had been comfortable throughout. The PCX's suspension absorbed the concrete road joins north of Mae Nam without requiring her to brace, and the wider seat held its shape through the two climbs above the Nathon junction. The same circuit the following week on the NMAX carried less pillion comfort on the road join sections - the difference was direct and consistent.
Four consecutive days on the PCX 150 last October - 55 to 65 kilometres per day on mixed ring road and coastal roads - produced a clear finding: the PCX's low-vibration engine and soft suspension calibration reduce end-of-day physical fatigue more effectively than the NMAX across repeated long days. Day one and two were equivalent on both scooters. By day three and four, the accumulated difference in vibration and seat pressure made the PCX the clearly better choice for multi-day comfort-priority touring.
On the west coast road between Nathon and the southern tip junction last January, I held the PCX 150 at 75 km/h for 18 consecutive kilometres of tree-lined straight. The experience was what I would call refined: engine inaudible above the wind, no handlebar vibration, the Gulf breeze the only sensation. I had ridden the same stretch on the NMAX the previous month at the same speed - composed but not as quiet. The PCX is the scooter for a rider who values the riding experience itself, not just the result of arriving.
Watching a Spanish couple at the Chaweng rental shop last November who had returned a Scoopy after one day and asked for the PCX, I heard the clear explanation from the pillion rider: she had been uncomfortable across a 30-kilometre coastal day. The PCX's pillion seat width is 40 per cent wider than the Scoopy's rear section and the footrest position is 30mm lower - a combination that changes the pillion experience from endurance to comfort on any day above 20 kilometres of two-up riding.
Planning a solo ring road day last April focused entirely on covering distance - 90 kilometres, sustained 80 km/h on the open sections - I chose the NMAX 155 over the PCX 150. The NMAX's engine character is more suited to high-speed sustained solo riding; the PCX's soft suspension and comfort focus become less relevant without a pillion and feel slightly uninvolving at that pace. The PCX 150 earns its keep when comfort for two riders across a full day is the stated goal. Solo performance riding is not that goal.
Seven years of advising Samui renters has produced a consistent PCX 150 recommendation threshold: it is the correct choice when the itinerary involves two riders for more than 30 kilometres per day, multi-day touring where comfort accumulates, or coastal cruising where the riding experience itself is a priority rather than a transport means to a destination. When none of those conditions apply, the Scoopy below and the NMAX above both serve more specific needs more efficiently. The PCX is the scooter for the comfortable touring middle ground.
Interested in renting Honda PCX 150?
Check live availability and pricing for the Honda PCX 150 on Koh Samui.
Show availableFirst-hand Honda PCX 150 guides from our local team - where to ride it, when, and how to get the most from it on Koh Samui.
Browse the fleet, check availability, and contact us directly from your phone. Free on iOS and Android.
First-hand road and trail guides written by our local team - where to go, when to ride, and what to watch out for.
