Almost every scooter rental shop in Thailand takes some form of deposit. The shape of that deposit is the single biggest predictor of whether you'll have a good experience or a bad one.

What's a normal deposit?

Small scooters (Scoopy, Click, Filano, ~110–125cc): 2,000–5,000 THB cash, or a passport copy.
Mid-range (PCX, NMAX, ~150cc): 3,000–8,000 THB.
Big bikes (XMAX, Forza, ADV 160, ~300cc+): 10,000–20,000 THB, or a credit card pre-auth.

On Skoot, deposits are charged as a card pre-authorization (not cash) and held in escrow by us, not the shop.

Cash vs. card vs. passport — the three options

Cash deposit (risky)

You hand over 5,000 THB in cash. At the end of the rental, the shop might return all of it, some of it, or none of it — depending on what "damage" they claim to find. You have zero recourse.

Passport deposit (never do this)

Illegal under Thai law since 2014, but widely practiced. If the shop has your passport, they have complete leverage in any dispute. Walk away from any shop that insists on this. Offer a photocopy instead.

Card pre-authorization (safest)

The shop (or platform) places a hold on your card. No money actually moves unless there's a legitimate damage claim. You can dispute the charge through your bank. This is how Skoot handles every deposit.

How the deposit scam works

Shop takes 5,000 THB cash deposit. At return, they point at a scratch that was already there and say "3,000 baht for the fairing." You argue. They refuse to hand back your passport (which they also have). You have 90 minutes until your airport transfer. You pay the 3,000 and leave.

Multiply by 10 tourists a day, 365 days a year. You can see why the scam exists.

The Skoot escrow model

When you book on Skoot, three things happen:

Your deposit is pre-authorized on your card and held by Skoot, not the shop.
You complete a digital walkaround in the app at pickup — timestamped photos of every panel.
If the shop claims damage, they must submit evidence to us within 48 hours. We compare it against your pickup walkaround. If it doesn't match, your deposit is released in full.

The shop never touches your money until we say so. The leverage is gone.

How long does it take to get the deposit back?

With cash: immediately (if you're lucky). With a pre-auth: 3–7 business days, depending on your bank. That's the only downside of the pre-auth model — your bank holds the limit on your card during the trip.

TL;DR

Never leave a passport. Prefer card pre-auth over cash. If you must pay cash, do a video walkaround of the bike and the exchange. Or use a platform that handles escrow for you.