Do not agree with the helmet remark - that a 6000 baht helmet, assuming it is to DOT or ECE standards, will not protect as well as another that costs far more. This is an area where there is a great deal of government research. Word of mouth and manufacturers' claims are not reliable.

Depends as well on use, because the kind of accident that is probable depends upon the kind of riding. Some helmets are made to protect your head even though there is not one chance in ten thousand that the accident against which it protects will have killed you in a numerous of other ways. Might allow an open casket, but that's all the extra thousands get you.

This posting was original posted as a comment for article Advice on Motorcycle Gear and Tires.

About the DOT safety standard it is old and basically shouldn't be considered as a safety standard for modern motorcycle helmets, DOT helmets doesn't require to pass any chin bar and other safety testing, just material and impact capability. The more modern motorcycle helmet standards are Snell and ECE, it's sad to say that most helmets on the Thai market in the price class around 4,000 Baht and lower aren't compliant with the Snell and ECE standards.

I thought SNELL and some others had been discredited because their foam inserts are too hard.
Isn't it European Union testes that say softer foam is better?

Most helmets sold in Thailand, even if they state that they are DOT tested, are not DOT approved.

Hereby the official PDF reports of all helmets tested from 2000 up to 2008 (2008 is the year of the latest update to the DOT safety standard.)

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/testing/comply/fmvss218/

I have the idea that the list of the helmets meeting the DOT safety standard is not complete, I have a kevlar helmet from an international known manufacturer and it's not on the DOT approved list?