[Trip Report] Thailand, Up North

[xixy]

Hi fellow riders,

 

I will be relocating back to Singapore from Phuket.. I'll be taking some time to cruise around Thailand before returning to Singapore on my ZZR1400.. Tentatively I'll be departing Phuket on 20th Feb and going up north, targeting Chiang Mai and stopping at whichever town/village that catch my attention..

 

I've not set the duration of my road trip, most likely a week to two weeks before riding back to Singapore..

 

Those that are interested to have a road trip in Thailand, do let me know.. We can ride together in this little adventure..

 

Cheers..

[wait4me]

xixy

 

how are u ??

[xixy]

wait4me:

 

Hey bro.. What's up? I'm doing well.. Have you been up to Thailand since our last trip up together? I just went for a coffee session with Racingter..

[racingter]

wait4me:

 

Hey bro.. What's up? I'm doing well.. Have you been up to Thailand since our last trip up together? I just went for a coffee session with Racingter..

 

yo bro....do let me know if the time is right? nice chatting wif u juz now..

[xixy]

Hey Racingter,

 

I'll check my timing again and let you know on the documentary thing.. Hehe..

 

[wait4me]

wait4me:

 

Hey bro.. What's up? I'm doing well.. Have you been up to Thailand since our last trip up together? I just went for a coffee session with Racingter..

 

haven yet ,

come back with small bike

repair more chor ah .. hahhahaha

[xixy]

wait4me:

 

You brought so many spare cans of 2T, still koyak ah your bike? When are you riding up with me again? This time with your R6..

[xixy]

Hey guys:

 

Tentatively my plan is as follows:

 

1. Phuket - Hua Hin (637km)

2. Hua Hin - Nakhon Ratchasima (474km)

3. Nakhon Ratchasima - Khon Kean (150km)

4. Khon Kean - Sukhothai (423km)

5. Sukhothai - Nan (249km)

6. Nan - Chiang Rai (250km)

7. Chiang Rai - Chiang Mai (242km)

8. Chiang Mai - Mae Hong Son (178km)

9. Mae Hong Son - Tak (374km)

10. Tak - Kanchanaburi (578km)

11. Kanchanaburi - Chumphon (606km)

12. Chumphon - Hat Yai (487km)

13. Hat Yai - Singapore (890km)

 

Total approximate distance - 5,538km

[racingter]

wait4me:

 

You brought so many spare cans of 2T, still koyak ah your bike? When are you riding up with me again? This time with your R6..

 

i tot he is riding his sp if u again?

[xixy]

Hey guys,

 

Below is roughly the finalize schedule for my road trip.

 

Those that want me to review certain areas of the ride do let me know as I'll be writing a comprehensive roadtrip review when i return to SG..

 

1. 21/02/09 Phuket - Hua Hin 637km

2. 22/02/09 Hua Hin - Nakhon Ratchasima 474km

3. 23/02/09 Nakhon Ratchasima - Khon Kean 150km

4. 24/02/09 Khon Kean Stopover

5. 25/02/09 Khon Kean - Sukhothai 423km

6. 26/02/09 Sukhothai Stopover

7. 27/02/09 Sukhothai - Nan 249km

8. 28/02/09 Nan - Mae Sai, Mae sai - Mae Salong 297km + 68.8km

9. 01/03/09 Mae Salong - Golden Triagle, Golden Triangle - Mae Salong 78.2km + 78.2km

10. 02/03/09 Mae Salong - Chiang Mai 312km

11. 03/03/09 Chiang Mai Stopover

12. 04/03/09 Chiang Mai - Mae Hong Son 178km

13. 05/03/09 Mae Hong Son Stopover

14. 06/03/09 Mae Hong Son - Tak 374km

15. 07/03/09 Tak - Kanchanaburi 578km

16. 08/03/09 Kanchanaburi - Prachuap Khiri Khan 437km

17. 09/03/09 Prachuap Khiri Khan - Surat Thani 382km

18. 10/03/09 Surat Thani - Hat Yai 336km

19. 11/03/09 Hat Yai Stopover

20. 12/03/09 Hat Yai - Singapore 890km

 

Base distance covered - 5,942.2km

Forecasted riding time - 81 hours

Total days - 20 days

[xixy]

Hey guys,

 

I'm back in Phuket.. Charging up for my upcoming road trip..

 

Weather looks promising thus far..

[xixy]

Just got my bike prep at West Coast Cycles, Phuket..

 

Posters of the upcoming Phuket Bike Week 2009 are up already!

[wait4me]

wait4me:

 

You brought so many spare cans of 2T, still koyak ah your bike? When are you riding up with me again? This time with your R6..

 

i onli bring 2 cans leh

from singapore ride up to hatyai ah with r 6??

i tot he is riding his sp if u again?

 

i dun mind leh so next time i can say i did it twice...

but now he run in finish le ... cannot la ..

[racingter]

Just got my bike prep at West Coast Cycles, Phuket..

 

Posters of the upcoming Phuket Bike Week 2009 are up already!

 

wow,Nice~~~~~

[xixy]

1st Stop - Hua Hin

 

Ride from Phuket took about 8 hours including stops.. Ride was bumpy on the first half as road works are on going on the Chumphon stretch.. Second half was more smooth sailing.. Weather was cloudy and was great in the outdoors.. Hua Hin is smaller than I expected.. Much more underdeveloped than Phuket.. Roads are small on the beach side.. Bars and shops are shabby.. Beach stretch is short but quite filled with tourist..

 

I referred to the guide book and headed to All Nations Guesthouse.. To my disappointment, the place looks old and bad.. Parking spot for bike is right in front of the building, with lots of traffic.. Not ideal for safety.. So I toured around and found a hotel called Fresh Inn.. 1,500 Baht for the night with full breakfast.. It's located opposite the Hilton and is a walk away to the nearby shops.. Great!

 

Checked out Thailand's oldest railway station earlier this morning.. This was worth it.. It's still operational..

 

Well, breakfast is here.. Better eat and get prep for my next leg to Korat..

 

Keep you guys posted..

 

Cheers..

 

Picture I - Leaving Phuket at the bridge at about 6.00am

Picture II - First province after Phuket is Phangnga

Picture III - Signage welcoming ASEAN ministers to Hua Hin

Picture IV - Fresh Inn Hotel, Hua Hin

Picture V - Beach at Hua Hin, along the Hilton Hotel

Picture VI - Oldest railway station in Thailand, Hua Hin station

Edited March 5, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

2nd Stop - Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat)

 

I've spent the night at Nakhon Ratchasima also known as Khorat.. The town looks very much like Singapore in the 70's.. Not much happening.. Very few restaurants and most of the hotels are a little run down.. I've chosen to stay at Ratchapruck Grand Hotel for 1,000 Baht per night inclusive of a buffet breakfast for 2.. Don't let the name mislead you.. This hotel is not that grand after all.. Looks like a mansion setup.. The good thing is I'm able to park my bike at the hotel's front door, next to the valet parking counter.. That's cool!

 

Had a walk around town yesterday and the only thing worth seeing is the old city where the city gates lies.. I've taken some photos but am unable to post it up.. Surfing the net at the hotel lobby wirelessly with my handy Nokia E66.. I'll post it up once I find a proper internet cafe..

 

Next stop will be Khon Kean about 200km away.. Hope more excitement lies ahead..

 

On my way from Hua Hin yesterday, I met a bunch of Singapore bikers heading to Tak.. A few FJR, a GTR, Fazer, etc.. One of them had a FZ9T number plate, riding a FJR.. Glad to have catched you guys but we're heading to opposite directions.. I'll be up to Tak next week.. Perhaps our paths will cross somewhere in Chiang Mai..

 

Time to go freshen up for my next leg.. Khon Kean, here I come!

 

Picture I - Ratchapruck Grand Hotel, nice from far but far from nice

Picture II - Korat town gate, one of the few gates standing

Picture III - Trishaw uncle having a nice nap while a took a candid shot

Picture IV - PC School teaching ancient courses like Wordstar, DBase III & Lotus 123

Picture V - Korat Bus Terminal

Picture VI - Took a photo with the hotel receptionist before leaving

Edited March 5, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

3rd Stop - Khon Kean

 

The ride from Korat to Khon Kean is indeed boring, with about 5 police roadblocks.. The blocks usually appear near town entrances thus those riding in Thailand better slow down when approaching towns.. I also found out that police like to stop foreigners, especially when you are traveling on the right most lane.. In Thailand, the left most lane is allocated for bikes.. The condition of the lane is small and usually in bad condition.. With me travelling between 140km/h to 160km/h, I can't afford to overtake trucks on the left lane..

 

Well, what about Khon Kean? It's a small city.. Not much taste of Thailand here actually.. It's like Singapore in the 70's, underdeveloped, architecture is old but I can see that it's booming.. New buildings are being erected..

 

I stayed at Kosa Hotel.. The rate is 1,200 Baht per night inclusive of 2 American buffet breakfast at the Cafe.. One thing I found out, always tell the receptionist that you work in a hotel.. They will always reduce the rate for you.. Sometimes they ask for namecards but hey, print some fake ones before you leave SG..

 

The hotel location is facing Kosa Shopping Center thus it's actually not bad.. I didn't do much in Khon Kean.. Was tired after the trip so I briefly walked around town.. Went to the wrong massage place called Caesar's Massage.. It's a soapy massage parlour.. Haha.. Headed for the exit like speedy gonzales..

 

Took some photos around town and that's about it.. Oh yes, they have a Times Square here too! I shall post the photo on the completion of my trip..

 

Photo I - Kosa Hotel, Khon Kean. So far the best hotel I've stayed in on my trip

Photo II - Khon Kean Town

Photo III - Khon Kean Fire Station

Photo IV - Khon Kean Times Square. We thought it's only in the US. This is the Thai version.

Photo V - Leaving the hotel in the morning

Photo VI - Leaving Khon Kean gate

Edited March 5, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

4th Stop - Sukhothai

 

It took me about 5 1/2 hours from Khon Kean to Sukhothai at a distance of 404.4km.. There's just so many stops along the way for photo taking.. The first stretch was excellent.. I rode through Nam Nao National Park and the scenery is just breathtaking.. Anyone passing through Khon Kean to the west, I'd highly recommended going through the national park.. The cool breeze, autumn liked trees and winding roads are just pure fun.. The road is new and there are barely any vehicles around.. I managed to take a video of my ride.. Will post it up when I get the chance..

 

There are about 3 police roadblocks from Khon Kean to Sukhothai.. Not much trouble as I wasn't stopped.. I learnt to watch out for orange uniforms from far.. When traffic starts to slow, be cautious as there might be a roadblock up front.. Steer to the left lane and maintain low speed.. When you get stopped, act BLUR.. Works most of the time..

 

The second half of the journey was a little boring as the road winds out of the national park, into normal rural roads.. I rode to the old city of Sukhothai about 10km away from Sukhothai city.. I would like to look at the ruins and this will be the perfect spot.. Found Old City Guesthouse as recommended by the guidebook.. Paid 500 Baht for a room with aircon, hot shower and TV.. Breakfast not included.. The setup is like a mini chalet.. The guy in charge speaks good English and is friendly.. He even let me park my bike right in front of my room.. Well, that's safe!

 

Next stop, Nan.. Woo hoo!

 

Photo I - Stopped by the road side to enjoy the breathtaking views. Tripod out and snapping I go

Photo II - Nam Nao National Park

Photo III - More photos at Nam Nao National Park

Photo IV - Huai Tong stop inside the national park

Photo V - Practice curves before Mae Hong Son

Photo VI - Stopped by a small roadside town with wierd artifacts made out of old tires

Edited March 5, 2009 by xixy

[SW9000]

Hey guys,

 

Below is roughly the finalize schedule for my road trip.

 

Those that want me to review certain areas of the ride do let me know as I'll be writing a comprehensive roadtrip review when i return to SG..

 

12. 04/03/09 Chiang Mai - Mae Hong Son 178km

 

 

I think the distance from Chiang Mai to MHS are approx:

Route 1095 = 270km **160km should reach Pai.

Route 108 = 360km

 

Unless you found a short cut must share share

[xixy]

SW9000:

 

Got the approximate distance from Google Maps.. Will double check with my GPS later.. We'll find out soon as my next stop is Chiang Mai and then MHS.. Yippie..

 

Uploading some Sukhothai photos here as I used up the limit for uploads above.. Hehe..

 

Photo I - Old City Guesthouse, one of the more rundown accommodations but great location!

Photo II - Parked my bike right in front of my room door. That's safe.

Photo III - One of the old city gates still remaining.

Photo IV - Ruins looked like those from Angkor Wat

Photo V - More ruins

Photo VI - Even more ruins

Edited March 5, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

5th Stop - Chiang Rai (2 Days)

 

After some guide book reading and map comparison, I've changed my stop from Nan to Chiang Rai instead.. According to the guide, there's not much to do in Nan thus I'd rather setup base in Chiang Rai for my visit to the Golden Triangle and Mae Sai..

 

Ride from Sukhothai to Chiang Rai was great.. Enjoyable in parts of the journey.. It's cloudy and foggy throughout.. Halfway through there was forest fire thus it's quite difficult to ride through the smoke.. My eyes kept tearing.. Speed was kept to a minimum of 110km/h most of the time.. As I was heading north, more rice paddies filled the scenery.. Mountains and greens as I approached Chiang Rai.. Nice.. Stopped at the entrance to Chiang Rai to take a photo of my bike at the welcome sign.. This is a must snap area.. Haha..

 

Ride breakdown:

Journey - Sukhothai to Chiang Rai

Distance - 413.8 km

Total Time - 5:49 hours

Max Speed - 142 km/h

Average Speed - 86.1 km/h

 

I followed the guidebook to a recommended hotel called Chiang Rai hotel.. To my disappointment, it's another crappy hotel.. Scrapped that place, I called on my GPS for nearby hotels.. Found one that was pretty decent called Wang Come Hotel.. Nice driveway into the hotel with a huge parking area.. I made up my mind, pulled in the carpark and checked in the hotel.. Got a standard room at 900 Baht including buffet breakfast.. Room was cozy and facing the pool.. Receptionist wasn't that friendly though..

 

After settling down a bit, I walked around Chiang Rai town.. Lots of road side stalls, lots of traffic police.. Dropped by a local replica store and bought myself a Thai police helmet and some police emblems.. Cool.. I think I'll put that helmet on in Singapore and see how the local TP reacts.. Haha.. Took some great photos of the market area where local vendors sell their wares.. Butcher selling meat in the open.. Some weird items and man, were there lots of goldsmith around..

 

Next stop was the massage parlour.. Real Thai massage that is.. This is the cheapest massage place I've seen in Thailand so far.. 200 Baht for 2 hours of Thai massage.. That's 8 bucks!! You can't even get your toes massaged for that price back home.. Whilst having my massage, it's weird that I heard someone speaking Hokkien downstairs.. 2,000km away from home and I heard something familiar.. Who could that be? Mm...

 

After my massage, I went down to check out my bike and to my astonishment, 8 Singapore bikes were parked beside mine.. These are the bikes that I bound into when I was in Hua Hin.. Man, is this world small or what? A total of 3 FJRs, 1 VFR, 2 GTRs, 1 FZ1 & 1 GS.. I left a message at the reception for the bikers hoping to at least say hello to them..

 

Got back to the hotel and chilled in my room before the phone rang.. You guessed it.. One of the SG bikers called and I went down to meet the group at the hotel lobby.. Woohoo.. It's a great sight meeting familiar faces.. Who would know? We split ways in Hua Hin with me heading to Korat in the east while they headed north to Tak.. Among all places, we stayed at the same hotel in Chiang Rai at the same time.. Have to buy toto liao..

 

I had dinner with the group and met up with the rest of the gang.. Cool bunch.. We chatted on our itineraries and it's almost matching.. I will most likely be riding with the group to Chiang Mai tomorrow, followed by Mae Hong Son.. Riding with the group will be more enjoyable then riding solo.. Plus it'll give me the ease of mine should something happen.. Touch wood..

 

Day 2 in Chiang Rai - I headed to the Golden Triangle.. Took photos at the Golden Triangle signboard.. I guess this was the biggy.. Visited the Opium Museum.. Then I shot to Mae Sai, the northern most town of Thailand.. It's a busy point where lots of people are crossing the border.. Took a backroad to get out of business and took a coffee break at PTT Petrol Kiosk..

 

Another rendezvous with a Singaporean here.. While I was sipping away my cappuccino at Amazon Coffee in PTT, a guy stepped out from his Toyota Fortuner.. He was starring at my bike and seems like he was looking for the owner.. I was one of the 2 guys sitting in the cafe thus he walked towards me and said "You, Singaporean?".. Well, what you know!! He is Colonel Lee, ex-Singapore Airforce.. He is currently living in the Mae Sai area.. We chatted for a bit, exchanged numbers.. He warned me of the mountain roads surrounding the area as the local military is known to be notorious.. He told me to call him should I need help.. GREAT!!

 

After coffee and his scary stories, I headed to the 2nd Friendship bridge.. Reached the customs checkpoint before the bridge, took some photos and did a quick u-turn.. The guards behind the gates are staring..

 

Then after, I headed to Doi Tung.. A mountain where the princess or queen grow flowers.. Something like that.. Can't really remember the description.. This place is amazing.. The ride up the mountain was curvy and the scenery was great.. Practicing my cornering as usual.. Upon reaching the mountain top, I was directed to the parking space on the right.. Left my helmet and walked to the ticket both.. Purchased a combo ticket for all areas for 130 Baht.. First I checked out the gardens.. Beautiful and colourful.. Will post the photos up when I return to SG.. Then I walked up the hill to the Queen's residence.. Tough luck, it was closed for housekeeping..

 

Exhausted after riding around and walking about, I headed back to the hotel..

 

Who know's what to expect tomorrow at Chiang Mai?

 

Photo I - Road towards Chiang Rai, riding solo gives you a chill down the spine.. You never know what to expect after the turn in front..

Photo II - This is a must take shot! Chiang Rai, I wuz here..

Photo III - Wang Come hotel standard room, not my type of color but what the heck..

Photo IV - One of the roundabout monuments in Chiang Rai..

Photo V - Strangely enough, road signs have Chinese wordings on them..

Photo VI - Afternoon market in town..

 

More pics of Chiang Rai below

Edited March 17, 2009 by xixy
Added more info

[SW9000]

Wah. Your write up very motivating de.

Make me just wanna rush there over the weekend. haha.

 

Anyway, what guide book would you recommend?

[xixy]

SW9000:

 

Motivating then come and join us lor.. We will still be here for some time..

 

As for the guide book, I borrowed it from a fellow forumer called Advrider.. I'd suggest using a guidebook + GPS.. That'll really help.. GPS will help you on your route plus finding of hotels, restaurants, place of interests, etc..

 

Cheers..

 

 

More photos of Chiang Rai as follows:

 

Photo I - Took a candid shot of the local police officer shopping for groceries while on duty..

Photo II - Anyone care for some local roti prata?

Photo III - Lots of police officers going round town with chains to lock down bikes parking on the wrong side of the road.. Odd days left side, even days right side..

Photo IV - The local Sim Lim Square with electronic wares..

Photo V - No Gold Wing in Chiang Rai, Green Wing anyone?

Photo VI - Behold, beyond all coincidences.. Beyond all expressways in Singapore, I'm destined to meet the gang here at Chiang Rai..

Edited March 17, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

6th Stop - Chiang Mai

 

Departed the hotel in Chiang Rai at about 8.15am.. Anthony took me for a ride to a white temple nearby.. It's called Wat Rong Khun and I heard is one of the wonders in Thailand.. The sight was amazing.. The temple was built all in white with fine carvings filling the architecture.. Upon entering the temple, just before the bridge, you can see a representation of hell.. With human hands reaching out from the bottom.. Nice.. Walked around for a while before heading to the donation box.. Put in a 50 Baht donation, took 2 free postcards and stamped it with the Wat Rong Khun chop to act a souvenir/token to show friends that I've been here..

 

Then Anthony & partner, Edmond and myself headed to the junction to wait for the rest of the bikers to start journey to Chiang Mai.. The journey was fun..

 

Ride breakdown:

Journey - Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai

Distance - 186.5 km

Total Time - 3:06 hours

Max Speed - 143 km/h

Average Speed - 76.0 km/h

 

We stayed at the Night Bazaar Inn hotel which is very close to the main night bazaar.. Location was good and they provided us with a sheltered carpark for 9 bikes so it's all good.. Plus, there's a small tap at the carpark that allows us to wash our bikes.. Hehe.. Hotel cost us 600 Baht per night (after trying my I'm a hotel staff stunt, down from 700 Baht)..

 

After a quick freshen up, I went out with Eric for lunch.. Tried the road side beef ball noodles.. Man, does the beef balls tasted like rubber balls.. Noodles were fine but the balls were a disaster.. Ha! We then met up with the others and took our bikes to Doi Suthep, another temple on the mountain.. Ride was tiring in town.. Chiang Mai traffic was bad.. We waited at one of the traffic lights for 10 minutes.. Had to switched off the engine before I toast my thigh..

 

Doi Suthep had a steep climb to the temple.. Road condition was bad with pot holes and the road surface is slipery.. Better becareful when you're heading up.. The oncoming traffic also pays very little attention when overtaking.. Do park at the carpark on the left when you arrive.. There's a huge open area hidden from the mainroad.. We took a group photo and as usual, I'll post it up when I get the chance.. Paid 50 Baht for the cable car ride to the top.. It's not even a cable car, more like an old lift.. Temple was small but the view was great.. First thing that caught my mind was one of the structure had Tampines, Singapore engraved on the top.. I found out that it was from a donation from a Singaporean.. Then I saw another one with Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 on it.. Amazing..

 

You've to take out your shoes before entering the temple.. Shoe lockers are free outside.. What can you see around? Mm... Lots of statues big and small, bells in a row for you to ring, big bells small bells, incense, elephant statues and foreigners.. Oh yes, saw a few monks too.. I'm not sure about the rest but once you've seen a couple of temples, you've sort of seen them all and know what to expect.. Nevertheless, it's a great experience..

 

In the evening, we went for Teo Chew food at a nearby restaurant.. The pork leg is highly recommended! And the beer girls are cute.. I'll ask Edmond for a photo of the girl.. He was busy taking shots of her from all angles.. Haha.. The dinner cost us about 130 Baht each, cheap cheap.. Then we were out in the night bazaar.. Lots of vendors with their wares.. Got myself a yai (huge in Thai) strawberry shake for 40 Baht and got a tummy ache.. Oh yes, we passed by some karoake joints with sexy ladies sitting outside yelling "Sa-waa-de-ka".. Drooling we are..

 

Next stop was Mae Hong Son (which I'm already here while writing this.. Am sitting right next to the reception counter at Panorama Hotel Mae Hong Son)..

 

Next chapter..

 

Photo I - Wat Rong Khun temple, MUST VISIT!! Thanks to Anthony for bringing me here.. Ooppss.. One more free Thai coffee for the next trip up..

Photo II - Another view of Wat Rong Khun.. Don't forget to get the free postcard and stamp it, as a souvenir..

Photo III - The convoy stopped halfway for some butt stretching..

Photo IV - Night Bazaar @ Chiang Mai.. Do get your Chiang Mai shirts here as you will not find them down south at Hat Yai..

Photo V - At Doi Suthep, a recommended visit for the Buddhist artifacts as well as cable car ride.. Some parts of the temple are under maintenance..

Photo VI - Another view inside Doi Suthep temple..

Edited March 17, 2009 by xixy

[racingter]

This XiXY HUH!!!! makes me so ... .. .