[Trip Report] Solo Ride to Thailand Oct 2011

[tabernacle]

Fellow bros,

 

I had always enjoyed reading all the ride reports from you guys, and the tips from you all have helped me a lot in my past trips to Malaysia and Thailand. Just last month, I managed to complete my first accident-free solo trip up to Thailand, soI just like to share some photo/video highlights and experiences of this journey. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding my trip. Will be most happy to exchange ideas.

 

Bike : 2005 BMW 1200GS

Bike gear : Shoei Multitec helmet, RS Taichi mesh jacket/pants

Camera gear : Canon Powershot S95, Go Pro HERO camera

GPS : Sygic GPS app on iPhone 3G

 

 

Here is my detailed itinerary breakdown :

Day 1 - Singapore to Hatyai (900km)

Day 2 - Hatyai to Phuket (435km)

Day 3 - Phuket to Hua Hin (635km)

Day 4 - Hua Hin to Pattaya (340km)

Day 5 - Pattaya to Bangkok (145km)

Day 6 - Bangkok to Chumphon (470km)

Day 7 - Chumphon to Ko Samui (300km)

Day 8 - Ko Samui to Krabi (275km)

Day 9 - Krabi to Penang (300km)

Day 10 - Penang to Melaka (495km)

Day 11 - Melaka to Singapore (294km)

 

Total distance covered was 4,789km over 11 days. Fuel consumption was quite good at 19km per litre, with average riding speed of 120km/h on NS highway, and 90km/h on Thailand roads.

 

Day 1 - Singapore to Hatyai

The plan was to arrive Hatyai before 2pm, so I set off from Singapore early in the morning at 4:30am. The ride up NS highighway was pretty smooth until I hit a police road block just before Tapah R&R. Apparently, the speed camera registered 137km/h, so I was issued a speeding ticket of 150ringgit, and the policeman insisted I needed to pay the fine at any police station within the next 2 weeks. I hinted I was willing to settle the fine on the spot, but he didn't want to entertain me further. I wanted to get this over and done with quickly, so I left NS highway, and managed to find a local police station in Tapah. No queues, so it took me less than 15mins to pay the fine, and i was back on NS highway in no time.

 

Edited November 11, 2011 by tabernacle

[tabernacle]

On the way to Ipoh, I hit another police road block. Fortunately I was going much slower at 100-110km/h after the speeding fine, so this time round, I managed to go through the road block smoothly.

 

Took my friend's advice to use Padang Besar checkpoint at the border, which is 50km from Sadao. Clearing customs was a breeze as there are much fewer vehicles there, and I got the 1-month temporary import form within 15mins of reaching the checkpoint.

 

Checked into the bike-friendly Hatyai Rama hotel. They have a nice secure carpark with 24-hour security guard. Room costs 690Baht per night. Comes with cable tv, fridge, hot showers and decent bed. I quickly unpacked, and headed for my favorite fish maw soup and pork leg

[tabernacle]

Day 2 ride was relatively shorter from Hatyai for Phuket, covering 435km.

 

The ride was pretty scenic towards Phuket. Took a quick stop at the Sarasin bridge which links Phuket island to the mainland.

 

I have a classmate working in Phuket, so I crashed at her place for a couple of days near Phuket town. She brought me to a nice Thai restaurant for some good local food and Beer Singha

 

At this point of time, take a break to enjoy this short video clip of my trip highlights from Singapore to Phuket...

[tabernacle]

After enjoying the sun and sea for a couple of days, I left Phuket to go to Hua Hin, which took about 9 hours and 635km.

Here's the map to help you orientate the location of the two provinces in southern thailand.

 

I left Phuket just before sunrise, and took the opportunity to make a few stops to take photos of the sunrise as well as enjoy the fresh air along the countryside

 

After reaching Hua Hin, I checked myself into Baan Manthana hotel, which is another excellent hotel for bikers. It has a spacious sheltered carpark tucked quietly behind the main road, so i felt really safe leaving my bike at the hotel. I paid 900 Baht for the room which is very comfortable and has a nice balcony where i can have a good view of my bike parked downstairs.

 

The weather was pretty good and dry, so I managed to take more video clips with my gopro helmet cam... check out the roads here

[tabernacle]

Hua Hin is favorite getaway for local Thais because it is not as touristy and the seafood is so cheap and good. The best place to have a sumptuous seafood dinner is at the Chatchai night market, which happens to be just next to the hotel I was staying in ! The steamed sea bass dish only costs 220 Baht (less than 10 SGD!), which i happily finished all by myself, followed by my favorite glass noodle with prawns.

 

The following day, I spent the morning giving my 'yellow bird' a thorough bath and massage.

Also did some routine servicing to ensure the bike is still in good health.

 

Washing the bike is the less glamorous part of a biker's life, but I do enjoy the workout once a while !

[tabernacle]

I left Hua Hin to go to Pattaya, which is 340km away. Though the distance is relatively short, there is the challenge of getting across Bangkok and having to avoid those tollways on which bikes are prohibited. The Sygic GPS is not sophisticated enough to skip these tollways, so I had to manually map out a route using many waypoints to override the computer.

 

My favorite petrol station in Thailand has to be PTT. They have everything from 7-Eleven, cafes to A&W! My usual breakfast routine is a nice chicken steak burger and coffee at 7-Eleven after my morning petrol stop.

 

The great floods have affected many parts of greater Bangkok, so I had to overcome water patches very often on the way to Pattaya. Fortunately the bike managed to stay upright

 

 

Here's some video highlights of my journey from Hua Hin to Pattaya, including petrol stops, air for tyres and A&W lunch!

[MERCENARY]

Very nice photos and video clips.Especially the food YUMMY.

I prefer in a group max 4 so that we can look out for each other,chit chat and have fun together.

Single rider too boring and dangerous,personally from me

[tabernacle]

I left Pattaya to go into central Bangkok. This journey of 145km usually take less than 1.5-2 hours, but with many parts of Bangkok flooded, the trip took much longer.

 

On some parts of the journey, my bike was almost like a jetski ! Fortunately the GS has very high ground clearance and the exhaust has no problems crossing waters of 0.5m.

 

It was the rainy season, so even in central Bangkok, there is always some rain showers here and there. My RS Taichi drymaster rain jacket kept me dry though.

 

Bangkok is truly a food haven. Personally, I love all kinds of Thai salads, especially the wing bean salad.

This is from my favorite 'Coffee Bean by Dao' restaurant in Ruam Rudee.

 

Here are some video highlights of my journey into Bangkok :

[tabernacle]

There is always space in my stomach for my favorite Thai dessert : mango with sticky rice.

 

Do check out Issan sausages and fried chicken wings from Som Tai Nuea in Siam Square. Always a long queue at any time of the day !

 

I went to the new branch of Health Land massage at Asok for a 3 hour massage for my hurting back and arms. The massage and service is still very good at the usual incredible price.

On the way home on a taxi, saw this interesting sign(middle) on the screen. No sex or no thai massage ?

[tabernacle]

After a few days of bumming around in Bangkok, I decided to head to Koh Samui for some beach action.

Since I wasn't in a rush, I decided to make a overnight pit stop at Chumphon.

Chumphon is 470km from Bangkok, and took me slightly over 6 hours to get there.

 

I checked into Chumphon Gardens hotel for only 490 Baht per night. The room was spacious and there is plenty of parking space for cars and bikes. Chumphon is a small quiet town ideal for one night stopover. Had plenty of nice local food at the nearby night market before heading to bed.

[tabernacle]

From Chumphon to Ko Samui, I needed to get past Surat Thani to the Don Sak ferry terminal to catch the hourly car ferry. The journey covered 300km and around 6 hours.

 

The road was pretty scenic and some nice winding roads, so I made a few stops to take some photos along the way.

 

Upon reaching Don Sak ferry terminal, I went to the ticket office to get the ferry ticket to Ko Samui and paid 190Baht for the bike and myself. No queues for bikes, so I got into the ferry with no hassles. The ferry took 1.5 hours to reach Ko Samui.

 

My good friend worked in a boutique hotel and kindly offered me free stay at his hotel for a couple of nights.

Finally some pampering !

 

Here are some highlights of the journey to Koh Samui :

[video=youtube;rg-xe-kTvz8]

[tabernacle]

I bummed around in Ko Samui for a couple of days to recharge my batteries from all the riding. Hotels in Ko Samui are really fanciful and most of them have nice bars and restaurants overlooking the beach.

 

For a change of pace, I rented a honda wave to zip around the island. only 200 baht per day for the bike rental.

 

I was so comfortable with the honda wave that the GS suddenly felt too big and heavy for me when I returned the wave

[tabernacle]

I left Ko Samui to go to Krabi, a quiet laid-back beach town near Phuket.

Krabi is only 275km from Samui, so it was a pretty relaxing ride.

 

I was charged 240 Baht for the return ferry ticket at the ferry terminal.

I later found out that 190Baht is only for small bikes. Big bikes like mine have to pay 50 Baht more per way

 

I checked into Green View Village resort in Krabi.

For only 500 Baht a night, I get a single-unit bungalow with fan, but the bed is comfortable and the bathroom and shower facilities were great. Most importantly, it has a nice sheltered parking lot for my yellow bird

 

here are the video highlights of the journey from Ko Samui to Krabi :

[video=youtube;OhdfYTlfv-o]

Edited November 11, 2011 by tabernacle

[tabernacle]

I spent a couple of days at Ao Nang beach catching up on my readings.

 

Boat noodles and beer are my favorite buddies while I am not riding my bike.

[tabernacle]

It's time to say goodbye to Thailand and start making my way back home.

I decided to make my next stop at Penang as I have not been back for more than 10 years.

 

Penang is 500km from Krabi, and took me 7 hours including the brief stop at the border checkpoint for immigration formalities.

 

I checked into a budget hotel called Lodge 18 in Butterworth. The room costs 100ringgit per night, and I was able to securely park my bike inside the hotel which was great for peace of mind. After checking into hotel, I headed to the markets for my favorite Penang food.

[tabernacle]

From Penang, I headed to Melaka which is just 495km on NS highway, and took me just 5 hours on NS highway.

 

I found a hotel just next to the shopping mall called Fenix Inn for only 90Ringgit per night.

This hotel comes with plenty of parking lots for both cars and bikes and are monitored 24 hours by valets and guards. I was happy with the security of the hotel and the convenient location. Room is small but comfortable and adequate.

 

Satisfied my craving for chicken rice balls and beef noodles after i checked into the hotel.

 

Here are some video highlights of the journey to Melaka :

[tabernacle]

Finally, it's time to say goodbye to Melaka to go home. The journey from Melaka to Singapore is only 294km, pretty straightforward except for some thunderstorms along the way.

 

I arrived home in early afternoon, and before I even stepped into my bedroom, I was already thinking about the next long motorcycle trip in end December

 

Laos and Cambodia, here I come !

[crazyboi]

great write up! kudos to you. looking forward to the next trip report!

[ooitn]

good! and respect...

[lauhs8]

very nice trip report.

[pipipapipu]

Very Nice!!!

[PaLmEr]

nice! reminds me of my solo rides which I did in 2008 and posted up in SBF

[fatt86]

Nice report!!!! was tinking of a solo or duo bike trip to pattaya. So need ur help

[temp3r]

Nice report! Respected

[Limgenesis]

U r my IDOL bro... Well done!! I wished I could do that too... Not sure if my bike could managed it as efficiently. Time to get a 2nd bike!