Photographed by Pezam Ishak, Cikgu Joe, Yusuf Musa & Myself at respective locations. All pictures credits to their respective owners.
The idea for this 4 nations ride came from Cikgu Joe back in late 2015. At that time, I wasn’t so interested to join because of the period and distance of the ride, more than a week to complete with over 5000km distance to cover.
The idea for this 4 nations ride came from Cikgu Joe back in late 2015. At that time, I wasn’t so interested to join because of the period and distance of the ride, more than a week to complete with over 5000km distance to cover.
However as written by Christopher Nolan in 2010 Inception’s
screenplay: “An idea is like a virus. Resilient. Highly
contagious. And even the smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can grow to
define or destroy you”.
That idea is growing inside my head and here I am taking part of the trip planning and routing one of the longest and furthest
ride in my short riding history.
When we started discussing about this ride in January 2016,
we have up to 7 people interested to join. On the final month of riding, 3
people withdrew and only 4 people are set to continue with this ride.
The ride will cross 4 international borders, spanning across more than 5,000km and will take 11 days to complete. We will ride to Surat Thani, Sukhotai, Kanchanaburi, Mae Sai, Taichilek, Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Bangkok, Ranong and Trang.
The ride will cross 4 international borders, spanning across more than 5,000km and will take 11 days to complete. We will ride to Surat Thani, Sukhotai, Kanchanaburi, Mae Sai, Taichilek, Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Bangkok, Ranong and Trang.
The route
for this ride has been revised 4 times with the final route has 2 options with
the closure of Ban Na Kra Seng – Kenthao border to convoys of motorcycles. Laotian tourist police officer that I met in Huay Xai confirmed this to us because he said people on motorbike fly drones over that area and took off-limits videos that tarnished their government image.
Riding from Klang Valley are Yusuf and me while Cikgu Joe & Pezam from Langkawi will meet us at the border.
Riding from Klang Valley are Yusuf and me while Cikgu Joe & Pezam from Langkawi will meet us at the border.
Yusuf and I met at R&R Rawang northbound on Saturday
morning. We departed around 4am heading north and the weather was clear that
morning with only a few spots of light rain. We stopped at R&R Gunung
Semanggol to refill and perform Subuh prayer before continuing heading north.
Traffic was building up as we entered Penang and reduced to standstill right
before Bukit Tambun as there was an accident involving two busses and the left
lane was blocked.
Traffic was clear as we approach Juru and all the way up to Changloon. We arrived at Shell Changloon around 8.20am and fill up our tanks before proceeding to the custom and immigration counter.
There was a massive traffic jams at the immigration but it’s still flowing smoothly on the Malaysian border side. A long weekend ahead of a school holiday period may had caused it. It turned to chaos as we arrived at Thailand border side, with very long queues and a lot of angry faces.
We met Cikgu Joe there and he has helped us with insurance, white card, TM2 & TM3 documents to get through custom & immigration smoothly and we crossed that border in an hour with help of a runner for RM20 per head.
We met Cikgu Joe there and he has helped us with insurance, white card, TM2 & TM3 documents to get through custom & immigration smoothly and we crossed that border in an hour with help of a runner for RM20 per head.
We met the rest of the group with Mr Azizan Hussain & Abang
Rahmad (Northern Versys Owner Group) who came all the way from Langkawi. After a quick breakfast, we had a simple flag off in Danok and it’s
almost 11.30am when we began our journey to Surat Thani.
Danok to Surat Thani
It was a hot and slow journey through Kamjanavanit Road heading
towards Hatyai. A lot of Malaysian registered plate number vehicles were making
their way north as well, ranging from cub, big bikes, scooters, cars &
minivans. Weather was clear & hot all the way to Phattalung although there
was a region of cloudy with little showers in Thung Song. We were overtaken a
few times by convoys of motorcycles in GTR1400 and R1200GS as we were riding
slowly and cautiously. There are also a lot of cows and buffalos on the
roadside and we did not dare to ride too fast.
We stopped to refuel and toilet break at Prik, Thung Yai
district and took our time to cool down from the hot weather.
We took a right turn into route 4009 through Wiang Sa and Na San heading to Surat Thani.
We stopped for photograph session at a PTT station with Bumblebee.
We finally
arrived at Surat Thani around 4.30pm and stopped at Bismillah Restaurant.
We
were very lucky as they are just began to close their restaurant and their rice
was completely depleted. The owner has agreed to cook rice just for us after we explained
we have just arrived from the border.
After late lunch, we went to find a hotel
nearby and found this nice hotel with reasonable cheap rate.
At 500 Baht /night, it's a good price.
We hang out at Deda Cafe Racer and met these awesome folks!
At night we took a stroll along Tapi River at Surat Thani. The night market is stretched about 2km along the river and we had dinner there. The name Surat Thani means "City of Good People" was given by King Rama IV during a visit in 1915.
At night we took a stroll along Tapi River at Surat Thani. The night market is stretched about 2km along the river and we had dinner there. The name Surat Thani means "City of Good People" was given by King Rama IV during a visit in 1915.
Surat Thani to Kanchanaburi
It was a gloomy morning at Surat Thani with rain was in the forecast. After a quick morning briefing and photos we head to Bismillah Restaurant for a breakfast. The riverside square was sealed off for Surat Half Marathon 2016 that morning and participants has just began arriving at finish line, which is about 500m from that restaurant.
It was a gloomy morning at Surat Thani with rain was in the forecast. After a quick morning briefing and photos we head to Bismillah Restaurant for a breakfast. The riverside square was sealed off for Surat Half Marathon 2016 that morning and participants has just began arriving at finish line, which is about 500m from that restaurant.
The restaurat owner youngest daughter
One happy sticker recipient
The restaurant owner has agreed to allow us to place our ride sticker at this restaurant. We started our journey north around 9.00am and head to 2007 and 420 towards route 41. The rivers around that route were full and some areas the trunk road were flooded.
Cikgu Joe doing his best to ensure his shoes are dry
The weather was still gloomy as we arrived at Chumpon and Route 41 are clear from any flooding. There are a lot of road repairs from
Chumpon to Prachuap Khiri Khan and we rode cautiously up north. Route 41 or AH2
are full of traffic in both direction and there are a lot trailers and pickup
trucks. Prachuap Khiri Khan is the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, about 240km south of Bangkok.
A halal restaurant marked for lunch (N11.81042 E99.77815) was closed that afternoon and we decided to have lunch at a nearby Makro. We had tuna & pineapple croissant with pear for lunch. The deli at that mart served marvelous banana chocolate shake at only 55 Baht.
Photographer in full suit striking a post
We continued north towards Bangkok and we stopped a couple
of time for toilet break and fuel. We arrived at Kanchanaburi around 5.00pm and
checked-in at Tara Raft Hotel.
Sunset at River Kwai
For dinner, we rode a Tuk Tuk to the city, which was lovely with many tourists and locals
mingle and socialize at the markets.
There are a few Halal stalls nearby Kanchanaburi Bus Station. We went to this carnival, held at River Kwai Bridge square
One of the stall keeper
One of the exotic delicacy at the night market
In the morning we had coffee by the Kwai River
Kanchanaburi to Sukhothai
We made a move from hotel around 7.30am and head to Dawudaha Islam restaurant to have breakfast.
After breakfast we made a move to Jeath Museum and The Bridge.
One of Yusuf’s headlamp mounting screw was missing when we were checking our bike, so we decided to break into two groups. Yusuf and I went to a few local shops looking for replacement screw while Joe and Pezam went directly to the bridge.
The bridge was packed with visitor that morning and the weather was very hot. We parked our bikes on the bridge square and it became an immediate attention. Many visitors took this chance to have a photo with our bike and Yusuf’s F800 GS was the main attraction.
The river flows from Bilauktaung range near the border of Myanmar to Gulf of Thailand at Samut Songkhram. It was famous after it was featured in 1957 David Lean's movie, The Bridge on River Kwai. The river actual name is Khwae Noi River.
While taking a group photo with the bridge background, we met Mr. Phoon from Phuket on a Vstrom 1000. He was riding a Versys before shifting to his current bike. As people always said all bikers are brothers and we clicked and chatted about 30 minutes.
We then made a move from the bridge around 10.00am and head
towards Sukhothai. We went through Utai Thani and headed directly to Nakhon
Sawan.
When we arrived at the city, the restaurant we planned to have lunch was permanently closed (Kareem Restaurant) so we asked a local motor-taxi driver to lead us to Aminyan Restaurant. Their food price is a little bit on the high side.
When we arrived at the city, the restaurant we planned to have lunch was permanently closed (Kareem Restaurant) so we asked a local motor-taxi driver to lead us to Aminyan Restaurant. Their food price is a little bit on the high side.
After lunch we went towards Phitsanulok through route 117.
Just before Bang Rakam, we turned to route 1065 and again to route 1293, which
is a straight 70km road by water fertigation system for a vast paddy field
area.
We went through trunk road and have some offroad action just outside Sukhothai.
We arrived at Siam Villa Hotel around 5.30pm.
That night we cook dinner ourselves at the villa. We had white rice with chicken curry and sardine.
We rode into the city after dinner and the town is a small town that span along 1km of Route 12 road nearby Sukhothai Historical Park.
We went through trunk road and have some offroad action just outside Sukhothai.
We arrived at Siam Villa Hotel around 5.30pm.
That night we cook dinner ourselves at the villa. We had white rice with chicken curry and sardine.
We rode into the city after dinner and the town is a small town that span along 1km of Route 12 road nearby Sukhothai Historical Park.
Sukhothai to Mae Sai
After an early morning breakfast (prepared by ourselves), we checked out of the hotel around 7am. We made a quick stop at Sukhothai Cultural Village.
Sukhothai, is a sanskrit word means "Dawn of Happiness" was the capital for Thai Empire for approximately 140 years, until 1438 under the ruling of Sukhothai Kingdom.
It’s a cold morning around 21°C when we made a move towards Chiang Rai.
We went through Route 101 towards Phrae, with sharp bends mixed with ascending and descending sections. Weather was misty and the traffic at that route was clear and good route condition making the ride that morning very memorable.
We arrived at Lampang around 10.30am for lunch at Punnee Restaurant.
GPS 18.29183 99.51401
Surprisingly we are the first group to post a sticker at
this location.
We continued north avoiding Chiang Mai and went directly to Chiang Rai through Phahon Yothin Road and Route 118.
I spotted a flower farm and stopped for another photo session.
Riding temperature here was around 25°C and we stopped again for a cup of coffee at Charin Garden Resort.
We continued north avoiding Chiang Mai and went directly to Chiang Rai through Phahon Yothin Road and Route 118.
I spotted a flower farm and stopped for another photo session.
Riding temperature here was around 25°C and we stopped again for a cup of coffee at Charin Garden Resort.
GPS 19.695839, 99.581181
It’s here that Yusuf found a nail stuck at his rear wheel but we are relieved as it is a short one and does not completely penetrate the rubber. It’s another 100km to Mae Sai and continued our ride around 3.30pm.
It’s here that Yusuf found a nail stuck at his rear wheel but we are relieved as it is a short one and does not completely penetrate the rubber. It’s another 100km to Mae Sai and continued our ride around 3.30pm.
The original plan is to ride into Taichilek but after a discussion and input from a local runner, we decided not to ride in as it is not worth to pay almost RM1,000 for a couple of hours in Myanmar. It is decided that we will stay at Mae Sai and walk into Taichilek. So we checked-in at Yeesun Hotel.
We had dinner at a roadside stall and while eating we were greeted by a group of Malaysian tourists from Alor Setar.
Mae Sai night market is right in-front of Mae Sai - Taichilek border.
3 Countries In A Day
Next day started very early and around 6.30am everyone has
already gathered at Mae Sai border pass.
Inside Myanmar border control office
The taxi driver then brought us to Shwedagon Pagoda and morning market.
Tachileik Shwedagon Pagoda
The one and only Muslim seller that we met at the pagoda, from Rakhine state
Fully loaded
Local girls at the pagoda
We are leaving!
We crossed back into Thailand around 10.30am and went back to our hotel to clean up and pack.
By 11.00am we have checked out of the hotel and visit a
Muslim restaurant at Mae Sai for breakfast. We had roti canai, white rice &
chicken curry. It is interesting to observe that their roti canai is rolled by
a wooden roller and not spread by hand. We also met a group of Malaysian
tourists in a van having breakfast before going to Laos.
Mae Sai Bismillah Restaurant GPS 20.441779, 99.882821
We then made a move towards a motorcycle shop to find
Yusuf’s blown headlamp and we departed Mae Sai around 12.15pm. He finally found it at a hardware shop, not this workshop!
We made a stop at the Golden Triangle lookout point for photograph session. This river convergence is between three countries, Thailand, Myanmar & Laos. It is now a very popular tourist destination.
The edged top is Myanmar, Thailand on the left while Laos is on the right.
Here we splitted into 2 groups as Yusuf and I departed later than Cikgu Joe & Pezam.
We made a stop at the Golden Triangle lookout point for photograph session. This river convergence is between three countries, Thailand, Myanmar & Laos. It is now a very popular tourist destination.
The edged top is Myanmar, Thailand on the left while Laos is on the right.
Here we splitted into 2 groups as Yusuf and I departed later than Cikgu Joe & Pezam.
The view for Route 1290 from Mae Sai heading towards Chiang Kong is very beautiful with sharp bends and steep inclination/declination.
We arrived at the Chiang Kong – Huay Xai border around 2.00pm. Thai immigration and custom process went smooth and we went into Laos immigration around 2.30pm.
The needless 250 Baht bridge escort by Thai police.
Route 1290 Mae Sai - Chiang Kong
We arrived at the Chiang Kong – Huay Xai border around 2.00pm. Thai immigration and custom process went smooth and we went into Laos immigration around 2.30pm.
The needless 250 Baht bridge escort by Thai police.
Laos immigration and custom process went really well at
first but as I am ready to make a move, I was called by a tourism police into their
office.
I was briefed by an officer in the office about riding in Laos and my initial thought was he will ask me for money. My assumption is right when he asked me to pay B1000 for tourism police but I politely refuse and offer B500 for both of us. He made a face and reluctantly accepted. He was about to prolong his briefing when I asked his permission to leave as we plan to arrive at Luang Namtha before dark. It’s already 3.30pm when we departed from the border complex into Laos and rode slowly on the right lane.
I was briefed by an officer in the office about riding in Laos and my initial thought was he will ask me for money. My assumption is right when he asked me to pay B1000 for tourism police but I politely refuse and offer B500 for both of us. He made a face and reluctantly accepted. He was about to prolong his briefing when I asked his permission to leave as we plan to arrive at Luang Namtha before dark. It’s already 3.30pm when we departed from the border complex into Laos and rode slowly on the right lane.
Huay Xai to Luang Namtha
The road condition is better than my initial expectation and only about 35% of the whole journey was damaged or in bad condition.
We continued towards Luang Namtha around 5.30pm and it began to get dark around 6.45pm.
Weather was clear but temperature began to drop around 18°C as we were closer to the town. We arrived at Zuela Guesthouse around 7.30pm after riding in cold, dark & misty condition for the last 20km of our journey. That was the longest 20km journey in my recent riding history.
After a very long day of riding, the sight of a bed never failed to mesmerize.
We prepare our own dinner and soon afterwards we took a walk along the city street and the city
is along the road less than a kilometer stretch. A few tourist were seen
sipping their drinks on a few bars that was opened and the weather was around 17°C.
We went to a Luang Namtha Night Market, which is just opposite the entrance to Zuela Guesthouse & Restaurant.
I am in the process of taking this photo when I was scolded by the business operator.
“Next time over here, u need to ask for permission before photographing”.
I was quite shocked but later we talked about other things and we made our peace.
We went to a Luang Namtha Night Market, which is just opposite the entrance to Zuela Guesthouse & Restaurant.
I am in the process of taking this photo when I was scolded by the business operator.
“Next time over here, u need to ask for permission before photographing”.
I was quite shocked but later we talked about other things and we made our peace.
Luang Namtha at night
Luang Namtha – Boten – Luang Prabang
The next day we started early around 6.30am and ordered coffee from Zuela Restaurant. I cook my own breakfast and Yusuf had tuna sandwich before we departed from Luang Namtha around 7.30am.
Yusuf with his supersize tuna sandwich
Entrance to Luang Namtha night market
one of the guesthouse staff, admiring our ride
It was a very cold morning, around 13°C and the road was very foggy. We rode cautiously towards Boten in the cold morning and this is my first experience riding in sub 15°C conditions.
We arrived at Boten around an hour later and the border town
was bustling with long trailers, vans & busses. The road condition was very
bad when we were there as there are many excavators working on the road
side.
The town is set to change as many new development are in progress and we have to ride very slow on the slippery road surface as they spray water to minimize the dust.
The town is set to change as many new development are in progress and we have to ride very slow on the slippery road surface as they spray water to minimize the dust.
We took some time to take pictures with the road marker and
the Laos border gateway.
Only Diesel and Regular oil are sold here.
We then made a move towards Luang Prabang and road condition improves from Nateuy to Pak Mong. Route 13N has good surface and full of tight hairpin corners with 5 to 10 degrees inclination & declination. The road is dusty as always.
Refuelling at Boten. A full tank of "regular" oil is around KIP 100,000.00
Only Diesel and Regular oil are sold here.
By now, both of my front forks were leaking. After a discussion with the team, I decided to continue with the ride and will only repair the seal in Rawang.
We then made a move towards Luang Prabang and road condition improves from Nateuy to Pak Mong. Route 13N has good surface and full of tight hairpin corners with 5 to 10 degrees inclination & declination. The road is dusty as always.
We made a stop at nice lookout point and made our own lunch. Its noon but temperature was around 18°C when we were there.
GPS 20.563119, 102.230195
From Pak Mong to Luang Prabang, road condition deteriorate with many horizontal potholes and depressions. Horizontal? Yes surprisingly all potholes at this area went from left to right side of the road, avoiding them was very difficult!
Riding speeds at this stretch was only around 40-60km/h as we need to zigzag along the road to avoid the potholes.
Riding speeds at this stretch was only around 40-60km/h as we need to zigzag along the road to avoid the potholes.
Just outside Luang Prabang we met this massive dam project on Nam Ou river, that will definitely change the landscape of this town. The project is undertaken by a Chinese contractor, PowerChina.
We arrived at Luang Prabang around 4.30pm and checked-in at Sabaidee Guesthouse.
We went to dinner at Nazim Restaurant and have Mutton Briyani & Milk Parata. After dinner we walked to Luang Prabang night market, which is around 2km from the restaurant. The price of goods here are noticeably more expensive than what we used to in our previous night market encounters. However local vendors and business operators here are more friendly to tourist than the night before.
Luang Prabang – Vientiane
We started around 7.30am after breakfast and Luang Prabang
was bustling with people making way to work & school. Our wide & tall
Versys with F800 GS were definitely a lookout in middle of the chaos. The
temperature that morning was 20°C and it began to drop as we started
climbing.
The weather was misty and it was raining occasionally is some areas.
From my research due to this ride, I have read about a mountain that we have to climb before reaching Mekong river plain but seeing and experiencing by yourself is a completely different thing.
From my research due to this ride, I have read about a mountain that we have to climb before reaching Mekong river plain but seeing and experiencing by yourself is a completely different thing.
The climbing road was foggy and slippery not just for the
Versys also for the traction-controlled F800GS. Both wheels, were sliding sideways as we climb the steep corners.
All of us ride very slowly, covering only 50km in an hour and the temperature continues to drop at its lowest 12°C. The views are astounding and it is completely different as what we are used to back home.
Imagine riding in routes like Simpang Pulai – Ringlet or Kuala Kubu Bharu – Fraser Hill but with inclination up to 10 degrees, sharp s-corners and everywhere you look is mountain range and highlands.
The road was also very slippery from the rain and we met at least 3 trailers that were struggling to climb.
All of us ride very slowly, covering only 50km in an hour and the temperature continues to drop at its lowest 12°C. The views are astounding and it is completely different as what we are used to back home.
Imagine riding in routes like Simpang Pulai – Ringlet or Kuala Kubu Bharu – Fraser Hill but with inclination up to 10 degrees, sharp s-corners and everywhere you look is mountain range and highlands.
The road was also very slippery from the rain and we met at least 3 trailers that were struggling to climb.
At one point, there was a landslide and two excavators were
clearing the road and the slope. Pezam was the first at the scene and he
skidded and lost footings, Yusuf managed to stop at the roadside, I was the
third and tried to stop but also skidded. My bike slide and turned about 2 meters.
Cikgu Joe was the last to arrive but he is too fast and skidded. All
of us & the bike escape unscathed with only dirt on our pants, jackets
& gloves.
It continues to rain as we went down the mountain and the fog became thicker. At one section, we met a sign “Dangerous road ahead 9km” but I didn’t expect it to be that bad. The road was practically gone.
Badly repaired surface with loose rocks, red soil & damaged tarmac. The fog making it worst as we can only see up to 15m ahead of us and the 9km dangerous route wasn’t a straight route. We managed to get down safely without any incidents but that was my scariest offroad moments in my entire short riding history.
This is what its look like in front of me
We stopped by a place where they offered a pumped river
water spraying service, normally used by lorries to cool down their brakes and
tyres.
GPS 19.361342, 102.157934
The route is generally flat afterwards but it is going in between beautiful limestone hills and paddy fields.
We stopped for lunch at Phonsavanh nearby a lake.
50km into Vientiane the route is flat and straight but there are all sorts of transportations, human & animals on the road that we have to watch out.
Kubota trailers, cow-chariots, motor trailers, daredevil bus drivers and all types of cubs & scooters are among the long list of vehicles that were on the road all racing against each other and trying to win the middle section of the road. Chicken, goats, cows & dogs are also part of the chaos occasionally zig-zagging the road side.
The route is generally flat afterwards but it is going in between beautiful limestone hills and paddy fields.
Pezam bought some fructose and sucrose that were much needed to replenish energy and revitalizes the body. Banana la wei..
We stopped for lunch at Phonsavanh nearby a lake.
Masterchef Pezam at his outdoor cooking. Yummy chicken curry coming right up!
50km into Vientiane the route is flat and straight but there are all sorts of transportations, human & animals on the road that we have to watch out.
Credit to Troy (a.k.a troyfromtexas)
Kubota trailers, cow-chariots, motor trailers, daredevil bus drivers and all types of cubs & scooters are among the long list of vehicles that were on the road all racing against each other and trying to win the middle section of the road. Chicken, goats, cows & dogs are also part of the chaos occasionally zig-zagging the road side.
We rode slowly into Vientiane as the traffic as described
above became heavier as we are approaching the border town. The hotel we were
aiming are temporarily closed for reservation so we went around and finally
arrived at Lao Hotel around 5.00pm and checked into 2 rooms.
Hotel Lao GPS 17.967542, 102.603826
At night we walked to Nazim Restaurant and have dinner
there.
Nazim Restaurant Vientiane GPS 17.965162, 102.602963
Soon after dinner we went to Vientiane night market and the market by the riverbank of Mekong River is huge. Goods prices at this market were better than Luang Prabang’s night market and it is an ideal place to shop for souvenirs or t-shirt here.
Nazim Restaurant Vientiane GPS 17.965162, 102.602963
Soon after dinner we went to Vientiane night market and the market by the riverbank of Mekong River is huge. Goods prices at this market were better than Luang Prabang’s night market and it is an ideal place to shop for souvenirs or t-shirt here.
Vientiane to Bangkok
We started the next day around 7am and went searching for
breakfast. Nazim restaurant is still closed until 9am so we have coffee and
tuna sandwich at one of the nearby deli.
We departed to Vientiane border checkpoint around 9.00am and arrived about 30 minutes later.
We departed to Vientiane border checkpoint around 9.00am and arrived about 30 minutes later.
The Chaos
When we leave Malaysian border control we thought Sadao was a chaos but it was nothing compared to Vientiane border. Long queues and confused tourists trying to get out of the country are common at the border. We were in queue for immigration stamp about 45 minutes and the line moved 5 feet. When we entered Laos through Huay Xai we have clearly stated to the immigration & custom officer in-charge we intended to leave via Vientiane but when we tried to stamp out our motorcycle declaration, we were told that we have violated the declaration as we leave through different border of entry and each of us were fined B625.
When we leave Malaysian border control we thought Sadao was a chaos but it was nothing compared to Vientiane border. Long queues and confused tourists trying to get out of the country are common at the border. We were in queue for immigration stamp about 45 minutes and the line moved 5 feet. When we entered Laos through Huay Xai we have clearly stated to the immigration & custom officer in-charge we intended to leave via Vientiane but when we tried to stamp out our motorcycle declaration, we were told that we have violated the declaration as we leave through different border of entry and each of us were fined B625.
Crossing Mekong River to Nong Khai
The whole process took about 1 hour and 30 minutes and
arrived at Thailand Nongkhai border. The process at the Thai side was smooth and
it took less than 30 minutes.
Bangkok Fast & Furious
Upon leaving the immigration complex, we were greeted by
straight multiple lanes with excellent surface highway straight to Bangkok and
everyone started to open their throttle like mad. Cikgu Joe who was the last
person (he had to stop to answer the nature call) were separated from the
rest. He missed our lunch stop and went straight to Bangkok. Everyone else
stopped at Khong Kaen to have lunch and it’s here that Pezam said his chain starting to
give him problem.
Restoran Subaida Khong Kaen GPS 16.44590, 102.83067
Restoran Subaida Khong Kaen GPS 16.44590, 102.83067
Candid snap.. awkward pose haha
I guided Pezam into Bangkok as he can only go up to 100km/h while
Yusuf went ahead alone. We soon regrouped at Bhimann Inn around 7.30pm and I
went straight to have lunch at a stall across the hotel.
The traffic into Bangkok was heavy and slow. The city with almost 14 million people living in Bangkok Metropolitan Region, has good multiple lanes highways but still insufficient to ease the traffic congestion.
It's here that I met Luc from France, whom has spent 3 years cycling around the world.
At night we went around Khao San road and nearby market
The traffic into Bangkok was heavy and slow. The city with almost 14 million people living in Bangkok Metropolitan Region, has good multiple lanes highways but still insufficient to ease the traffic congestion.
It's here that I met Luc from France, whom has spent 3 years cycling around the world.
At night we went around Khao San road and nearby market
The separation (Bangkok to Ranong)
The next day we started discussing as Pezam wanted to send
his bike back by train to Hatyai.
We decided to take a longboat tour first cruising Chao Phraya River.
The longboat tour was around 1 hour and later we hang out at Phra Sumen Fort and Santichaiprakan Park.
We had breakfast at a stall near the fort and walked back to hotel. Yusuf decided to go with Pezam to Hua Lamphong train station while Cikgu Joe and I will continue our ride to Ranong. Pezam & Yusuf will stay for one night in Hatyai and will join us at Danok on Tuesday.
We decided to take a longboat tour first cruising Chao Phraya River.
Our skilled boatman.. using his bodyweight to navigate the propeller, connected to a diesel engine
Not a suitable job for a skinny lad
The longboat tour was around 1 hour and later we hang out at Phra Sumen Fort and Santichaiprakan Park.
We had breakfast at a stall near the fort and walked back to hotel. Yusuf decided to go with Pezam to Hua Lamphong train station while Cikgu Joe and I will continue our ride to Ranong. Pezam & Yusuf will stay for one night in Hatyai and will join us at Danok on Tuesday.
Cikgu Joe & I departed around 11.30am and went through the
ever busy Bangkok traffic heading towards Petchaburi.
We visited the dying industry of salt farming at Petchaburi and went to the inner road Route 4012 heading to Samut Songkram.
The farmers here harness sea water and level it in massive shallow ponds where water gets dehydrated leaving just salt behind. However with many disbanded ponds and collection hut, this industry is in danger of extinction as farmers move into higher profit businesses.
We had lunch at Huasai, Prachuap Khiri Khan at a restaurant near a PTT station.
Near Thakam, Chumpon, my GPS was showing a shortcut through track and I decided to give it a try. The track gets smaller as went deeper into the estate and later jungle. About 3.8km from the main road the track gets narrower and splitting like crazy. Small tracks led us to private properties with big noisy dog chasing us while we have to u-turn.
We were lost in the middle of nowhere and its started to get dark. We then decided to double back and find a proper route to Ranong and after 1.5hour offroading we were finally back on normal route to Ranong.
Segenting Kra (Kra Isthmus)
We arrived at Ranong around 8.30pm and went straight to dinner at stall by the roadside. The stall keeper ushered us to a nearby hotel and checked into one room at B570. I am personally surprised as this is the first time the marked hotel on our trip was fully occupied. I initially thought that not that many people wanted to visit this city but my presumption is proven wrong.
We visited the dying industry of salt farming at Petchaburi and went to the inner road Route 4012 heading to Samut Songkram.
We had lunch at Huasai, Prachuap Khiri Khan at a restaurant near a PTT station.
GPS 11.7109921,99.7173019.
Near Thakam, Chumpon, my GPS was showing a shortcut through track and I decided to give it a try. The track gets smaller as went deeper into the estate and later jungle. About 3.8km from the main road the track gets narrower and splitting like crazy. Small tracks led us to private properties with big noisy dog chasing us while we have to u-turn.
We were lost in the middle of nowhere and its started to get dark. We then decided to double back and find a proper route to Ranong and after 1.5hour offroading we were finally back on normal route to Ranong.
Segenting Kra (Kra Isthmus)
We made a quick stop at Segenting Kra landmark, which is the narrowest part in Malay Peninsula with 44km across Thailand and Myanmar. It’s too late and too dark to spend more time here as we arrive at night but this point is rich in history of our country.
We arrived at Ranong around 8.30pm and went straight to dinner at stall by the roadside. The stall keeper ushered us to a nearby hotel and checked into one room at B570. I am personally surprised as this is the first time the marked hotel on our trip was fully occupied. I initially thought that not that many people wanted to visit this city but my presumption is proven wrong.
Last night in Thailand (Ranong to Trang)
The next day we went to a restaurant for breakfast and we
had roti canai and chicken curry.
Ranong, 7km east from Andaman Sea is a small city with border access to Kawthoung in Myanmar and a popular visa run destination.
After breakfast we went to Ranong’s market to see what happening. A lot of vegetables, fish and meat were on sale and the place was bustling with activities as sellers and the community haggle and trade. We made a move towards Trang around 9.00am.
There are a lot of mosque available throughout this route and we made a stop at a small stall by the roadside. We had coffee and share a pineapple bought earlier at Ranong morning market.
After two consecutive nights of riding we finally arrive at Trang around 3.30pm and checked into Mitree House Hotel. I need a good rest as the last leg of the ride will feature a 700km ride across Bukit Kayu Hitam border checkpoint to Rawang.
Trang was once an important port in Southern Thailand and ships always arrive here in the morning, which led to the town's name Trang. It is a Malay word that mean "Light".
At night we went to Trang Night Market and a new concept market, Cinta Market. Trang town is not a major tourist spot yet as it was quite quiet at night and only a few farangs were on scene at a few local bars.
Leaving Trang
Ranong, 7km east from Andaman Sea is a small city with border access to Kawthoung in Myanmar and a popular visa run destination.
After breakfast we went to Ranong’s market to see what happening. A lot of vegetables, fish and meat were on sale and the place was bustling with activities as sellers and the community haggle and trade. We made a move towards Trang around 9.00am.
There are a lot of mosque available throughout this route and we made a stop at a small stall by the roadside. We had coffee and share a pineapple bought earlier at Ranong morning market.
Roadside stall Thambon Kura GPS N9.30577 E98.39792
We went to Kuraburi and through Route 4090 and it’s full of sharp bends with ascending & descending sections. The weather was hot with ambient temperature was around 32°C and not much of cloud formations were above this region.
We made a quick stop at Krabi for lunch and we had Pad Thai with cold drinks.
After two consecutive nights of riding we finally arrive at Trang around 3.30pm and checked into Mitree House Hotel. I need a good rest as the last leg of the ride will feature a 700km ride across Bukit Kayu Hitam border checkpoint to Rawang.
Trang was once an important port in Southern Thailand and ships always arrive here in the morning, which led to the town's name Trang. It is a Malay word that mean "Light".
Unique Tuk Tuk old-fashioned style
At night we went to Trang Night Market and a new concept market, Cinta Market. Trang town is not a major tourist spot yet as it was quite quiet at night and only a few farangs were on scene at a few local bars.
Leaving Trang
Trang morning market is bustling with activities and a lot of colorful items were on display.
Fruits here are notable cheaper from where I live
The last morning of the ride we went to a restaurant, which prepares breakfast.
GPS Coordinate N7.55659 E99.61440
These children are getting ready for school
Biggest roundabout at Trang
We departed around 8.30am and headed to Phattalung before turning right towards Hatyai. The road has little traffic and dual lanes of excellent condition surface is available. The weather is cloudy as Yusuf & Pezam reported it is raining in Hatyai since last night.
Met a few local bikers riding in the same direction
We took our time to recap our journey and exchanges stories after our separation in Bangkok.
At 2.30pm we began crossing both border checkpoints and traffic was light as it is weekdays. It is still raining when we cross back into Malaysia.
Pezam said goodbye to us here while Cikgu Joe rode with us until Changkat Jering. We refuel our tanks at Petronas Changloon and it is raining all the way to Ipoh.
After another fuel stop at Sungai Perak R&R, we safely arrived at R&R Rawang around 6.30pm.
Although we are separated a few times along this ride, all
of us stayed together as a team and solve our issues as a group. All riders and
their rides survived the long hours of riding with worse than average road
conditions for the past 11 days. I am really grateful as we made it back safely
with no untoward incidents as we heard about the accident about two groups of
rider in Laos just weeks prior to this ride.
All our motorcycles made it safely without any major problem. We had missing screws (Yusuf, Cikgu Joe & I), blown headlamp (Yusuf), leaking front fork (Cikgu Joe & I) and leaking rear shock absorber (Pezam).
All our motorcycles made it safely without any major problem. We had missing screws (Yusuf, Cikgu Joe & I), blown headlamp (Yusuf), leaking front fork (Cikgu Joe & I) and leaking rear shock absorber (Pezam).
Thank you for all that were involved directly or indirectly to this ride and it will be remembered for a long time.
Ride snippets
Riders:
Cikgu Joe V650
Mr. Pezam V650
Mr. Yusuf F800
Myself V650
Distance: 5500km
Duration: 11 days
Petrol:
In Malaysia: RM110
In Thailand: Baht 5450 (RM678)
In Laos: Kip 194,500 (RM107)
Date: 10th - 20th December 2016
Lowest Temperature: 12°C (at mountain ranges outside of Kasi, Laos)
Maximum Temp: 36°C (during traffic jam in downtown Bangkok)
Expenditure by categories:
Fuel: RM895
Hotel: RM553 (mostly share rooms 2pax/room, cost per head)
Food & Drinks: RM1250
