Avoiding BKK Pattaya - Chiang Mai - Pattaya

[OneZero]

Looking at my map book (a bit dated so highway numbers may not be the latest) I desire to avoid Bangkok congestion on a round trip Pattaya - Chiang Mai - Pattaya. 

I'm sure there will not be signs that say "Go this way to avoid Bangkok on your way to Chiang Mai / Pattaya".  So any advice is appreciated with respect to what I should be alert to be looking for on highway signs I encounter.

 

From my map book I desire to use the new highway "7" out of Pattaya and hook up with highway "11" somewhere north of Bangkok.

Appreciate your advice ref the best way to go around Bkk to make this connection (highway "7" to highway "11").

 

My map book shows that on "7", just north of Suvannapohm airport, I should be looking for highway "9" to head north (thus avoiding Bkk).

1.  Is there now a better connection heading north to avoid BKK?

 

Once heading north to bypass BKK my mapbook shows I should be looking for either:

 - Highway "1" in direction of Saraburi & Lopburi,  or

 - Highway "A-2" in direction of Ayuttaya, Ang Thong, Singburi, 

Both of which ultimately connect to highway "11".

2.  Which of these two routes ("1" or "A-2") would you recommend to make the connection to highway "11"?

 

PS,

Perhaps it's due to my ignorance, but I have not been successful in downloading helpful maps, GPS, etc to clarify this for me.  If anyone can provide a helpful link I would appreciate that as well.  Thanks.

 

 

[Crossy]

Google Maps is your friend, but it's not going to show anything better than Route 9.

 

Route 9 (the Outer Ring Road) is very wide (much is 4 or even 5 lane) and very fast, definitely not for the feint of heart.

 

Your route is really the only way, there will be some traffic as you pass Swampy but once on Route 9 it's plain sailing.

[JaiLai]

Pattaya - chaengchonsoa (sp) - Nakhon Nayok - saraburi - Phetchabun - phitsanulok - uttradit - lampang - Chaing mai

 

Not sure if road numbers just know the way.

 

There’s thousands of alternatives

 

I should mention, this is toll free.

 

 

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[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

Pattaya - chaengchonsoa (sp) - Nakhon Nayok - saraburi - Phetchabun - phitsanulok - uttradit - lampang - Chaing mai

What's the road Pattaya - Chachoengsao - Nakhon Nayok like?

 

Once on the 33 at NN it's good to the 1 then north to join the 11.

 

[JaiLai]

What's the road Pattaya - Chachoengsao - Nakhon Nayok like?
 
Once on the 33 at NN it's good to the 1 then north to join the 11.
 

There’s a section I’d say is about 40-50km long that is single lane about 40-50km before NN, apart from that it two lanes everywhere else.

Road conditions and traffic are ok.




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[Crossy]

To address our OP's other question, I would use the 1 to go north.

 

The AH-2 (Route 32) is the main route used by the heavy vehicles going north and is another racetrack and I've never seen it quiet.

[Andrew Dwyer]

To address our OP's other question, I would use the 1 to go north.
 
The AH-2 (Route 32) is the main route used by the heavy vehicles going north and is another racetrack and I've never seen it quiet.

Yes Route 32 is very busy and prone to accidents. A couple of weeks ago we were delayed for about 30 minutes around Ang Thong as there was a bicycle in the fast lane and the rider covered with a sheet. An old bicycle and, by the looks of the frail hand sticking out the sheet, an old guy as well, very sad .

[JaiLai]

To address our OP's other question, I would use the 1 to go north.
 
The AH-2 (Route 32) is the main route used by the heavy vehicles going north and is another racetrack and I've never seen it quiet.

The traffic can be a bit crappy at Khampaeng Phet.


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[lopburi3]

Route 1 is the old road and not direct (it connected all towns of the 50's on way to Chiang Mai) - better to use the Asia Highway (32) which opened in 1969 as the first toll road in Thailand (one lane each way with hump back bridges in those days - a real challenge) and is directly North until it becomes Highway 1 near Nakhon Sawan.  .  You need to backtrack toward Bangkok on Route 1 a couple KM to get to it from Ring Road however.  This is also Google recommended route.

https://goo.gl/maps/q9WSyDE3jzP2

Edited January 6, 2018 by lopburi3

[OneZero]

Fantastic advice guys, all very helpful.  Thanks.

I got the link to google maps too.

[champers]

Have you considered travelling by plane? Of course it depends on how many of you are travelling as to whether it is cheaper, but flights cost less than 1000 Baht pp, only take an hour and it is 250 Baht pp to get from Utapao direct to your destination. AirAsia operate the route.

[digbeth]

On the 7 as you head just past the airport, before turning into 9 there's roadworks and congestion in the afternoon/evening of around 40 minute wait

[pegman]

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

Google Maps is your friend, but it's not going to show anything better than Route 9.

 

Route 9 (the Outer Ring Road) is very wide (much is 4 or even 5 lane) and very fast, definitely not for the feint of heart.

 

Your route is really the only way, there will be some traffic as you pass Swampy but once on Route 9 it's plain sailing.

I would take that route often as my girlfriend's daughter lives in Uthai Thani. Routes 7 & 9 are both toll motorways and you can usually fly down both. Once leaving Pattaya I would not hit a controled intersection for >3 hours. The only stops are the 4 toll booths. The tricky part was coming back. The  turnoff from Hwy 32 to 9 is easy to miss and I did that a few times. 

[midas]

The first time I ever did it (   driving alone) because I have never found the road system particularly around Chaengchonsoa to be easy to follow when you are trying to simultaneously read the road signs and counteract silly manoeuvres by other drivers all at the same time-I found the easiest way was to simply wait for a Chiang Mai Nakohn Chai Air bus to depart Pattaya terminal and simply follow that at least until after you know you are heading north

[lopburi3]

15 minutes ago, pegman said:

I would take that route often as my girlfriend's daughter lives in Uthai Thani. Routes 7 & 9 are both toll motorways and you can usually fly down both. Once leaving Pattaya I would not hit a controled intersection for >3 hours. The only stops are the 4 toll booths. The tricky part was coming back. The  turnoff from Hwy 32 to 9 is easy to miss and I did that a few times. 

But coming back you can use a second exit (at highway 1) if you miss the first - key is to watch for old toll station and after that keep left for the Saraburi exit - that gets you onto the route 1 for a few hundred meters (after a km or 2) before you keep left to get onto the ring road again.  Agree a lot of roads in that area but keeping left should keep you on course.  

[DD13]

2 hours ago, champers said:

Have you considered travelling by plane? Of course it depends on how many of you are travelling as to whether it is cheaper, but flights cost less than 1000 Baht pp, only take an hour and it is 250 Baht pp to get from Utapao direct to your destination. AirAsia operate the route.

Sound advice......

Less stress

Less Kms on your vehicle

Less wear and tear on your vehicle (and your nerves)

And

No need to worry about needing to hand over tea money

[moe666]

What time will you be going thru BKK, a while back left Soi 4 Sukhumvit and hit the end of the elevated highway in alittle more than 30 min. This was on Sunday around 0700. The traffic is not always bad. 

 

Take the cut off for Nakon sa No where, go around town on the by-pass road and the 1 straight up at Lampang go to the 11 and you are in CM 2 hours later

[JaiLai]

Sound advice......
Less stress
Less Kms on your vehicle
Less wear and tear on your vehicle (and your nerves)
And
No need to worry about needing to hand over tea money

His objective might be to see a bit of the countryside?
Personally I always find it more convienient to have my vehicle with me.
Plus I hate airports, they annoy me.


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[JaiLai]

What time will you be going thru BKK, a while back left Soi 4 Sukhumvit and hit the end of the elevated highway in alittle more than 30 min. This was on Sunday around 0700. The traffic is not always bad. 
 
Take the cut off for Nakon sa No where, go around town on the by-pass road and the 1 straight up at Lampang go to the 11 and you are in CM 2 hours later

Personally I drive through the night 2000-0400 , traffic not an issue.


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[lopburi3]

25 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

 

Personally I drive through the night 2000-0400 , traffic not an issue.


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Are you kidding?  Those are the hours of drunken motorcyclists going every which way saving electric with their light off if at all possible.  Combined with the night bus drivers attempting to prove their bus is faster than any other vehicle on the road.  And the unlit trucks doing U-turns across three lanes.

Edited January 6, 2018 by lopburi3

[Mansell]

41 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

 

Personally I drive through the night 2000-0400 , traffic not an issue.


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As I've got older the old eyesight doesn't do well with the dark. Once rode my Kawasaki up to Krabi from somewhere south in the dark. Not something I would want to repeat anytime soon. Driving at night here is akin to driving in Mexico at night......nobody really considers it safe, and in Mexico cows tend to sit in the road at night because it is warmer. But you have more drunks here......Yikes!

[JaiLai]

Are you kidding?  Those are the hours of drunken motorcyclists going every which way saving electric with their light off if at all possible.  Combined with the night bus drivers attempting to prove their bus is faster than any other vehicle on the road.  And the unlit trucks doing U-turns across three lanes.

Not kidding, for sure there’s disadvantages.

The drunks in rural Thailand are normally home by 8-9pm, not concerned about them.

Buses and trucks you can deal with if you’re alert.

It appeals to me due to much less traffic which equals less wrecks which equals less hold ups.

It’s not for everyone I agree but suits me.


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[JaiLai]

As I've got older the old eyesight doesn't do well with the dark. Once rode my Kawasaki up to Krabi from somewhere south in the dark. Not something I would want to repeat anytime soon. Driving at night here is akin to driving in Mexico at night......nobody really considers it safe, and in Mexico cows tend to sit in the road at night because it is warmer. But you have more drunks here......Yikes!

It’s never safe to drive here...


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[DD13]

3 hours ago, JaiLai said:

His objective might be to see a bit of the countryside?
Personally I always find it more convienient to have my vehicle with me.
Plus I hate airports, they annoy me.


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Seems that you're not interested in seeing the countryside either eh?

 

I find that Hiring a car at my destination is not that expensive 

 

And avoids dealing with the Thai lunatic drivers on the way to up-country...... Goodness knows there's enough around Pattaya

 

 

Edited January 6, 2018 by DD13
Additions

[JaiLai]

Seems that you're not interested in seeing the countryside either eh?
 


I more or less travel to the same places, the scenery on the routes I’ve seen many many times eh...


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[DD13]

7 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

9 minutes ago, DD13 said:

Seems that you're not interested in seeing the countryside either eh?
 


I more or less travel to the same places, the scenery on the routes I’ve seen many many times eh...


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In the dark !!!!!

[fredob43]

Having done that trip hundreds of times. Some of the answers are at best far off the mark. There's only one way to go that's the 7 out of Pattaya pick up with the 9 left turn 2 KM north of Swampy. Around 60km on 9 take the left turn to Ayutthaya keep left or you'll end up going back into BKK. It's a strait run from there on the 32/1.

 

Just before NakonSawan take the slip road sign post bypass that misses N/S it's being sorted at the moment so none to good road wise but still worth using. Then on to Kamphaeng Phet Someone said there's loads of traffic there? I live there and can assure you it as clear as you'll find anywhere. On to Tak and follow your nose to C/M there is the mountain bit after Lampang take it easy, some sharpish bends. 

 

I wouldn't advise doing it in one hit as it can take at least 10 hours without a stop. Lots more it you hit traffic. Suggest you don't do it Night time if you want to get there in one piece. Most of the roads have no lights. Best of luck.

Tip watch your speed as there are lots of speed camera 105kph fine any more and you'll end up with a ticket. 

Edited January 6, 2018 by fredob43

[DD13]

3 minutes ago, fredob43 said:

Having done that trip hundreds of time. Some of the answers are at best far off the mark. There's only one way to go that's the 7 out of Pattaya pick up with the 9 left turn 2 KM north of Swampy. Around 60km on 9 take then left turn to Ayutthaya keep left or you'll end up going back into BKK. It's a strait run from there on the 32/1.

 

Just before NakonSawan take the slip road sign post bypass that misses N/S it's being sorted at the moment so none to good road wise but still worth using. Then on to Kamphaeng Phet Someone said there's loads of traffic there? I live there and can assure you it as clear as you'll find anywhere. On to Tak and follow your nose to C/M there is the mountain bit after Lampang take it easy, some sharpish bends. 

 

I wouldn't advise doing it in one hit as it can take at least 10 hours without a stop. Lots more it you hit traffic. Suggest you don't do it Night time if you want to get there in one piece. Most of the roads have no lights. Best of luck.

Tip watch your speed as there are lots of speed camera 105kph fine any more and you'll end up with a ticket. 

A good response to the OPs request

10/10 ?

[JaiLai]

In the dark !!!!!

Correct


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[BuaBS]

Going North , I wouldn't take the 11 untill Phitsanulok . 117 is better but not much to see. Highway 1 gets worse on the left lane going to Kamphaeng Phet and further . Don't do the ringway around Nakhon Sawan ( quite the detour and nothing to see , going through the city is easy).

 

If you don't want to do siteseeing , driving by night is better , less trafic and no aweful heat especially coming back from the north .

Edited January 7, 2018 by BuaBS