Driving From Bangkok To Chiang Mai

[positiveaction]

Hi

Wonder if anyone can help......did anyone ever drive by car from bangkok to chiang mai? How long does it take at good speed from bangkok (non rush hour)? Petrol usage in 1.8 ?

What is the best route and anything special to stop and see on the way( but not huge detour)? Any advice appreciated.

tks

[malcy]

Hi

Wonder if anyone can help......did anyone ever drive by car from bangkok to chiang mai? How long does it take at good speed from bangkok (non rush hour)? Petrol usage in 1.8 ?

What is the best route and anything special to stop and see on the way( but not huge detour)? Any advice appreciated.

tks

hello mate i have done it a few times it took me about 7 hours i know people are gonna write and say they done it quicker, probably did. i was not in to much of a hurry,plenty of dead and dying dogs to look at , also stalls selling dried fish just to make your car stink all the way home , but you know what thais are like they got to buy them. no idea of the fuel costs.

i went bangkok to nakon sawan then take a left to kamphang phet, tak lamphang ,then chiang mai. i have no idea if this is the best route or not , sorry if not much help.

[Ajarn]

Hi

Wonder if anyone can help......did anyone ever drive by car from bangkok to chiang mai? How long does it take at good speed from bangkok (non rush hour)? Petrol usage in 1.8 ?

What is the best route and anything special to stop and see on the way( but not huge detour)? Any advice appreciated.

tks

hello mate i have done it a few times it took me about 7 hours i know people are gonna write and say they done it quicker, probably did. i was not in to much of a hurry,plenty of dead and dying dogs to look at , also stalls selling dried fish just to make your car stink all the way home , but you know what thais are like they got to buy them. no idea of the fuel costs.

i went bangkok to nakon sawan then take a left to kamphang phet, tak lamphang ,then chiang mai. i have no idea if this is the best route or not , sorry if not much help.

Fastest route is that route, which goes from Kampeng phet to Tak to Lampang. Lots of stuff to see, but I haven't had a trip like that in over 20 years

Edited January 18, 2007 by Ajarn

[Goshawk]

Hi

Wonder if anyone can help......did anyone ever drive by car from bangkok to chiang mai? How long does it take at good speed from bangkok (non rush hour)? Petrol usage in 1.8 ?

What is the best route and anything special to stop and see on the way( but not huge detour)? Any advice appreciated.

tks

hello mate i have done it a few times it took me about 7 hours i know people are gonna write and say they done it quicker, probably did. i was not in to much of a hurry,plenty of dead and dying dogs to look at , also stalls selling dried fish just to make your car stink all the way home , but you know what thais are like they got to buy them. no idea of the fuel costs.

i went bangkok to nakon sawan then take a left to kamphang phet, tak lamphang ,then chiang mai. i have no idea if this is the best route or not , sorry if not much help.

Definately the best route. When i take this trip i always do it in 2 halves, break off in Nakhon Sawan (roughly half way) and go and chill out at Bung Boraphet - a massive freshwater lake/marsh. If your into nature/birds/widlife then this place is an absolute must with plenty of facilities on hand... restaurants, visitors centre, obsevation towers & hides even boat trips.. Round it off with a night at the Pimarn Hotel in NS before making the rest of the journey back to CM the next morning... nice !!

[Ta22]

My father me and my younger brother went down to bangkok to collect the Benz we buy .. i think last years .. too us a long time to came back . maybe we just drive relax . switching between 3 of us ..

if i recalll correctly we were running on 12km/ litre - for the 2000cc Benz.

We plan the trip and leave bangkok at about 2 pm . and by the time we reach A-yu-Ta-Ya is was about 4 pm . the trip is slow .. and the sun get in your eyes . so get a pair of sunglass handy .

notthing much .we did not stop much and is very much . just driving all the way . but is in comfort . we are travelling ta about 110-120km /h

we did stop for for meal and relax . but more or less is just pee stop and simple meal .. did not venture into town .

if you get a road map .. you can follow a Highway code.. i can't rem .. " A1" or A2 or somethng like that .

by the time night fall i recall a very very dark narrow road without street lamp .. so is kinda dangerous .. so check your headlight .. and make sure your high beam is working well ..

head toward Tak . and you will be half way there.

i think we took about 10 hour for the last trip we did .

but we ddi not stop much .

i peronall drive to tak . a few time and i had ride my small honda dream to tak , and nakonsawan .

The road back should be fine .. and the new rule that Pump can open 24hour now you should not have problem topping up your fuel .. at select station..

pack lot of water .. and rest if you feel tired if you diiving alone ..

if needed .. take a huge meal break between 5:30pm - 6:30 pm as i recall this is the timr frame where alot of cars and large truck rushing home whahhaa kinda dangerous alot of truck overtake us even when we are travelling at 130km /h

Oh yeh .. DOn't HOG the Fast lane .. keep left if you are driving slow ..RIght lane is for Over taking . and be nice and go back to RIght lane after you over take .. Flash or horn twice to say thanks you . ( fast soft horn beep - ONCE )

Truck driver are usually nice .. carful if you see Truck that look like carrying SAND . or Stone - you wanna STOP or OVER TAKE THEM >

unless you want pot hole on your windscreen .

best of luck and drive safe .

[Maejo Man]

Take the main highway north past Don Muang, and head towards Ayutthaya, but be sure to keep to the left lane after Ban Pa, and stay on highway #1 as it is very easy to keep going, and get onto the highway to Sara Buri, which is fine if you have time as it's a great road and takes you through Lop Buri, which is worth a stop to see all the monkeys. The road then re enters the main highway at Sing Buri, and heads north. The highway heads due north and into Nakon Sawan, stay in the left lane through Nakon Sawan. as you can filter through all the red lights there, and there are quite a few.

Next major city is Kampheangphet, which is about half way, and time to stop for a pit stop, which will take you through to Chiangmai. Depending on time, you have a choice here, to carry straight on, to Tak and Lampang, or to take highway #101 to Sukhothai and visit the national park there. Some great hotels around Sukhothai and Phitsanulok, if you choose to stay the night. If you keep on highway #101 you will pass through Sawankhalok, which is rather pretty, and just after that you have the ruins at Si Satchanalai, which to my mind is far better than Sukhothai, and pre dates it. Keep on #101 till you hit the turn off to highway #11 which is a great road now, and takes you directly into Lampang. From there it's plain sailing over the mountains and down into Chiangmai.

Heaps to see if you have the time. Have a safe trip...MM

[Ta22]

Between Lampang and chiangmai - you will have to go Up hill when you reach the top - if is not too late .

you can stop by to check out the shrine setup there for worship .. is kinda nice ..

and after that is my FAV downhill road ..

whahaha i drive that road offeen at about 110 downhill is alot of fun .. but i don't suggest you to do it with family in the car .

OH .. go to Lampang .. just beside BIG "C" there is a BEER garden . - the name of the place is call BEER GARDEN .

there have very nice live band ,, and the food is great .

don't drink too much beer . cos after a long trip beer make you sleepy .

.

[ThaiPauly]

Suggest that you do not do the trip at night.

Every time I have done it I always seemto end up 20 metres behind a big black truck with no lights on...very common unfortunatley....as well as dangerous

Also you have to deal with Motorbikes coming at you in the wrong lane.

Driving to or from BK after sun down is best avoided IMHO. I don't do it any more, I go in the daytime making a 7am start. Personally it takes me about 9 hours...the last or first 2 are consumed with getting in or out of BK,,and I don't rush...keep at about 100 and take plenty of breaks

Cheers

TP

[chanchao]

If you want a NICE stop but still not venture too far off the main road and not end up on smaller provincial roads then make your stop at Kamphaeng Phet. It's pretty much exactly half way, and there's A LOT to see there, some nice ruins and remnants of city walls & moat.

Fuel will be expensive. In fact on the price of fuel alone you can probably fly on Air Asia, and that's not even taking wear & risks into account.

But it's a good idea if you want to have a car when you get to ChianG mai and when you're with more people.

[up-country_sinclair]

soon i'll be driving in the other direction (chiang mai to the south) with two dogs...has anyone done this before? any recommendations on where to stop? i'd like to drive past bkk on the first day.

my main concern is where to spend the night. right now, i'm leaning towards camping and putting them on a leash for the night.

[lopburi3]

Take the main highway north past Don Muang, and head towards Ayutthaya, but be sure to keep to the left lane after Ban Pa, and stay on highway #1 as it is very easy to keep going, and get onto the highway to Sara Buri,

Highway 1 is the old road and takes you to Saraburi/Lopburi. You want to get off Highway 1 at the Ayutthaya turn onto the old Asia Highway (former toll road) now marked Route 32 and A2. Stay on it until you rejoin Highway 1 at Nakhon Sawan Province border.

[ThaiPauly]

soon i'll be driving in the other direction (chiang mai to the south) with two dogs...has anyone done this before? any recommendations on where to stop? i'd like to drive past bkk on the first day.

my main concern is where to spend the night. right now, i'm leaning towards camping and putting them on a leash for the night.

How far you planning to go UCS?

I have driven as far as Surat Thani in two hops...staying overnight in BK is near as dammit half way ...but I would strongly reecommend not driving further than BK without getting at least 12 hours rest...for somemone OUR age

The drive sure takes it out of me. But its more fun than flying.

Chanchao...I would agree that it is far cheaper to fly to BK ...if you are on your own..but two three or four people..obviously then its cheaper to drive including wear and tear IMO.

Having said that it normally takes me 4 hours door to door when flying...so its only double or near enough driving...Taxi fares at both ends have to be accounted for. When I go I prefer to drive becuase I have transport when I get to the City, otherwise its just more expense on Taxis.

Cheers

TP

Edited January 19, 2007 by ThaiPauly

[chanchao]

> soon i'll be driving in the other direction (chiang mai to the south) with two dogs...

> has anyone done this before? any recommendations on where to stop?

> i'd like to drive past bkk on the first day.

> my main concern is where to spend the night.

Spend the night? What night? Leave VERY early, like 5-6am. Then you get to Bangkok between noon and 2pm. If you're going past that then the furthest you can resonably get is either Pattaya on the South East or Hua Hin on the South West. In both cases you'd go as far as the Bangkok outer ring and then go either left (Patters) or Right (South) You will see ring road this just past Ayudthaya.

[chanchao]

That said, I once drove from Krabi to Chiang Mai in ONE day. Never again.

[ThaiPauly]

That said, I once drove from Krabi to Chiang Mai in ONE day. Never again.

I'm not surprised!!

How many kilometres was that?????

[bino]

Leave VERY early, like 5-6am.

This is a favorite tactic of mine also- especially when heading north out of Bangkok. I roust everyone out of bed and let them sleep in the car.

You get out of the city before the morning traffic, and the sun is rising by the time you reach Ayutthaya and the countryside. The trip takes 7 to 8 hours, and you can be in Chiang Mai for a late lunch and a trip up to Doi Suthep or something, so that an entire day is not lost driving.

As ThaiPauly advises, don't do the trip at night if possible... he is absolutely correct in that the number of trucks on the road is staggering, and they are poorly lit.