bicycle friendly neighborhood(s)?

[Requiem]

I'm thinking about settling in Bangkok for long term, maybe buying a house or condo.

 

One thing that I love and worries me is the lack of cycling options in Bangkok.

 

Perhaps you guys know which area in Bangkok is good or at least decent for cycling? I have a 30 kg e-bike which I'd love to transport from overseas but not sure where would I use it. I'm considering outer areas of bangkok as well, like Nonthaburi and areas in Suan Luang/Prawet. Wouldn't want to go further than that, since gf's job is in Thong Lo.

 

If the park near Chatuchak is the best option then it's sad.

[chickenslegs]

Not sure if there are places to rent/buy here, but no cars at all.

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/day-tripper-chill-day-koh-kret-pottery-island/

[Requiem]

1 minute ago, chickenslegs said:

Not sure if there are places to rent/buy here, but no cars at all.

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/day-tripper-chill-day-koh-kret-pottery-island/

 

Thanks, I forgot to mention - I'm looking for areas where I could live (buy a house or condo) and which is bicycle friendly. I can't buy a house in Ko Kret or Bang Krachao.

I was thinking about Ari for example, the area to the east from BTS Ari seems to be only few cars. Unfortunately housing prices are above my budget there (up to 10 mln baht).

[digbeth]

If you need to work in Thonglor - Ekamai and aren't confident enough to ride with cars in Bangkok traffic, the canals in the back of Thonglor goes all the way Ram Kamhaeng and Bang Kapi and has a decent path that you  can ride car-free save for the occasional motorcycle. From Thonglor into the city like Pratunam also has the same paths but not continuous. take a ride in the canal boat to see.

 

Suanluang - Prawet Area has Suan Luang Rama IX and Nong Bon lake on the back for you to ride in, if you live in the area riding from your home to the park is doable, the road is wide enough.

 

If you want a place to cycle, look up the bike lane around Suvarrnabhumi airport, 23.5km of cycling tracks plus facilities like showers and shops, thousands of cyclist turn up to ride there every day

[ChouDoufu]

i would pass on the canal path with a 30kg e-bike.  too many spots where you must take stairs over side canals.  don't recall seeing bike ramps on those stairs.

[mike787]

If you have a wish for death or living on the edge, continue biking in thailand...it's your choice.  good luck.

[metempsychotic]

19 minutes ago, mike787 said:

If you have a wish for death or living on the edge, continue biking in thailand...it's your choice.  good luck.

Yes, best to safely inhabit the sofa and await a coronary from a sedentarty lifestyle. Have you ever actaully ridden a bicycle I and major urban center? Or at all, anywhere?

 

Over 20 years I have been riding around bangkok, and I quite enjoy it. 

 

Lumpini is a decent 2km loop for exercise though only between 10 and 3, prapa deang (sp?) Great for a day trip, jatujak and suan rot fai are a decent loop but avoid weekends because they rent bikes and a lot of locals weave around making a lap difficult.

 

Sadly suan benjakitti is under some sort of renovarion that has killed the 2km loop though they have introduced a dull sub 1k loop in the park next door.

 

Nong bon lake has a good loop but is an activities club with a really cheap membership, they have sailing etc also

 

There are also a few good weekend trips if you want to ride offroad, but its been so long since I bothered with that as I usually wakeboard weekends.

 

Oh, the airport loop as well but I have never been.

Edited March 10, 2020 by metempsychotic

[Requiem]

1 hour ago, digbeth said:

If you need to work in Thonglor - Ekamai and aren't confident enough to ride with cars in Bangkok traffic, the canals in the back of Thonglor goes all the way Ram Kamhaeng and Bang Kapi and has a decent path that you  can ride car-free save for the occasional motorcycle. From Thonglor into the city like Pratunam also has the same paths but not continuous. take a ride in the canal boat to see.

 

Suanluang - Prawet Area has Suan Luang Rama IX and Nong Bon lake on the back for you to ride in, if you live in the area riding from your home to the park is doable, the road is wide enough.

 

If you want a place to cycle, look up the bike lane around Suvarrnabhumi airport, 23.5km of cycling tracks plus facilities like showers and shops, thousands of cyclist turn up to ride there every day

That lane in Suvarnabhumi was exactly what I had in mind. It's called Happy and Healthy Bike Lane. That could do for a while, till it gets boring.

 

Are there anything similar like this around Bangkok? Maybe in Samut Prakan?

[digbeth]

45 minutes ago, ChouDoufu said:

i would pass on the canal path with a 30kg e-bike.  too many spots where you must take stairs over side canals.  don't recall seeing bike ramps on those stairs.

This is what the best maintained one looks like

[MJKT2014]

I cycle in about 30km from the north east of Bangkok to Thonglor area each week. There's a cycle path runs for about 20km along the route of the Chalong Rat expressway and the rest is with regular traffic. Not great but makes for an interesting ride with the cycle path that is mostly tree lined and cooler. Since they started building the sky train over Ladprow Road some of this cycle path along Chalong Rat route has been blocked off by construction crews necessitating long U turn detours with the regular traffic - even for pedestrians. Whoever has allowed that to happen needs shooting. 

[digbeth]

22 minutes ago, Requiem said:

That lane in Suvarnabhumi was exactly what I had in mind. It's called Happy and Healthy Bike Lane. That could do for a while, till it gets boring.

 

Are there anything similar like this around Bangkok? Maybe in Samut Prakan?

technically the HHBL don't welcome e-bikes, but they don't look too closely for them yet

 

There's another private (paid) park called Peppermint Bike Park, it's more for mountain bikes with rolling paths and is much shorter.

 

Other than that there are some areas and routes that's preferred by cyclists. But these would be on the road with cars and motorbikes... but locals in these routes might be more tolerant of cyclist.

 

Most parks that's good to cycle in around Bangkok is around 7-10Km loop only RamaIX park in Prawet is full of joggers, but the NongBon lake behind is quite ok to cycle in.

 

Central Bangkok there's Lumpini Park, but it can get crowded with joggers too, Chatuchak Rot Fai park can be full of yobs on rented bikes so not really good for excercise

 

Bangkrachao is more of a day trip but is good for exploring 

[digbeth]

6 minutes ago, MJKT2014 said:

I cycle in about 30km from the north east of Bangkok to Thonglor area each week. There's a cycle path runs for about 20km along the route of the Chalong Rat expressway and the rest is with regular traffic. Not great but makes for an interesting ride with the cycle path that is mostly tree lined and cooler. Since they started building the sky train over Ladprow Road some of this cycle path along Chalong Rat route has been blocked off by construction crews necessitating long U turn detours with the regular traffic - even for pedestrians. Whoever has allowed that to happen needs shooting. 

That route just ended abruptly when you cross into Ekamai, crossing the railway and Petchburi road is a nightmare with other traffic, how do you manage that weekly? At least the police do actively patrol the route at rush hours to ticket the motorcycle that tries to ride on the path, but does nothing with cars of businesses along the route that park blocking the path

[wordchild]

Bangkok is not the best city for cycling in terms of safety but , cycling is an amazing way to really get the feel and heartbeat of the city.  
I cycle around the city most weekends, and love it, highlights of my week.

I have done this for the last 12 years, without major incident, to date.
I choose an area then go explore, normally early morning.  I used to do the park circuits but, after a time, they just get boring. 
A word of caution, you need to adjust to the fact that , in Thailand, as a cyclist, you have no legitimacy on the road. Trucks, busses and taxis will treat you as per that.

DO NOT attempt to cycle in Bangkok if you have any residual (western) attitude that , as a cyclist, you are entitled to as much road space as anyone else. It just does not work like that here, you need to grasp this and ride defensively. Stay close to the side, out of the way, and assume no motor vehicle will give way to you , even when you may have right of way.  Ride cautiously and , hopefully, you should have no issues. And Bangkok is a really fun city to explore on a bike.

 

[ChouDoufu]

be aware if you're waiting at a stoplight, other vehicles may ignore the signals.  keep one eye on the mirror, don't assume they're going to stop at the light.

 

if you're riding on the edge of the travel lane with enough space to avoid parked cars opening doors into you, scooters will try to squeeze between you and the parked vehicles.

[madmen]

6 hours ago, metempsychotic said:

Yes, best to safely inhabit the sofa and await a coronary from a sedentarty lifestyle. Have you ever actaully ridden a bicycle I and major urban center? Or at all, anywhere?

 

Over 20 years I have been riding around bangkok, and I quite enjoy it. 

 

Lumpini is a decent 2km loop for exercise though only between 10 and 3, prapa deang (sp?) Great for a day trip, jatujak and suan rot fai are a decent loop but avoid weekends because they rent bikes and a lot of locals weave around making a lap difficult.

 

Sadly suan benjakitti is under some sort of renovarion that has killed the 2km loop though they have introduced a dull sub 1k loop in the park next door.

 

Nong bon lake has a good loop but is an activities club with a really cheap membership, they have sailing etc also

 

There are also a few good weekend trips if you want to ride offroad, but its been so long since I bothered with that as I usually wakeboard weekends.

 

Oh, the airport loop as well but I have never been.

Wow it's a big stretch to assume that everyone not risking life or limb and gulping down big lung fulls of bus fumes is living as a couch potato, what a stupid thing to say! the air-conditioned gyms around town are brimming with health fanatics that have figured out a way to get fit without being scraped off the bitumen! 

Edited March 10, 2020 by madmen

[metempsychotic]

1 hour ago, madmen said:

Wow it's a big stretch to assume that everyone not risking life or limb and gulping down big lung fulls of bus fumes is living as a couch potato, what a stupid thing to say! the air-conditioned gyms around town are brimming with health fanatics that have figured out a way to get fit without being scraped off the bitumen! 

My my aren't we feeling hyperbolic this evening.  

 

Would you be one of these health fanatics at the gym then?

 

My experience has shown that those who are loudest about the dangers of cycling in thailand have rarely spent any real time actually cycling, and frequently dont do much of anything at all.

[impulse]

My favorite ride in BKK was to take one of my e-bikes down to Khlong Toei port, toss it on one of the 20 baht longtail boats and head over to the island referred to as Bangkok Lung or Elephant Ear.  Lots of roads, few cars, a floating market, several nice parks, and hundreds of other sites to see and things to do.  If you don't want to bring your own bike, you can rent one on the island side, right where the boats land you.

 

Lots of good riding behind Q Sirikit Exhibition Center in the pretty much abandoned (on the weekends) Tobacco Monopoly roads, though that area is being redeveloped and I haven't been there in about a year.  Between there and Lumpini, there's a lot of fairly quiet streets for riding.  Basically, it's just a matter of heading out on Rama 4 Road and ducking into nice interesting looking areas.  I used to get lost all the time, pull out my smartphone and use the GPS to find my way back out.

 

Standing Buddha Park is another great place, though a little far out west to be reached from Thong Lo.

 

Edited March 10, 2020 by impulse

[boriga]

I think Bang Krachao is not necessarily a day trip only. If the OP lived in a condo or house close to one of the bike / scooter friendly ferry piers, such as Bangna, then it is very accessible daily. Also he could live close enough to BTS for access to Thonglor.

[DDBKK]

Sukhumvit road in samut prakan isnt toooo bad I suppose. Much more chilled out than in Bkk. You're probably looking at Samrong all the way along to Suvarnabhumi khlong. The khlong is one big fecker so you could loop that badboy for a couple of hours. There are also a few nice small sois that lead off from the khlong that you can spend time exploring but you can get some mad thais in pick ups blazing along the khlong so keep left. 

 

I regularly ride that route on my dual sport bike and don't have any issues but for the love of god DO NOT ride a push bike in thailand in a similar way to a western country. The thais for the most part give not a flying <deleted> about push bike rights on the road. You're up against it on a 250 dual sport bike a lot of the times in BKK traffic. 

 

Seriously, take care unless you enjoy visiting the hospital.  

 

Edit to add a second shout for the BKK lung as impulse suggested. That's a great option for push bikes.

Edited March 11, 2020 by DDBKK

[Katipo]

https://www.nichada.com/ is easily the most child friendly neighbourhood in Bangkok. Very few cars, dedicated cycle lanes that are actually respected, and footpaths and walkways too. There are a ton of other amenities and regular family orientated and other expat friendly activities are organised as well.

[CH1961]

20 hours ago, Requiem said:

I have a 30 kg e-bike

Just keep riding on the street and do not bother (real) cyclists on their track. 

[ChrisKC]

20 hours ago, mike787 said:

If you have a wish for death or living on the edge, continue biking in thailand...it's your choice.  good luck.

Instead, stay at home, cut yourself with the bread knife, electrocute yourself, fall off a ladder, pour a pot of boiling water over yourself. It's all there (an accident) waiting to happen in a moment. Many more accidents happen at home than on the roads!

 

I have been cycling in various parts of Thailand for more than ten years, nearly 70,000kms, never been in an accident; in fact never even seen one happen!

[GarryP]

16 minutes ago, ChrisKC said:

Instead, stay at home, cut yourself with the bread knife, electrocute yourself, fall off a ladder, pour a pot of boiling water over yourself. It's all there (an accident) waiting to happen in a moment. Many more accidents happen at home than on the roads!

 

I have been cycling in various parts of Thailand for more than ten years, nearly 70,000kms, never been in an accident; in fact never even seen one happen!

I've been in one accident, but it did not stop me from riding around Bangkok (once I got my bike repaired). However, I have hurt myself more doing DIY at home or gardening than I have done cycling in Bangkok. Since I got remarried I have not been out on my bike much at all but will definitely get back into it when I retire in a few years.   

[mike787]

25 minutes ago, ChrisKC said:

Instead, stay at home, cut yourself with the bread knife, electrocute yourself, fall off a ladder, pour a pot of boiling water over yourself. It's all there (an accident) waiting to happen in a moment. Many more accidents happen at home than on the roads!

 

I have been cycling in various parts of Thailand for more than ten years, nearly 70,000kms, never been in an accident; in fact never even seen one happen!

Excellent...don't STOP!

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, GarryP said:

I've been in one accident, but it did not stop me from riding around Bangkok (once I got my bike repaired). However, I have hurt myself more doing DIY at home or gardening than I have done cycling in Bangkok. Since I got remarried I have not been out on my bike much at all but will definitely get back into it when I retire in a few years.   

Just avoid the roads your Wife drives on, you’ll be fine !!! 

 

Having ridden my road bike in Bangkok a few times I have found the motorcycles the worst threat. Cars and other 4+ wheeled vehicles tend to give plenty of room, however, motorcycles pass close enough to ‘brush you’ as they pass, they pull out in front of you as if they haven’t seen you.

 

All that said, the real threat is the drunk driving home after an all nighter, the idiot using their phone at the same time or the a£shat who’s not paying attention and mows you down - in attention on Thailands roads is my greatest fear when I have ridden in the past, such so that I no longer ride on the roads in Thailand. 

 

[ChrisKC]

1 minute ago, mike787 said:

Excellent...don't STOP!

Thank you, Mike, I will!

[GarryP]

11 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Just avoid the roads your Wife drives on, you’ll be fine !!! 

 

Having ridden my road bike in Bangkok a few times I have found the motorcycles the worst threat. Cars and other 4+ wheeled vehicles tend to give plenty of room, however, motorcycles pass close enough to ‘brush you’ as they pass, they pull out in front of you as if they haven’t seen you.

 

All that said, the real threat is the drunk driving home after an all nighter, the idiot using their phone at the same time or the a£shat who’s not paying attention and mows you down - in attention on Thailands roads is my greatest fear when I have ridden in the past, such so that I no longer ride on the roads in Thailand. 

 

I was taken out by a Yamaha Fino that passed me from behind. It passed so close that the wing mirror caught behind my handle bars. There was absolutely no reason to pass so close as the lanes to my right were all clear and I was, in any case, riding quite close to the curb.

 

Bike was damaged by a pick-up truck that did not see me lying in the road as it pulled out of a side soi, despite vendors screaming at him to stop. I managed to scrabble out of the way. I had just cycled from Sukhumvit 101 to Sanam Luang and was on my way up Onnut to the airport track for one of my longer rides. 

[ChrisKC]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Just avoid the roads your Wife drives on, you’ll be fine !!! 

 

Having ridden my road bike in Bangkok a few times I have found the motorcycles the worst threat. Cars and other 4+ wheeled vehicles tend to give plenty of room, however, motorcycles pass close enough to ‘brush you’ as they pass, they pull out in front of you as if they haven’t seen you.

 

All that said, the real threat is the drunk driving home after an all nighter, the idiot using their phone at the same time or the a£shat who’s not paying attention and mows you down - in attention on Thailands roads is my greatest fear when I have ridden in the past, such so that I no longer ride on the roads in Thailand. 

 

My secret to staying alive on my bike, and in my car, is being ready for just about anything - most times it doesn't happen, but when it does I am ready. I am very vigilant, and I anticipate much. But I am not immune to an accident and recognise that something 100% out of my control and I could be a 'gonna'.

Every day I go out, there are motorbikes and cars and even lorries coming down the road against the traffic. Apart from me feeling very irritated at this, I get on with my biking. And regarding others on the road ignoring my presence and being impolite, this doesn't happen very much in my own experience!

 

Maybe someone can tell me why I feel safe on Thai roads, not just on my bicycle but in my car. I have NEVER seen an accident of any kind actually happen in 17 years!! I have seen the aftermath of many and thousands waiting to happen. Should I get out more? Well, I am already out more than 12 hours per week.

[Hanuman2547]

Lots of good info on here.  I ride both mtn and road bikes.  For road biking, I ride the 3.5km from my house to Nong Bon and Rama IX park.  I tend to incorporate the two into my rides.  Nong Bon is fun because it has a nice track and some shade as you are riding.  A few sharp 90 degree turns but otherwise it's great.  It's free as is Rama IX park.  I do ride some on the oval track there.  Early mornings and evenings will see other road bikers there as well many times in pace lines.  Faster riders ride on the outside and slower riders on the inside. 

 

Skylane out at the airport is a nice track and a lot of facilities at the entrance/exit.  It's a 23.5km track that is pancake flat.  It does get a little boring at times but it is nicely done.  It's free but you have to register.  

[davemos]

Hi I'm in Phra Khanong and have a e bike which I ride nearly every day Got any pics?