Motorbike tours around Bangkok

[MixPiano]

Hi,

 

I'm currently in Bangkok and look for routes around here that can be done in a day or maybe with one overnight stay. Browsing Google maps I've compiled some ideas of potential routes:

 

Kanchanaburi tour 1: Erawan National Park (3199) - Samphao Thong Chedi (4041) - Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park (3480)

 

Kanchanaburi tour 2: Sai Yok National Park (323) - Khao Laem National Park - Mon Bridge Sangkhla Buri (3202)

 

Khao Yai National Park tour:  Khao Yai National Park Sout Entrance (305/33/3288) - Khao Yai National Park (3077) - Thap Lan National Park (3052/304) 

 

In brackets are the main roads I use for guidance, detours likely possible ???? Bike will be a 300cc class with road tires. I'm interested in your feedback and welcome any other tour ideas. What do you think about these routes?
 

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by MixPiano

[kelboy]

Go north Thailand, that's the real paradise for bikers. 

[JayClay]

I would think Ayutthaya would be a good candidate.

[seedy]

Pretty flat country around BKK. Go west far enuf and the mountains start.

Stayed in Kanchanaburi couple years ago - lots to see, nice country.

Went up to the dam - worth the trip. Try mid week as gets busy weekends.

Can't remember where we stayed - Agoda has lots of options for any budget.

Have a good one.

[VocalNeal]

Circular route west on Ratchaburi. All roads begin with 33. Like 3316

 

Kaeng Kachang Loop

 

Knao Yai is for lunch on a Sunday. Not a loop just come back more or less the same way. 304. 3481 etc.

 

Google maps is not the best for an over view you need a paper map. 

Edited November 27, 2021 by VocalNeal

[Will B Good]

I don't ride, but I imagine the mountains around Petchabun, the summer palace, must be a bikers dream.

[VocalNeal]

16 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I don't ride, but I imagine the mountains around Petchabun, the summer palace, must be a bikers dream.

Too far south for dreaming!

Edited November 27, 2021 by VocalNeal

[MixPiano]

Great! Thanks for all your replies. 

 

Ayutthaya is on my list, will do this soon. North Thailand too, but later. First I want to get some experience around BKK and then later up to the north (but not with a 300cc ????

 

Ratchaburi is noted. Probably I go via Ratchaburi -> Alpaca Hill -> Kanchanaburi back to BKK. Looks to be a good loop.

[digbeth]

Kanchanaburi 3199 around the reservoir is good, the road is suitably bendy, there's this section between two ferry pier of the best corner to test your riding skills anywhere in Thailand  only spoilt by the literal <deleted> in the apexes, take lunch and a dip in the water at the many floating restaurant,  back in a day, if you're too tired to deal with all the curves, take the ferry back. Go now as towards the tail end of the dry season the mountainside will often be on fire in places 

 

Khao Yai you can't go up the park without getting exhaust tested for sound now, it's not a place for spirited ride, and they've put in many speedbump within the park, while the park rangers are professional when testing your bikes, the park's there for the enjoyment of nature, not riding

[OneMoreFarang]

Wherever you go, try to avoid Bangna Trad Road. Bad road, lots of unintended jumps, and lots of big trucks. No fun at all.

[MixPiano]

On 11/29/2021 at 5:48 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

Wherever you go, try to avoid Bangna Trad Road. Bad road, lots of unintended jumps, and lots of big trucks. No fun at all.

OK, noted. Looks like this is only a short section in Chon Buri. Or do you mean the 3022?

[MixPiano]

On 11/29/2021 at 5:24 PM, digbeth said:

Kanchanaburi 3199 around the reservoir is good, the road is suitably bendy, there's this section between two ferry pier of the best corner to test your riding skills anywhere in Thailand  only spoilt by the literal <deleted> in the apexes, take lunch and a dip in the water at the many floating restaurant,  back in a day, if you're too tired to deal with all the curves, take the ferry back. Go now as towards the tail end of the dry season the mountainside will often be on fire in places 

 

Great, thanks. Exactly this route I want to take. Back then via the 4041 to Bangkok. By any chance, did you also ride the 4041?

 

Quote

Khao Yai you can't go up the park without getting exhaust tested for sound now, 

Ah, ok. Good to know. Same thing in Europe, but I didn't expect to see this in Thailand. 

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, MixPiano said:

OK, noted. Looks like this is only a short section in Chon Buri. Or do you mean the 3022?

Actually, I don't know when exactly the name of that road changes. It's many kilometers of the main road from Sukhumvit in Bangkok to Chonburi (in part with the expressway on top). I only rode it 2 or 3 times years ago and I hated it. Then I wrote about it in this forum and others agreed that it's a "bad" road in many ways.

[kelboy]

On 11/29/2021 at 4:28 PM, MixPiano said:

Great! Thanks for all your replies. 

 

Ayutthaya is on my list, will do this soon. North Thailand too, but later. First I want to get some experience around BKK and then later up to the north (but not with a 300cc ????

 

Ratchaburi is noted. Probably I go via Ratchaburi -> Alpaca Hill -> Kanchanaburi back to BKK. Looks to be a good loop.

Why not 300cc? I did nearly all Thailand on a cbr250 no problem at all.

[MikeyIdea]

Baan Pilok, the road from the dam up is very nice. Just pass Kanchanaburi and straight on until you get to the second dam, then left up the mountains. Several small resorts by the dam, I normally use vip resort but anyone will do. You can start early (7 am) and go all the way up to Baan Pilok in one day if you want, I normally stop at the dm for the night. You don't have to pay the national park entrance fee if you just pass on the road to Baan Pilok 

 

Srinakarin dam was a bit of a disappointment, sleep on a raft is cool though

Edited December 1, 2021 by MikeyIdea

[MixPiano]

9 hours ago, MikeyIdea said:

Baan Pilok, the road from the dam up is very nice. Just pass Kanchanaburi and straight on until you get to the second dam, then left up the mountains. Several small resorts by the dam, I normally use vip resort but anyone will do. You can start early (7 am) and go all the way up to Baan Pilok in one day if you want, I normally stop at the dm for the night. You don't have to pay the national park entrance fee if you just pass on the road to Baan Pilok 

 

Thanks for the Pilok tip. The 3272 up to the Pilok Mine, that road looks amazing! 

[MixPiano]

On 12/1/2021 at 7:29 AM, kelboy said:

Why not 300cc? I did nearly all Thailand on a cbr250 no problem at all.

I used to ride bigger bikes in Europe. 1000 kilometers with a 300cc class bike doesn't sound exciting. But who knows, today I got a Z250sl and rode my first day in Bangkok city center. An interesting experience, but even you proceed much faster compared to a car, you still often stuck in traffic. 

 

I'll see how it goes and which bike to use for the longer rides. 

[MikeyIdea]

Hi Again,

 

It's Sunday so I'm going to write a bit ???? First safety, then trips. Was just thinking, I agree with the poster above about big bikes in Thailand. The big bike is IMO just there for comfort, unless it's too heavy. I wouldn't recommend driving faster than 120 to absolute max 140 on *really* big nice roads like BKK - Saraburi and max 100 to 110 kph on more normal roads anyway, 80 to 100 on the kind of roads that bikers like. Yes, roads are overall quite good in Thailand nowadays but we can't trust them. Going too fast, we'll go flying and not land on the wheels one day. I remember the early - mid 90s when it simply wasn't possible to drive BKK Saraburi or BKK Pattaya without seeing the remnants of an accident that put someone in a wheel chair for the rest of their life, or death. That constant reminder helped to keep me alert. OK Thailand is sooo much safer nowadays but... Always a but. I drove my old Toyota Avanza 1300 to over 50 provinces in Thailand with my daughter, never felt I needed a faster car ???? My daughter is 16 now, drives a Honda Click 150, I drive a Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor, because it's comfortable and the whole bike encourages cruising and looking at the water buffaloes. 

 

Trips

Bangkok: Difficult, there simply aren't that many good bike roads around for one day trips, weekend trips with one overnight stay is OK, it gets quite good when we can have a 3 day trip, IMO. The coming weekend is perfect, Friday holiday so we can go 3 days. But there's always a few hours (1.5 up) of pure transport, hence the need to start early. I think we should stop thinking that "it needs to be a loop". There aren't enough of them. It's OK to go to a nice place and go back the same way. I liked to look for places / roads like "มาดูธาร แคมป์ปิ้ง', น้ำตกคลองมะเดื่อ นครนายก, ลานกางเต็นท์ริมน้ำ  (search on google maps). Some national parks have great rather cheap accommodation (a rip off to get in though so if we can put that aside). Need to call to check if they are open / have accommodation and sometimes book.  10 km or so of dirt road is only adding to the adventure, careful or avoid in the rainy season. I like the rainy season more otherwise, it's so green and lush and rain normally comes in the afternoon unless depression anyway so it can be planned for.   

 

Khao Yai is nice but crowded and not cheap, lots of speed bumps, I'd rather go Saraburi - Bak Chong and then Prachinburi but either way is fine. There's another nice but short stretch if we turn right at Bak Chong and go up toward Khao Yai and turn right on the road that goes "back to Saraburi". Can be done in one day and there are some resorts there (not that many) for an overnight stay. 

 

Longer trips   

Soan Phung is really nice, but like a traffic jam on Sukhumvit on non covid-19 weekends. Got to get past that. South or North. I recommend Huai Khok Mo, adventure time ???? Not easy but not too difficult to drive there except in the rainy season (do not attempt on a road bike), takes 45 minutes up. Definitiely worth the effort, you can rent tents up there. Phurakam further south is laid back and unspoilt, one way again ???? I think the road there is (was?) closed part of the year but can't remember which perioid (probably rainy season). Khao Krajom viewpoint another one. The roads north roard Kanchanaburi are OK, the smaller the better.

 

Another nice place is Khao Kho in Petchabun (Northern parts are nicer), it's some 400 km transport (on good roads), can also go to Phu Tap Boek, an hour further on, crowded on weekends. These are nice trips but transport is long and 2 days is definitely pushing it.

 

I haven't been to some of the places I wrote about for over 10 years so things may have changed more than I would like.

 

Ban Pilok: You are *really* pushing it to go there in one day by the way. Why not this upcoming weekend? ???? 

 

All the dirt roads I mention are doable on a 300 cc road bike with road tires, except in the rainy season (for some/most of them). I just came back from จุดกางเต็นท์ ไร่นายสิงห์, Rai nai Sing, impossible in the rainy season but OK on a Royal Enfield 650 with road tires in late November after they have scraped and filled in the road. Here's a video https://youtu.be/PklL9tqoPMA?t=227. Funny guys Tactical Camp.  An epiphany of why we shouldn't have a heavy bike by the way ????

 

Enjoy life, stay safe

Michael

 

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by MikeyIdea

[MixPiano]

On 12/5/2021 at 12:25 PM, MikeyIdea said:

It's Sunday so I'm going to write a bit ????

Fantastic post, thanks for your efforts MikeyIdea! And it fits perfectly as I just came back from Ayutthaya ????.

 

Regarding safety: I always wear full gear when I ride, i.e. racing boots, Dainese leather jacket and pants, back protector, racing gloves, and full face helmet. Always full gear... in Europe. The problem is that my gear is in Europe and I'm here. So today I wore sneakers, jeans, a shirt, and a helmet (that felt like cardboard). The roads to Ayutthaya are fine, but I still can't believe I went 120kmh in that outfit. Glad that I just have a 250cc and can't go faster LOL. Anyway, this isn't sustainable for my next planned trip to Kanchanaburi, I need to rent or buy something. Even cheap protection is better than no protection. I'm fully with you - safety first. 

 

For the trips, I usually ride during the week - I'm on (a long) vacation here. And thanks for the road tips and the Saraburi - Pak Chong - Prachinburi route, that's exactly what I was looking for - I'll check them.

 

Soan Phung, so busy? I haven't expected that. I live in BKK city center, my desire for traffic jams and lane splitting is perfectly fulfilled ????

  

Ban Pilok and one day: I think I will do 2 days. Frankly, even the Ayutthaya trip today was pretty exhausting. On the way home I reached Ladprao around 5pm, but then lane splitting another 45 mins through the rush hour jam isn't funny after a 180km trip.  

 

Rainy season: good point, I've no experience in rain. In central Europe the weather forecast is pretty accurate, so we usually don't ride when rain is forecasted. Also no experience with dirt bikes, probably a good combination to learn riding a dirt bike in the rain - the video definitively looks funny, haha. I would rather start with something like a KTM 390 Adv. 

 

Thanks again for all your tips. I think I have a good base now to explore the surroundings of BKK and make myself ready for a trip up to North later.