Bicycling in Krabie

[HerewardtheWake]

Hello all. I now live just south of Pattaya. I like long distance road cycling, and the environs of Pattaya are crowded and are hazardous. Would Krabie offer less crowded long distance roads for cycling? Is there a bicycling group in Krabie? If anybody could reply, I would like to correspond with the person. Thank you.

[HerewardtheWake]

I have tried the Search function with Cycling and Bicycling in this forum but nothing comes up.

[OneMoreFarang]

25 minutes ago, HerewardtheWake said:

I have tried the Search function with Cycling and Bicycling in this forum but nothing comes up.

Probably no survivors. ???? 

 

IMHO bicycling in Thailand is even more dangerous than riding motorcycle. If you can avoid it don't do it.

[Hummin]

Check out this area north of Chumphon, beautiful roads and very little traffic. A few beaches I could live.

 

 

Festet knappenål
https://maps.app.goo.gl/PZ1DZwScnWzooaBZ9

[KhunLA]

Describe 'long' ?

10-20-50 kms or 100 round trip/loop.

 

Pattaya, Chonburi, N-S-W of are congested areas.  Are you willing to move to Krabi, simply for cycling ?  Do you enjoy the rest of what Pattaya offers.

 

Frankly I'd leave, just to leave, cycling or not ????  But if you simply move to another congested area ... 

[Hummin]

12 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Describe 'long' ?

10-20-50 kms or 100 round trip/loop.

 

Pattaya, Chonburi, N-S-W of are congested areas.  Are you willing to move to Krabi, simply for cycling ?  Do you enjoy the rest of what Pattaya offers.

 

Frankly I'd leave, just to leave, cycling or not ????  But if you simply move to another congested area ... 

North of Chumpon you bicycle all the way up to Hua Hin on very little trafficked roads. Have seen a few groups on those roads several times with full crew following.

[KhunLA]

6 minutes ago, Hummin said:

North of Chumpon you bicycle all the way up to Hua Hin on very little trafficked roads. Have seen a few groups on those roads several times with full crew following.

Took the scenic route down from Pranburi beach the other day, and saw a bike tour along the beach road at Sam Roi Yot, then caught up to them later, after they passed the Nat Park on to Bo Nok area.  3 cyclist with support van trailing.  2 when at Bo Nok, guess 1 had enough, as quite a distance.

 

Usually take the beach roads returning from Hua Hin, at Pranburi and below.  Very nice, except all the damn speed bumps along Pranburi beach area ???? though they are wide speed bumps, so OK, just lots of 'em.

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, KhunLA said:

Took the scenic route down from Pranburi beach the other day, and saw a bike tour along the beach road at Sam Roi Yot, then caught up to them later, after they passed the Nat Park on to Bo Nok area.  3 cyclist with support van trailing.  2 when at Bo Nok, guess 1 had enough, as quite a distance.

 

Usually take the beach roads returning from Hua Hin, at Pranburi and below.  Very nice, except all the damn speed bumps along Pranburi beach area ???? though they are wide speed bumps, so OK, just lots of 'em.

Stopped going through Pranburi now, to annoying on two wheels,

[KhunLA]

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Stopped going through Pranburi now, to annoying on two wheels,

4020 had construction going on, or I wouldn't have bothered.  As actually did the same, just a week prior ????  3 times in last month, so will be a while before I take the surfside scenic route again.

 

Heading to Chumphon beaches tomorrow, as been a while since exploring them.  Over 12 yrs actually, with exception to Thung Wua Laem area, which we hit yearly, at least, if not just for munch at a favorite seafood place.  Sout of TWL, down to should be a few changes since last visit.

 

Only down to Pak Nam Tako, as want to hit a spot or 2 on west side of highway.  Doi Tapang Viewpoint caught my eye, and hope weather/AQI is cooperating.  Might have a spot of rain next week, which would actually be a plus.

[HerewardtheWake]

 

Hummin, Thank you for the suggestion of the

place near Chumphon. I am driving to Krabie this week and will check out your suggestion.

[HerewardtheWake]

KhunLA, Ha, just noticed you are in Prachaup Khiri Khan! I lived in Pak Nam Pran for a few months at the end of 2019,. It is a nice area, meeting my needs for long uncrowded roads for bicycling, but I got spooked by people burning vegetation and the resultant smoke, , which I eventually realized happens everywhere in Thailand and cannot be avoided.  Areas  near Dolphin Bay are  very appealing, in retrospect. Now that I am thinking of leaving Pattaya, I will revisit the area.

Edited January 8, 2023 by HerewardtheWake

[KhunLA]

12 minutes ago, HerewardtheWake said:

KhunLA, Ha, just noticed you are in Prachaup Khiri Khan! I lived in Pak Nam Pran for a few months at the end of 2019,. It is a nice area, meeting my needs for long uncrowded roads for bicycling, but I got spooked by people burning vegetation and the resultant smoke, , which I eventually realized happens everywhere in Thailand and cannot be avoided.  Areas  near Dolphin Bay are  very appealing, in retrospect. Now that I am thinking of leaving Pattaya, I will revisit the area.

Yes, its been revamped, and quite nice.  There's a long cycling track out of Hua Hin.  Pranburi, Sam Roi Yot and points southward almost all the way to where we live is accessible on cycle.  Hardly the need to be on Phetkasem/hwy #4.

 

We're at PKK municipality, and cycling further south is quite relaxing, along the surf, through RTAF Wing 5, Khlong Wan ... all quite nice and uncongested.

 

I was good for about 20 kms daily, or 30-50 if feeling ambitious.  Then turned my bike into an e-bike.  Need to add the PAS to it, and put the chain back on, as actually miss pedaling.  Have another, but not as comfy to ride.

 

Almost a fair trade for not really being able to swim in the Gulf ????

 

Plenty of roads westward, though don't really go much over 10 kms, till you hit the hills along the Myanmar border.  Plenty of 50 kms or more loops around the area.

 

No real hospital though, as I had a medical oops and had to be transported to Hua Hin Hospital.  All in all, about 2 hrs, deciding to go to hosp, get stabilized at local, to transport to HH Hosp.

 

So if anything major ... you're toast.

[Hummin]

55 minutes ago, HerewardtheWake said:

 

Hummin, Thank you for the suggestion of the

place near Chumphon. I am driving to Krabie this week and will check out your suggestion.

Up north you have a great stretch to bicycle from Mae Sariang to Mae Sot or north of Tak via 1175 which is quite hilly pass over the mountain before Mae Sot, but beautiful. Im sure you already heard about these road, but wanted to mention them in case you have not. Great roads for bicycle in that area outside the crowded traffic. 
 

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by Hummin

[HerewardtheWake]

Hi KhunLA,

 

I last week, I went to my old haunt Sam Roi Yot on the way back from Krabi. I lived at The Sea condos on Dolphin Bay in 2020, just around this time of the year. What led me away from the place then was the smoke from brush burning. For some reason smoke hangs around even in the environs of Dolphin Bay.  Some kind of peculiar microclimate? It is almost as if the concept of clear air is unknown  to the locals. Is brush burning just an expedient way of disposing vegetation, or does it have some Buddhist ritual symbolism! Driving at night, I could see many roadside piles of brush on fire with billowing clouds of smoke. It is really a superb area for bicycling but for the smoke.

 

On the plus side, the stretch of the beach road from Khao Kalok south to Grand Marina development is clean, bags of garbage in neat piles to be collected, all the potholes fixed, and with superb street lighting. The stretch of the road where the popular seafood restaurant called Udom Pochana is located is busy and bustling. Udom Pochana used to be filled to the brim with Chinese customers, but now has an anemic number of people. The food is still superb though.