Bicycling, exploring Ayutthaya, N. Sawan, Phichit, Uttaradit, Tak, Ka. Phet, Kanchanaburi…

[henrik2000]

Hello, in December + January i will be touristing the area

• Ayutthaya – Nakhon Sawan – Phichit – Uttaradit – Kamphaeng Phet – Tak - (maybe) Kanchanaburi

for about 60 days with a rental car plus private bicycle carried by car. Once checked into a midrange hotel/bungalow, I hope to not use the car for 4-6 days on end and to only move by bicycle/songthaeaow/Bolt/Grab/foot. I like provincial city walks and even more bicycle day trips based on GPS apps with Open Street Maps (not Google Maps) across rice fields and up hill temples.

I am quite focussed on the area mentioned and won't go to Chiang Khong, Sukothai or Pizzanoluck even if you say I must. Been there. Aware of visa requirements. I speak enough basic tourist Thai and use Google Lens/Google Translate for language conundrums incl. translation of signs and menus

I did this kind of provincial travelling with car/bicycle already in several areas, including Nan-Phayao-Lampang-Phrae, Sisaket province, Nakhon Si province. I don't need girlie bars, dramatic national parks or WWII monuments, Starbucks or imported steaks/beers. I'm fine with

• rural idylls, lotus ponds, village rice soup breakfast
• a decent tom yam khung or fried chicken for dinner
• old Thai live music (luukthung, morlam, Carabao-style) (can't do "90s music" and Thai TV)
• rambling provincial city centers
• temples, also to cool and relax
• Thai-oriented food markets and country restaurants
• lower mid-range room/bungalow/apartment w/ private bathroom + private parking below 1600 THB

Now my questions:

1. Should I base myself both in Nakhon Sawan and separately in Phichit? Or is one of them enough? Why so?
2. Outside the provincial capitals mentioned, could you recommend a resort on the edge of a village or small town? Especially with helpful, knowledgeable staff? They are difficult to find.
3. Do you know if young rice will be (not) growing in the provinces mentioned in December + January?
4. Any other insider tip?

Thanks for your tips!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 12, 2023 by henrik2000

[flyingtlger]

 

[chris carre]

Thap Han- Hin in Phichit is a nice little town.Worth a day it,s 28km south of Phichit follow the river Nan down,Don,t forget to check out Wang krok village on your way through.

[henrik2000]

2 hours ago, chris carre said:

Thap Han- Hin in Phichit is a nice little town

Chris, thanks for interesting out of the way recommendations!

Sounds like my kind of destination and i will check them out online first.

 

Still open for more recommendations.

[bignok]

Insider tip- most here are Patts or CM.

[NORDO]

I'd suggest a locale nearest a train station. I have been touring via bike for the last 11 years throughout SE Asia.  (Worked and lived in VTE and BKK on a 6/2 week sched)

Between contracts and days off I would bike solo through the different areas of Thailand and use the Thai train to get to far reach areas during my time off.  Instead of biking out and back, I would put the bike and gear on the train, then fly onward to meet the bikes arrival.   It cost much less to send it as train freight vs airline and I didn't have to dismantle the bike.  I only needed to remove the panniers and place them in one of the large shoping bags as a second piece of freight.

Being on the bike allowed me to reach many places that vehicle travel would not allow.  People always seemed to be more receptive to a loaded bicycle with an old man.

 

Just make sure you bike defensively, as there are many drivers with tunnel vision and never see you.  Don't always expect the courtesy that a biker would expect in other worlds.

IMG_0088.HEIC IMG_2703.HEIC IMG_0079.HEIC

[henrik2000]

6 hours ago, NORDO said:

I'd suggest a locale nearest a train station.

Thanks, very interesting suggestions which don't gel with my lifestyle though (even if i wish i could completely ditch the car).

 

Rather than staying near a train station, i'd try to be far from them, as they (and the tracks leading there) act as a roadblock.

 

Nice that people welcomed you on a bicycle. I thought that Thais often looked down on me bicycling (especially if not in a shiny supersports outfit with colourful helmet + sunglasses), like "That foreigner bicycling/sweating in all the heat and dust must be really unlucky, and i won't ask him into our well-cooled SUV with the smooth-sounding 5.1 loudspeaker system"

 

Audacious to post HEIC image files, and i can't see them on 2 different browsers (Safari not among them). Your iphone should convert them to JPGs. Would still love to see them.

Edited July 13, 2023 by henrik2000

[twizzian]

I’d say there’s not enough to occupy or much to visit in Phitchit. More to do and see in Nakhon Sawan, plus many of resorts scattered in every town/village.

Bueng Phoraphet, Wat Kiri, the Parsan, Khao Knor, are a few good visits.

[n8sail]

I did a solo bicycle tour from Chiang Mai to Nakon Sawan back in early December 2017, 6 days.  That area is very nice to ride.  You can mostly stay off the main roads if you plan routes well.   I highly recommend riding the small roads that go along the bank of the Ping river, the area just north of Nakon Sawan is especially nice.   You've got a good bike for it, I used a gravel touring bicycle and often wished I changed to wider tires as I was on 32mm width.

 

There was some rice growing, not full height yet.

 

The ride on Route 106 from Lamphun to Sukhothai is especially nice.  It's a pretty good climb, but not a lot of traffic and an amazing twisty turny descent going down the Eastern side.

Kampaeng Phet is a great area also, I spent a night there.   That would be a good spot for a 'home base'.  I also really enjoyed Nakon Sawan, the downtown has a nice nightlife, some larger hotels with helpful staff, and a very nice park with a lake in the middle of the town.  The temple on the hilltop overlooking is also really cool.  Easy train / bus access in Nakon Sawan.  

I use google maps to navigate, and just use the 'walk' instructions which often guides you through fields and dirt roads, which is really fun and sometimes lead to some funny encounters in the middle of nowhere with locals who had never seen a westerner on a bicycle in their area before.  I'm sure you can do the same with Open Street Maps.  

 

 

 

 

[bignok]

5 minutes ago, n8sail said:

I did a solo bicycle tour from Chiang Mai to Nakon Sawan back in early December 2017, 6 days.  That area is very nice to ride.  You can mostly stay off the main roads if you plan routes well.   I highly recommend riding the small roads that go along the bank of the Ping river, the area just north of Nakon Sawan is especially nice.   You've got a good bike for it, I used a gravel touring bicycle and often wished I changed to wider tires as I was on 32mm width.

 

There was some rice growing, not full height yet.

 

The ride on Route 106 from Lamphun to Sukhothai is especially nice.  It's a pretty good climb, but not a lot of traffic and an amazing twisty turny descent going down the Eastern side.

Kampaeng Phet is a great area also, I spent a night there.   That would be a good spot for a 'home base'.  I also really enjoyed Nakon Sawan, the downtown has a nice nightlife, some larger hotels with helpful staff, and a very nice park with a lake in the middle of the town.  The temple on the hilltop overlooking is also really cool.  Easy train / bus access in Nakon Sawan.  

I use google maps to navigate, and just use the 'walk' instructions which often guides you through fields and dirt roads, which is really fun and sometimes lead to some funny encounters in the middle of nowhere with locals who had never seen a westerner on a bicycle in their area before.  I'm sure you can do the same with Open Street Maps.  

 

 

 

 

Great info.

[henrik2000]

On 7/14/2023 at 7:00 AM, twizzian said:

I’d say there’s not enough to occupy or much to visit in Phitchit. More to do and see in Nakhon Sawan, plus many of resorts scattered in every town/village.

Bueng Phoraphet, Wat Kiri, the Parsan, Khao Knor, are a few good visits.

Thanks for commenting!

[henrik2000]

On 7/14/2023 at 10:36 AM, n8sail said:

I did a solo bicycle tour from Chiang Mai to Nakon Sawan back in early December 2017, 6 days. 

Thanks, lots of good ideas indeed!