Shipping Motorbike To South Via Train? ...my Proposed Venture

[greenwanderer108]

I'm currently in Samut Songkhram (80 km west of bkk) and plan to relocate back to Phuket to be with family for the next month or two. I initiallytransported my Phuket bought 130 cc motorbike from Phuket via Tour bus which cost me an extra 1500 baht on top of the 600 baht tour bus ticket. I really would like to bring my bike back to Phuket for the next few months but don't want to spend 4000 baht to get it there and ultimately get it back to Bangkok after a few months.

I did consider driving the darn thing all the way back to Phuket over 2 to 3 days window, but figured it would be too risky considering its monsoon season, besides such a trip could end up costing more time and money if I were to do it safely over several days sleeping at hotels, etc which would still put me much in harms way on hundreds of kilometers on one of Thailand's deadliest roads...as great as an adventure sounds, I don't think I could follow through with it, though the other idea was to take train and ship the motorcycle most of the way to Surathani, and than unload, drive the rest of the some 300 kilometers back to Phuket in half a day to day.

I once remember some tourists transporting their mountain bikes on the southbound train, so here is what I'm thinking. if it turns out that it is possible and more value worthy to ship myself and the bike to Surathani, I will drive to Phetchaburi some 60 kilometers SW of where i am at now. Board the most convenient train with motorbike to Surathani...unload and than drive on to Phuket.

Is such a proposal feasible and rational or should I just suck it in and make the trip all the way down on motorbike only? Would it be safe for coasting average 80 kph for up to 6 hours per day for two day trip to Phuket? Or is the train route more worthy to consider. Anyone with any advice, experience, or knowledge, please help shed some light on such logistics possibility.

Thanks in advance,

The Wanderer

[ricklev]

I've heard that you ship a bike anywhere in Thailand via the post office for a few hundred baht. Really.

[asiaworld]

i don't see it as such a hard adventure driving yourself all the way down to Phuket, the traffic on thai highways is not as bad as you think, esp, once you get past Phetchaburi. As long as you stick to the road shoulder , you shoud do just fine , away from the fast traffic. On the main highway , there's plenty of bungalows @ 200-300 B. a nite to sleep in comfort, and 7 11's to keep you nourished. Or you may just stop at the train station along the way and ask, if they take you upto Surat, thus giving you a good night sleep it'll even get you there faster & in more confort ..

PS: let us all know how it went , i have similar plans in mind (well different direction, but involving similar distance )

[asiaworld]

PS: btw. monsoon is almost over by now, esp in the south

[colino]

i know its not south but my mate took his bike on the train to changmia from bkk 450 baht for the bike and 180 for his ticket (its just for price and distance )

[greenwanderer108]

I've heard that you ship a bike anywhere in Thailand via the post office for a few hundred baht. Really.

When i inquired about this two months ago at a Phuket Post office, it would cost 2000 baht to ship my motorbike to Samut Songkhram and could take up to two weeks!

Update:

I just called the Phetchaburi train station and confirmed that I could ship the bike to Surathani on a train which would cost about 800 baht from Bangkok or 700 baht from Phetchaburi, the the guy suggested I ship it from Bangkok to guarantee room as he explained it is not possible to reserve such space in advance and if it happened to be full, I'd be taking a chance to wait around all day or more for an available train in Phetchaburi.

So far, I'm thinking the part-train-part road sounds like the best value for money and overall most practical route. I got to drive in to Bangkok by tomorrow for some errands any how. It should cost me about 10 to 13 red bills to get me and the bike down to Surathani, another bill or two for petrol for the bike to venture across the Isthmus of Kra, and provide a great blog entry for a day venture.

@asiaworld, what trip are you planning to make? What size bike? What type of logistics...it's always supportive to hear other peoples approach to the motor bikes.

Cheers

Edited September 19, 2007 by greenwanderer108

[greenwanderer108]

PS: btw. monsoon is almost over by now, esp in the south

Lots of Phuket locals and inlaws often said to me...Southern Thailand weather is like Southern Thailand girls... Clear, consistent sunshine for 2 months...and 10 months of constant rain, storms, and cloudiness, with occasional strong spurts of brightness...

or something like that anyway