How do you feel about this?

[Gippy]

I am thinking about making a quick trip back to Bangkok to pick up my 650R from the car park I dumped it in when fleeing the rising waters. Can anybody please help me with a no water route from the Chaengwattana area heading towards Korat? In the car we took Ramintra to the motorway and then through Khao Yai on the 304. Obviously the motorway is out and the trip throug Khao Yai is not something I would wish to repeat in 5 lifetimes.

I'm a bit short on bandwidth here in the sticks for much google maps studying which is why I'm asking for help and current knowledge of the flooding situation.

Thanks in advance, now I have to arrange a boat to get to the house to pick up riding gear!

[KRS1]

what was wrong with khao yai, traffic?

[Gippy]

1319965172[/url]' post='4808223']

what was wrong with khao yai, traffic?

In typical Thai fashion people had decided that the 2 lane section was actually 4 lanes in each direction. It took 4 hours to do about 15km, even Finos couldn't squeeze through the gaps.

[SantiSuk]

Err 304 doesn't go through Khao Yai does it? I'm sure that 304 goes from Kabinburi to Korat and the route usually described as the Khao Yai route (as it's the only one that goes through Khao Yai National Park) is the 2090.

Anyway, let me try to be more positive

My understanding is that these are the options, having monitored the postings of others, having watched the flood map and knowing several of the 'South Eastern routes into the Northeast' (and travelling one of them last week):

The Saraburi route. 9/305/33/1/2. Highway 1 is obliterated near Wang Noi, so the traditional route into Issaan has been subject to diversion over the last 10 days via 305 and NW-bound 33, connecting back up t0 Highway 1 just south of Saraburi (I'm describing the route out of BKK here). I have seen no evidence to suggest this route is now blocked, so it must still be the main choice for those heading to Korat/Western Isaan. I do not know how many lanes/how fast the 305/33 is. Has anyone more current info on this route or whether 305/33 is more than 2 lane?

Then we have 4 routes that access Issaan from the central or Eastern half of highway 33 in Prachinburi and Sa Kaeo provinces. You can get to highway 33 from BKK by using the 305 (and turning south east onto 33) or the western reaches of the 304. The 305 did have flooding (passable by car) last week close to its junction with 9 (the Bangkok East Ring (Relief) Road at Thanyaburi, but that seemed to clear a few days ago. People have reported no flooding on the 305 or 304 in the last few days but waters close, so I am assuming that these 'access roads' are still ok. I say ok - one poster reported 10 days ago that the 305 route was a madhouse - "The traffic was not so bad [on the 33] except for many large trucks before Ban Na, but on Rangsit between Outer Ring and Thanyaburi [304] it was a madhouse heading out of town to the Northeast" I would guess that the flood waters now being diverted to the East of Bangkok could compromise one or both of these routes at some time. A much safer access route would be to continue towards Pattaya on the 7 and turn left near Chachoengsao on the 314 connecting to a spur of the 304. Then follow the 304 North East to access 3 of the 4 routes described below (it would be a very long way round to access the Khao Yai route). You would be on 4 to 6 lane roads all the way up to the 33, apart from the connecting road 315

The Khao Yai route. Leaves highway 33 in its central section, north of Prachinburi. Follows 3077 and then 2090 and connects up with highway 2 near Pak Chong. Highway 305 would be the best way of accessing 33 for this route, provided there is no flooding near Thanyaburi. If you did indeed take the Khao Yai route not the 304 then you will already know this route. I would have guessed this route is tortuously slow at the best of times since it is 2 lane for most of 3077/2090 (quite a distance) I believe and the map shows it winding through Khao Yai and presumably reaching reasonable elevations. A scenic route that I would not jump to take unless I was stopping for the views. That said I may be wrong about its 2 lane status and one poster reported 10 days ago that he breezed through this route.

The Kabinburi route (304). Leaves highway 33 near Kabinburi and heads due north directly to Korat. This would normally be my favoured route but then it is many Thais favourite route too (if they are not able or willing to do the ride of death down the traditional Highway 1/Highway 2 route). I suspect that you took this route. 4 lane for most of the way between Kabinburi and Korat which would make it very fast were it not for the 15 k of 2 lane hill climb/descent which lorries do at 10kph. Makes it a nightmare crawl at the moment I suspect.

The Sa Kaeo route (3462). The Next north-bound route off Highway 33, east of the Kabinburi route. Looks very twisty on southern end and I would imagine it is only 2 lane. Brings you out a little bit east of Korat so not as direct as the Kabinburi route. Anyone ever used it?

The Buriram route (348). Go far east along the 33 almost to the Cambodian border at Arranyaphratet and turn North on the 348. Too far around for anyone going to Korat but for central and Eastern Issaan it could be a winner. It took me forever because an accident blocked the road for several hours but normally it's fast. See my posting http://www.thaivisa....-17-hour-drive/ for more info.

Too much detail? Almost certainly. If I were on a bike BKK to Meuang Korat (or eastern Changwat Korat) I would do the 7/315/304 and sit in that 4 hour traffic!! You are going to get big holdups on any route but the route I describe, although maybe 70 kilos longer is fast and 4 lane for all sections other than that 15 kph durge up the hill and I guarantee you will not get your feet wet . If you really cannot handle that take a gamble on the Saraburi route. And sorry I can't advise on the route within BKK itself out to 9 or 7 from Chaeng Wattana

Err ... did you really do the trip on a Fino or was that figuratively speaking!?

Edited October 31, 2011 by SantiSuk

[janverbeem]

Err 304 doesn't go through Khao Yai does it? I'm sure that 304 goes from Kabinburi to Korat and the route usually described as the Khao Yai route (as it's the only one that goes through Khao Yai National Park) is the 2090.

Anyway, let me try to be more positive

My understanding is that these are the options, having monitored the postings of others, having watched the flood map and knowing several of the 'South Eastern routes into the Northeast' (and travelling one of them last week):

The Saraburi route. 9/305/33/1/2. Highway 1 is obliterated near Wang Noi, so the traditional route into Issaan has been subject to diversion over the last 10 days via 305 and NW-bound 33, connecting back up t0 Highway 1 just south of Saraburi (I'm describing the route out of BKK here). I have seen no evidence to suggest this route is now blocked, so it must still be the main choice for those heading to Korat/Western Isaan. I do not know how many lanes/how fast the 305/33 is. Has anyone more current info on this route or whether 305/33 is more than 2 lane?

Then we have 4 routes that access Issaan from the central or Eastern half of highway 33 in Prachinburi and Sa Kaeo provinces. You can get to highway 33 from BKK by using the 305 (and turning south east onto 33) or the western reaches of the 304. The 305 did have flooding (passable by car) last week close to its junction with 9 (the Bangkok East Ring (Relief) Road at Thanyaburi, but that seemed to clear a few days ago. People have reported no flooding on the 305 or 304 in the last few days but waters close, so I am assuming that these 'access roads' are still ok. I say ok - one poster reported 10 days ago that the 305 route was a madhouse - "The traffic was not so bad [on the 33] except for many large trucks before Ban Na, but on Rangsit between Outer Ring and Thanyaburi [304] it was a madhouse heading out of town to the Northeast" I would guess that the flood waters now being diverted to the East of Bangkok could compromise one or both of these routes at some time. A much safer access route would be to continue towards Pattaya on the 7 and turn left near Chachoengsao on the 314 connecting to a spur of the 304. Then follow the 304 North East to access 3 of the 4 routes described below (it would be a very long way round to access the Khao Yai route). You would be on 4 to 6 lane roads all the way up to the 33, apart from the connecting road 315

The Khao Yai route. Leaves highway 33 in its central section, north of Prachinburi. Follows 3077 and then 2090 and connects up with highway 2 near Pak Chong. Highway 305 would be the best way of accessing 33 for this route, provided there is no flooding near Thanyaburi. If you did indeed take the Khao Yai route not the 304 then you will already know this route. I would have guessed this route is tortuously slow at the best of times since it is 2 lane for most of 3077/2090 (quite a distance) I believe and the map shows it winding through Khao Yai and presumably reaching reasonable elevations. A scenic route that I would not jump to take unless I was stopping for the views. That said I may be wrong about its 2 lane status and one poster reported 10 days ago that he breezed through this route.

The Kabinburi route (304). Leaves highway 33 near Kabinburi and heads due north directly to Korat. This would normally be my favoured route but then it is many Thais favourite route too (if they are not able or willing to do the ride of death down the traditional Highway 1/Highway 2 route). I suspect that you took this route. 4 lane for most of the way between Kabinburi and Korat which would make it very fast were it not for the 15 k of 2 lane hill climb/descent which lorries do at 10kph. Makes it a nightmare crawl at the moment I suspect.

The Sa Kaeo route (3462). The Next north-bound route off Highway 33, east of the Kabinburi route. Looks very twisty on southern end and I would imagine it is only 2 lane. Brings you out a little bit east of Korat so not as direct as the Kabinburi route. Anyone ever used it?

The Buriram route (348). Go far east along the 33 almost to the Cambodian border at Arranyaphratet and turn North on the 348. Too far around for anyone going to Korat but for central and Eastern Issaan it could be a winner. It took me forever because an accident blocked the road for several hours but normally it's fast. See my posting http://www.thaivisa....-17-hour-drive/ for more info.

Too much detail? Almost certainly. If I were on a bike BKK to Meuang Korat (or eastern Changwat Korat) I would do the 7/315/304 and sit in that 4 hour traffic!! You are going to get big holdups on any route but the route I describe, although maybe 70 kilos longer is fast and 4 lane for all sections other than that 15 kph durge up the hill and I guarantee you will not get your feet wet . If you really cannot handle that take a gamble on the Saraburi route. And sorry I can't advise on the route within BKK itself out to 9 or 7 from Chaeng Wattana

Err ... did you really do the trip on a Fino or was that figuratively speaking!?

I think the biggest part of the 304 through the mountains is now 2x2 stroke and newly laid surface.However I recall in previous years that the road would always been flooded a short distance before entering the first section of mountains

[SantiSuk]

....

My previous post not recopied....

I think the biggest part of the 304 through the mountains is now 2x2 stroke and newly laid surface.However I recall in previous years that the road would always been flooded a short distance before entering the first section of mountains

Did it 2 weeks ago and before that several times. Yes - coming south: excellent quality four lane (2x2 as you put it) in Nakon Ratchasima province (smooth and fast up the hill - probably the best engineered road in Issaan if not Thailand), but degenerates to two lane when you come into Prachinburi province. In the next 15 kilos there are two sections of 2 lane road where there are steep gradients with a stretch of 4 lane in the middle. In normal circs traffic can get by the painfully slow lorries but now (BKK refugee traffic) it is a zoo up there by all accounts. Then its 4 lane again (but a bit lumpy) all the way south to the junction with 33.

2 weeks ago I never saw any sniff of water close to the road on the entirety of 304 from its junction with Highway 24 near Korat until I left the 304 south of Chachoengsao. It's too high to suffer from Central Plain floodwater - what you saw probably would have been local storm flash flooding - I don't think that's an issue now we are on the way out of the rainy season.

[Gippy]

Thanks SantiSuk. It was the section of the 304 where it goes to 2 lanes that was the nightmare. I was in the car, not the Fino but the traffic was so packed not even the people on Finos could squeeze through the gaps between cars.

Unfortunately the section of Chaengwattana I need to use is now closed due to flooding so I am going to have to wait a little longer before trying to get the bike.