Great Road Journeys In Thailand

[MediumPaceBowler]

Today (against much of the advice of my work colleagues) I bought a car. I bought a Honda Civic. I have spent most of the day driving around Bangkok. I like it. It's fun.

I would like to know about great road journeys around Thailand.

About three years ago I drove to Petchabun. I was using a rented pick-up with a manual gearbox. Going up and down the mountains was really amazing.

I have heard great things about the road from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son.

And I have also heard great things about the Asian Highway in the deep south.

Are there any great journeys or roads trips in and around Bangkok? I'm talking about weekend trips only.

[IanForbes]

Check out the Bike forum. They post a lot of great trips complet with photos and videos. I'm most often in the north so I'm most familiar with that area. But, I've spent a fair bit of time in the province of Kanchanaburi and it's marvellous. Once you go west of the city of Kanchanburi you get into some lovely mountain terrain with clear flowing streams and rivers. And, a couple of the largest reservoirs in Thailand. Have fun exploring.

[Ijustwannateach]

I've heard the scenary between Nong Khai and Chiang Mai is also great.

[lukasl]

Check out http://www.gt-rider.com/ for some great trips up north if you are willing to stray from Bangkok... Problem is its a bit smokey here now so perhaps consider it in April.

[isanbirder]

If you want a leisurely trip off the beaten track, I think you need to be in the North to start with.

From Chiangmai, take the road across to Pai and on to Mae Hong Son, then south to Mae Sariang, and follow the border route down to Mae Sot and finally on to Umphang.

Another long trip which has some great scenery is to start from Mukdahan, follow the Mekong north to Nakorn Phanom, Nong Khai, and north as far as the road will take you. This will bring you near Loei. Go from Loei to the Laos border at Ban Ahee, and again follow the border route north which eventually brings you out at Phrae.

There are all sorts of shorter routes over in Phrae, Nan, Chiangrai and Chiangmai provinces. Just follow your nose. And the roads are generally pretty good in the North.

[IanForbes]

If you want a leisurely trip off the beaten track, I think you need to be in the North to start with.

From Chiangmai, take the road across to Pai and on to Mae Hong Son, then south to Mae Sariang, and follow the border route down to Mae Sot and finally on to Umphang.

Another long trip which has some great scenery is to start from Mukdahan, follow the Mekong north to Nakorn Phanom, Nong Khai, and north as far as the road will take you. This will bring you near Loei. Go from Loei to the Laos border at Ban Ahee, and again follow the border route north which eventually brings you out at Phrae.

There are all sorts of shorter routes over in Phrae, Nan, Chiangrai and Chiangmai provinces. Just follow your nose. And the roads are generally pretty good in the North.

Those are all good choices that I didn't bother to mention because the OP is from Bangkok. That is why I pointed him in the direction of the biker forums.

Kanchanaburi is only 2 hours west of Bangkok and another hour puts a rider/driver well into the mountains where there is some great scenery and very little traffic. A ride down the coast to Hua Hin is another alternative and you can go as far down the coast as you feel comfortable with. Just be sure to take a few side roads to see the scenery. A Garmin GPS is a great thing to have along for no other reason than to find accommodation and to make sure you are on the right track. Locally done Maps in Thailand are notoriously inaccurate.

[otherstuff1957]

Here are a few good day-trips from Bangkok:

Chachoensao - there's an old market by the river.

Amphawa - the same

Don Hoi lot - digging for oysters, though most of the digging is done be Burmese migrants, the Thais just eat & drink

Suan Phung in Ratchaburi. - nice scenery & a waterfall.

The northeast part of Nakhon Nayok,

Khao Yai

etc... etc....

[Ahnsahn]

If you want a leisurely trip off the beaten track, I think you need to be in the North to start with.

(1) - From Chiangmai, take the road across to Pai and on to Mae Hong Son, then south to Mae Sariang, and follow the border route down to Mae Sot and finally on to Lampang.

(2) - Another long trip which has some great scenery is to start from Mukdahan, follow the Mekong north to Nakorn Phanom, Nong Khai, and north as far as the road will take you. This will bring you near Loei. Go from Loei to the Laos border at Ban Ahee, and again follow the border route north which eventually brings you out at Phrae.

There are all sorts of shorter routes over in Phrae, Nan, Chiangrai and Chiangmai provinces. Just follow your nose. And the roads are generally pretty good in the North.

Those 2 trips sound cool but I couldn't follow the route for trip #2. Would you point out the route from Ban Ahee?

Thanx!

[isanbirder]

If you want a leisurely trip off the beaten track, I think you need to be in the North to start with.

(1) - From Chiangmai, take the road across to Pai and on to Mae Hong Son, then south to Mae Sariang, and follow the border route down to Mae Sot and finally on to Umphang.

(2) - Another long trip which has some great scenery is to start from Mukdahan, follow the Mekong north to Nakorn Phanom, Nong Khai, and north as far as the road will take you. This will bring you near Loei. Go from Loei to the Laos border at Ban Ahee, and again follow the border route north which eventually brings you out at Phrae.

There are all sorts of shorter routes over in Phrae, Nan, Chiangrai and Chiangmai provinces. Just follow your nose. And the roads are generally pretty good in the North.

Those 2 trips sound cool but I couldn't follow the route for trip #2. Would you point out the route from Ban Ahee?

Thanx!

You follow route 2195 to Na Haeo, then north to Phu Sai Dao Waterfall (I can't read the road number on my map!). After that, you can either follow a rather muddled route to Sirikit Reservoir, and come out near Uttaradit, or go further north along 1268, bearing left when you get the chance across to Phrae. You could also (but I've never done this) hug the border further north until you reach Bo Kluea, and then turn left across Doi Phu Ka to Pua, on the main road north from Nan. That should be a great road too; I know the part from Bo Kluea, which takes you through Doi Phu Ka National Park.

On a decent map, this looks clearer than my account!

[isanbirder]

Sorry, Ahnsahn, on Route 1, my original post said Umphang, where your quotation says Lampang. I'm not sure how this could have happened; they're very different places! Umphang is on the Burmese border south of Mae Sot.

[bangkokburning]

Stay away from Chaing Mai, its a bore and on fire ten months a year. Issan could be a great road trip though. Me, I'd go for Hwy 4 - lots of stops in the NPs and camping possibiliites including Surins, Similans, Trang islands. Then there is Khao Sok and Khao Lak, Koh Panyi and all the forests down in Trang. I would LOVE to drive around Satun its safe and the people are very friendly - like Thailand 30 years ago.

Do Issan in the cool season!

[gonzoham]

Definetely the Chiang Mai, Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son loop. I have done it twice, one on a motorbike anti-clockwise and one time in a car clockwise. The quality of the roads is incredible with many side trips to places like Ban Ruam Thai (Shan village) and Ban Rak Thai (Chinese KMT village-good lunch). The views are great, although the smog in the north is terrible today with visibilty down to 1-2 kms in Chiang Mai and everything is brown and dry.

Have a great trip.

[Ahnsahn]

Sorry, Ahnsahn, on Route 1, my original post said Umphang, where your quotation says Lampang. I'm not sure how this could have happened; they're very different places! Umphang is on the Burmese border south of Mae Sot.

My baad!! I got my maps out because I have always wanted to drive along the Mekong River-Northern Thai border. I have driven to a couple of border points along this route, but can you pinpoint for me, the location of Ban Ahee?

Hold the presses! After posting this reply, I think(?) I located this elusive 'Ban Ahee': If it's the small community at the intersection of Rte 2195 and Rte 2099, then it has another spelling; "A Hi" (Google map online - zoomed in). Let me know.

[samran]

Bangkok to KL. Not strictly in Thailand but a great trip nonetheless. If we had more time we would have done it all the way to Singapore.

[Ahnsahn]

Bangkok to KL. Not strictly in Thailand but a great trip nonetheless. If we had more time we would have done it all the way to Singapore.

That sounds exotic. Would you give us the travel details and your observations?

[IanForbes]

A nice road trip from Bangkok is down hwy 3 to Rayong. If you zip past Pattaya for about 30 km you come to Bang Sare and the road into the naval base. You have to sign in at the gate and then continue on for another 10 or so. There is a lovely beach at the end and it's never crowded. Anywhere in the Sattahip area is lovely, and mostly free of excess tourists.

But it's never totally deserted and there are places to eat and drink.

The water is far cleaner than right in front of Pattaya.

[HeavyDrinker]

We do a nice little loop every now and again and there is plenty to stop and see along the way..

First Leg:

Drive to Chonburi.

From there take 344 to Klaeng, then at the junction in Klaeng, turn left onto Highway 3 to Chanthaburi which makes a pretty nifty place to break the journey (we tend to overnight here as there are some good nightspots and restaurants here).

Second Leg:

From Chanthaburi take 317 which runs parallel to the Cambodian border through Khao Kittchakut NP.

About 10 km before Sa Kaew, turn left onto 359 which takes you through some pleasant small towns and villages and will eventually bring you out onto 304 which you then follow through to Chachoengsao via Phanom Sarakham from where getting back to BKK is easy.

The first leg takes about 3 - 3.5 hours without stops (but where's the fun in that?), the second takes abour 4 - 4.5 hrs without stops so if you have 2 drivers it can easily be done in a day from BKK.

For best views (in my opinion) this is best done in the wet season when you get the clouds rolling off the mountains, though be aware that roads can get treacherous at this time..

[isanbirder]

Sorry, Ahnsahn, on Route 1, my original post said Umphang, where your quotation says Lampang. I'm not sure how this could have happened; they're very different places! Umphang is on the Burmese border south of Mae Sot.

My baad!! I got my maps out because I have always wanted to drive along the Mekong River-Northern Thai border. I have driven to a couple of border points along this route, but can you pinpoint for me, the location of Ban Ahee?

Hold the presses! After posting this reply, I think(?) I located this elusive 'Ban Ahee': If it's the small community at the intersection of Rte 2195 and Rte 2099, then it has another spelling; "A Hi" (Google map online - zoomed in). Let me know.

Yes, that's right. A mile or two south of Ahee/Ahi, you can wade across the river (a tributary of the Mekong) and stock up with Beer Lao. I wasn't allowed to, as a farang, but if you have a multiple-choice re-entry visa, they should let you. (Laos without a visa? the visa is spectacular, but costs B.1500 at Savannakhet).

[samran]

Bangkok to KL. Not strictly in Thailand but a great trip nonetheless. If we had more time we would have done it all the way to Singapore.

That sounds exotic. Would you give us the travel details and your observations?

here you go.

[Ahnsahn]

Bangkok to KL. Not strictly in Thailand but a great trip nonetheless. If we had more time we would have done it all the way to Singapore.

That sounds exotic. Would you give us the travel details and your observations?

here you go.

http://www.thaivisa...._1#entry1940345

[Ahnsahn]

Bangkok to KL. Not strictly in Thailand but a great trip nonetheless. If we had more time we would have done it all the way to Singapore.

That sounds exotic. Would you give us the travel details and your observations?

here you go.

http://www.thaivisa...._1#entry1940345

Just beautiful! This (and a trip to Angkor Wat) have always been my dream trips! I hope I will be able to drive there as easily as you did!

I am having a problem replying with 'Multiquotes':

To Ianforbes: "Beautiful! Looking forward to making this run!"

To HeavyDrinker: "This does sound like fun! But will only do it on safe, dry roads!"

To Isanbirder: "Excellent! I will try to make this 'wade' (hopefully) later this month on my drive down from Chiang Kahn!"

[HeavyDrinker]

Another nice trip is between Chumpon and Ranong.