Bike Touring Southern Thailand In August (East Coast)...Prefer Tailwinds! Go South Or Go North?

[cmsoulbrother]

I am thinking about a trip from somewhere around Hua Hin down into Malaysia maybe down as far as SIngapore - hugging the east coast all the way. I am having trouble finding out about winds during that month on that coast though and if i bring my family of novice bike tourers into weeks of straight headwinds this will probably be our last ever tour.

I realize this is kind of a large geographic area, but does anyone know which way the winds generally blow along that route during August?

Many thanks!

John

[aarn]

Hi,

I have done Petchburi to Mersing twice, bits and pieces of it more times. I ride a sort of modified MTB with rear panniers, nothing flash but reliable, over the whole day I average 18km/hr. Great cycling to be had in Thailand!

The predominant wind during the past few weeks (here in Chumphon) was from the southwest, 0-10 knots. However, I do remember July 1995 struggling into a northerly wind, doing BanSaphan to PrachuapKK. Otherwise, this/next month winds tend to be light, blowing in from the east.

A couple of tips: I must have done NakornSriThammarat/SuratThani at least 8 times. There has always been a strong wind from the south about halfway along that route. I could leave NST at 0600, be in Surat soon after midday, then push on to ChaiYa. If you push on, from NST to Songkhla (very pleasant 100 km along the coast), then SKLA to Narathiwat (no need to go to HatYai), halfway along you tend to run into a breeze from the south.

Narathiwat to TakPai used to be very pleasant, little used border crossing (by ferry) 5km south of NTWT but there are some concerns re. violence in the south. On east coast of Malaysia, roads used to be quiet (but narrow), not such affordable accommodation options as Thailand. Traffic becomes heavier going south of Mersing. Predominant wind from the east except during monsoon season (usually May). AA

[cmsoulbrother]

Hi,

I have done Petchburi to Mersing twice, bits and pieces of it more times. I ride a sort of modified MTB with rear panniers, nothing flash but reliable, over the whole day I average 18km/hr. Great cycling to be had in Thailand!

The predominant wind during the past few weeks (here in Chumphon) was from the southwest, 0-10 knots. However, I do remember July 1995 struggling into a northerly wind, doing BanSaphan to PrachuapKK. Otherwise, this/next month winds tend to be light, blowing in from the east.

A couple of tips: I must have done NakornSriThammarat/SuratThani at least 8 times. There has always been a strong wind from the south about halfway along that route. I could leave NST at 0600, be in Surat soon after midday, then push on to ChaiYa. If you push on, from NST to Songkhla (very pleasant 100 km along the coast), then SKLA to Narathiwat (no need to go to HatYai), halfway along you tend to run into a breeze from the south.

Narathiwat to TakPai used to be very pleasant, little used border crossing (by ferry) 5km south of NTWT but there are some concerns re. violence in the south. On east coast of Malaysia, roads used to be quiet (but narrow), not such affordable accommodation options as Thailand. Traffic becomes heavier going south of Mersing. Predominant wind from the east except during monsoon season (usually May). AA

Hi aarn,

Thanks a lot for your advice. From what you've described headwinds going down south don't sound like much of an issue, which is great to hear.

I am going to be cycling on a tandem and towing another child behind, so shoulderless roads are not so good for us. When you say the roads on the east coast of Malaysia are narrow, do you mean without a shoulder? Would they be scary as a three person 'tandem'? Have you also done the west coast of Malaysia? From what I have read the west coast is more developed and busier, do you know if is the cycling better or worse over there?

Thanks a lot!

John