Driving From Bkk To Chiang Mai

[blossombkk]

Hi,

I plan to hire a car and drive to CM.

Since I'm not reading Thai road signs, or Thai at all, I'd like to get instruction how to get there, and also if there are nice places on the way where we could see and enjoy.

Thanks

[shepsel]

Signs are in both Thai and English. Basically, you get on Highway number 1 and follow it North to Lampang, and 11 to Chiang Mai. You can check google maps for directions as well.

[theslime]

Elevated Road past Don Muang Airport,go before peak hour.Stop at Ayyuttya or stop at Sukothai, plenty to see. Most towns that have a river will have excellent riverside Views dining and Rooms Enjoy, the roads are great.

[BrianCR]

On the way you have Authaya with its old city, Loburi with its monkeys, Chinat with its bird sanctuary and with a slight detour at Phitsanulok you have SukhoThai and Sanwanalok national parks (do a Google search you'll find loads of interesting places)

[BrianCR]

Oh and by the way the roads are excellent

[Cloggie]

Don't forget to have a few hundred bath with you for our BiB when they stop you -

By the way, do you have a Thai or International driver licence?

[Sophon]

Oh and by the way the roads are excellent

Most of the way. The roads are extremely poor for a stretch of about 100 km going through Kamphaeng Phet with massive potholes. They are working on improving the roads, but they are not there yet.

Sophon

[blossombkk]

I have Thai driver's licence and that would be my first time to drive in Thailand!

[jbrain]

In Thailand you don't travel long distance by following the name signs, you follow the road numbers.

[wayned]

You can also take a more scenic route. Take 32 and stop in Ayutthaya and then up 32 to Inburi. When you get to Inburi take Hwy 11 through Takfa, Phichit go through Pitsanulok and over to Sukhotai. Then up throuh Uttaradit and Lampang to Chaing Mai. The road is single lane most of the way and very mountainous, but the scenery is beautiful and there are many waterfalls, caves, and other things to see along to way. I went that way once and took three days to get to Chaing Mai from Takfa.

The other way direct up AH1 is faster,dual highway all of the way but not a lot of scenery or things to see close to the highway. If you want to get there quickly its the way to go, easy 1 day drive from Bangkok. A lot of BIB. I've always been stopped at least once each way for either speeding or driving in the passing lane when not passing traffic. The road around KPP is very bumpy in the right lane so everybody drives in the passing lane and the BIB get me every time.