I'd love to wander around the pits at a longtail boat race. Like these pictures. I'm always reading about them after the fact.

Anyone know where I can find one in the near future. Preferably within an hour or two drive from Bangkok.

Thanks in advance.

If you're in BKK.

Take a trip to the boat jetties at Ta Naam Non (end stop of the Chao Praya express service) and Ta Naam Pak Kred (under the Rama 4 bridge, eastern bank) talk to the taxi boat drivers and ask when and where.

But don't call the boat for longtail, the Thais don't call the boats in your pics for longtail,

the boats in the pics are called soong dtoon lek (small 2 section boat)

The bigger longtails you see on the river between Sathorn and Pra Pin Klao shuffling tourists around are called longtails (haeng yao)

by the Thais

else, many Thais living klong side have small longtails, the often play with them on the klongs on Saturdays and Sundays,

check out Klong Om, Klong Bang Bua Thong, Klong Kruay on for example a Sunday afternoon, lots of playing around

ooops, sorry, I was to hasty,

the boats in your first pic are soong dtoon lek

the boats in the second pic are not soong dtoon

if you follow the longitudinal line of the bottom you will see that about in the middle of the boat

there is a significant raise in the bottom, at this point the two sections of the bottom are bolted together,

ie the name 2 section

dunno what they call the boats in the 2nd pic

I always thought longtail referred to the type of engine/propulsion with a prop on the end of a long shaft, regardless of the boat style.

I learn something every day.

Thanks for the info and the suggestions. I'll do some Google Earth'ing to locate those areas.