Driving from Bangkok to Chiangrai (with GPS) easy for beginner?

[fredob43]

Easy peasy. Just follow AH1 (blue square signs). Do not follow Highway 1 (as the GPS might suggest), as you will be in for one helluva detour. In Rangsit (north of Bangkok), continue on Highway 32 (AH1). Once you reach Tak, you can follow Highway 1 for the rest of the way.

The roads are good, but the tarmac is in bad shape in some places. Keep your distance and your eyes open

There are two main routes from Bangkok to Chiang Rai.

The main route is to get yourself from wherever you are in Bangkok to the Bang Pa-in interchange. If you're living in the east, you would normally travel via the 8-lane outer ring ring (one of only 2 proper intercity expressways in Thailand, the other is the Bangkok-Chonburi-Pattaya motorway) and then you follow the signs to Ayuttaya-Nakorn Sawan/Phak Nuea (northern region), which will take you along Phahonyothin road via an overpass to the 8-lane (later 6-lane with a generous shoulder) Bang Pa-in to Nakorn Sawan road, Asia Highway 2 I believe it is. If coming from western Bangkok, you head along the western outer ring road (which is not an expressway, unlike the eastern outer ring road) and if coming from central Bangkok you travel via Din Daeng-Don Muang to Rangsit via Viphawadi Rangsit road and/or the Don Muang-Rangsit tollway.

After reaching Nakorn Sawan from the Bang Pa-in interchange, after around 175km, there will be a bypass which takes you towards Kampaeng Phet. The section from Bang Pa-in to Nakorn Sawan is usually in excellent condition and can be traversed quite quickly.

The section from Nakorn Sawan to Kampaeng Phet is usually in poor condition with constant repairs and some lane closures in places requiring a detour onto the opposite side of the road. Kampaeng Phet to Tak is better, due to lower traffic volumes. After Tak, the road starts taking you into the mountains towards Lampang (180km). From Lampang, you head north towards Phayao/Chiang Rai and after around 30km, the road starts to become winding and heads up into the mountains. North of Ngao you end up on a plateau and there are no longer too many ascents/descents. The road also becomes fairly straight and after Phayao towards Chiang Rai and Mae Sai, it's relatively flat.

Total driving time from Bangkok to Chiang Rai should be around 10-11.5 hours. You'll be lucky to make it in 10 or less unless you experience no traffic whatsoever and make minimal stops.

The second route goes via Phitsanulok so instead of taking the bypass road at Nakorn Sawan, you follow the signs to Nakorn Sawan, then Phitsanulok followed by Uttaradit/Den Chai then Lampang, before rejoining the main road to Chiang Rai via Phayao. The Uttaradit/Den Chai/Lampang sectors are winding in some places but since traffic volume is lower than the main route via Tak, travelling times are not very different.

There are of course many possible secondary roads you could use but most people tend to drive along the main highways.

Good post.

Yes you can go via N/Sawan but you will add time you will have to go through N/S town and all it's traffic the bridge is having work done on it just now "Was there on Wednesday" and it was horrific. Also Phitsanulok traffic by the time you get there it would be it's usual self nose to tail.

The road to K.P.P as I said before is having work on it but it will still be quicker time wise.

Don't know who suggest N/Sawan to stop at on the way back but it does lack restaurants. Or any decent places to eat come to that. Big C now there's a thought. But up to you as they say.

Depends on the time of day. Yes I am aware of the bridge construction even though it's been some months since I last passed through Nakorn Sawan (normally I use the bypass and head in the direction of Kampaeng Phet, but that's quite obvious if I'm heading to Mae Sot, which has been the usual destination for me in northern Thailand in recent times).

However, the question is, how good is the road between Nakorn Sawan and Phitsanulok now? When I last went through, it wasn't that great but it was still kind of better than the road to Kampaeng Phet, which is just rubbish. But once you reach Phitsanulok, you can take the ring road to avoid town and head straight for Uttaradit. Personally I don't think it would take much longer than going via Kampaeng Phet, unless the bridge construction in Nakorn Sawan is now really as bad as you say.

As for dining in Nakorn Sawan, it certainly can't be any worse than in Kampaeng Phet, or Tak for that matter. Big C is probably your best choice. Hotels in Nakorn Sawan are decent, I recommend the Bonito Chinos hotel, about 990 Baht per night with cable TV, free wifi and a decent breakfast. I suggest Nakorn Sawan as a stopover on the way back because it's around 600km from Chiang Rai and 240km from Bangkok, so if you're tired it makes an OK place to stopover before tackling Bangkok's traffic. I'm not saying it is full of attractions but the idea is simply advice that Nakorn Sawan can be used as a place to break a long journey, nothing else.

The Bridge in N/S is still bad won't get any better for several months yet as stated was there last week.

Road to Phitsanulok from N/S is at best rubbish not been sorted it seems for ever pot holes ETC. Then you have the hold ups in Phitsanulok Traffic lights every few hundred Mt nose to tail traffic Horrendous at the best of time. (Night time empty)

The road up from N/S to K.P.P is being resurfaced in places so there are a few bits where you have to go single lane but not to bad at least there's no traffic jams just a bit slower.

Regarding food as I said before not to good in N/S there are places but few and far between.

Hotel you recommended Bonito has rooftop restaurant average food and large prices to match well over 115bt for a Leo, that was well over a year ago.

Can be looked up on Google.

K.P.P has thousands of restaurants from Curried German sausages and full western menus + German beer to match. To large live prawns, soft shelled crabs to name just a few. All at very good prices EG Barbie live prawns sold at 480kg.

K.P.P is a very prosperous Town/city with places/Restaurants to match. The OP did say he wanted to be able to eat well that's why I recommended it. There is a down side you would have to know where to find them, Restaurants that is, but I did say I would give him directions.

N/B you wont find a small beer anywhere in K.P.P only large from 60bt a go. Even in hotels they stay around the 75/80bt for Leo compare that with the Bonito.

Not trying to run your post down in anyway most of it spot on. I happen to live in K.P.P maybe a bit bias, but do know what's going on first hand in the aligning district.

T/T

Suggestion for restaurant in Mai Sot this is phonetic kow mow kow fung.

Turn left traffic lights before you get to the large hotel 'Centara' on the left, on the way out from the border. About 2km on the left you will see a coke sign. I won't go into how nice the place is suffice to say they have the best toilets in Thailand. Give it a try it's stunning.

[Tomtomtom69]

There are two main routes from Bangkok to Chiang Rai.

The main route is to get yourself from wherever you are in Bangkok to the Bang Pa-in interchange. If you're living in the east, you would normally travel via the 8-lane outer ring ring (one of only 2 proper intercity expressways in Thailand, the other is the Bangkok-Chonburi-Pattaya motorway) and then you follow the signs to Ayuttaya-Nakorn Sawan/Phak Nuea (northern region), which will take you along Phahonyothin road via an overpass to the 8-lane (later 6-lane with a generous shoulder) Bang Pa-in to Nakorn Sawan road, Asia Highway 2 I believe it is. If coming from western Bangkok, you head along the western outer ring road (which is not an expressway, unlike the eastern outer ring road) and if coming from central Bangkok you travel via Din Daeng-Don Muang to Rangsit via Viphawadi Rangsit road and/or the Don Muang-Rangsit tollway.

After reaching Nakorn Sawan from the Bang Pa-in interchange, after around 175km, there will be a bypass which takes you towards Kampaeng Phet. The section from Bang Pa-in to Nakorn Sawan is usually in excellent condition and can be traversed quite quickly.

The section from Nakorn Sawan to Kampaeng Phet is usually in poor condition with constant repairs and some lane closures in places requiring a detour onto the opposite side of the road. Kampaeng Phet to Tak is better, due to lower traffic volumes. After Tak, the road starts taking you into the mountains towards Lampang (180km). From Lampang, you head north towards Phayao/Chiang Rai and after around 30km, the road starts to become winding and heads up into the mountains. North of Ngao you end up on a plateau and there are no longer too many ascents/descents. The road also becomes fairly straight and after Phayao towards Chiang Rai and Mae Sai, it's relatively flat.

Total driving time from Bangkok to Chiang Rai should be around 10-11.5 hours. You'll be lucky to make it in 10 or less unless you experience no traffic whatsoever and make minimal stops.

The second route goes via Phitsanulok so instead of taking the bypass road at Nakorn Sawan, you follow the signs to Nakorn Sawan, then Phitsanulok followed by Uttaradit/Den Chai then Lampang, before rejoining the main road to Chiang Rai via Phayao. The Uttaradit/Den Chai/Lampang sectors are winding in some places but since traffic volume is lower than the main route via Tak, travelling times are not very different.

There are of course many possible secondary roads you could use but most people tend to drive along the main highways.

Good post.

Yes you can go via N/Sawan but you will add time you will have to go through N/S town and all it's traffic the bridge is having work done on it just now "Was there on Wednesday" and it was horrific. Also Phitsanulok traffic by the time you get there it would be it's usual self nose to tail.

The road to K.P.P as I said before is having work on it but it will still be quicker time wise.

Don't know who suggest N/Sawan to stop at on the way back but it does lack restaurants. Or any decent places to eat come to that. Big C now there's a thought. But up to you as they say.

Depends on the time of day. Yes I am aware of the bridge construction even though it's been some months since I last passed through Nakorn Sawan (normally I use the bypass and head in the direction of Kampaeng Phet, but that's quite obvious if I'm heading to Mae Sot, which has been the usual destination for me in northern Thailand in recent times).

However, the question is, how good is the road between Nakorn Sawan and Phitsanulok now? When I last went through, it wasn't that great but it was still kind of better than the road to Kampaeng Phet, which is just rubbish. But once you reach Phitsanulok, you can take the ring road to avoid town and head straight for Uttaradit. Personally I don't think it would take much longer than going via Kampaeng Phet, unless the bridge construction in Nakorn Sawan is now really as bad as you say.

As for dining in Nakorn Sawan, it certainly can't be any worse than in Kampaeng Phet, or Tak for that matter. Big C is probably your best choice. Hotels in Nakorn Sawan are decent, I recommend the Bonito Chinos hotel, about 990 Baht per night with cable TV, free wifi and a decent breakfast. I suggest Nakorn Sawan as a stopover on the way back because it's around 600km from Chiang Rai and 240km from Bangkok, so if you're tired it makes an OK place to stopover before tackling Bangkok's traffic. I'm not saying it is full of attractions but the idea is simply advice that Nakorn Sawan can be used as a place to break a long journey, nothing else.

The Bridge in N/S is still bad won't get any better for several months yet as stated was there last week.

Road to Phitsanulok from N/S is at best rubbish not been sorted it seems for ever pot holes ETC. Then you have the hold ups in Phitsanulok Traffic lights every few hundred Mt nose to tail traffic Horrendous at the best of time. (Night time empty)

The road up from N/S to K.P.P is being resurfaced in places so there are a few bits where you have to go single lane but not to bad at least there's no traffic jams just a bit slower.

Regarding food as I said before not to good in N/S there are places but few and far between.

Hotel you recommended Bonito has rooftop restaurant average food and large prices to match well over 115bt for a Leo, that was well over a year ago.

Can be looked up on Google.

K.P.P has thousands of restaurants from Curried German sausages and full western menus + German beer to match. To large live prawns, soft shelled crabs to name just a few. All at very good prices EG Barbie live prawns sold at 480kg.

K.P.P is a very prosperous Town/city with places/Restaurants to match. The OP did say he wanted to be able to eat well that's why I recommended it. There is a down side you would have to know where to find them, Restaurants that is, but I did say I would give him directions.

N/B you wont find a small beer anywhere in K.P.P only large from 60bt a go. Even in hotels they stay around the 75/80bt for Leo compare that with the Bonito.

Not trying to run your post down in anyway most of it spot on. I happen to live in K.P.P maybe a bit bias, but do know what's going on first hand in the aligning district.

T/T

Suggestion for restaurant in Mai Sot this is phonetic kow mow kow fung.

Turn left traffic lights before you get to the large hotel 'Centara' on the left, on the way out from the border. About 2km on the left you will see a coke sign. I won't go into how nice the place is suffice to say they have the best toilets in Thailand. Give it a try it's stunning.

I know Mae Sot very well. Best place in town is the Canadian restaurant, "Krua Canadian". Cheapest Mexican, Canadian and western food in Thailand, not to mention the best quality. OK, they don't have German food but that's not what you go there for.

As far as a stopover on the way to/from Chiang Rai that also has good food is concerned, of course I agree that Nakorn Sawan is not that place. But surely Lampang IS. Plenty of good food and accommodation there, as I've already pointed out.

Although I've passed through kampaeng Phet many times, I've never had the need to go more than a 1km or 2 inside town. Nor have I ever stayed overnight - the hotels on Agoda look OK but usually Kampaeng Phet is too close or too far depending on what time and direction I'm travelling. Doesn't look like there;s much there and I don't think you guys have a Central department store or other major shopping center apart from the usual Tesco and Big C you will find everywhere. But I definitely agree that as far as "Nakorns" are concerned, Nakorn Sawan is a disappointment. The restaurants aren't great and they haven't even got a Central shopping mall, whereas both P'Lok and Lampang now do.

[fredob43]

No K.P.P doesn't have a Central, and yes Phisanulok does, but it's the last place I would eat in. I don't know the last time you were there but it's gone down hill big time. (Empty even on a weekend)

Lampang good for stop on way up but not on way down.

Regards the restaurant I mentioned in Mae Sot it's full name is Khaomao-Khaofung.

If you Google it under the ten best restaurants 'trip advisor' in M/S there are pictures of same.

Haven't Googled the Canadian restaurant but I bet it's nothing like the Khaofun place, by the way they even have views of the toilets I mentioned.

Even if you don't eat there go have a look they don't mind you walking around. Sorry no Mexican food though.

Have just Googled your Canadian place, you must be American the picture they show is of waffles and ice cream + sauce. I'm English and sorry to say don't do Waffles and sticky stuff. Or Mexican for that matter.

Each to their own as they say.