4 weeks solo ride to Northern Thai & Laos.

[lipmeng]

Dear all


It has been a long while since my last trip up north a few years ago and recently I rode solo for 4 weeks to north Thailand and some part of Laos. My initial plan was to ride for 8 weeks to northern Thailand and enter Laos via Houay Xai with the objective of reaching Chinese border at Boten and thereafter ride down south and enter Cambodia via Strueng Treng and back to Thailand through Koh Kong. As I am no longer working since Jan this year and have the time to ride for a long trip with approx 10K km in mind and also most importantly to use this opportunity to rejuvenate myself after working for more than 30 over years in the same industry and with the same employer.


My ride for the trip is still my trusty 21 years old AT which I have rode to many places in Thailand and Cambodia. I started the ride on Monday morning 3 March 2014.





Got distracted by the newly open 2nd bridge to Penang on my way to border. The beauty of the scenery was spoilt by the smog as there are many open burning in this part of the country during this time of the year. There Hwy concessionaires waived the toll fees for the 1st month on this new bridge but motorcycles are strictly required to use the motorcycle lane on this new bridge thus it is not
enjoyable as compared to the 1st bridge. The new bridge is the longest bridge in south east asia measuring 24km while the 1st bridge is only 13.5km.

 

[lipmeng]

Enroute to Thai border via Wang Kelian, Perlis and passed through the largest sugar cane plantation in Malaysia at Chuping.











Road was pleasantly quiet at the section with smooth surface and some twisties. The vast open space do have some surpirses at times due to strong gust crosss wind.

 

[lipmeng]

The ride gets more exciting upon reaching the hills to the M'sian-Thai border and there are some sharp hairpins and certain steep sections as well.





Some of the scenic spots along the hills.........................nice pics when sky is clear.





The process of stamping out by immigration & customs clearance at the M'sian side is simple and no hassle while the Thai side is almost the same but the local crowd at the immigration counter do not adhere to queing up which amazes the western tourist whom have been there under the hot sun patiently and politely waiting in line for their turn.

 

[lipmeng]

Rode from Satun to Trang via R416 to Palian thereafter R404 to Trang and did not take many pics of the route as I was a bit anxious to reach Trang early as it was my first day of the ride.


Usual coffee break at Amazon along the route to Trang.







Checked in to S2Queen Trang hotel for 400baht fan room with clean bed and cold shower.......stayed here last year for 600baht air cond room.






Dropped my bike at the parking lot as I did not fully extend my side stand while dismounting. The heavy loaded bike tilted to an angle beyond my recovery and it leans next to the scooter thus damaging the side signal and the tip of the left hand cowling. My standby musking tapes proves to be useful for travelling especially under such circumstances.







Dinner at the same road side stall which I patronised during my ride here last year. Lovely noodle with herbal chicken soup and pork porridge with egg and the delicious meal keeps me in high spirits after the unfortunate damage of my bike just now.

 

[lipmeng]

2nd day morning - 4 March 2014 ride out from Trang towards Phangnga.


Soup noodles with pork and hot coffee for breakfast before departing Trang. Food is delicious and worth for another visit next time in Trang.





Walked around the market area and nearby places after breakfast before going back to hotel.


Trang is famous for its roast pork.....one of the stalls in the market area.

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Saw a Honda CRF250L at the roadside.................should be more fun to ride in north & Laos.



Loaded up the AT to ride out towards north...............





The famous Dugong Circle in Trang located nearby the Governor's House and the theme of sea animals represent the city's prominent symbols which are Dugongs, the marine mammal which is especially vulnerable to extinction but found most in Trang's sea.

 

[lipmeng]

Riding out of Trang via R4046 passing Sikao and joints to R4 at Khlong Phon before reaching Krabi and there are some road works along the way before reaching Krabi.
Did not take many pics along this route as I drove with my family the same route to Krabi during Chinese New Year in Jan.






Stopped Shell station at main hwy 4 in Krabi for top-up and bike stalled due to flkat battery. Fortunately the staff of the station
drive me to the bike shop in Krabi town to purchase a new battery and I am truly grateful to the said staff of Shell station there for their kind assistance.
Continue my ride towards Phangnga thereafter.



























Reached Phangnga town area...........




- - - Updated - - -

Riding out of Trang via R4046 passing Sikao and joints to R4 at Khlong Phon before reaching Krabi and there are some road works along the way before reaching Krabi.
Did not take many pics along this route as I drove with my family the same route to Krabi during Chinese New Year in Jan.






Stopped Shell station at main hwy 4 in Krabi for top-up and bike stalled due to flkat battery. Fortunately the staff of the station
drive me to the bike shop in Krabi town to purchase a new battery and I am truly grateful to the said staff of Shell station there for their kind assistance.
Continue my ride towards Phangnga thereafter.



























Reached Phangnga town area...........

 

[lipmeng]

Upon reaching Phangnga town, the most important thing to do is to look for this shop which I patronised during my visit last year, Khun Thip Phangnga Satay located on the left hand side of the main road. The lady boss who still recognised me speaks good english and the herbal drinks and desserts are good as their satay. Place is clean and neat and is well patronised by locals and the has a variety of satays.










Managed to locate a apartment GH after riding around the small town. Tippaiboon Apartment for 500 baht, air-cond with clean bed and sheltered car park.






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[lipmeng]

Locals here frequents the night food market for dinner and I have some local street food & drinks for takeaway as dinner in my apartment. As usual I observed that the kingdom is dog friendly as most of the locals took their pet dog for rides in a motorcycle and automobiles.

 

[lipmeng]

Next morning 5 March 2014 will be my 3rd day of my riding trip and I woke up early as usual to look for street food breakfast. Went to a shop nearby to have noodles soup with pork and coffee with mini char kue......similar to those in M'sia which are much longer. The drive for food has overwhelmed the objective of my ride as I was drawn to spend more interest in eating local food than planning the ride of the day.









some random pics of the morning in Phangnga......




A common sigh in the kingdom where local police on duty at school but not commonly found in M'sia.




Loaded up the AT and rides out of Phangnga heading towards Ranong on R4 but unaware that I dropped my new camera stand which was earlier tied to the top of the left side pannier.

 

[lipmeng]

Riding towards Ranong from Phangnga via R4 which is a pleasant road to ride as there are plenty of shades and greens at some sections as well as twisties and good road surface. Rode this section of R4 last year and never gets bored. It is interesting if one have more time to explore the various smaller towns along the way and some of those villages with beaches.













Forced to stop for top-up approx 60km before reaching Ranong..............bike stalled due to reserve fuel.





Home made side stand base....from wooden plank with duct tapes.......DIY @ less than 10baht



These dog loving ladies on the road seems to be going home with some coconuts and their dog is enjoying the ride as well.










Lunch at the small restaurant at Caltex Station located along the main R4 at Ranong.






Continue riding towards Chumphon after lunch as it is still early noon and nothing much to do to stay overnight in Ranong. It is better to ride the hilly section of the R4 here to Chumphon as road is dry under the hot sun as compared to the frigthening experience that I have last year riding these section at late evening with plenty of road works in the hills.







Approaching of the initial uphill and twisting sections of R4 from Ranong.

 

[lipmeng]

Reached Prachuap Khiri Khan and checked in to Ountawan Hotel at 550 baht with secured car park and room is clean and new. Free self serve coffee each morning at lobby and 7 eleven and mini Tesco opposite hotel. The hotel is located on the second road before the esplanade.











Dinner at the esplanade and some random pics.

 

[lipmeng]

Some pics of AT at the jetty in Prachuap Khiri Khan on 4th day morning (6 March 2014) before riding out to Kanchanaburi on boring R4.

 

[lipmeng]

Some of random pics along R4 from Prachuap Khiri Khan.










Lunch break mid way......



Passed through Ban Pong and saw many animal figurines along the road divider.












Coffee break at Amazon after top-up at PTT station in Kanachnaburi

 

[lipmeng]

Checked in at MK Hotel in Kanchanaburi for 300 baht and bed was too small so is the room. I requested to swap with the empty massage room for the same price and is more spacious although with bare minimum of furniture. Hotel is not suitable for bike parking and looks deserted but the staff are friendly.














Dinner at road side stall and food is delicious. Plenty of food stalls and shops at the city centre near the bus station and place is busy with locals.







Bump into Chris (UK) who rides a Malaysian plated Kawa D Tracker 250 from KL after dinner and he stayed just 3 buildings from my present hotel and we arranged to ride to 3 Pagoda Pass at Sangklaburi tomorrow morning.

 

[lipmeng]

Day 5 morning (7 March 2014), woke up early as usual and walk to market area to have breakfast and thereafter took some pics while on my way back to hotel. Checked out and to ride to Sangklaburi with Chris.


Rice noodles with pork in soup to start the day.




Saw a local lady motorcyclist pass by with her dog as pillion on the back seat...............amazing Thailand!





Some old shops still well preserved in pristine state along the walking street and resembles the old chinese inheritance in the community.







Getting ready to ride out to Sangklaburi with Chris at his hotel.






We stop briefly at the bridge over river Kwai to take some pics before the bus loads of tourist arrive.







Thereafter, we continue to ride towards Hell Fire Pass as it is the first time visit by Chris up north. The smog along the way up towards Hell Fire Pass has adversely affected our visual of the road ahead let alone the beauty of the countryside scenery . Perhaps we are a month too late as the slash and burn by farmers have begun so is the hot season. Nevertheless, we continue riding towards our destination and our perseverance enable us to achieve our intended objective which is the 3 Pagoda Pass in Sangklaburi even though choking all the way.













Stop for lunch along the route to Sangklaburi before our next destination that is the Vajiralongkorn Dam.




Continue riding after the lovely lunch as it was good and cheap. Never mind about the smog and we really enjoyed the ride by taking pics of each other while on wheels.






We finally reached the Vajiralongkorn Dam and were allowed riding in by the lovely lady officer at the entrance booth.She is so polite thus giving a very good impression to visitors and there is no entrance fee charge. In Malaysia, we are not allow to visit the dams as they are restricted area.











We were on high spirits as the dam is so lovely despite the presence of smog and this place is worth another visit during the cool season.
















































Chris trying his illegal shortcut to the top pf the dam but the Kwaka is not ready for it.

 

[lipmeng]

The road to Sangklaburi is lovely especially during the cool season as the scenery is lovely and lots of green. With the completion of the road works towards the last section after the dam, I am sure that this will be one of the best road to ride in the part of the kingdom.


We rode the wrong direction upon exiting the gate of the dam as we took the right turn instead of left and we rode pass 30 plus km without knowing that we are heading towards the remote border of Myammar. We were fortunate that a local driving a pickup passed us and stopped to inform that we are riding the wrong route to Sangklaburi as the junction to Sangklaburi is about 30km down the road that where we came from. We were amused that how does the local guy know that we are going to Sangklaburi? Perhaps he has met many foreign riders as most of them are riding towards that place while two of us are heading to somewhere remote or towards their farmland.


We managed to look at our maps and realised that we should be riding along the lake on our left instead of right side and we detour back to R323 and continue riding towards Sangklaburi.


Some random pics of the ride....................































Riding the correct route as the dam is on our left side.
The Go Pro camera bracket broke due to virbration during the return leg from Sangklaburi.




Some road works along the way......

 

[lipmeng]

Finally arrived at our destination..................... Dan Chedi Sam Ong aka 3 Pagoda Pass and took some pics while having a break. Chris tried to get his passport stamp at the Thai immigration office was politely refused by the officer as it is meant for locals crossing the border.











We were then being recommended by an off duty officer to stay at the resort few kms down the road and he also mention that there are young pretty ladies available in that resort (suspected to be Burmese underaged girls)....................not our itinerary of the visit although we checked in to the resort that he recommended which is Khaokhondo Resort for 500 baht. The place is located off the left side along the main road 3km from 3 Pagoda Pass and do not have any menu for dinner or any meal of the day except that you are to choose the frozen CP foods from the freezer at the restaurant and DIY using the microwave oven. We do not have any positive impression of the place that we stayed and will look for other alternatives if there is another visit next time.














A playful puppy at the resort and this little fella seems to enjoy himself as the whole place is his playground.

 

[Lone Rider]

Wow, this must have a huge ride - from Malaysia all the way to Laos and back - look forward to see the follow up of your ride on this forum and thanks for taking us along.

 

[lipmeng]

On the next morning (8 March 2014 which is the 6th day of my trip) , Chris and I checked out early and rode to the food stall near the 3 Pagoda Pass for breakfast.
In view of the light dinner that we have last night, we were seriously hungry for a good meal and we managed to find a place that have lovely khao phat with fried egg and hot coffee for a reasonably cheap price.










We head back towards Kanchanaburi after breakfast and the ride is much more pleasant as it is cool in the morning . Here are some random pics of our ride back to Kanchanaburi.




















We have an enjoyable ride to Sangklaburi albeit the smog and the hot weather and upon reaching Kanchanburi, we checked in to Prasopsuk Hotel for 350 baht where Chris has been staying earlier. We have our bike parked at our doorstep and the restaurant have nice food as shown in the following pics below.











Lunch at the hotel's restaurant.

 

[lipmeng]

Same foodstall at roadside for dinner and rest early for the night.





Breakfast early at same shop near market area. This time will be chicken rice with sausage as much energy is required to ride a long distance for the day towards Mae Sot.



Loaded up the AT and ready to roll out (9 March 2014 - 7th day of the trip)




Saw a local truck with a lovely classic bike at petrol station in Kanchanaburi.







Passed by this place a couple of times while travelling up north ad nice canal with bridge somewhere near U Thong.












Some self portraits while riding to overcome boredom.










One day I'm going to have one just like this for travelling.................Ford Ranger Wildtrack



Lunch break at PTT station and ice coffee at Amazon on way to Kamphang Phet.











Junction before Tak to Mae Sot on R1 and distance to Mae Sot not far from R105 but raod is winding with plenty of hills. However the road surface is good with some minor road works and the presence of smog in the hills.








The ride is more enjoyable at the uphill section of the hills and I'm sure that the route is one of those beautiful places to ride during the cool season. It is definitely worth a second visit during Nov to Feb as the trees along the road and mountain views will be fantastic without the smog and heat.












A local biker on Ducati Monster passed by at the section of the hills and was kind to gave me a thumbs up as encouragement.............the brotherhood of bikers.



Traffic at the hills section.






Took a short break at the hill side cafe before continuing the final section of ride towards Mae Sot.

 

[lipmeng]

Some of the random pics of the ride on the last section towards Mae Sot town.

 

[lipmeng]

Checked in at Pornthep Hotel, Mae Sot for 600 baht and stayed for 2 nights to rest and visit the Thai-Myanmar border before proceeding to Mae Sariang. The room is spacious but hotel is old and bike parking under shade in front of the hotel. The hotel is centrally located with market and many shops nearby and food is easily available within walking distance.











Went for dinner at the local food stall nearby and plenty of choices on menu.

 

[lipmeng]

Woke up early and many shops have yet to open for business but managed to find a shop selling porridge.









Ride to Myanmar bridge border after breakfast and looks quite similar as other border eg Taichilek and surprisingly it was not busy on the Monday morning.














Morning mist as well as smog but still nice and cool to ride around.

 

[lipmeng]

Some random pics of Mae Sot town and its surroundings.






Some of the notable RED buildings in town as most of the goldsmith shops in the kingdom are red in colour. There are many gem stone merchants in this town and jade are commonly traded in the shops by merchants who appears to be burmese origin.














Saw another Ford Ranger Wildtrack here which seems to be quite commonly in the kingdom.



A small Honda bike displayed at the local Honda shop and should be nice to have for running errant.



Beautiful places of worship in town.
















Some of the interesting roundabout in town.






Had lunch at this shop selling chicken rice and the food taste good as I had 2 plates of them.




Found a shop nearby selling "Kaoy Soy" a type of curry mee with chicken sold by Muslim local and appears to be originate from Myanmar which I first tasted at CNX airport plaza food court during my visit a couple of years back.

 

[lipmeng]

On day 9th morning (11 March 2014), I checked out of Mae Sot to ride towards Mae Sariang via R105. Met a Finnish gentleman at the hotel while loading up my bike, he is also a bike at home riding a Goldwing and is staying 6 months in the kingdom regularly to escape the cold season in Finland. He is kind to shared with me some of his riding experiences in the Scandinavian region especially the Nordkapp which is interesting.



My simple breakfast at the 7 eleven after topping fuel in Mae Sot.





Putting on the mask for the 1st on this trip to alleviate the effect of smog while on the road and surprisingly it feels more comfortable as it is made of soft cloth.

 

[lipmeng]

R105 is indeed a pleasant route to ride although the initial section still badly affected by smog. I am sure that during the cooler months this route has plenty of beautiful scenery and lush of greens especially the section near the river side. The refugee camp on the left side at the early section is something I have never seen before and the living conditions of those inhabitants in the camp must be dreadfully difficult as those houses are in deplorable state.


Overall the road conditions on R105 is generally good except for the last section in the hills before Mae Sariang whereby it is still under construction and cutting of hills for road widening. A small section of it is still remote with little presence of inhabitants. For those fellow riders who have travelled R105 in those earlier period must have faced more challenges in their rides and thus I considered myself very fortunate to have an easier ride albeit the minor obstacles.

























Looks like even the buffalos have much conducive living environment as they are free to sun bath and enjoy themselves in the padi fields.









Some of the rough sections of the route.





























Road surface improved from this section onwards.





Arrived at PT Station in Mae Sariang for top-up and a light snack.







The river near the Ob Luang Gorge on the way towards Hot from Mae Sariang.




Another break for a cool drink from 7 eleven at Chomtong before reaching CNX.



Checked in at The Richess Home, Changklan Rd for 600 baht and it is mostly patronised by locals. The place is clean and tidy with free self serve coffee and biscuits in the morning.

 

[lipmeng]

R105 is indeed a pleasant route to ride although the initial section still badly affected by smog. I am sure that during the cooler months this route has plenty of beautiful scenery and lush of greens especially the section near the river side. The refugee camp on the left side at the early section is something I have never seen before and the living conditions of those inhabitants in the camp must be dreadfully difficult as those houses are in deplorable state.


Overall the road conditions on R105 is generally good except for the last section in the hills before Mae Sariang whereby it is still under construction and cutting of hills for road widening. A small section of it is still remote with little presence of inhabitants. For those fellow riders who have travelled R105 in those earlier period must have faced more challenges in their rides and thus I considered myself very fortunate to have an easier ride albeit the minor obstacles.

























Looks like even the buffalos have much conducive living environment as they are free to sun bath and enjoy themselves in the padi fields.









Some of the rough sections of the route.





























Road surface improved from this section onwards.





Arrived at PT Station in Mae Sariang for top-up and a light snack.







The river near the Ob Luang Gorge on the way towards Hot from Mae Sariang.




Another break for a cool drink from 7 eleven at Chomtong before reaching CNX.



Checked in at The Richess Home, Changklan Rd for 600 baht and it is mostly patronised by locals. The place is clean and tidy with free self serve coffee and biscuits in the morning.





- - - Updated - - -

R105 is indeed a pleasant route to ride although the initial section still badly affected by smog. I am sure that during the cooler months this route has plenty of beautiful scenery and lush of greens especially the section near the river side. The refugee camp on the left side at the early section is something I have never seen before and the living conditions of those inhabitants in the camp must be dreadfully difficult as those houses are in deplorable state.


Overall the road conditions on R105 is generally good except for the last section in the hills before Mae Sariang whereby it is still under construction and cutting of hills for road widening. A small section of it is still remote with little presence of inhabitants. For those fellow riders who have travelled R105 in those earlier period must have faced more challenges in their rides and thus I considered myself very fortunate to have an easier ride albeit the minor obstacles.

























Looks like even the buffalos have much conducive living environment as they are free to sun bath and enjoy themselves in the padi fields.









Some of the rough sections of the route.





























Road surface improved from this section onwards.





Arrived at PT Station in Mae Sariang for top-up and a light snack.







The river near the Ob Luang Gorge on the way towards Hot from Mae Sariang.




Another break for a cool drink from 7 eleven at Chomtong before reaching CNX.



Checked in at The Richess Home, Changklan Rd for 600 baht and it is mostly patronised by locals. The place is clean and tidy with free self serve coffee and biscuits in the morning.

 

[lipmeng]

Stayed in CNX for 3 nights to take a break and do some sight seeing and leave some heavy stuff behind as to ride to MHS on Friday 14 March 2014.
Most of the breakfast in CNX is the usual chicken rice at the shop near the GH or porridge at the road side stall near the night market along Changklan Rd.




Lunch at the "Boat Noodle" which is beef soup noodle at shop along Taphae Rd which I patronised whenever visiting CNX.








Met up with Chris again on Thurs morning for breakfast as he has arranged KAWA CNX to service his bike.


A nicely farkled Versys 650 displayed in the Kawa showroom and it is really a bikers paradise here in CNX.......pampered with choices at reasonable prices for local assemble bikes and plenty of nice hills to ride.






While Chris is enjoying his breakfast I played with my new found friend in the shop, a 4 year old handsome Labrador Retriever.








Went to some of the old Wats in CNX and offer some prayers.




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[lipmeng]

On the 12th day morning, Friday 14 March 2014 I set out to ride to Mae Hong Song via Doi Inthanon with the main intention of purchasing the famous Huai Hom coffee powder and some tee shirts from Doi Inthanon and MHS . As I have not made my visit to the coffee plantation at Huai Hom near Mae La Noi during my way to CNX from Mae Sariang on 11 March 2014, I need to check out the OTOP outlet in MHS for the coffee powder.






Temple at before the entrance to Doi Inthanon.





My first impression of the road condition initially was ..........road works again here!!!!!!



Not really as the road surface is pretty good and the traffic is light.

 

[lipmeng]

The ride from Doi Inthanon to MHS via Mae Chaem and Khun Yuam is interesting although the heavy smog at the hills on the section to Mae Chaem and further up. The right turn from R1009 at the junction downhill just before the park ranger's checkpoint at mid hill of Doi Inthanon was a surprise to me as there is not much visible road signage indicating the road to MHS and the road on initial section of R1192 is narrow and appears to deserted.


Fortunately I rode with minimal luggage for this MHS leg as most of the heavy stuff are left at CNX. I enjoyed the ride very much although I was a bit cautious initially as the beginning section R1192 is significantly quiet and no signs of any inhabitant along the way. However. the anxiety was quickly forgotten as I continue my ride and the road starts to be interesting although the smog is affecting the visibility at later section of the hills.


Some pics of the initial section of R1192 from downhill junction of R1009 from Doi Inthanon.








Some locals along the road at the hills........wonder where are they going?



Presence of smog at the hills...................





Improved air quality ................so is the ride quality and some pics of R1263 from Mae Chaem to Khun Yuam.














Sometimes in small villages the roads are often lack of signage and I need to ask locals for the direction.




Better road surface.........................








Some minor rough patches of road ahead.................










Some nice little hills in the area.......





Some terrace rice fields at the hill slopes...........................







Stop for a rest under the shade....................................





























Arrived at the junction of R108 in Khun Yuam......finally.




R108 is super smooth from here to MHS town and it curves starts to tempt me to ride faster..................













Arrived at the arch of MHS city entrance..........my 3rd riding trip to MHS had just been recorded but this time solo whereas previous trips was accompanied by another riding buddy.

 

[lipmeng]

Checked in at Ngamta Hotel for 700 baht which is located opposite to the MHS post office and parking of bike is just in front of my room. The beds are clean and with good shower although the price has exceeded my expected budget for accommodation.






The most common photograph of MHS.....Wat the lake side during evening and night.






Had my dinner at the night food stalls .....................sitting on the mattress at the side lawn just like most locals did.

 

[lipmeng]

Some random pics taken in MHS......................


Bought some T shirts from this guy at his shop which is near the hotel that I stayed................friendly chap who has his own design of MHS tee shirts.



Some usual morning activities that locals do.....waiting to give alms to monks which I also did as it gives me a calm feeling for the day after being blessed by the monk.






Went to the market and look for breakfast................if lucky one can see the planes landing or takeoff as the airport runaway is near the market.







Managed to locate a shop that sells nice porridge near the market main entrance as the porridge stall in the market is not open for business.






Some other pics of shops in the town...............

 

[lipmeng]

Rode up to the temple at the hill top in the morning for a simple prayer before heading out to CNX. The visibility is poor as the view of the town from the temple is not clear perhaps it was due to the morning mist.
















Went to the OTOP outlet at the end of MHS town enroute to PAI and managed to purchase the Huay Hom coffee powder which is my main objective of riding to MHS.






This pretty lady who prepares the Huay Hom coffee for me at the OTOP.



Some other mechandise available in the OTOP shop. Looks tempting but do not have the space to accommodate any other stuff. Perhaps next visit again by car.





The gentleman with me is a high ranking official attached to the MHS Govenor's office and he was at the OTOP during my visit.



The white packet tied on top of the yellow bag on my bike is the "valuable black gold".....Huay Hom arabica coffee powder all the way from MHS.



MHS OTOP is located next to the local university.

 

[lipmeng]

I rode out of MHS after purchasing the coffee powder from OTOP outlet and head towards Pai which is only approximately 110km and it will be a lunch stopover. I do not intend to stay overnight in Pai as I have been there before and CNX is only 130km from there.
















The road from MHS to Pai is the most interesting section of the MHS loop as most of the twisting parts are within this sector and the road surface is equally smooth.
Rest area for travelers and also a scenic spot before Pai.









Ensuring my "Black Gold"...still with me safely........Huay Hom coffee seeds are mostly contracted to Starbucks.



Pai is just only a short ride from here.................




Lunch stop in Pai and had 2 plates of chicken rice before heading out to CNX.

 

[lipmeng]

The journey from Pai to CNX is just plain ride as compared to the earlier sections of the MHS trip.


An old bridge perhaps the WWII era at the end of Pai town.













An interesting building which appears to be a resort under construction along the route R1095 to CNX.






.... with an uniquely designed lavatory.......for "Hong Nam"



Another interesting European architecture further down the R1095 which must be an expensive holiday resort.

 

[lipmeng]

Checked in to Richess Home in CNX for 600 bahtn again and stayed for 3 nights before continue riding to Mae Sai as I need to changed the engine oil before riding to Laos.
Relaxed a bit and have a break from riding for 2 days and most importantly have lots of good meals while in CNX. One of those includes......Kaoy Soi....noodle curry
with chicken.



Sunday night market at the Thapea Gate area...............huge crowd with so much to see and attracts many tourist.












The night market have many street performers and the most outstanding performer is the................



The copper who sings solo and played his guitar together with harmonica opposite his police station for a noble cause. Impressed by his musical talent and amused by his
charisma and respect for his sacrifice to such a good deed.........never seen such thing before except there was an occasion a police officer peddling his merchandise.....belts and leather stuff with his patrol car at tourist area in Hatyai few years ago.





The temple at the night market with beautiful lights .









Went to have a bike wash at the Petronas petrol kiosk along Thapae road for 200 baht inclusive of polishing. Very satisfied with the service.








Sparkling AT after the wash and polishing........



Looking at some rental bikes at POP near the bike wash.......plenty of mid size bikes that suits the riding in this region.







Next after the bike wash........proceed to Nat's place called "Piston Shop" to have the engine oil and filter changed and replacement of the broken front left signal.
The staff did a very good job and the price is reasonable. The shop is well patronized by local bikers in CNX and also those overseas as well. Highly recommended to those bikers riding up north whenever they need any servicing or schedule maintenance.




A very happy biker after the bike wash and servicing at the Thapea Gate and the most importantly the AT is ready for Laos.

 

[lipmeng]

Continuation of the ride report for day 16th of my trip (18 March 2014). Checked out from CNX to ride towards Mae Sai via R118 after the regular chicken rice breakfast............last one of the trip.






Heading to R118 via Mae Kachan towards CRI........nice hill section with intended stopover at hotspring for coffee break then to Rubber Traingle aka Condom & Cabbages near Wiang Pa Pao & Wat Rong Khun at CRI to purchase Tee shirts.













Coffee break at the hotspring R & R at Mae Kachan.








Lacking pressure for the highest hot spring in the kingdom.





A temple looks like those in Seam Reap...Angkor Wat style.





A giant statue of a monk along the R118 after the hotsprings..........looks huge from distance at road side.




Stop over at the RUBBER TRIANGLE.......every time whenever I pass by this road to CRI during the previous years to support their noble cause.





Some of the info board at the counter.......check out which one you like most......



Definitely not recycle ones.........



Nice place to rest and rejunvenate.................













Healthy food available here.......................



A man with great vision.....................and a noble mission as well.





Self portrait of a happy rider ..............smiling alone for the camera.





New coffee kiosk after the Condom & Cabbages.......Sweet Memory Valley






Another one short distance ahead......






The Golden Clock Tower in Chiang Rai.......designed and constructed by the local guy who is a renowned artist , Ajarn Chalermchai Kositpipat.

 

[lipmeng]

The artist, Ajarn Chatermchai Kositpipat specialized in buddhist art and created the beautiful White Temple in Chinag Rai...........Wat Rong Khun and also the Golden Clock Tower. Bought some tee shirts from the temple printed with beautiful motifs of various hindu gods and the quality of cloth is good as well.



























Rode to Mae Sai and checked in at Mae Sai Hotel for 450 baht with air cond room. The hotel is located near the border on the left hand side from the immigration checkpoint and is convenient to walk around the town with plenty of street food. Met a German rider on a Super Tenere 1200 who happens to check in at the same time but unfortunately I could not get to know him as he was to busy getting his stuff unloaded. I was very envy that his bike is so well organised in terms of baggage and panniers let alone the Yammie has been my dream bike since it was launched last 2 years.

 

[lipmeng]

Continuation of the ride report.........at Measai


The town is still vibrant with plenty of local activities along the main road near the border and food stalls aplenty during the evening. Although it is still a small border town but there are many new mid size and small hotels along the main road and the town is a nice place for an overnight stay before riding out towards the Mekong river towns of the Golden Triangle.

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Dinner at the roadside food stall..........




Just not enough for the evening.....so another food stall for duck soup noodle with some drinks from 7/11 before going to bed.
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[lipmeng]

Day 17th of the trip -19 March 2014. Checked out early and went for breakfast at the restaurant along the main road which I have patronized on each of my previous visits to this border town. The shop has good soup noodles and their menu have a wide range of local food dishes for breakfast and lunch.





Locally produced fruit wines available......



Some fried mekong cat fish skin.....taste like fish crackers.........



The delightful mixed meat balls and fish soup noodles at the shop............






The hearty meal for the start of the day sets me towards Sop Ruak aka Golden Triangle via R1290 and today it was one of the longest ride of the trip in terms riding hours due to some unexpected events and decisions made.............so it was a small adventure with fun as well.


Some interesting architecture at the turn from main road towards Sop Ruak on R1290......................just wonder whether it is a temple or museum?




Some of the padi fields beside the R1290 ......................