Kanchanaburi-North Past Phutoei National Park

[Captain_Slash]

The route 323, 3199, 3398, 3086, 4015, 3480, 4031, 5035, 3008, 4016,

Total distance 345 km

This was yesterdays ride but due to my fatigue and tiredness its a day late.
First stop was for my breakfast only to find a VIP coach outside full of hungry schoolkids who had scoffed all the usual chicken portions so the only thing was some chicken cooked in the wok, still delicious though

I ride north and part way along the 4031 take a right onto the 5035 which was the other track I wanted to ride on sunday but time defeated me

At N14.56.564 E099 23.676 I take a dirt track to visit a reservoir

Hopefully this will take me to the overflow

The overflow from the top

Next stop was the livestock breeding station but unlike on previous visits when there were lots more exotic animals running around, this was the only one I saw today

A small reservoir here too

I ride back to N14 56.797 E099 24.858 then take a left onto a dirt track towards the Phutoei National Park, I go inside for a quick look then realise the track that went to the right was the one I should have taken that goes through to Dan Chang

This was the view for the entire ride through the trees so no more photos, my first time riding the entire track through here today

The surface returns to asphalt at N14 57.718 E099 28.688 in the same place it did before, a few years back I rode in from this end on the Phantom but didnt venture too far

About 1 km further on is a checkpoint but I am guessing that as this is a through road you only pay at the NP, there was no checkpoint at the other end

The road is now the 3008

I take a right onto the 4016 to find out today where this road goes to, I started to ride a few years back on the Phantom but the surface soon turned to dirt, I had no GPS and it wasnt on my map

At N14 57.149 E099 32.655 the surface turns to dirt the same place as it did last time

I take a right to visit a small reservoir, thats a lot steeper than it looks in the photo and I would have had to go down with both brakes on only to be confronted with slippery algae on the concrete.
I decided falling off was inevitable plus getting out again might also be a problem so decided to give that idea a miss

The surface turns to paved at N14 54.757 E099 32.124 and just past here I take a left to visit another reservoir.
The surface returns to dirt at N14.54 681 E099 32.233 and I ride on in a fruitless attempt to find this reservoir.
I give up and ride back to the paved surface and this small reservoir was roadside a bit further along

I reach the 3086 and decide as I still have enough time to try and ride around the Lam Taphoen Reservoir to get another new track for me

This is more like it and its a pleasant ride around here

This pigeon didnt seem in the slightest bit bothered by my close presence

The surface turns to dirt at N14 47.382 E099 26.180

Back to asphalt at N14 48.107 E099 24.564.
I take a left to explore another short track and the surface turns to dirt at N14 47.926 E099 25.030

Thats as far as I need to go, I am almost at the waters edge

From here its back home

An ice cream is sought as I am feeling very hot today

A soothing massage is had back in Kanchanaburi, the shop certainly lived up to its name and its just inside the little soi that leads to the Jolly Frog

Now I know the masseuse is meant to be young and pretty but never judge a book by its cover and this was a very good massage which is the most important thing in my book

Fettuccini bolognaise at Jolly Frog, 40 Baht


You can get the gdb file from my website here Ride reports - Thailand, Malaysia and UK

 

[Lone Rider]

Wow, you rode through the Phu Toei National Park. That is still on my very long wish list of trips to do or to be more precise: to visit the crash site of Lauda Air Flight NG 004 which crashed on a flight from Bangkok to Vienna on 26 May 1991. Somehow the thrust reverser of engine No. 1 deployed in mid air and as a result the plane stalled and disintegrated in mid air. None of the passengers and the crew survived. As the crash site was in a remote area, most of the remains of the plane were left on site and in fact scavengers collected electronics and jewelry found on site. The turnoff to the crash site and a memorial is at N14.946380° E99.452660°

Source: Lauda Air Flight 004 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

See also: Lauda Air Crash, 26 May, 1991: Thailand’s Worst Ever | Thai Blogs

The following is part of a story of a guy who reported on this accident on another Thai forum:

A young lad approached us the same evening, he had a sack which he opened showing us bits and pieces, second hand watches, wallets, some miniature preserves. There was nothing to interest us with regards to buying anything, but we were concerned as to where the goods came from. We later found out these had been taken from an area around Suphanburi. Earlier in the year a Lauda Aeroplane had come down shortly after take off from Don Muang, makings it's way to Austria. We heard that following the terrible accident stalls had been noted selling possessions taken from the crash site. I remember a reporter from one of the English Newspapers writing from Thailand, he had come across stalls selling property belonging to the deceased. The vendor on one of these stalls when questioned about the goods, simply replied:- "They dead, not need."

Footage (after 1:30) of the crash site of Lauda Air Flight Number 004 on 26 May 1991. With 223 passengers onboard, it is the worst air disaster over Thai soil:

 

[Just Bob]

I remember that tragedy. Just wondering... Was the road put in originally to access the site?

 

[Lone Rider]

Bob,

As far as I know, the dirt road through the National Park was there but the trail (from this road to the crash-site) was put in later after the crash.

LR

 

[KTMphil]

Starting to look dry and dusty down there now.


The route

 

[Captain_Slash]

I saw the sign saying airplane crash site but wasnt aware of the history and the enormous loss of life