Here are some of my photos from a seven-week 9900 km counterclockwise ride around Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos during February and April. During March the bike was laid up in Bangkok for clutch repair.
The bike is a Singapore-registered BMW 1998 R1100R with 140,000 km on it. This oilhead BMW has brought me to Thailand half a dozen times but this was my longest trip on it. It was also my longest bike trip in terms of time but not in terms of distance; Vancouver-California-Newfoundland (return) at 18,000 km and Vancouver-Mexico-Guatemala-Belize at 16,000 km (return) both went much farther.
This trip I set goals, met on most days, (1) to finish each day's riding by early afternoon and (2) to rest one day after every two riding days. In this way I avoided riding in the heat of the day, especially in April; I could eat lunch in a good, clean restaurant most days; and if anything went wrong I would have at least six hours of daylight to resolve the problem. I averaged just 380 km per riding day, about half that of my previous long trips, and 210 km per total trip day, about one-third that of my previous long trips. It was great not to be under time pressure. There was time for scuba diving and a visit in Siem Reap from my sweetheart who flew up from Singapore.
Thanks to members of this forum who commented on my draft route before I set out. Here is the actual route I followed (not including the Malaysia-Singapore North-South Expressway). The unanticipated Bangkok-Isaan run was the result of the clutch failure:
Crossing the Chao Phraya in Bangkok. What a nuisance that big bikes can't use the freeway to cross Bangkok!
The border at Khlong Yai, Thai side:
And the border at the Cambodia side (Cham Yeam), with a much longer line up. I had to ride from the Cambodia side back to the Thai side and back again because the border crossing where I entered Thailand (Sadao, which I usually find to be fast and efficient) provides only one computer-generated form, the Customs Declaration form, while the Immigration at the Cambodia side at the Khlong Yai border expects two other documents, the TM2 Information of Conveyance and the TM3 Passenger List, with Thai stamps on them. It was easy to get these from the Thai officials at Khlong Yai when exiting the Thai side, but I didn't know so I had cross back to Thailand back to get them ... under the hot sun. Although Cambodia Immigration wanted these forms, Cambodia Customs didn't care! The Cambodia customs official asked me for the papers for the bike. I showed my original printout to him. He asked me for a copy. I said I didn't have one. He said not to worry about it in that case, and to have a pleasant trip! So I entered Cambodia without any motorcycle import papers of any kind, and had no problems leaving the country at O Smach either. Total border crossing time was about an hour:
Highway from Khlong Yai to Koh Kong:
Koh Kong:
The Dugout Hotel in Koh Kong. I asked the owner (an Aussie) why the hotel is called the Dugout. He said originally there were two partners who owned the hotel. One of them was named Doug. He was so difficult to deal with that when the second partner bought him out, he renamed the hotel the Dugout because at last Doug was out!
Notional safety in the Dugout Hotel:
Water-cooled tuk-tuk. Note white plastic water tank in front of trailer:
The town must be spoiled for choice from satellite channels:
The only impressive building in town is the Koh Kong Tax Branch building:
Cambodia has wonderful people but a serious littering problem:
Highway from Koh Kong to Sihanoukville:
Slow down going around blind curves:
Traders buy retail petrol at stations like these and sell it in small quantities at high markups (often out of booze bottles) along the way:
Sihanoukville:
Beggars with missing arms and legs (blown off by UXO) are common in Cambodia:
Clinic wide open to the sidewalk - good ventilation, but imagine lying there on display:
This character was very friendly to passers-by:
Tire repair shop - where to go if you need air, since petrol stations rarely have a functioning air supply:
Padded panties!
Highway from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh:
Phnom Penh:
You can buy nearly anything on the sidewalks of Phnom Penh:
National Museum:
Eye and lung protection - but pity the spine:
Phnom Penh traffic:
Wat Ounalom:
Yum - snout!
Russian Market:
Public Market:
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum:
The Killing Fields at Choeung Ek:
Close-up of water-cooled Honda. Most of the tuktuks are pulled by these Honda Dreams, to which a water tank and an intravenous drip are added. About two drops per second drip onto the cylinder head to cool it. I have yet to see this ingenious engine-saving device in any other country:
Happiness Pizza. The diner below looks like he had too much happy in his pizza:
Highway from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap:
Mostly good road, but continual random hazards:
School's out:
Siem Reap:
Ta Phrom:
Angkor Wat:
Banteay Srey:
Ta Keo:
Pre Rup:
Preah Khan:
Banteay Samre:
Bayon:
But just outside the tourist area:
Highway from Siem Reap to O Smach:
The speed limit seems a little low for the driving conditions:
Please see part 2
The bike is a Singapore-registered BMW 1998 R1100R with 140,000 km on it. This oilhead BMW has brought me to Thailand half a dozen times but this was my longest trip on it. It was also my longest bike trip in terms of time but not in terms of distance; Vancouver-California-Newfoundland (return) at 18,000 km and Vancouver-Mexico-Guatemala-Belize at 16,000 km (return) both went much farther.
This trip I set goals, met on most days, (1) to finish each day's riding by early afternoon and (2) to rest one day after every two riding days. In this way I avoided riding in the heat of the day, especially in April; I could eat lunch in a good, clean restaurant most days; and if anything went wrong I would have at least six hours of daylight to resolve the problem. I averaged just 380 km per riding day, about half that of my previous long trips, and 210 km per total trip day, about one-third that of my previous long trips. It was great not to be under time pressure. There was time for scuba diving and a visit in Siem Reap from my sweetheart who flew up from Singapore.
Thanks to members of this forum who commented on my draft route before I set out. Here is the actual route I followed (not including the Malaysia-Singapore North-South Expressway). The unanticipated Bangkok-Isaan run was the result of the clutch failure:
Crossing the Chao Phraya in Bangkok. What a nuisance that big bikes can't use the freeway to cross Bangkok!
The border at Khlong Yai, Thai side:
And the border at the Cambodia side (Cham Yeam), with a much longer line up. I had to ride from the Cambodia side back to the Thai side and back again because the border crossing where I entered Thailand (Sadao, which I usually find to be fast and efficient) provides only one computer-generated form, the Customs Declaration form, while the Immigration at the Cambodia side at the Khlong Yai border expects two other documents, the TM2 Information of Conveyance and the TM3 Passenger List, with Thai stamps on them. It was easy to get these from the Thai officials at Khlong Yai when exiting the Thai side, but I didn't know so I had cross back to Thailand back to get them ... under the hot sun. Although Cambodia Immigration wanted these forms, Cambodia Customs didn't care! The Cambodia customs official asked me for the papers for the bike. I showed my original printout to him. He asked me for a copy. I said I didn't have one. He said not to worry about it in that case, and to have a pleasant trip! So I entered Cambodia without any motorcycle import papers of any kind, and had no problems leaving the country at O Smach either. Total border crossing time was about an hour:
Highway from Khlong Yai to Koh Kong:
Koh Kong:
The Dugout Hotel in Koh Kong. I asked the owner (an Aussie) why the hotel is called the Dugout. He said originally there were two partners who owned the hotel. One of them was named Doug. He was so difficult to deal with that when the second partner bought him out, he renamed the hotel the Dugout because at last Doug was out!
Notional safety in the Dugout Hotel:
Water-cooled tuk-tuk. Note white plastic water tank in front of trailer:
The town must be spoiled for choice from satellite channels:
The only impressive building in town is the Koh Kong Tax Branch building:
Cambodia has wonderful people but a serious littering problem:
Highway from Koh Kong to Sihanoukville:
Slow down going around blind curves:
Traders buy retail petrol at stations like these and sell it in small quantities at high markups (often out of booze bottles) along the way:
Sihanoukville:
Beggars with missing arms and legs (blown off by UXO) are common in Cambodia:
Clinic wide open to the sidewalk - good ventilation, but imagine lying there on display:
This character was very friendly to passers-by:
Tire repair shop - where to go if you need air, since petrol stations rarely have a functioning air supply:
Padded panties!
Highway from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh:
Phnom Penh:
You can buy nearly anything on the sidewalks of Phnom Penh:
National Museum:
Eye and lung protection - but pity the spine:
Phnom Penh traffic:
Wat Ounalom:
Yum - snout!
Russian Market:
Public Market:
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum:
The Killing Fields at Choeung Ek:
Close-up of water-cooled Honda. Most of the tuktuks are pulled by these Honda Dreams, to which a water tank and an intravenous drip are added. About two drops per second drip onto the cylinder head to cool it. I have yet to see this ingenious engine-saving device in any other country:
Happiness Pizza. The diner below looks like he had too much happy in his pizza:
Highway from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap:
Mostly good road, but continual random hazards:
School's out:
Siem Reap:
Ta Phrom:
Angkor Wat:
Banteay Srey:
Ta Keo:
Pre Rup:
Preah Khan:
Banteay Samre:
Bayon:
But just outside the tourist area:
Highway from Siem Reap to O Smach:
The speed limit seems a little low for the driving conditions:
Please see part 2
