The Golden Triangle Rider

[BobS]

This is an interesting side trip if you are near Sukhothai. This is actually a local park near some small mountains. Every evening, millions of bats come flying out of caves on the mountains.

They started flying about 5:25 pm, and took over 20 minutes to finish.

To get there, head west on Route 12 from Sukhothai towards Tak. In Lan Hai, turn right (north) just after a brown building and just before the police box.

There are some craters along this road, but most are avoidable, and the rest are not deep. But, remember that you will be riding out in the dark.

After 19 km, there is a marked 4-way intersection - turn left. After 6 km, this road ends at a dam. Cross the dirt road on the dam and turn right. You will come to a gate house 1 1/2 km after leaving the pavement. The park itself is another 5 km on a dirt road.

All the dirt roads were quite good - no ruts, and minimal gravel. Easily doable on a sport bike.

We left Sukhothai at 4 pm, and got there at 5:10. About 10 minutes longer coming home in the dark.

BobS

[StanGayuski]

Did any get into your hair? Or would you advise helmits on?
I missed this attraction on my ride on route 12 to Tak from Suk, Is there a bat-sign Robin?

Have you been to Pattaya yet Bob?...Try for guesthouse "Freeway" just south of the central part of South Pattaya...The ajacent club on premise has glass walled pool and from the club you can view the show of the naked aquatic sisters....Goes great with the other "bar snacks".

[BobS]

No Stan, there is a glass walled, air-con viewing booth.

Seriously, you are about 1 km away from these mountains, and they swarm out or the upper caves. Almost looks live wisps of smoke when they start out. Probably flying about 50 meters above you.

Road might be marked in Thai - which essentially means it is not marked. The directions will get you there.

Not sure why you put a Pattaya GH review on this thread - perhaps bats there as well?

Or exceptionally batty bargirls?

BobS

[StanGayuski]

HI Bob
Well the GH attraction is worth the stay if only for one evening in the Aquatic Bar - A large indoor swimming pool the glass wall of which is viewable from the bar where one can see the underwater antics of the.....Naked bar ladies slithering in the water. Ester Williams' they are not!...But, the coreography is, well..."skin-ney"

[Dr. G]

Yep, millions of bats, never seen so many, worth the side trip and Bull Dust Bob S had the kilometer markers right.
Some notes though:
In Lan Hai, it's a brown "wooden" building just before the police box.
The fee at the gate house to get into the park was 200 baht per farang, free for Thais, and 20 baht for the motorcycle.
Left Sukhothai at 4:00 PM, arrived at the bat place (a glen with a parking lot, some tables and guard) at 5:00 PM. The last 5 k's have been paved!
The 19 km from Lan Hai to the 4 way intersection is still bombed out in places, pot holes and a couple of sink holes.
On Jan 4 the bats came swarming out of their caves at 5:30 PM and by 5:50 the show was over. I was able to just barely make it back to the main highway (#12) by dark, so could see most of the pot holes.
And really, I liked the bats better than the Wats at Sukhothai. There really must have been a million or more of the bats. I gave up counting after 543,216....
This pplace is not in the tourist books (so there were no farangs walking around with guide books). There were only about 20 -30 people there to view this show, one car and a pick-up truck, plus my bike.
Dr. G