Chiang Khong - The Great Roller Coaster Ride & Route

DavidFL

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The Great Roller Coaster Ride & Route
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is a one day trip I’ve been looking to piece together for over a year since I discovered a couple of new roads out on the Laos border, south of Chiang Khong.

Most people know about R1093 & ride that road along the Laos border, getting on or off at Chiang Kham / Phu Chi Fah or Pha Tang, depending on which way they are heading.

But there are four other fantastic steep roads out there & the other main one riders seem to know is

The Big Dipper: R4018 The Phaya Phipak road

The other lesser known ones are

Huai Laeng: Huai Lang / Laeng Another Steepest Road - Wiang Kaen / Chiang Khong

Lao U: The Lao U Road - Sensational, Excitement Plus.

Singapore road: The Sensational Steep Huai Kuk - Pha Tang Loop - Singapore Road

There are five roads you can stitch together to make up the Great Roller Coaster Ride & Route.

1. R4018 the Big Dipper / Phaya Pipak road
2. The Lao U road
3. R1093 the Phu Chi Fah Road
4. 4029 the Pha Tang Road
5. Singapore Road

The Huai Laeng Road is left out because it is only a side road, which means you have to go in and back out the same way, so it doesn’t work to be included as part of a loop.

Rivo, aka Heinekin, alias Gavin was my riding partner for day & we got on well just cruising along & taking photos as we went.
And I was lucky Gavin came along fully armed with his Samsung phone to get some great photos, as my camera battery expired early in the trip. Silly me for not checking properly. Thanks Gavin you were the star of the day.

The rendezvous time was 8AM & the place at the junction of R1020 & R4018, the turn off to Phaya Pipak & the Big Dipper. From Chiang Khong it is a fast 48 kms down the 1020 to the turn off.
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I was a bit late having been delayed by my landlord as I was trying to make an early fast get away, which is most unusual for me. I’m no Mike Gagne!

Phaya Pipak
Off up R4019 it was & Rivo showed the way to the new Phaya Pipak memorial & proposed tourism handicraft market site.

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Then it was my turn to show Rivo the old original forestry royal sala, which made the score one-all.

Big baht have been spent in here to turn the place into an impressive tourist attraction, displaying the military's victory over the communists, who surrendered at the invitation of King Rama IX.
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From the forestry park it was down to the Hmong village & a look at the old commie photos in the now dilapidated museum.
There is a view from here across to Phu Chi Fah, but sadly the air was a bit hazy in the early morning looking towards the sun.
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Rivo inspected the dragon pond with no water & we were ready to hit the road.
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Just as we got on our bikes to saddle up & ride off, one of the renowned Phaya Pipak commie characters, complete with a brand new commie cap, walked past.

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I recognised him for an earlier visit & called out to say g’day. In response we got an immediate invite into his house for a coffee and a chat. The guy was fantastic & at 66 years the same age as the old GTR fellah. Over a few cups of strong coffee we got his story & were well and truly impressed.

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Born and bred in Phaya Pipak, he was 15 he went to Phongsali in northern Laos, with 20 other Phaya Pipak villagers to school for 3 years, for some indoctrination you could say. They went to Phongsali by walking! Entering Laos from a track near Phi Chi Fah & walked down to Pak Khop, then on up to Oudom Sai & Phongsali. After 3 years it was back to Phaya Pipak & be on the side fighting for the right to live & survive in your birthplace.

To survive nowadays he has 2,000 organic coffee trees & sends his coffee to Bangkok, Chiang Rai, Hua Hin & Vientiane. Grade AA is 1,000 baht a kg & Grade A is 800 baht a kg.
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If there are any coffee fans out there who might want some nice coffee, you could take a ride to Phaya Pipak, make contact & buy some. Later on you could get it delivered by Kerry Express or some logistics company.

The Big Dipper road is 10 kms from R1020 across to R1155, & it is one hell of a road.
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The Lao U Road
The Lao U road, no number, was the next one to ride. This was a new one for Rivo & I’m sure he was suitably impressed.
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Nearing the top on level ground
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It is 8 kms on the Lao U from R1155 to R1093 & it is basically straight up.

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Along the way there were several covid protector effigies to announce you were entering Hmong territory.
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Lao U is another old Hmong village, now known as Rom Pho Thai, that once used to be on the commie side, due to years of neglect by the government of the day. The original name Lao U comes from a charismatic Hmong man resident in Lao-U in the 1960s. After the government gained control of the area it in the early 1980s is was renamed Ban Rom Pho Thai, which means “village under the realm of Thai patronage.”

Lao U
I’ve got a favourite stop in Lao U, & that is to catch up with the old one legged Hmong guy weaving baskets from bamboo beside the road.
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A fabulous lively old guy, he is always a delight to chat to & shoot the breeze a bit.
His story is that years ago that while out hunting near Pha Tang, he stepped on a landmine & lost a leg. Incredibly he is still alive, relatively strong and healthy & is gainfully employed by himself in a little roadside hut enjoying his simple life. You can’t keep a good man down.

After chatting about the Covid scare & effigy protection he insisted that Rivo & I protect ourselves & bikes against bad spirits, so Rivo and acquiesced, took his advice & protection. We’re ready to take on all comers now...
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A young Hmong gal with her 5-day old son
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R1093 Villages & communists
Most of the original old villages along R1093 were Hmong & communist, such was the care of the government of the day. However once the Thai government regained control of the area in the early 1980s the village's old names were changed to new Thai names.

Ban Lao Jaw (named after a previous village head), was renamed Ban Rom Pho Thong “village under the golden land”.

Other villages along R1093 were specifically set up to counter communist influence & only villagers who were previously fighting on the Thai side were settled there. In total there were 30 villages set up to counter any communist influence.

Some examples of new R1093 village names
Ban Rak Thin Thai = "Love Thailand” village"
Phitak Thai = “Protect Thailand” village
Ban Thai Samakkhi = “United Thai” village
Ban Pracha Phak Di = “Royal Citizen” village
Ban Rom Fah Luang = “King's Patronage” village
Ban Rom Fah Siam = “Siam Patronage” village

At the bottom of the hill before the steep Phu Chi Fah ascent is a Hmong village, Aung Lia. It used to be the centre of a Hmong communist base “Company 85”, and there were bunkers, a cave for weapons storage, a hospital, political and military training schools.
It was first renamed Rat Phak Di meaning "loyal citizens, but the Hmong did not like this & still preferred the original Hmong name "Zos Av Liab," so it was renamed yet again to be "Pracha Phak Di," which also means "loyal citizens.” The game goes of conquest on.....

Phaya Pipak is the original Hmong name for the village atop the Big Dipper, but it too has a new Thai government name of Phu Long Thang—the Dragon Pool. “A pool with an artificial dragon that was constructed in the Hmong village in accordance with the KMT’s belief that a dragon existed near the village?”
The Phaya Pipak forestry park was set up in 1999, & you can see with recent redevelopments there the promotion, with photographic displays, of the Thai military victory over the naughty Hmong & communists.

Doi Yao – Phamon used to be the name of this area, and most old reports refer to the battles of Doi Yao – Phamon mountain range; but with the setting up of the Phu Chi Fah forestry park in 1998 it is now more famous & commonly know as Phu Chi Fah.

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From Lao U, R1093 runs along the border just below the ridge line & it is 13 kms from Lao U to Phu Chi Fah.

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In Phu Chi Fah there’s a favourite restaurant in town, that is supposedly the best & from experience the only one open at night in of season. Rivo & I took a quick break here for a bite to eat & a drink.

1.7 kms further on it’s time to take a ride back down the hill to R1155. It is 9 kms downhill from Phu Chi Fah to R1155.
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When you hit 1155 turn right & head north. It is 22 kms to the R4029 Doi Pha Tang turn off @ Pang Had.

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The 1155 along here is a gem of a rider’s road, 22 kms of twisting winding road asphalt that, on a good day, has stupendous views of the surrounding countryside

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From Pang Had & R1155 it is 9 kms up R4029 to the Singapore road turn off.
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Singapore Road
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Singapore road is a narrow little concrete road, funded by the Singapore – Thai Chamber of Commerce, that is incredibly steep & winds it way through farm lands and a couple of Hmong villages.
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It connects back up with R1155 to the North of the Pha Tang turn off R4029.
If you’ve never done it, it is quite daunting the first time on account of the steepness.
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It is one hell of a ride, especially if you’re out there doing it alone for the first time.

Singapore road runs for 15 kms down hill to link up with the 1155 at Ban Po.
Right at the very end there is 500 metres of bumpy dirt gravel, which may not be so enjoyable for those of street tyres.

From Ban Po is it 13 kms to Wiang Kaen or 42 kms to Chiang Khong.

Heading home to Chiang Khong you can always stop at the Lai Ngao viewpoint for a coldie to celebrate a fantastic days ride.
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Thanks Rivo for a fantastic day out & the pics
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And that my friends makes one hell of a Great Roller Coaster Ride & Route.
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Check it out as a day trip from Chiang Khong sometime.

If you're not familiar with area, pick up a GTR Golden Triangle Map to understand the road network, plus help GTR survive the current economic dilemma.

P.S. I hope the bit of history thrown in makes the ride out there much more rewarding. Source:Contesting Memories in the Hmong Thai Community: A Study of the “Red Meo” at Doi Yao-Phamon in Northern Thailand.
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Heineken

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Great write up David, it was a fantastic day out, some stunning roads and views out in the mountains of Chiang Rai.

This ride could easily be done as a day trip out of Chiang Rai, even easier when the new R1152 highway is open, which would take you from Chiang Rai to basically the start of the Big Dipper R4018.

Another option would be start in Chiang Rai and do this as a day ride, then follow the Mekong River upto Chiang Khong for a night out, continue on to the Golden Triangle, that is once we are over these Covid restrictions.
 

Eoin Christie

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Wonderful, David and Rivo. An excellent day out. I particularly liked the story of the Phaya Pipak coffee farmer / Young Pioneer.
I’ve been wondering what to do when Malaysia / Thailand travel restrictions ease - Thanks for giving me some ideas.
 
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Great write up David, it was a fantastic day out, some stunning roads and views out in the mountains of Chiang Rai.

This ride could easily be done as a day trip out of Chiang Rai, even easier when the new R1152 highway is open, which would take you from Chiang Rai to basically the start of the Big Dipper R4018.

Another option would be start in Chiang Rai and do this as a day ride, then follow the Mekong River upto Chiang Khong for a night out, continue on to the Golden Triangle, that is once we are over these Covid restrictions.

Hi Rivo (Heineken),
Once all this Bullshit is finished I may pop up for a Couple of Nights and we can do that Loop? Maybe one night in CR and another in Chiang Kong to have a few Beers with David? If You are up for it?
 

Heineken

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Hi Rivo (Heineken),
Once all this Bullshit is finished I may pop up for a Couple of Nights and we can do that Loop? Maybe one night in CR and another in Chiang Kong to have a few Beers with David? If You are up for it?


Let me think, motorcycling and then drinking beer, my two favourite pastimes lol.................yeah lets do it Ian
 

DavidFL

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Great write up David, it was a fantastic day out, some stunning roads and views out in the mountains of Chiang Rai.

This ride could easily be done as a day trip out of Chiang Rai, even easier when the new R1152 highway is open, which would take you from Chiang Rai to basically the start of the Big Dipper R4018.

Another option would be start in Chiang Rai and do this as a day ride, then follow the Mekong River upto Chiang Khong for a night out, continue on to the Golden Triangle, that is once we are over these Covid restrictions.

Yeah there are multiple places, further away, you could start this from.
The beauty of doing it locally as a loop like we did, is that you've got time to take photos & hang out with the locals a bit.
We started from the Phaya Pipak turn off @ 8.30am & finished at the viewpoint with a beer at 4.45PM, so we were out there all day.
 
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DavidFL

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After a small hook up @ Ian Yonok's Viang Yonok Resort out of Chiang Saen, with some guys out of Chiang Mai looking to escape the lock down, 5 of us had a go at the Great Roller Coaster Ride & route in reverse. i.e. we started with Singapore road first &
1. rode up Singapore road
2. rode down Doi Pha Tang road R4029
3. rode up Phu Chi Fah road R1093
4. rode down the unumbered Lao U road, then
5. rode up the big dipper R4018

The elevation profile looked like this
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and it is not a great deal different starting from Phaya Phipak
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Starting from the Singapore road end you have a couple of hundred meters of unpleasant dirt.
If you have a bit of experience, it is not difficult, but if you're on road tyres & / or it is wet & at the end of the day it could be an unpleasant ending to the day.
In the wet season with more chance of rain later in the day it is probably best to start from the Singapore road end.
But I really do think the GRCRR is a much better ride, starting from Phaya Phipak.
Why? Well because you go down the Phaya Phipak zig zags, power on up the Lao U road, & down the Singapore road for much better views.

We got away late from the PTT in Chiang Khong & did not have a great amount of time for photos...
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A few happy phone snaps

Singapore Road, the first bit of level road for some piccies
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There are some really tight steep switch backs not long after here, going up the hill.
Eventually you end up in Huai Kuk. a Hmong village which is about half way on the Singapore road.
There's a convenient shop in the village here to take a break, have a drink, and natter with the locals.
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There's a another really step twisting climb immediately after Huai Kuk going up towards Pha Tang.
Eventually the road levels out a bit & runs along below the ridge line.
The views here are stupendous.
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A clip from Youngie of this magnificent winding rural road

Hoghead
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The local Hmong starlet
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The old GTR fellah getting a piece of the action
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The end / start of the Singapore road
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It was a fast blast down R4029, the Pha Tang road, to hook up with R1155, head south & zoom on up the Phu Chi Fah Road.
The one photo stop going down R4029
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and you see that it was indeed a super day out with magic weather & views

Lunch was taken in Phu Chi Fah at the Miracle Coffee restaurant
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From Phi Chi Fah you carry 13 kms along R1093 to Lao U / Rom Pho Thai & drop straight down onto R1155 is just a few kms.

Lined up for the 8 kms Lao U descent.
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Back on R1155 head north a few kms & take R4018 & the Phaya Phipak road
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It's 10 kms up & over Phaya Phipak to R1020.
Back onto R1020 it is a 4-lane blast of 48 kms all the way back to Chiang Khong.

The Teakwood Garden riverside hotel in Chiang Khong was the R&R venue for the night.
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And so ended a great little day out.

An interesting foot note: The verdict at the end of the day is that the R4018 Phaya Phipak switchbacks are the steepest, especially the last 2 or 3 corners - left handers - ascending. You've all been warmed now.

These 5 roller coaster roads are totally awesome.
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Getting photos of the steep sections is an issue & time consuming.
Drone shots of all these would be awesome.

If you wanted to take photos you could easily spend a day on half the loop; and the options would be to have a night at either Pha Tang or Phu Chi Fah. My choice would be Phu Chi Fah. Phu Chi Fah Accommodation

If you don't understand the road network, you can check out the GTR Golden Triangle guide map to see the big picture.

A GTR dinner. Once everything is back to normal it maybe an idea to have a GTR dinner at Phu Chi Fah so we can all do the Great Roller Coaster Ride & Route.
Stay tuned.
The main issue at the moment is organizing & being responsible for a big group, plus being able to indulge in a few quite bevvies & not get nicked by the long arm of the law - someone making a complaint against both the establishment & the event organizer.
Even In Chiang Khong now I am unable to get have a drink with my meal at one or two restaurants that previously tolerated lung having a glass or two with his evening meal.
There are small local communities that are still greatly concerned about the health issue & are uncomfortable about groups of people eating & drinking in their local community. So times are tricky indeed & GTR will not be organizing any publicly promoted open rides or dinner functions until the coast is clear.
For those chaffing at the bit for a GTR dinner upcountry, TQ for your patience & understanding.
 
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Heineken

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Hi Rivo (Heineken),
Once all this Bullshit is finished I may pop up for a Couple of Nights and we can do that Loop? If You are up for it?


Well we didn't wait too long to tick this box Ian ;), it was great catching up with you guys and riding the mountains together :cool:
 
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Heineken

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Now I have done this ride in both directions I think they are just as good going either way IMO.........................you just need good luck with the weather, as we did :p


And btw David your new telephone takes magnificent photos :cool:, alot easier than lugging cameras about ;)
 
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DavidFL

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Now I have done this ride in both directions I think they are just as good going either way IMO.........................you just need good luck with the weather, as we did :p


And btw David your new telephone takes magnificent photos :cool:, alot easier than lugging cameras about ;)

Thanks. The batteries last a lot longer on the phone too now. 55
 
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DavidFL

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Back on the road & taking a run down to Thoeng to renew the bike rego on the Vstrom - GTR work horse.
Why not make a day of it & go for half a Great Roller Coaster Ride & route loop?

Heineken accepts an late invite the night before & we are on for another rendezvous at the Phaya Phipak R4018 turn off on R1020.
10AM is the pre arranged time, nothing too early, & the old fellah maintains his perfect record to sleep in again yet again to arrive at 10.40AM. Oh well, lucky Heineken is an easy going patient man.

The master plan for the day is to get some piccies of the steep road sections, that you normally don't actually get.

The route used:
  • R1020 from Chiang Khong to R4018 & Phaya Phipak
  • Down R4018 Phaya Phipak & the Big Dipper to R1155
  • Turn right on R1155 to R1093 & the road up to Phu Chi Fa
  • Lunch in Phu Chi Fa
  • From Phu Chi Fa run along R1093 south to Lao U & turn right, & ride the Lao U descent to R1155
  • R1155 head south to R1021 & Thoeng
  • At Thoeng turn right & head home on R1020 back to Chiang Khong.
R4018 & riding up to Phaya Phipak
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Starting the descent down to the Big Dipper switchbacks
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Heineken is on his Xmax 300 & it is brilliant on the day for turning around on the steep slopes & doing another run for some photos.

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The top tricky switchback
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This is a mean one as you're heading up hill, & it is the last one that will snap you back to attention.
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Lining up for the next one
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R4018 & the view towards Phu Chi Fa

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Powering on up the hill
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& you can't beat a Honda Wave in the mountains!

Going West to East, at the bottom of the 2nd hill is the magic 18% sign warning you to get ready for the climb.
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you won't see many, if any, other 18% signs in the kingdom!

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Go up round the corner to the right & get ready.
The Big Dipper in 2013
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From The Big Dipper & Phaya Phipak it's over to the Phu Chi Fa road, R1093 that comes up from R1155

The Phu Chi Fa Road R1093
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There's an excellent Hmong run restaurant & coffee shop in Phu Chi Fa to stop at for lunch, coffee or a beer
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The GTR tip on food here is a Phat Siew for lunch. It is always fresh, excellent & well presented. I must get a photo next trip!
Miracle Coffee is the place on google maps - don't miss it & I understand Aoy Pochana is the name

150 metres north of Miracle Coffee is the Fab View / Phu Chi Fa Twin View Resort

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The rooms have a superb view & it is only 500 baht a night at the moment.

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Anyone up for a night in Phu Chi Fa. Check this place out.
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After Phu Chi Fa it is a run south along R1093
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There's some interesting road reinforcement work along the way
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The guys claim to have been at it for 3 days & in another week the job will be done?
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Heineken moseys on along with the flowers.



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Lao U is just around the corner, both Heineken & I take a short break at the local shop.
What was very interesting here was the shop keeper I had a nice chat with.
She has two kids studying / working in Oz for the last 5 years.
The daughter went when she was 16 & the son 18.
Both are in Sydney somewhere, but the daughter has done extremely well for herself studying & is is an absolute captivating beauty looking at her photos on Mum's phone.

Heineken both had a go at practising our Hmong language skills with the young Hmong workers.
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Hmong language skills exhausted it's off down the Lao U road to R1155.
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Heineken is straight back into the spirit of the day with a couple of runs up & down the road.
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40 minutes later aftr leaving Lao U, its check up time at the Thoeng Land Transport Office to renew the VStrom bike rego.
Arrival time is foolishly at 3.40 & we thought it was 4.30PM closing. No, it's 4PM the counter staff say - hurry up! The Vstrom is now 5 years old & with 153,000 kms on the clock = it needs a vehicle inspection.

Fortunately there's an inspection centre across the street, so we race straight over & get the old work horse checked & she passes with flying colours.
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No noise - only 88DB? on the standard exhaust, the horns & switches all work & I sneakily had the spotlights turned of, but left the ignition on, so they didn't default & come on.
Back across the street to the DLT & its 4pm on the dot, but Lung is able to sweet talk the gals into rush processing my bike rego renewal.

15 minutes later Heineken & I are across the street having a beer & waiting for the kind DLT lady worker to join us for a few beers. The old fellah still hasn't lost his charm & gets his bike rego renewals processed after hours should need be.

All's well that ends well.
:cool::cool::innocent::innocent::yum:yum

Heineken, thanks for coming along & taking photos.
 

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Back on the road & taking a run down to Thoeng to renew the bike rego on the Vstrom - GTR work horse.
Why not make a day of it & go for half a Great Roller Coaster Ride & route loop?

Heineken accepts an late invite the night before & we are on for another rendezvous at the Phaya Phipak R4018 turn off on R1020.
10AM is the pre arranged time, nothing too early, & the old fellah maintains his perfect record to sleep in again yet again to arrive at 10.40AM. Oh well, lucky Heineken is an easy going patient man.

The master plan for the day is to get some piccies of the steep road sections, that you normally don't actually get.

The route used:
  • R1020 from Chiang Khong to R4018 & Phaya Phipak
  • Down R4018 Phaya Phipak & the Big Dipper to R1155
  • Turn right on R1155 to R1093 & the road up to Phu Chi Fa
  • Lunch in Phu Chi Fa
  • From Phu Chi Fa run along R1093 south to Lao U & turn right, & ride the Lao U descent to R1155
  • R1155 head south to R1021 & Thoeng
  • At Thoeng turn right & head home on R1020 back to Chiang Khong.
R4018 & riding up to Phaya Phipak
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Starting the descent down to the Big Dipper switchbacks
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Heineken is on his Xmax 300 & it is brilliant on the day for turning around on the steep slopes & doing another run for some photos.

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The top tricky switchback
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This is a mean one as you're heading up hill, & it is the last one that will snap you back to attention. View attachment 136136

Lining up for the next one View attachment 136137
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R4018 & the view towards Phu Chi Fa

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Powering on up the hill
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& you can't beat a Honda Wave in the mountains!

Going West to East, at the bottom of the 2nd hill is the magic 18% sign warning you to get ready for the climb.
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you won't see many, if any, other 18% signs in the kingdom!

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Go up round the corner to the right & get ready.
The Big Dipper in 2013
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From The Big Dipper & Phaya Phipak it's over to the Phu Chi Fa road, R1093 that comes up from R1155

The Phu Chi Fa Road R1093
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There's an excellent Hmong run restaurant & coffee shop in Phu Chi Fa to stop at for lunch, coffee or a beer
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The GTR tip on food here is a Phat Siew for lunch. It is always fresh, excellent & well presented. I must get a photo next trip!
Miracle Coffee is the place on google maps - don't miss it.

150 metres north of Miracle Coffee is the Fab View / Phu Chi Fa Twin View Resort

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The rooms have a superb view & it is only 500 baht a night at the moment.

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Anyone up for a night in Phu Chi Fa. Check this place out.
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After Phu Chi Fa it is a run south along R1093
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There's some interesting road reinforcement work along the way
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The guys claim to have been at it for 3 days & in another week the job will be done?
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Heineken moseys on along with the flowers.



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Lao U is just around the corner, both Heineken & I take a short break at the local shop.
What was very interesting here was the shop keeper I had a nice chat with.
She has two kids studying / working in Oz for the last 5 years.
The daughter went when she was 16 & the son 18.
Both are in Sydney somewhere, but the daughter has done extremely well for herself studying & is is an absolute captivating beauty looking at her photos on Mum's phone.

Heineken both had a go at practising our Hmong language skills with the young Hmong workers.
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Hmong language skills exhausted it's off down the Lao U road to R1155.
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Heineken is straight back into the spirit of the day with a couple of runs up & down the road.
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40 minutes later aftr leaving Lao U, its check up time at the Thoeng Land Transport Office to renew the VStrom bike rego.
Arrival time is foolishly at 3.40 & we thought it was 4.30PM closing. No, it's 4PM the counter staff say - hurry up! The Vstrom is now 5 years old & with 153,000 kms on the clock = it needs a vehicle inspection.

Fortunately there's an inspection centre across the street, so we race straight over & get the old work horse checked & she passes with flying colours.
View attachment 136169

View attachment 136170

No noise - only 88DB? on the standard exhaust, the horns & switches all work & I sneakily had the spotlights turned of, but left the ignition on, so they didn't default & come on.
Back across the street to the DLT & its 4pm on the dot, but Lung is able to sweet talk the gals into rush processing my bike rego renewal.

15 minutes later Heineken & I are across the street having a beer & waiting for the kind DLT lady worker to join us for a few beers. The old fellah still hasn't lost his charm & gets his bike rego renewals processed after hours should need be.

All's well that ends well.
:cool::cool::innocent::innocent::yum:yum

Heineken, thanks for coming along & taking photos.
Top Stuff, so Phu Chi Fa could be on the cards for a GT-Rider Dinner sometime in the Future then?
 
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Heineken

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Like David mentioned you come across these remote villages, you think they are not up with technology, next thing the shop owner has her smartphone out showing us photos or her 2 x children living in Australia, and yes as David said the daughter was a stunner :cool:
 
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Heineken

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For anyone contemplating riding out here through the mountains the size of the bike is not important, if you and your friends went out here on PCX150 scooters you would have no issues and a great time, yes a bit slower but no huge issue........................ive been out these roads with a mate from CR on an Aerox 155 and he flew through the twisties..............any bike really is capable, most locals are on their Honda Waves :cool:
 
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scotty007

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Just a warning about the Doi Pha Tang Road the 1093, there was road works going on from roughly about 3kms in from the 1155, the top surface had been ripped off and there was an extremely loose surface left for about 3kms, on a steep and windy ascent, I was in my car and thought it pretty wise to put it in 4 wheel drive! Would have been a lot of fun on a motorcycle........maybe! - 25JUNE2020
 
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DavidFL

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Just a warning about the Doi Pha Tang Road the 1093, there was road works going on from roughly about 3kms in from the 1155, the top surface had been ripped off and there was an extremely loose surface left for about 3kms, on a steep and windy ascent, I was in my car and thought it pretty wise to put it in 4 wheel drive! Would have been a lot of fun on a motorcycle........maybe! - 25JUNE2020

Thanks for that tip off. I will go check out the progress next week.
That would be a bummer if you're descending & couldn't get out safely.
 
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A year later to the day & out for lunch at Phu Chi Fah with a few of the GTR guys from the top North.
The master plan for the day meet up at the Phaya Phipak R4018 turn off on R1020, then do the Big Dipper, head up to Phu Chi Fah for lunch, then all split up again & go your own way back home.
Steve came from Tha Ton.
Mark from Chiang Rai.
Ian from Chiang Saen
Gavin from Thoeng
Nigel from Chiang Kham
Dave DKT from Phayao
David Unk from Chiang Khong
a nice varied group of starting points!

Everyone was on time, except the old GTR fellah from Chiang Khong. 10 minutes late & the pack had gone on ahead because they were all early. 55

The deserted R4018 Phaya Phipak rendezvous spot with a new slope sign
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And it appears as if everyone noticed the new sign & took a photo.

Further on up the hill, the actual rendezvous spot @ the official Phaya Phipak Viewpoint
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Don't miss it if you're going up & over Phaya Phipak

Next stop is a happy pic @ the 18% Big Dipper sign
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From there it's a power on ride to Phu Chi Fah & the lunch rendezvous. Ian & Nigel were ahead of the pack & already set up.
Dave DKT rocked up with the kids within a few minutes & the lunch time gang was complete.
A ceremonial pic with the happy Hmong shopkeeper.
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A resplendent diverse group in a variety of attire with a variety of transport. Long may GTR rock with such wonderful sociable characters.
Thanks everyone who popped along for lunch - just for the ride & "something to do."
Lunch done, we all split up, returning to our separate bases.
Ian home to Chiang Saen via Singapore road.
David Unk home to Chiang Khong via Pha Tang.
Steve home to Tha Ton via Chiang Kham, the long way.
Gavin home to Thoeng.
Nigel home to Chiang Kham.
Dave DKT home to Phayao via the fantastic Lao U road.
Mark home to Chiang Rai via the Big Dipper.

I pottered along R1093 gobsmacked at the views, beauty of the scenery & awesome road conditions.
R1093 really is something to ride now that it has been widened slightly & resurfaced.

On R1093, north of PCF, some bridge renovations caught my eye with the huge hole & reinforcing being installed.
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That's one hell of a hole, and you can only wish them good luck in the coming wet season.
Check it out in the coming weeks if you're up that way.

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Tempting fate with Ms May, the old GTR fellah made a stop at PhaTang Skyview to check on the status for a GTR dinner @ Pha Tang.

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Sadly the villagers of Pha Tang still don't want outsiders coming to stay in their community at the moment, due to covid-19 fears.
Once it is all clear we maybe able to have a GTR dinner at Pha Tang, for a new destination.

Thanks again to the "top end" guys who came for lunch. Let's do it again soon.
 
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Heineken

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That's one hell of a set of foundations being laid, and deep, and on the inside of the current road/bridge............................................is the current bridge not safe and the road will be moved closer to the mountain , any other theories ?