having just done it in a car i realised that motorcycles are not allowed on toll roads. can anyone suggest a good route please? thanks Simon
CM-Lampang-Uttaradit-Phitsanalok-Lomsak-Khorat.... Then take the Khorat highway to the Pakchong/Khao Yai turnoff..... Through Khao Yai to Pachinburi...... Then onto Chonburi and Pattaya. Better than wellying straight down 1,11 or 21.. You get a couple of national parks after you leave the mountains of the north and Isaan is always friendly.
thanks a lot if i wanted to stop overnight somewhere where would you suggest? i think im getting too old to do it non-stop
Phitsanolok is nice with the night bazaar by the river. I stayed also in Lomsak one time I did that route. Its ok. There is a good hotel there...... But its not very interesting. Usually I just wait till about 5.30 pm and then stop at the next reasonably sized place and find the inevitably slightly tatty hotel in the town centre. It means you do end up in places no-one ever talks about. Khorat is a good place to stay since its a big place with a pub that sells cans of draught John Smiths....... But that is a really long haul from CM in one day...... I don't know about Chayaphum because I have never stopped there. Might be the best bet.
I'd stay on 21 from Lom Sak, through Phetchabun, which is a good place to stay, all the way to Saraburi. Then take 33 to Nakhon Nayok, Prachinburi and on to Pattaya. Going through Chaiyaphum and Khorat will add a few hundred km to the trip. If you want the quickest route, stay on highway 1 all the way through Nakhon Sawan and Lop Buri to Saraburi. You'll miss most of the traffic to Bangkok because they head straight down highway 11 after Chai Nat, whereas highway 1 branches off to the left.
Surely if he stays on the 33 to Nakhon Nayok he will miss Khao Yai and Khao Yai is beautiful. I was there three days ago. Really green and actually quite chilly. If he takes the turn off from the 33 onto the 2090 at Pakchong he gets to Prachinburi quicker and its a much nicer route. Also the road from there to Chaecahengsao which is the continuation of the 304 is very nice. Through flat countryside paddies shaded with trees. A few years ago it was a bit potholed and crap. Now its spruced up and is a fun road with some nice flat bends. He could take the 304 all the way from Khorat which also goes through the hills..... But its being done up at the moment so there are loads of works which means messy dusty trucks and impatient merc and BMW drivers tailgating each other..... Youa re right about Phetchebun..... That would break up the journey about right in terms of time. The 2090 is great..... Nice resorts along the way as well if you fancy a cold beer and fag break. The direct north south roads from Nakon Sawan or Phichit are fine..... Just very dull. Fast though.
The 21 from Phetchebun to Saraburi is quicker..... But then he only gets one national park..... And again its just a big dull highway.
I'll agree with you there, the more national parks the better, within reason of course. It also depends on the purpose of the trip. I plan most of my trips to take in as much scenery as possible, but there are times when I just need to get from A to B as quick as I can, which is where the highways come in. I still wouldn't go through Khorat though. Normally 304 is one of my favourite roads in this area, but as you say, the roadworks have turned it into a muddy drag strip for impatient 4, 6, 10 and 18 wheeled idiots. I'll revise my interesting route to cut across to Pak Chong from 21, on 2243 or 2247. From there you can cross Khao Yai on 2090 / 3077 (same road) all the way to Prachin Buri. Then 319, 331 and 3240 to Pattaya.
Black Cats route is faster I did CM to Pattaya in 10 hours on the Ducati including stops but it certainly is not as scenic as other suggestions.
Faster yes.... Its not about faster. Is it? If you want faster hit highway 11 and burn...... If you can stay awake...... Or get a train and load the bike..... Fast is easy.
no its not all about faster I prefer the more bendy scenic routes ,but sometime's you have to be somewhere quickly,on that trip I took a roundabout 3 day ride up to CM but had to get back in a hurry.It was a bit manic but still fun.
Indeed….. Highway 21 is the best way. Its actually fairly scenic for a lot of it with little mountains and limestone outcrops…. Which is rather more than can be said for Highway 1 or Highway 11. 21 is far and away the best north-south road. Its also very empty until you hit the approach to Saraburi when all those cement trucks start to appear. Basically its real scenery all the way and a near empty 4 lane highway If staying in Petchabun there is an excellent hotel very reasonably priced. Its on the main road, Heading north to Lomsak its on your left before the first set of lights going out of town. Name is in Thai only. Rooms are massive. If crossing east on route 12 from Phitsanulok the road is very beautiful….. That is if you are able to appreciate it depending on the traffic. When busy its very dangerous (more so than the Tak to Mae Sot stretch even). Its one lane each way. The tailgating high speed idiocy is unbelievable. Also the pulling out on your side is out of hand even for Thailand….. Very fast and very dangerous. Take a right turn off route 12 on the 2325 if heading for Petchabun. Up to Khao Ko….. Really nice rolling hills and valleys. Quiet roads. You can hook up with Highway 21 just before town.
Unfortunately you are all talking about how good the roads are but if you must take the # 1 from Chiang Mai there is at least a total of 100km between Lampang and Nakhon Sawan where the road is an absolutely appalling condition. In the last two months I've done Chiang Mai - Pattaya and Chiang Mai - Ayutthaya at night. One of those trips it rained heavily all the wayadding to the discomfort of that road. I would certainly not recommend this route unless you are in a hurry or want to be jolted out of your stupor. Definitely not at night anyway which is when all the trucks and buses are out hogging any lane where they think the road is in better condition. We were all trying to find those better patches. In fact it is a disgrace when you consider this road connects the two major cities in Thailand. Even when repaired (not often!) it's such a bad job they may as well have left it the way it was.
Highway One is pretty awful whichever way you look at.... If you have time taking the wide detour and driving the Mae Sot to Mae Sariang road brings you onto one of the nicest routes in Asia. Comparable with Route 11 in Laos..... Or even the A272 to Petersfield (UK)....... Still leaves you with the Tak to Nakhon Sawan bit though.... And the rest. The Lampang-Phitsanulok route is the better way even if you continue down on 11 rather than 21. At least some of the works on the southern end of Route One have been completed.
Hi No. I live in Bangkok..... But when I was 18 years old I used to do that road on my A100 ..... And I hope it's still acorker... Sure it is. Great bends if I remember. I used to actually go out of my way when driving from Brighton to Bristol to get on the 272. Very best Dan
Dan any idea how much longer it would take using the # 11 from Lampang to say Chai Nat by turning West across onto # 1 again rather than using # 1 all the way from Lampang?
I would stay on 11 all the way until it naturally merges with route 1 not too far along from Chainat. I tend to actually start with 11 all the way from Lampang. Also Chiang-Mai-Lampang-Phitsanulok is a nicer run in my opinion. I am a slow coach also and Phitsanulok is a nicer place to stay the night. Kamphaeng Pet is ok too with the Sukhthai era temples..... But Nakhon Sawan is about as dreary as it gets (except Petchabun which is super-dreary and redeemed only be by the excellent hotel just out of town heading north on 21). Personally I only take route 1 when planning to do the left at Tak onto Route 12 for the folowing superb route 105 north west out of Mae Sot. All this is qualified by the fact that I am puttering along at 100km an hour on a laughably titled Kawasaki 'Boss'..... For the grownups out there on bikes over 200cc the speed factor might change the eqation. Having said that Route 1 sucks... Its not as bad as the Khorat highway on the Saraburi stretch the name of which I have put in an official request to the Thai Ministry of Transport to rename "Route Complete Bastard in trucks on Yabaa"...... No reply as yet.
And to actually answer your question..... I think 11 is as quick as 1.... From Phitsanulok to Ayutthaya is empty motorway type driving. Very quick.
The A272.... Great road. Gettiing nicked and not being able to shove the copper the equivalent of two pound fifty to get off the hook..... I remember that. Anyway... You won't be doing too much speeding on the phantom. Whats its top wack? 120kph? Cruising at around 100? Its got that extra gear advantage on the little Kawa. Are you happy with it? For me it was 50-50 toss up on which baby cruiser was the one to buy.
Next time I'll go Chiang Mai - Lampang and then 11 and 1 to Chai Nat or Ayutthaya and see how it goes time and distance wise.
