Chiang Mai to Udon on Secondary Roads

Billy Baht · May 12, 2014

107, 109, 1211, 1020, 1292, 1186, 1148, 1097, 10080, 1081, 1225, 1243- Dead End, 1162, 1026- Back tracked, no Ferry, 1083, 1241, 1268, 2195, 211, 212, 2267, 2230, 2096, 2350, 2025, 2, 2, 210, 2250, 2016, 2216, 203, 2005, 2331, 1143, 1246, 11.

11 Nights on the road.

Cities visited overnight: Chai Prakan, Phan, Bo Kluea, Na Muen, Chiang Khan, Nong Kai, Khon Kean, Udon Thani Lom Kao

Distance traveled: 2,835 kms.

I finally got off my duff and hit the road before the rainy season arrives

Started out with a breakfast at Sausage King, then headed north on 107 and spent the night at Chai Prakan. The next morning I headed east on 109.

On 109 not too far past the first oil well in Thailand
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Good reason not to ride at night...

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Great curves on 1020

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Billy Baht · May 13, 2014

On 1148 I come up behind three kids, two maybe 14 or 15, and one around 10 years old on a Honda Wave. The driver was really skilled at taking the corners and I followed them for a few kms. They were looking back, checking to see if I was gaining on them- they were racing me! I passed them and gave them the thumbs up, which they returned along with 1,000 watt smiles. I'm sure they told every one they met how they blew away a farang on a CBR250, 555!

Wrong turn, am I in Laos? Naa, just road construction every where

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My 400 baht bungalow at Bo Klua. The owner even served me some delicious rice soup for breakfast and free coffee.

Great view of Bo Klua below.

Klua is the Thai word for salt, right? Well, there is an ancient salt works in the town, so perhaps that's it's name sake...

Moto-Rex · May 13, 2014

Gday Billy.

Your dead right, get out there before the rain starts.

What a cool place to stay that hut is.

Cheers Rex

hawkeye76 · May 13, 2014

Looking great ;-)
This is exactly the what im planning to do asap!
Please tell us all more about your trip.. Sure many of us would like to hear some more details..

Billy Baht · May 13, 2014

I want to follow the roads closest to the Thai-Lao border, so its 1243 through the Mae Charim National Park and the road is great- and almost zero traffic

I have the road to myself-I'm lovin it

But the good things never last. Now I know why there was hardly any traffic.

The pavement is great until I pass a border check point, then weeds are growing through cracks in the pavement, then no pavement, then its dirt bike country. No thanks. My paper map says 1243 turns into 1143, maybe its a miss print, but I can't even get a GPRS signal to check my location on Google Maps, so I cut my losses and turn around.

I back track to Wiang Sa, and head south on 1026. I stop for the night at Na Muen.

My brand new 500 baht bungalow just outside Na Muen. They even delivered a rice soup breakfast and coffee to my room

Billy Baht · May 13, 2014

Hi ya Rex! Yeah the hut was a nice place to stay. I stayed there early March and it was even a bit cool at night.

PS- Check out my front tire being chained to the hut, LOLs! The Baht Man is more security conscience these days

PSS_ Nice gig you had selling beer. What is the GT Rider discount? Ha!

DavidFL · May 15, 2014

Nice start alright & looks like a big ride & report coming.
Curious how your night in Bo Klua went - where did you eat?
You must have been up early the next morning too at a guess.

Billy Baht · May 15, 2014

Hi David! Had a quiet night at Bo Klua, ate at a road side noodle shop, bought some moo yang and Leo beer, then went back to my "hut" and relaxed

Billy Baht · May 15, 2014

Next morning I'm up and roaring down 1026, enjoying some really fun curves and very smooth pavement. I get close to Queen Sirikit and the road ends at a cul de sac on the edge of the lake! Grrr! Again so signal, so I head back track on 1026 to Na Noi.I stop for a coffee at Na Noi and the lady tells me that there is a ferry that takes vehicles over the lake on 1026, but best I can understand her the ferry is closed. I sure didn't notice any ferry operating, but when I finally got a GPRS signal, there it is on Google Maps FERRY

From Na Noi I can cut over on 1083 and link up with the 1269 that runs close the Lao border.

This is corn country! I saw many bamboo corn cribs and sacks of corn, ready for market.

Road construction on the 2195 that parallels the Thai Lao border.

Mekong River just before Chiang Khan

Cruising on 211, along the Mekong was enjoyable and I encountered an amusing situation in the little town of Pakchom.

In town Rt. 211 is a wide two lane road but of course with double parking and food vendors lining the shoulder, the width is reduced. Several vehicles ahead of me a Honda Accord is traveling very slow, around 10 kph and there is no reason for it because no one is in front of him. I'm about to pass on the right when it goes down- the Honda stops smack in the middle of the road for the most important reason in Thailand, to buy food. A Nissan March in the right lane (on coming traffic) stops as well, even though there is a good four feet on either side to continue driving through. I sit and observe for a few minutes and a nice little traffic jam is building up, one that was completely avoidable. Its amusing to see the reactions, no one says a word, we just sit. I let out on the clutch and slowly weave between cars and when I arrive at the culprit that caused the chaos, he is laughing anf joking with the food venders and completely oblivious to his fellow travelers. The driver of the March is a girl and has the "Deer in the Head Lights Look" she is paralyzed and can not move forward. I ride on and observe from my rear view mirrors that the Honda finally moves forward, the March ever so slowly continues on and the jam begins to unsnarl itself. Another triumph for Thainess.

I continue on and spend the night at Nong Kai and reward my self with a few Beer Laos and watch the river go by...

Billy Baht · May 16, 2014

The next day I head east on 212 -best avoided, construction- then cut south on a series of " Four Digit Roads"

My paper map identifies Route 2 as a one digit road, 22 as a two digit, etc

I spend the night at Khon Kaen, then head north to Udon Thani in the morning.

I just broke 7,000 Kms, so its time to change the oil and filter. I stop at a modern, newish dealership and pull in to the service department. There is a CBR150 in the show room so I'm thinking they will be familiar with some thing besides a Wave. Boy was I wrong! The service manager asks me how many liters the bike hold and I tell him 1.6 (two .8L bottles) He comes back with a .8 liter container of 10W-30 Honda oil and tells me the oil is 400 baht per bottle, because its from Japan. He also tell me the bike does not have an oil filter, so I thank him very much and ride on, 555!

Long story short, I do not find competent mechanics until I go the fourth dealership! Oil and filter change costs 420 baht, so I'm good.

End up spending three nights at Udon, then head east, again on three and four digit roads, finally spending the night at Lom Sak.

I eat dinner at a friendly little Thai restaurant, when suddenly a Swedish guy turns up. The bamboo telegraph disclosed my location- the owners of the restaurant called his wife and said, "Hey, a farang just walked in, tell your husband!" The swede was a nice guy and told me he was the first foreigner to build a house in this particular area, but new arrivals were settling in all the time.

Yep, there really is a filter

The next morning I'm on the road at 8 sharp and push on for Uttaradit.

1143 is a fun ride and goes through Keang Chet Khwae National Park

At the next national Park, Nam Tok Chat Trakan I saw the funniest sign (sorry no pic) It read "Air Raid Shelter!" 555! OK, but why have air raid shelters in a national park? Yeah, I know, farang can not understand

I am making very good time, so I decide to push on, taking Rt 11 to Chiang Mai.

I think there was a bulls eye on my jacket, because on three occasions cars pulled out slowly in front of me, crossing both lanes and causing me to brake and maneuver sharply. On the last one I lost it, I laid on the horn and gave the driver the bird. Yeah I know its a big no no, but the moron nearly ran me off the road- and there was absolutely no traffic behind me! Grrr, Jai yen yen...

I arrived at Chiang Mai at 5:50 and finished my epic trip with a cheese burger at Sausage King!

Really fun 11 nights on the road

DavidFL · May 16, 2014

Billy Baht;299310 wrote:
1143 is a fun ride and goes through Keang Chet Khwae National Park

At the next national Park, Nam Tok Chat Trakan I saw the funniest sign (sorry no pic) It read "Air Raid Shelter!" 555! OK, but why have air raid shelters in a national park? Yeah, I know, farang can not understand

I am making very good time, so I decide to push on, taking Rt 11 to Chiang Mai.

I think there was a bulls eye on my jacket, because on three occasions cars pulled out slowly in front of me, crossing both lanes and causing me to brake and maneuver sharply. On the last one I lost it, I laid on the horn and gave the driver the bird. Yeah I know its a big no no, but the moron nearly ran me off the road- and there was absolutely no traffic behind me! Grrr, Jai yen yen...

I arrived at Chiang Mai at 5:50 and finished my epic trip with a cheese burger at Sausage King!

Really fun 11 nights on the road

You really did move along - well done.
For the pic above this looks like R2331 the the Phu Hin Rongkla National Park, arguably the most spectacular road & ride

https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/showthread.php/32945-Chiang-Mai-Dan-Sai-Phi-Ta-Khon-2010-amp-Return

the place used to be a communist stronghold in the late 60s - early 70s.

https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/showthread.php/29414-Phu-Hin-Rongkla-The-most-spectacular-ride-amp-road

Billy Baht · May 16, 2014

Thanks for the tactful correction David- you are indeed correct. I rechecked my notes and I traveled RT 2331, then on to 1143. Is there a road in Thailand that you haven't been on? Respect :smile1:

DavidFL · May 16, 2014

No worries, I hope you like the bit of history as it makes the ride through the park have a lot more meaning.
That's one hell of a road & view though eh - worth going back a few times when there is some greenery around.