Dirt road between Korat and Sakeow?

Oddvar

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Mar 18, 2013
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Looking for a dirt road between Korat and Sakeow!

Many maps shows a road between Korat and Sakeow east of 304. I had to have a look.
All maps and Google Earth agreed that there was a missing part in the middle, and I wanted to prove them wrong!


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A sign for the dam and I was on the right way.

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This do not look too bad.

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Still good roads and no sign of life anywhere.

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Ok, so some Elephants has been here too.

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After 37km from the Army camp I came to this.

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I had come so far so I pushed on. To the left of the path there was a concrete water drainage. They don't make themselves so something man-made had been done here.

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After 1.7km I came to this and this was the day that I did not bring my chainsaw. I walked past the fallen tree for a couple of hundred metres and the path opened up a bit.
As I was alone I turned around. Will try again from the south side another time. With a saw!

Korat%20Sakeow%20008-L.jpg

Later on I saw that I almost ripped the cooling off the bike. Lucky me!

To be continued...
 
Last edited:
Mar 30, 2010
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That looks like quite an adventure and in the rainy season too..

Hope you make it through..

Cheers
Brian
 
Oct 17, 2006
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LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE ON THE IMFAMOUS ROAD TO NOWHERE....BEWARE many people have dissaapeared forever round there.....its the bermuda triangle of thailand ......
 

Moto-Rex

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Looks like your going where no man has gone before.

If you do get through, I reckon it should named on the map as the "The Oddvar Adventure trail"

Nice photos mate, good luck with your next try. BYO chainsaw.

Moto-Rex
 

Oddvar

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QUOTE from this tread.
https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/showthread.php/34611-Road-3462-is-closed?highlight=3462

I know these two parks very well, the road was completed as a converted logging track about 20+ years ago and you could drive through BUT it was closed about 10 years ago and allowed to re-fallow because of the disturbance to the nature in the area. Turns out it was a very good decision because I personally saw a tiger up there 3 years ago. The high mountain areas between these two parks is a refuge for many endangered species and if there is any chance that the extinct Kouprey still does survive its in this area. I have walked about 70% of the "closed" track and believe you me theres no way you could (or would be allowed to attempt it) on an offroad bike - even walking in sections is a real struggle. It takes 3 days to walk/hack through the closed section in the dry season (longer in the wet season).

It will never be opened again, nature has reclaimed it - its a bit wierd to be in there though and see a road sign still sticking out of the side of the jungle (and it really is jungle up there), or to catch a glimpse of steel reinforcing from an old concrete culvert at the side of the track.
UNQUOTE

I will respect this and not pursue any more driving on this road.
 
Aug 7, 2003
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I have been through south/north on this road approx 10 years ago on my XL600LM. There were many places where the "road" was rutted very deep and one dirt culvet over a ravine was narrow , down to 10" wide. It took a whole day and I ran out of water. A second attempt to get through the next season failed and also attempts in later years. The road crossings over the ravines are just washed out and too deep. Yes it is a beautiful area, this is I think a continuation of the escarpment that is the Thai - Cambodian border further east, also noted the road signs, funny took look above the tall grass on the " road " and see a yellow sign for a corner stuck on the side of the jungle. And yes , it may be better left alone, but then I know many riders respect the environment , take their rubbish out, cause minimum disturbance.
 
Dec 27, 2007
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I've tried to approach this trail from both north and south and both times was turned away by park rangers.
TheYaekKhonBuriMap.jpg


It doesn't sound like it would be much fun on a bike but I wonder if there's a way to get permission to hike through on foot?

Ah- seems it's possible on foot:

whitehead;269081 wrote: Just back from trips (nature not riding) to both sides of this road - northern route (Khorat to Srakaeo) closed at Klong Lam Man. No access - period.

Southern route (SraKaeo to Khorat) closed at Pang Sida Waterfall - need written pass to go further (obtainable at Visitor's Centre). Also need a ranger to go further and venture off the Thanon Daeng. No bikes allowed off track, foot only (even on foot must be accompanied by ranger).
 
Nov 21, 2010
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Hahaha I tried that "road" about 8 years ago .... by car. Luckily the guys at the army camp told me that the road was partly gone due to landslides.

But the guy at "Jungle View" (Wang Nam Kiao) says that behind him in the jungle is a great track to Chok Chai.
 
Oct 17, 2006
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i remember when that road was just about passable in a 4wd in the dry season but its was back in 1997 ,its been closed for years due to floods ,landslide a collapsed bridge , ford washed away as well overgrown back into prime jungle and there are wild animals in that area including Tigers, That part of Thailand is like a lost world ,, considering that its relatively close to major population centres and industrial zones its a genuine wilderness ,, but it does get extreme weather and also has park status with a lot of miltary activity too,its a jungle survival training area for Burapha field force & thai commando units based near Sakaeo