Thailand musings
#1
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Thailand musings
OK. So, tentatively we were planning to tour South Korea next spring but some friends expressed their bucket list desire to tour Thailand. So I looked it up, literally for the first time and found well written article that made it seem awesome. I also like the itinerary's ease: Fly to Bangkok, train to Hat Yai and then bike back to Bangkok following the coast. Leave cooking and camping stuff at home because - Thailand.
Anyone done this route and is there a recommended gpx to go or do you just wing it (which is what I am best at)?
Luggage storage at the airport? Traveling on the train with a tandem or single bicycle?
Disclaimer - we have not yet made any decisions on where to tour in 2023 but this is now on our list of potential destinations.
Anyone done this route and is there a recommended gpx to go or do you just wing it (which is what I am best at)?
Luggage storage at the airport? Traveling on the train with a tandem or single bicycle?
Disclaimer - we have not yet made any decisions on where to tour in 2023 but this is now on our list of potential destinations.
Last edited by PedalingWalrus; 08-31-22 at 10:48 AM.
#2
Member
I would recommend touring instead in northern Thailand anytime from December to February. The north has great riding and interesting places to visit. The north is far enough from the equator that temperatures are far more comfortable during those 3 months than during the rest of the year, or during any month in central and southern Thailand. It's also the dry season in the north. I toured twice in northern Thailand in the Jan-Feb timeframe. Daytime temperatures were low 80s F (27 or 28C) and nighttime lows were upper 50s F (14 or 15C). I only had rain during one day in the north on the 2 trips combined.
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#3
bicycle tourist
It was some years ago, but I did this the other direction and enjoyed the trip.
-- The original plan was to bicycle Bangkok to Singapore. This was my "unwind" trip at the end of a 10 month vacation (first month was in the US warming up, six moths cycling across Russia, two months cycling China and just over a month allocated for this trip). I was essentially there between US Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since it was the "unwind" trip, I didn't do much planning in advance other than reading a journal or two and planning to go along the coast.
-- I slept inside every night with reasonable prices and ate foods along the way; no cook set or camping.
-- In southern Thailand, my 48-spoke hub failed. If this had been earlier in a longer trip - I would have gone back to Bangkok and figured out a replacement. Instead at end of a long trip, I adjusted by:
* catching a ride to next town on day the hub failed
* staying in that town relaxed the rest of the week
* getting a train ticket via Hat Yai and then to Kuala Lumpur where I stayed another week
* flying home from KL at end of the trip
All this worked fine and was an unplanned "unwind" at end of an otherwise 10 month adventure elsewhere.
- Until then cycling from Bangkok to southern Thailand worked well. Traffic was occasionally busy but much less aggressive than China where I had been the two months prior. I don't speak Thai but was able to get along fairly well.
-- The original plan was to bicycle Bangkok to Singapore. This was my "unwind" trip at the end of a 10 month vacation (first month was in the US warming up, six moths cycling across Russia, two months cycling China and just over a month allocated for this trip). I was essentially there between US Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since it was the "unwind" trip, I didn't do much planning in advance other than reading a journal or two and planning to go along the coast.
-- I slept inside every night with reasonable prices and ate foods along the way; no cook set or camping.
-- In southern Thailand, my 48-spoke hub failed. If this had been earlier in a longer trip - I would have gone back to Bangkok and figured out a replacement. Instead at end of a long trip, I adjusted by:
* catching a ride to next town on day the hub failed
* staying in that town relaxed the rest of the week
* getting a train ticket via Hat Yai and then to Kuala Lumpur where I stayed another week
* flying home from KL at end of the trip
All this worked fine and was an unplanned "unwind" at end of an otherwise 10 month adventure elsewhere.
- Until then cycling from Bangkok to southern Thailand worked well. Traffic was occasionally busy but much less aggressive than China where I had been the two months prior. I don't speak Thai but was able to get along fairly well.
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#4
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Thailand is amazing to tour in. However I was sexually assaulted in Thailand. I am a man. One night around 10 pm as I was touring through a quiet village area (it was hot so I liked to ride at night), a Thai man on a moped pulled me over for what I thought was a benign conversation. But then he suddenly groped me in the d*ck! As a male you're not prepared for this kind of attention, but the Thais are... very gay... apparently. I was 22 at the time, had a girly haircut (no haircut), and I had been cycling a lot so I was extremely thin. In that period I lived in Taylor Square, the gay part of Sydney. I could feel the eyeballs following me around. That's when I realized what a different world women live in.
Anyway I wasn't very traumatized. Obviously if you are a woman then this would be much scarier.
Anyway I wasn't very traumatized. Obviously if you are a woman then this would be much scarier.
Last edited by Yan; 08-31-22 at 07:22 PM.
#5
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I always wanted to visit Thailand, when I was younger, but now I'm not so sure. 😉 Just kidding, I think the gays got bolder everywhere, back in the '80s and moving forward. Being tall & thin, I've been propositioned several times, but most of them are actually pretty polite & civilized about it. Even if it's unpleasant to think about, it's best to just take it as a compliment, and move on. Of course, there are going to be a few bad eggs in any crowd, so be careful, folks. Always carry protection, and I don't mean condoms. 🙄
But seriously, I've only ever had Thai sticks once in my life, back in the '70s, would love to get more. 🥰😎😁
But seriously, I've only ever had Thai sticks once in my life, back in the '70s, would love to get more. 🥰😎😁
Last edited by stardognine; 08-31-22 at 09:04 PM.
#7
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suvarnabumi airport has a left luggage storage outside the secure area. or you could stay at a hotel near the airport with pickup service, stay one night, leave your stuff and bike boxes there in storage. if interested, i'll try to locate the one i stayed in last time.....something like "green resort" i think, in the lat krabang area just north of the airport.
next morning, bike a mile to the train station just north of the airport, catch the local (NOT during commuter time) to the main station. no baggage car, but you can load your bike into the main cabin. then switch to the southbound with baggage car.
ride back from hat yai to stay in the same hotel for a night, pack your stuff, and use their airport dropoff service next morning.
i did part of that route a decade ago, left bangkok, to kanchaniburi for a few days, then south towards singapore. got fed up with the dogs by the time i hit ratchaburi, so took a train from there to hat yai to start biking again. no stray dogs in the muslim south for some reason.
next morning, bike a mile to the train station just north of the airport, catch the local (NOT during commuter time) to the main station. no baggage car, but you can load your bike into the main cabin. then switch to the southbound with baggage car.
ride back from hat yai to stay in the same hotel for a night, pack your stuff, and use their airport dropoff service next morning.
i did part of that route a decade ago, left bangkok, to kanchaniburi for a few days, then south towards singapore. got fed up with the dogs by the time i hit ratchaburi, so took a train from there to hat yai to start biking again. no stray dogs in the muslim south for some reason.
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#9
Senior Member
I always wanted to visit Thailand, when I was younger, but now I'm not so sure. 😉 Just kidding, I think the gays got bolder everywhere, back in the '80s and moving forward. Being tall & thin, I've been propositioned several times, but most of them are actually pretty polite & civilized about it. Even if it's unpleasant to think about, it's best to just take it as a compliment, and move on. Of course, there are going to be a few bad eggs in any crowd, so be careful, folks. Always carry protection, and I don't mean condoms. 🙄
But seriously, I've only ever had Thai sticks once in my life, back in the '70s, would love to get more. 🥰😎😁
But seriously, I've only ever had Thai sticks once in my life, back in the '70s, would love to get more. 🥰😎😁
#11
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Plenty of stray dogs in Turkey. Some of them are even movie stars.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uC38BqP2_fI
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uC38BqP2_fI
Last edited by Ron Damon; 09-02-22 at 05:33 PM.
#12
Senior Member
There is no need to be scared of dogs. Most of them are all bark and no bite. Continue riding as normal and they will run off shortly. Even if they do try to bite you they are likely to go after your panniers instead of your spinning legs. The worst outcome is if you somehow crash while being chased.
Unless you're this guy: https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-...illed-dog.html
Unless you're this guy: https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-...illed-dog.html
Last edited by Yan; 09-02-22 at 03:57 PM.
#13
Senior Member
if you're innerested in the hotel in lat krabang near suvarnabuhmi airport, it's the "silver gold garden", promotions on agoda around $14
https://www.silvergoldgarden.com/
https://www.silvergoldgarden.com/
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#14
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Thailand is amazing to tour in. However I was sexually assaulted in Thailand. I am a man. One night around 10 pm as I was touring through a quiet village area (it was hot so I liked to ride at night), a Thai man on a moped pulled me over for what I thought was a benign conversation. But then he suddenly groped me in the d*ck! As a male you're not prepared for this kind of attention, but the Thais are... very gay... apparently. I was 22 at the time, had a girly haircut (no haircut), and I had been cycling a lot so I was extremely thin. In that period I lived in Taylor Square, the gay part of Sydney. I could feel the eyeballs following me around. That's when I realized what a different world women live in.
Anyway I wasn't very traumatized. Obviously if you are a woman then this would be much scarier.
Anyway I wasn't very traumatized. Obviously if you are a woman then this would be much scarier.
#15
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My Thai American wife and I have been living in Udon Thani (Northeast Thailand) since 2005 and have found the area quite nice and certainly affordable. We're both retirees from Florida. I have been cycling here since about 2006 and have made numerous tours in Thailand as well as the surrounding countries. My long ride was from Udon Thani (50kms S of Vientiane Laos) to Singapore with a good friend. It was a wonderful tour. Touring in Thailand is not difficult at all BUT you need to be VERY aware of Thai drivers as they do not normally abide by what anyone from the west may call normal driving rules like stopping at STOP signs, traffic lights, yield signs etc. The key thing to keep in mind is to expect the unexpected!!! FYI Thailand ranks number 2 in the world for traffic deaths and probably number 1 when you factor in those that die later in the hospital. Don't expect any help from the Thai police either as they're much too lazy to do any "active policing". It's best to stay off the major highways whenever possible and opt instead for the secondary and village roads. Most but not all roads have an ample relatively wide cycling lane. The most dangerous times are at night with drunk and meth heads on both motorcycles and other vehicles. My friends and I avoid night riding except after checking in for the night and getting some dinner. Accommodations of all sorts and prices abound throughout the country with the highest prices in the tourist areas of ****et, Koh Samui, Bangkok Chiang Mai etc. Accommodations: Hotels in the larger towns/cities, Resorts/Guest Houses (motels) are widely available and very affordable. Eating: Be very wary of "street food" as sanitation is not a priority here in Thailand and one could easily become sidelined with a nasty case of stomach problems. Drinks: bottled water and all sorts of soft drinks/teas etc are available in every village and even outside the villages alongside the road at times. i would strongly advise against drinking tap water as Thai water systems are unsafe for anything other than showering and brushing your teeth. Dogs: they're all over and most are uncontrolled unlike Vietnam which is just the opposite. Good advice is to stop peddling and just coast which will generally work to make them bored enough to stop chasing you. Be very wary of stray animals of any sort here as Rabies is a huge problem. Medical care is widely available, very affordable and quite good. Every city will have at least one hospital. Here in Udon Thani we have 3 large private hospitals and a large government run general hospital as well. Language: A mixed bag at best with many people speaking at least some English especially in the cities and large towns. Cycling weather is quite nice Oct-Jan with warm to very warm days and nights. Pharmacies: are available in every town/city/village and are quite well stocked. Shopping: Supermarkets are available in every city some on the scale of a Walmart. here in udon Thani we have 8. IT is quite good and very affordable. Coverage is very good to excellent. One nice feature is that you are not charged for an incoming phone call. Maps: we normally use Reise maps as they're indestructible and very accurate with a scale of 1:1.200.000.
Despite all the cautions above Thailand is a really great place to cycle. I'll happily answer any of your questions which I have not already covered.
Despite all the cautions above Thailand is a really great place to cycle. I'll happily answer any of your questions which I have not already covered.
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BTW I forgot to add that I'm riding a Surly Long Haul Trucker as my primary ride and a Surly Disc Trucker as my secondary bike.
#17
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Be very wary of "street food" as sanitation is not a priority here in Thailand and one could easily become sidelined with a nasty case of stomach problems. Drinks: bottled water and all sorts of soft drinks/teas etc are available in every village and even outside the villages alongside the road at times. i would strongly advise against drinking tap water as Thai water systems are unsafe for anything other than showering and brushing your teeth. Dogs: they're all over and most are uncontrolled unlike Vietnam which is just the opposite.
I have always consumed filtered or bottled water in SE Asia, except for prosperous Singapore. I don't even use tap water for brushing my teeth.
I don't recall having any problems with dogs in Thailand on my two tours there. Maybe I was just lucky.
#18
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This past weekend we struck a conversation at a local farm market with a guy who just came from touring in Asia. He tried renting a motorcycle and riding but gave up after few days of seeing many horrific accidents. I thought that was interesting.
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Eating street food is one of the joys of travel throughout SE Asia. I've never gotten sick from street food anywhere in the world, including 3 bike tours in SE Asia. "Night markets" have wonderful and inexpensive food in Thailand, Malaysia, & Singapore. I don't recall nearly as much street food in Laos, however. If a stall is doing lots of business, that's usually a pretty good sign. I didn't meet any other travelers in Thailand who had gotten sick there, either. I didn't get sick at all in Malaysia, but my touring partner got sick for 24 hours from a restaurant meal there, i.e. not from street food.
I have always consumed filtered or bottled water in SE Asia, except for prosperous Singapore. I don't even use tap water for brushing my teeth.
I don't recall having any problems with dogs in Thailand on my two tours there. Maybe I was just lucky.
I have always consumed filtered or bottled water in SE Asia, except for prosperous Singapore. I don't even use tap water for brushing my teeth.
I don't recall having any problems with dogs in Thailand on my two tours there. Maybe I was just lucky.
Stray dogs are all over in this country and rabies is a significant problem because the great majority are not vaccinated against the disease. I have no idea where you've cycled in Thailand but the Thai people have no common sense when it comes to controlling the stray animal population. Most will never bring their dog to be neutered which just contributes to the problem. My wife and I have helped many of our neighbors by paying for the service with a local vet as it's very affordable for us. I cycle daily around Udon Thani weather permitting and I doubt there's a day that goes by when I don't encounter stray dogs. I've only been bitten once on my shoe by a stray so no medical problem but I'm always cautious especially when cycling through villages. A close friend of mine was dumped from his bike trying to avoid an aggressive dog. The same problem is practically non-existent in the surrounding countries of Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam & Malaysia.
Northern Vietnam close to Hanoi.
Just outside Hanoi
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#20
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I've lived, studied and/or worked in SEAsia for 21 years and been to all its countries (save for Brunei) so I got a good sense of the region. For me, the problem with street food is two-fold. First, you are literally on the street which usually means noisy, densely packed and kinda dirtty. Two, it's ingredients are not the best or highest quality due to the fact that street food tends to cater to the lower-income crowd. There are exceptions, of course. You can sit off the street away from traffic, noise,etc. for not much more. Given a choice, that's what I choose.
#21
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"Hawker's Centres" & "night markets" are not on the street. They are a designated spot where food vendors set up in the evening, or in the case of Singapore, a collection of permanent outdoor food stalls selling throughout the day. Singapore's are famous and one was featured in "Crazy Rich Asians".
https://www.eater.com/2018/9/4/17817...scene-location
Bangkok has some great night markets, too. In a restaurant, you usually cannot see food preparation or storage. You often can get a much better sense of cleanliness in a night market. I've seen some very large night markets in Thailand & Malaysia, usually packed with locals. In Kota Bahru in northern Malaysia near the Thai border, we couldn't figure out why there seemed to be few grocery stores. We found out why that evening. There was an enormous night market which set up in an area the size of a football field, complete with tables and chairs for folks to eat at. This was hardly catering to a "lower-income crowd". Rather, it seemed to be catering to the entire town. If folks are routinely getting sick from a food vendor, the vendor won't last long. I recall an especially good night market in Nan, Thailand. I had some fantastic sweet corn fritters there with a spicy satay-style peanut dipping sauce. Penang, Malaysia, had outstanding food, both street food as well as restaurant food. Most of the street food was Chinese. Restaurants on Penang were Chinese as well as Indian, reflecting the ethnic population on the island.
Everybody's got their own opinions about what is safe and what is not. I'm adventurous when it comes to food when traveling. It's one of the biggest attractions of travel for me. It brings me joy. Just as many non-cyclists think I'm nuts to ride around some foreign country on a bicycle, many folks think it's nuts to try street food. I find that to be sad. Plus, there are some foods which are delicious but typically not available in restaurants. A good example are tamales in Mexico. You usually have to get them from a street vendor, not in restaurants. It's also just about the safest thing you can eat because they're steamed for a long time. In Asia, I've sometimes had no idea what I've been eating, but it has almost always been delicious.
I've sometimes encountered wealthy ex-pats who are shocked that I would eat in a night market. But I've also encountered some ex-pats who gave me tips about what to try. I've noticed that food vendors in places like Thailand and in markets in Mexico are extraordinarily pleased when a farang or gringo is interested in their dishes.
The sickest I ever got from eating was from a dinner in a Japanese restaurant in New York City. It was ptomaine poisoning from bad shrimp. I was in Ecuador with the same friend I biked with in Malaysia. This time, I was the one who got sick from a restaurant meal.
As the French say, chacun à son goût.
https://www.eater.com/2018/9/4/17817...scene-location
Bangkok has some great night markets, too. In a restaurant, you usually cannot see food preparation or storage. You often can get a much better sense of cleanliness in a night market. I've seen some very large night markets in Thailand & Malaysia, usually packed with locals. In Kota Bahru in northern Malaysia near the Thai border, we couldn't figure out why there seemed to be few grocery stores. We found out why that evening. There was an enormous night market which set up in an area the size of a football field, complete with tables and chairs for folks to eat at. This was hardly catering to a "lower-income crowd". Rather, it seemed to be catering to the entire town. If folks are routinely getting sick from a food vendor, the vendor won't last long. I recall an especially good night market in Nan, Thailand. I had some fantastic sweet corn fritters there with a spicy satay-style peanut dipping sauce. Penang, Malaysia, had outstanding food, both street food as well as restaurant food. Most of the street food was Chinese. Restaurants on Penang were Chinese as well as Indian, reflecting the ethnic population on the island.
Everybody's got their own opinions about what is safe and what is not. I'm adventurous when it comes to food when traveling. It's one of the biggest attractions of travel for me. It brings me joy. Just as many non-cyclists think I'm nuts to ride around some foreign country on a bicycle, many folks think it's nuts to try street food. I find that to be sad. Plus, there are some foods which are delicious but typically not available in restaurants. A good example are tamales in Mexico. You usually have to get them from a street vendor, not in restaurants. It's also just about the safest thing you can eat because they're steamed for a long time. In Asia, I've sometimes had no idea what I've been eating, but it has almost always been delicious.
I've sometimes encountered wealthy ex-pats who are shocked that I would eat in a night market. But I've also encountered some ex-pats who gave me tips about what to try. I've noticed that food vendors in places like Thailand and in markets in Mexico are extraordinarily pleased when a farang or gringo is interested in their dishes.
The sickest I ever got from eating was from a dinner in a Japanese restaurant in New York City. It was ptomaine poisoning from bad shrimp. I was in Ecuador with the same friend I biked with in Malaysia. This time, I was the one who got sick from a restaurant meal.
As the French say, chacun à son goût.
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