After only two days of what felt like a blur – it was time to hit the road and experience some what the ‘real’ Thailand had to offer. We were in for an exciting and interesting week!
15/01/24 – Silom Road – Pak Kret District – 46km
Getting jabbed and sleeping behind gates
Before leaving New Zealand, our initial plan was to head directly north for the city of Chiang Mai and its surrounding jungle. With this in mind, Rach organised through Warmshowers (an amazing community similar to Couchsurfing – but solely for bike travellers) to stay with a Thai/American couple on the northern outskirts for a night. Once approved for a 60day visa though, we decided to alter plans and see a few beaches – before heading north and into what would eventually be land-locked and mountainous Laos and Northern Vietnam.
Cruising out of our hotel room into heavy Monday morning Bangkok traffic, our first stop was the hospital for tropical diseases (in the direction we already needed to head thankfully!), where Rach was saving a FORTUNE over getting her jabs back home.
This was our first time heavily loaded and relying on the (new to us) Komoot navigation app designed heavily with touring cyclists in mind. It’s excellent!! Taking us through a mixture of tiny back alleys that felt like people’s private backyards, along quiet canals in the heart of the city, then down major arterials where there were no other options. All day we felt super safe!
Once on the outskirts of Bangkok, (following The Pink Line – a newly constructed massive overhead trainline) the cycling shoulder started getting larger, with things starting to feel more industrial now. Eventually we came to a bridge where the option was either carry our bikes up 4 flights of stairs, ride over, then carry down again – or pay 7 baht (NZD$0.35) each for the privilege of a ferry crossing. The ferry it was.
Coming off the ferry things were immediately very industrial, and another kilometre later (once we’d passed what was meant to be our Warmshowers hosts address) there was a tiny moment of doubt I’d (or Komoot had) interpreted the foreign-style address clearly. A large gate-house with security detail quickly gave away where we were headed though. A quick phone call and security escort later, we were being ushered to our amazing Warmshowers hosts house inside a secured community.
Not only were we being very kindly hosted, but they were also hosting some Canadian friends at the same time, which made for a bunch of fun and lively dinner chat after we’d cooled off for the day in their pool!
16/01/24 – Ko Kret Island – 19km
Island Life in the City
At the recommendation of our hosts we took some time to explore Ko Kret Island. It was once a peninsula before a channel was hand-cut, separating it from the mainland to make shipping faster through Bangkok. It also has a history of being used as a hiding place for many politicians and officers to avoid the bombing of Bangkok during the Second World War.
There are no cars on the Island but a 6km walkway/moped track circles the place, dotted with vendors and curiosities of all sorts along the way. A short 10 baht ferry (incl bikes) later and we were hunting out the mornings first coffee.
One thing I still couldn’t get over was the sheer number of fish in the rivers and canals of Bangkok. They’re absolutely teaming with them! Although some do fish here, it seems more of a local custom to feed the fish off one of the many piers – resulting in a big boil-up of large fish slithering over each other. Lunch was spent drinking Chang and eating pork noodles, with our feet dangling perilously close to being fish food.
A definite highlight of the day for me was running into two happy kids fishing off a ferry terminal. The first little one they caught slipped sight out of this kids hands to its freedom, but they were keen to show me another. Line back down and almost instantly they were hooked up – before quickly hopping a few rails to excitedly hand the rod to me. Unfortunately, at that exact moment the fish used one of the pilings to cut the line free. Not exactly the thrilling finish of landing a Bangkok marlin – but the excitement these kids had was just awesome.
After a good 6hrs covering 6km, it was another quick ferry hop (ticket guy blatantly tried overcharging us this time, until questioned and his pricing board pointed out) back to the host family for some washing and another afternoon swim.
Dinner was a ‘family affair’ back at our hosts with them putting on a large spread of fantastic Thai food for both us and the Canadian’s again. The hospitality was amazing and very much appreciated!
17/01/24 – Warmshowers Stay – Phutthamonthon Park – 59km
The first proper day on the bike
Heading out of the protective gates of our Warmshowers hosts as we crossed our way south-west towards the eventual coast, we were straight onto big industrial roads and then massive motorways. Something us little kiwis were quite unfamiliar with! Even though well out of place on our loaded bikes, we never once felt unsafe or unsure as traffic was just amazing – giving us (and each other) plenty of room. The way the amount of traffic moves and flows around this place is just phenomenal!
Stinking hot is probably the best description of the day. Navigating a concrete jungle under the blazing sun with very little breeze, we felt very out of place starting to explore our new world ‘for-real’.
One particular 5km section required an extreme amount of focus as we made our way through an Industrial area larger than the Wellington CBD – and where I’d imagine quite a few of the ‘Made in Thailand’ tyres come from (incl our own excellent Vittoria Mezcals). Needless to say I didn’t ride one-handed down here using the camera.
Arriving at the 400-hectare Phutthamonthon Park (home to a 16m high standing Buddha) we planned to be a bit sneaky and find somewhere to stealth camp for the night. While slowly rolling around exploring the vast grounds and pagodas waiting for it to get dark, we stumbled across a film set where a famous Thai actor was shooting a romantic sunset scene on a lake. Quite surreal, but clearly scuppered that particular location to camp.
Once dark and the park seemingly empty, we chose what must’ve been the hottest piece of concrete around to set the tent up on. Never before have I had so many beads of sweat running off my body as I did trying to fall asleep.
18/01/24 – Under the Standing Buddha – Samut Songkhram – 70km
The Day of the Venomous Gecko
After a successful stealth camp near the standing Buddha and the hottest night we’d ever spent in a tent, we were up early. Having discovered I didn’t have a pillow and my air mat was leaking enough to wake me up on the concrete at 4am and we seemed to be sleeping in a constant state of running sweat – it wasn’t hard leaving camp at 6am. Lots of long straight roads today with Rach’s first-ever wild snake sighting (a dead one) before nearly running over a live one only about 30min later. Enough dead snakes littering the sides of the roads to make the ‘snake or rope’ game entertaining.
Treated ourselves to a long lunch in a fancy seafood restaurant perched over the wetlands while escaping the heat of the day (550 THB incl 3 beers). While preparing the bikes to roll-out again there was a sharp shrill scream from the direction of the bathroom Rach was visiting… I was promptly treated to an animated story full of excitement, of how when using the hand towel dispenser – a venomous snake (read: gecko) suddenly fell out of the dispenser onto Rach’s poor hand waiting below!! The remaining adrenaline no doubt powered the next 20min of riding.
Arriving in Samut Songkhram late afternoon I promptly purchased a pair of jandals to escape the sweaty shoes (450THB – Rach reckons I got shafted), before heading straight to the river. At the river we hung out while watching active river boats and waiting for the next train to pull into Maeklong Station. What an experience that was watching it slowly pull through what was a busy market moments earlier – even if we were surrounded by the most westerners we’d seen since Khao San Road.
With nowhere to camp and a failed homestay attempt from a lovely Thai lady Rach met at the riverside temple, we checked into the 600 THB Alongkorn Hotel – where washing was completed in the shower and a clothesline strung across our now Chinese laundry-looking room. A quick wander around town revealed a fantastic food market where we were able to have a great feed ready for the next day – in clean dry clothes again.
19/01/24 – Samut Songkhram – Laem Luang Beach – 72km
Under the Salty Sun and Temples
The area south of Samut Songkhram is known for its salt production as well as great riding on a dedicated bikeway – and the salt certainly didn’t fail to deliver. After a quick stop at our first eerily quiet temple for the day (a HUGE Chinese style thing with a solitary sitting monk we debated over whether real or wax) we were onto the never-ending salt flats.
Like something out of a sci-fi movie (or The Flintstones), workers roll around on rudimentary carts flattening the salt before teams of workers slave away in the hot sun like a human conveyor belt retrieving it all. While sheltering in an unused shed we had a friendly local (Ajay, an Indian whos been in Thailand a few years now and loving it) selling peanuts pull in for a chat and obligatory photo session.
Rach’s new 150THB sunnies shat the bed today. Frame already cracked in multiple places and the half dangling sunnies made for some laughs. Hopefully my jandals last longer.
Great early afternoon roadside stop with some cold Chang’s in a pretty pagoda, but these roadside water machines that get talked up as being everywhere are pretty scarce. Still paying 22THB for 2x 1.5l bottles from the 7-Eleven.
Replaced the jet in the cooker outside one of the 7-Eleven’s, but still no luck getting it running. The fuel just refuses to burn very well. Replaced it for some 95-octane that evening and got the cooker running like a dream finally!
Found a stealth camp location in an out-of-the-way pagoda over a river at the end of a quiet beach before heading off for some dinner and an exploration of the area. After watching the sunset with a sky full of bats over a large golden Buddha statue, we met a very chatty roadside skewer vendor (Mon) and ended up having a good laugh until it was well dark, and time to return to the pagoda to setup camp. With the sighting of another snake in the mud directly below us before bed, I’m sure Rach’s side of the tent was well secured before her head hit the pillow.
Possibly meet our Bangkok homestay hosts in Cha-am for a swim and beer tomorrow.
20/01/24 – Laem Luang Beach – Hua Hin – 82km
From a Dirty Pagoda to Paradise
Constant river traffic past us last night with brightly lit-up fishing boats making their way up and down the river while heading out/coming back from their hunting grounds, but we both had a decent sleep. Rode the first 15km in search of coffee before finding it at the sleepy village of Puek Tian Beach with its large statue in the water of Nang Phisuea Samudra (a character from a famous poem). Things are starting to look very beachy/touristy now.
Stopped for 1st lunch (extremely sweet bread creations) at a random roadside cat cafe, where much to the amusement of staff a very protective rooster quickly told Rach off for getting too close to his girl – before they eventually made friends. Got told off upon leaving though when we presented a 1000THB note for our 168THB bill. Have cash! “NUMBER 1 THING IN THAILAND!” I was told in a way I wouldn’t forget as I cleaned out his change drawer and sent him scrambling around for more.
Something odd we’ve noticed here – lots of bottles of things you buy are only half to 3/4 full. Dishsoap today didn’t escape this same curiosity.
2nd lunch was on the packed sand of Cha-am beach. A local ‘non-touristy’ spot. Rach’s crab stirfry had actual whole crabs (about 6cm in size) – we weren’t quite sure how to tackle them. Very crunchy.
Aimed to meet our Bangkok hosts at 3ish for a swim in their apartment pool – but this quickly turned into 4:30 with the number of stops today. No regrets though! Arrived to find the apartment was an actual full-blown resort-style building (just how things are around here..)! Shared drinks and travel stories on the beach with our Warmshowers hosts and Canadian family we’d earlier met until it was dark and time for us to get back on the road. A final 30km of night riding awaited us before Hua Hin and the offer of an empty apartment for a day or two.
Had a quick dinner at the very touristy Cicada Night Market (expensive/flashy/busy with vibes of Eat Street in Brisbane) before arriving at our very kindly offered apartment after 9pm – to find no power, water or aircon/fan. A couple of texts later and we were quickly up and running with a refreshing shower under light.
Our bike lights died on the ride tonight. Never again…
