Somewhere north of Chiang Mai, on Route 1095 towards Pai and Mae Hong Son, a sign announces 1,864 curves, and riders queue to have their photo taken with it. That road, through the mountains of the far north-west, is the heart of the Mae Hong Son ride, and this point in Bangkok's western outskirts is where it all ends, back in the flatlands after the bikes have been flown or trucked home and the last kilometres ridden across the city.
The area around Thawi Watthana and Bang Yai is the old Thonburi orchard country, a district of canals, nurseries, fruit gardens and new housing estates, where the city is still in the process of swallowing the countryside. On weekends, the Taling Chan floating market, a few kilometres east, is a relaxed place to eat grilled fish and noodles on wooden platforms over the canal, with boats selling fruit and sweets alongside. It is much less touristy than the famous floating markets further out of town.
Bang Yai itself is a fast-growing suburb across the border in Nonthaburi province, with huge shopping malls, markets and a new metro line overhead, and it has every service you might need. Ending a ride here means you are close to the main roads north and west, but away from the dense traffic of central Bangkok.
The contrast with the north could hardly be greater. Up there, the roads twist through teak forests and mountain villages, with cool mornings, misty valleys and long climbs. Down here, it is flat, hot and humid, and the traffic is intense, especially in the evenings. Motorcycles are not permitted on the expressways and motorways, so stick to the surface roads, keep to the left lane and watch out for buses and pick-ups pulling in suddenly. Fuel and food are available on every main road. After weeks in the mountains, a bowl of boat noodles by a canal is a gentle way to readjust to the lowlands.