Khlong Luang sprawls across the flat rice plain north of Bangkok, a district of canals, industrial estates and university campuses. Thammasat University's Rangsit campus, the Asian Institute of Technology and Thailand Science Park are all here, along with Navanakorn, one of the country's large industrial zones. It is a busy, modern place that gives little hint of the countryside it once was.
The canals are the key to its history. In the late nineteenth century, under King Chulalongkorn, a grid of canals known as the Rangsit system was dug across these marshy plains to irrigate rice fields and open them to settlement. Khlong Luang means the great canal, and the waterways still define the landscape, with houses on stilts, small boats and lotus ponds between the factories and shopping malls.
Riding here is about navigating traffic. Phahonyothin Road, Highway 1, runs north towards Ayutthaya and beyond, busy with trucks, buses and countless motorcycles. Motorcycles are not allowed on Thailand's motorways and expressways, so you will be on the main roads with everyone else. Expect heat, humidity and sudden downpours in the rainy season, from roughly June to October. Watch for vehicles entering from side roads and U-turn points.
Fuel stations are everywhere, often with convenience stores, coffee and clean toilets, and many of them are open around the clock. Street food stalls and markets offer cheap and tasty meals. The Mae Hong Son route starts its long journey north from here, so this is a good point to take a break, drink plenty of water and get ready for the long ride towards the mountains of the north.