Khao Yai Mountain Roads

A 236 km loop

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Why this ride

A proper escape from Bangkok with roads worth waking up for. Out of Pak Kret and back again: 236 km, roughly 4 h 17 in the saddle. The stops in between: Scenic stretch near Khan Na Yao, Phra Pradaeng and near Samut Sakhon. near Ban Khlong Bang Sao Thong is the high point. The line favours views over speed.

Roadbook

1. Fuel stop near Pak Kret fuel

   Fuel at 0 km.

2. Scenic stretch near Khan Na Yao scenic

   Scenic stretch near Khan Na Yao comes up 35 km in.

3. High point near Ban Khlong Bang Sao Thong pass

   This is where the road stops climbing.

4. Phra Pradaeng photo

   Khao Yai Mountain Roads photo pull-off, about halfway.

5. Near Phra Pradaeng finish

   This is the south-western edge of Bangkok, out where the city stops pretending to be a city and turns into a muddle of canals, warehouses, shrimp ponds and condo blocks on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya. Thung Khru and Bang Khun Thian are the districts on the map; Phra Pradaeng, the town that gives the label its name, lies across the river to the east. As a place to begin and end rides north to Ayutthaya or north-east to Khao Yai it makes practical sense, because you avoid crossing the dense middle of the capital twice a day.

   Riding here is about patience and awareness rather than corners. Rama II Road, the main artery heading south-west, is wide, busy and lined with lorries, and the side sois are full of scooters doing whatever they like. Motorcycles are barred from the expressways and motorways in Thailand, so you will use the ordinary surface roads, where the leftmost lane is effectively the bike lane and buses swing into it without much notice. Leave before seven on a weekend and the whole city feels more relaxed; by mid-morning on a weekday it is a slow crawl in the heat.

   There is more nature close by than you would guess. Bang Khun Thian is the only Bangkok district that touches the sea, a short strip of mangrove coast on the Gulf of Thailand where the city has tried to hold back erosion with bamboo fences and replanting. Across the river, Bang Krachao, the big loop of the Chao Phraya next to Phra Pradaeng, is known locally as Bangkok's green lung: orchards, raised walkways and quiet lanes kept largely free of development. It is a pleasant place to potter about on two wheels at the end of a long day, though the roads inside the loop are narrow and you will share them with cyclists.

   Practically, this is ordinary suburban Bangkok, which means fuel stations, convenience stores and noodle stalls on almost every main road. The stores are a good place to buy cold water and electrolyte drinks before setting out. At the finish, after hours on the highway, a bowl of boat noodles at a canal-side shop and a slow ride home with the evening breeze off the river is about as civilised as Bangkok gets.

6. Food stop near Samut Sakhon food

   Samut Sakhon smells of the sea. The city sits at the mouth of the Tha Chin River where it flows into the Gulf of Thailand, about thirty kilometres southwest of Bangkok, and it has been a fishing port for centuries. Locals often still call it Mahachai, its old name. Boats crowd the river, and the fish market near the pier is one of the busiest in the country, piled with prawns, squid, crabs and fish of every kind.

   Around the city, the flat coastal land is crisscrossed by canals and dotted with salt pans and shrimp farms. Along the road to the west you can see workers raking salt into white heaps in the evaporation ponds, a tradition that goes back generations. Samut Sakhon also has a large community of migrant workers from Myanmar, many working in the seafood processing industry, and their presence gives parts of the city a distinctive character, with Burmese shops and food.

   One of the most unusual ways to arrive is by train. The Maeklong Railway runs from Bangkok to Mahachai, where passengers take a ferry across the river and then another train continues to the famous market at Maeklong, where vendors pull back their awnings as the train passes through the stalls.

   About the swim: the coast here is mud flats and mangroves rather than beaches, and the water is brown, shallow and used by fishing boats. Not a place for swimming. If you want a beach, the resorts of Hua Hin or Pattaya are a long ride away. Here, the best way to cool off is a cold drink at a seafood restaurant overlooking the river or the sea.

   Riding in Samut Sakhon is busy and flat. The Rama II Road, the main highway southwest from Bangkok, is crowded with trucks and buses, and the city streets are full of scooters, pickups and street vendors. Traffic can be chaotic, with sudden lane changes and vehicles entering without warning. Fuel and food are everywhere. Try the seafood, especially grilled prawns, steamed crabs and fried fish, at one of the many restaurants by the water, then head back toward Ayutthaya and the river roads.

7. Near Bang Len, on the way back swim
8. Back to Khao Yai finish

   Pak Kret is a town of potters. North of Bangkok, on the Chao Phraya, the red-brown clay of the riverbank has been fired into earthenware here since the Mon people settled the area in the eighteenth century, and the tradition continues on a small island called Koh Kret, reached by a short ferry. Walking the narrow concrete lanes around the island with the sound of kilns and the sight of rows of terracotta pots drying in the sun is a good reason to come.

   The neighbouring province of Nonthaburi has another claim to fame, its durians, which are prized across Thailand. In the season, from April to June, roadside stalls sell the fruit in heaps, and the smell hangs in the warm air. The Chao Phraya here is wide and brown, busy with tugs, barges and long-tail boats, and the banks are lined with temples and old wooden houses.

   For a rider, the roads in this area are mostly urban and slow. Chaeng Watthana and Tiwanon roads carry heavy traffic, and the combination of motorbikes, vans, buses and pedestrians requires constant attention. Some of the quieter lanes beside canals are more pleasant, with temples and market stalls to pass, but they can be narrow and potholed. Floods in the rainy season are common, and dusk brings clouds of mosquitoes. Early mornings, before the heat and commuter jams, are cooler and calmer. Parking for bikes is easy near the ferry pier.

   Practically, everything is available. Fuel stations are along every main road, shopping malls sell supplies and spares, and there are food courts and street stalls serving noodles, grilled meat and sweet snacks. The ferry to Koh Kret is cheap and runs frequently, and bikes are usually carried at a small charge, though the island is best explored on foot or by hired bicycle. Bring cash, because small vendors rarely take cards. Weekends bring crowds from the city, so visit on a weekday if possible. The real Khao Yai lies far to the north-east, but this stop is an easy and rewarding contrast.

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