Pattaya Coast and Silverlake
A 260 km loop
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Why this ride
A rider’s loop: clean exit, memorable middle, calm return. Out of Bangkok and back again: 260 km, roughly 4 h 44 in the saddle. The plan has 1 food stop marked.
Roadbook
- Bangkok
start
Bangkok is a city you meet with all your senses at once: the smell of charcoal grills and jasmine garlands, the sound of tuk-tuks and boat engines on the river, the heat that reaches you before you step out of the hotel lobby. About five million people live in the city proper and many more in the sprawl around it, and the Chao Phraya river is the thread that still holds the old centre together. The Grand Palace, Wat Pho with its huge reclining Buddha, and the temples of the old quarter sit along its eastern bank, and ferries cross the water for a few baht.
For a rider, Bangkok is the thing to leave early. Traffic is dense, the expressways have tolls, and the junctions are a thicket of motorbikes, so you will want to start at dawn, when the streets are quiet and the air is cooler. Follow the signs for Highway 1 north, or take the expressway and then peel off toward the old capital of Ayutthaya, about eighty kilometres away. Lane discipline is looser than in Europe, and overtaking happens on both sides, but traffic moves in a kind of rhythm you can learn to read.
Weather has a strong hand. The hot season peaks in April and May, with temperatures near forty, and the rains from June to October can drop a month's worth of water in an afternoon. November to February is cooler and drier and by far the best time to ride, though air pollution can be bad in the cool season. Always carry a rain jacket and drink plenty of water.
Bangkok has everything a motorcyclist might need: fuel on every major road, bike shops, 24-hour convenience stores and food at every hour. Start with breakfast at a street stall, perhaps a bowl of rice porridge with pork and a fried egg, and coffee with condensed milk. If you plan to ride a Thai-registered bike, keep your licence, passport copy and helmet with you, as police checks are common. Return in the evening and the river looks different, with the temples lit up and ferries gliding past.
- Pattaya
food
Sixty years ago Pattaya was a fishing village on a quiet bay south-east of Bangkok. Then, in the 1960s, American servicemen on leave from the Vietnam War started coming here for rest and recreation, and the place has never looked back. Today it is one of Thailand's biggest resorts, a city of high-rise hotels, condominium towers, shopping malls and a nightlife scene that is either legendary or notorious, depending on your perspective. It is loud, brash and busy, and for many riders it is a place to eat well, sleep and move on.
There is more to it than Walking Street, though. On the northern edge of the city, the Sanctuary of Truth is an extraordinary temple-like building made entirely of carved wood, still under construction after decades, standing by the sea like a vast, intricate sculpture. South of town, Jomtien Beach is calmer than the main bay, and boats leave for Ko Lan, an island with cleaner water and better beaches. Inland, a short ride takes you to the Silverlake vineyard area and to Khao Chi Chan, a cliff into which a giant golden image of the Buddha has been inlaid.
The food is excellent and varied, from street stalls selling grilled seafood and som tam to international restaurants of every kind. Prices range from very cheap to very expensive, and the choice is endless. Fuel is easy to find throughout the city and along Sukhumvit Road, the main highway running along the coast.
Riding in Pattaya demands patience and vigilance. The streets are crowded with cars, scooters and songthaews, the pick-up trucks used as shared taxis, which stop suddenly and without warning to pick up passengers. Traffic rules are loosely observed, and drunk drivers are a real risk at night. Outside the city, the roads inland towards the hills and lakes are quieter and more pleasant, with green countryside, fruit plantations and small villages. The coolest months, from November to February, are the best time to ride; the rest of the year is hot and often wet.
- Bangkok finish