I knew I was going to make the trip from Bangkok to Hua Hin, but wasn’t sure how I was getting there. The morning of I looked at train tickets, sold out. I found a bus but for some reason that didn’t set well with me. I started looking at renting a Ferrari or Porsche, as expected they were out of my budget. Not to mention the liability should the car get scratched or dented. All of which led me to a eureka moment; rent a motorcycle!
My search nearly immediately lead me to Emma’s Bikes. I was immediately comfortable when I called and got Emma on the phone with a simple greeting: “hello”. I asked if she had a CRF250 available to which she replied only one. A CRF is a Honda bike that was primarily built to race around a track or trail. This was the dual sport version; meaning it comes with all the creature comforts and equipment to make it street legal.
Now if you’re reading this, I assume there is a bit of “how and why” factor involved. To which it’s important to note my experience so you’re able to gauge your own ability/willingness. My experience with motorcycles is limited to time racing motocross. To which was on a 1997 Honda CR125, a much older version of the bike I rented! The primary reason why I picked that bike is because I knew I would be comfortable on it. Being comfortable is something that I assume would be very valuable in Bangkok traffic. Going back to my experience is only racing, it should be well noted I’ve never ridden a bike in traffic nor have I ever been behind the wheel on the left side of the road! Point being, if you’re considering the same ride, remember:
- I’ve never been on a bike in traffic
- I don’t have a license.
- I’ve never driven on the left side (English) of the road
...and I still successfully made the trip.
I took an Uber straight to Emma’s bikes to continue the evaluation of my decision. Once there I met some English guys renting bigger expedition style bikes. I struck up a conversation to get the feel on the amount of risk above the standard deviation of risk involved in motorcycles. Their instant answer; “you’re fine”. When talking to experienced people, a standard question I always ask “what is the one thing I should know as a first timer”. There reply, keep you’re head on a swivel and don’t do anything you don’t see other bikers doing. Their confidence sold me on the idea. After some paper work and $100 later I had my CRF250 for 5 days. My original plan was to scope out the place then take my stuff to my friend Dan's place to think it over. If I decided renting was a good idea I would go back for the bike. However, in my excitement I told Emma to draw up the paper work, I was headed to the ATM. Emma even helped me fasten my large roller bag to the rack. Less than a kilometer later I made the decision to stop ay my friend Dan’s house to drop my big bag off and reduce down to a more manageable load. There simply wasn’t enough room for my bag and backpack on the bike.
On a map, Dan's was in the direction I needed to go but getting there was easier said then done. I had taken apart a tripod meant to hold my phone and fastened it to the handlebars for a makeshift GPS. In trying to get there, the navigation simply was not taking me on a direct route. The reroutes were off screen and would make large loops back to the point where I went off course due to inaccessibility. While stopping for gas I zoomed out and made a note of the general direction I need to head. A long time ago my mom had given me a compass that was still in bag. Even while packing to leave the US for this trip she insisted I keep it with me “so I could always find my way home”. I pulled it out and was able to use a headband to make a watch out of it. I made note of the general direction of Dans and started using the compass to get there. Every now and then i would look over at the GPS and see that I was on course and making way better time. Total trip time from Emmas to Dan’s was expected to be 20mins, in actuality it took nearly an hour and half.
At Dan’s I put my phone on charge and quickly repacked into a smaller bag. I stopped at a 7-11 for water and quick snack before hitting the road at 3PM sharp. In Thailand, motorcycles are not allowed on expressways, typically marked with Blue numbers and clearly marked with signage for no motorcycles. Having been on the road for 30mins, I found myself at a point where no motorcycles were allowed, dhrats. Having learned my lesson, I zoomed out on the map and noted the general direction of my course to Hua Hin. Using the compass I quickly found smaller expressway with other motorcycles getting on it. At 4PM I was nearing the outskirts of town and found myself on a very crowded street with parallel expressway style roads. However, they would enter twine every so often with adjacent access roads. You would have to be aware to not end up on the part where bikes were not allowed, nor end up on a surface street. All while being aware to not get off roads that lead to dead-ends. Important because GPS would have no idea how to navigate these surface roads as many would register as one-way or not at all. However, the main roads were, in-fact, one-way and were divided. U-turns were fly overs and only occurred every 5KM. At one point I accidentally took a u-turn fly over and had to back track for 45mins in traffic. On another occasion I got off the access road and found myself on a one-way street into an industrial complex. When I found my way out I was going the wrong direction back into Bangkok and had to go another 4KM to a U-turn. Once making this last mistake I pulled over to make adjustments to my iPhone’s Google Maps GPS app to avoid highways.
Traffic was very heavy leaving Bangkok. So heavy in places it was a complete stand still for miles! In Thailand you’re allowed to split lanes and ride between cars. Everyone on bikes does this and if you don’t then you’re considered to be slowing traffic down. As a pro-note, when going through tight spaces, don’t eyeball the closet point. The body follows the head and if you stare at the object you’re trying to avoid you’re going to drive straight to it. Keep you’re head up and look ahead. Also be aware of other bikers coming from in between cars to your split lane. At the same time, make sure you don’t bust into someone else’s lane. NOTE; IF YOU’RE IN ANY KIND OF ACCIDENT, IT’S PROBABLY GOING TO BE YOUR FAULT!
I also noticed my phone’s battery wouldn’t make the trip. My computer was in my backpack and my charging cord was one of the longer ones that can be found on Amazon. I plugged in the charger to my computer's USB port and put it back in my bag. I ran the cord along the seat, wedging it between some plastic shrouds and to the handlebars so my phone could draw power from my computer while rolling.
It was nearly sunset when I finally started getting out of Bangkok. As an inexperienced rider I wasn’t sure what to expect on a few different variables. What happens after sunset in the dark, do the rules change, and what lies ahead. I decided I would push on until I felt danger.
Soon the base line of anxiety and fear became the new normal and I felt comfortable with the adventure I had embarked on. After dark I saw less motorcylces and more commercial trucks. The bike had enough power to keep pace with them, otherwise I would suggest not riding after dark if you’re not on a bike that can keep up with 90KMH+ traffic. It became clear to me as well, bikes ride on the shoulder of the road unless you’re outpacing traffic. Then you can maneuver in-and-out of the lanes.
As for the Police I noticed quite a few during the rush hour, not so many after that. However, I went prepared. Most traffic stops are going to result in a bribe. From asking around and the research I’ve done, the standard seems to be 200BHT. To get to 200BHT, you’re going to have to be prepared to haggle. As in any situation where your going to haggle it’s a best practice to not keep all your money in the same place. A strong tactic is pulling out your wallet and making sure they see you take “all” you’re money out as a final resort. Use this trick as you get toward the bottom. Usually indicated when the total amount you’re willing to pay is equal to half the amount of the current offer. From there, I suggest putting some additional funds in a pocket and a larger stash somewhere not on your person. Put it in a hidden pocket in your bag or something.
Much of the ride down to Hua Hin was in the dark and along commercial, mainstream, routes. I arrived into town at 9:30PM, yes it took me 6 hours. I’m almost convinced there is a discrepancy in KM/H to actual time. I felt like I would travel for 45mins and the Google Maps count down clock would only move 15 minutes. As I pulled into town along route 4 I noticed lots of other mopeds and smaller bikes. At this point I was VERY glad I made the trip by motorcycle. Even being here i've seen and experienced more of the city than I ever would relying on Taxis and public transportation. After posting this i'm going down to check out some waterfalls not to far from here, something I wouldn't do in an Uber.
I’ll close with this; after reading some other forums and threads on the internet it became clear not many people will suggest you do this. I’m now in the camp that most other people on the internet go about life in a ultra-cautious way. They avoid risk and danger because of the potential downside. There isn’t anything wrong with that, but you’re going to mis out on some good times if you take their opinion on taking risk. I recognize there is risk and downside to everything we do. Every decision, every activity, every encounter there is a reason not to. It's important to recognize the downside/risk, but also acknowledge the upside/reward. If you’re considering taking a motorcycle trip from Bangkok to Hua Hin, do it! Of course there are risk involved, however, for me the reward in the experience in doing it has greatly outweighed the risk. When weighing your own risk, factor in your own abilities and willingness.