Piang Luang - Ok Phansa - Chula Kathin Festival

I rode from Chiang Dao to Wiang Haeng yesterday. The weather conditions were dry and road was good fun.

A downpour at Jao Korn Jerngเ จ้ากอนเจิง tombs thoughly drenched me, as I looked across the border to the Myanmar side and the Ordination Hall which is just visible through the trees in this photo.


I decided to dry off while eating at the excellent Krua Piang Luang Restaurant ร้านครัวเปียงหลวง and was made to feel very welcome by the kind owner and friend of GTR David.

...and this is an early days photo of the kind and welcoming owner.


Next part of the ride was to head north east on the 1322, with about 1 hour (according to Google Maps) to get to Chai Prakarn.

Just outside of Wiang Haeng there is a Lahu village. A group of happy and waving villagers were picnicking on a viewpoint, by the road. So, I swung around for a rest and chat with them, which was fun. They were concerned about my remaining journey and crazy drugged people out and about at night.


The shadows were getting long, and I still had a big ride ahead. I considered staying the night in Wiang Haeng.

Instead, on I went into a ride that was to become a 2 hour extremely demanding descent in darkness.

Significant kilometres of the bitumen surface have completely failed leaving a crushed rock moonscape with craters big enough to swallow my ADV350 wheels and bottom out forks and rear shox and grind the centrestand.

I zigzagged like a fly circling a lightbulb slaloming to avoid most craters and washouts.

When I got the line wrong or there was no line to take, I needed to haul up and slow to a near stop, drop the ADV350 into a crater and climb out the other side.

The road went on like this for many many kilometres. Darkness was fast approaching.

Seeing another group of Lahu farmer workers resting on the side of the road, with music and beer, I let myself be flagged down by more smiles and waves.

We danced, laughed and joked but unfortunately despite my best endeavour to secure a floor or bed for the night there was no accommodation available in their village.

The heavens opened and down came constant rain. I hunkered down on the ADV350 for the approximately 32km steep hairpin down hill descent along the destroyed road, in the dark.

About 15km into the final section my rear brake fluid boiled. Lever meets handgrip.

Pumping the lever didn't return any pressure. I was fortunate to control the descent using just my front brake, to a bridge where I rested up, inspecting my callipers, disc and hoses etc with a torch.

After about 10 minutes cooling down I managed to restore rear brake pressure by pumping the lever and continued on. Counting my lucky stars and counting craters and planning an escape route should I need to bail off the scooter.

I was wet from sweat and rain.

The brake fluid is 12 months old. I'm thinking the humidity in Northern Thailand should have been a prompt for me to flush the fluid with new earlier than the every 2 years recommeded by Honda.

A lesson learned and I'll return again for another run around this tremendous loop.

I'm looking forward to the Piang Luang 2025 Chula Kathin / Ok phansa Festival on 17-18 October 2025.

Amazing that you do the "drug-road" at night. Yes shortly after Wiang Haeng the road becomes a MC track all the way to shortly before Rinluan. It is like this already many years. Road through Mueang Na is as bad as one can imagine. We did this road several times with our MT's and were not pleased at all 55555

You did Wiang Haeng to Mueang Na in just 2 hours, with the worst eastern steep stretch in the dark? Truly impressing for sure! Last januari in daylight it took me about that... They had just finished a few km of fresh pavement at the halfway mountain pass, perhaps more km now?

Moor66 said:

You did Wiang Haeng to Mueang Na in just 2 hours, with the worst eastern steep stretch in the dark? Truly impressing for sure! Last januari in daylight it took me about that... They had just finished a few km of fresh pavement at the halfway mountain pass, perhaps more km now?

Click to expand...

The 'roads' from Wiang Haeng to Anton Place Hotel in Nong Bua, in the dark, in rain on destroyed roads. A testament to the excellent CST SC11 tyres, EBC HH brake pads, Loboo L11 15,000 lumen lights (150W) which make night riding a whole new world of adventure.


The ADV350 is an impressive ride. Although yesterday I totally maxed it out trying to get to the Doi Hua Mae Kham Forest Park Headquarters

Got 1/3 of the way from Ban Mae Kham and just before the middle concrete section, on the steep compact red clay erosion rutted descent I got into serious trouble.

Only a further descent onto the concrete section could save me. I paddled down, struggling to stay upright.

After turning around safely on the concrete and heading back uphill again I smoked the clutch and thought it was all over for my 200kg ADV350.

Wheels wedge in the ruts and the extra drag, incline and standing starts was just too much.

Again, I only just made it by paddling with my feet and a prayer.

I did that track in the dry season and it was hard enough. No chance on damp red clay, disappointed, but live to ride another day.

I arrived in Piang Luang today, 17 October.

There's no festival or celebration occurring until 6.30pm on 19 October, at this location


Apparently there will be a small dance performance.

I tried accommodation here but I am advised by the staff it us only accepting long stay. It looks derelict to me.


I checked in for two nights here, but it's very musty smelling and road noise ricochet off the building as vehicles accelerated up the road incline. The price charged was B600 per night. There are individual cabins at 800 per night. I think a more realistic charge would be B350 per night. I wouldn't stay here again.


I'll see how it goes for the rest of today, but I might bail from here early tomorrow morning and head back down the mountain.

I was invited to another temple for a celebration and that is another option for me to consider.

Looks like there was a small festival event here, but on 15 October, according to the banner.