Here's some notes on the remainder of my trip, which I finished this week: I left Songkhla and joined up with Highway 4 at Hat Yai. Last time I was on highway 4, which was years ago, they were starting to make parts of it dual lane in both directions and I was expecting it to be dual lane all the way back to the Chumpon intersection, similar to every other major highway in the country. It's mainly single lane though, which isn't really a problem on a bike, except for the usual idiots cutting corners and overtaking on blind corners and crests of hills. Anyway, day one took me from Songkhla to Krabi, one nice mountain bit north of Pattalung, and magnificent scenery as you reach Krabi.
Day two was from Krabi to Ranong. Great riding as you leave Krabi. There is a bypass around Phangna at Amphur Thap Put, which I didn't take, instead I followed highway 4 as it turned into a small mountain road up and over the limestone cliffs. Most traffic takes the bypass, so it was almost deserted and I'd recommend this way to anyone who enjoys twisty riding. From this road a shortcut may be taken along 4090, but I carried on along highway 4, through Phangna town, all the way down to the 402 junction leading to Phuket, and then back up north through Kao Lak, which is the only time you get a good look at the sea from highway 4, to Ranong. It's single lane all the way, and some of the towns can get congested. Watch out for the passenger vans going to and from Phuket, they think the road is just for them and expect everyone to get out of their way.
Day three was a short one, and took me to Hua Hin. I'd heard a lot about the road from Ranong to Chumpon and was a little disappointed on the first bit, through the mountains. It could be a great road, but the surface leaves a lot to be desired, and more of the corner cutting, lane crossing idiots coming the other way. Once I left the mountain bit though I saw the attraction. A good surface and long sweeping corners make it an excellent biking road. All too soon though it's back to the Petchkasem highway at Chumpon and its rough surface.
I pushed it on day four, and could have made it home, but instead opted to stay in Khorat. I was planning on going all the way down highway 4 to the junction with highway 9, but by the time I got to Nakorn Pathom the traffic headed to Bangkok was so heavy that I went back the way I'd come, along 321 to 346, and then along highway 9 to Bang Pa In. I think this is the quickest way to bypass Bangkok around the northwestern side. In the past I've tried going up to Suparnburi and across to Saraburi, but the way I just took seems faster. Just watch out for some of the bridges over the klongs. They'd be better suited to motorcross tracks and had me still going up while the bike was coming down on a couple of occasions. From Bang Pa In to Khorat, along highways 1 and 2, was its usual smooth ride.
Day five was the short hop home to Buri Ram. It was good to be back, but I'm planning the next trip already.
So all in all a very enjoyable trip, with some excellent roads, a few pathetic ones, but on the whole above average. One miserable day with near total white out rain at times, but mainly good weather. Not too hot and not too cold. I was made to stop at one army checkpoint just before Ranong, but was waved on without a word once I'd stopped. The cops took no interest in me at all, apart from one nice fellow who gave me a wave with his clip board as I was heading back through Petchaburi. A great way to spend a few weeks.
