By Peter Starr

Often, fly-and-ride motorcycle tours begin relatively poorly on congested inner-city highways. Thankfully, these first impressions are often wrong, and what begins in chaos soon turns into flowing roads, amazing views and adventure.

This was my experience during a recent trip to the tropical monarchy of Thailand. While our rush-hour departure northward out of Bangkok left me with no doubt that 8.2 million of the country’s 70 million residents call the capital city home, we managed a cracking pace for the rest of the 250-plus miles that first day.

It was only 48 miles to Ayutthaya, the second capital city of Thailand, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and our first stop. It is also the site of two of the estimated 30,000 Buddhist temples in this predominantly Buddhist country. Statues of Buddha and saffron-robed monks are found throughout the country.

Historical monuments are a big tourist attraction, with remnants of temples dating back thousands of years. These can now be contrasted with outstandingly beautiful, and sometimes very large, modern effigies representing Buddha.

Being close to the equator, the days and nights are much more equal in length than those of our more northern latitudes. So, if riding in a foreign country in the dark is an issue, plan your route accordingly. I openly admit that riding at night in unfamiliar territory represents challenges I would rather not face. I read about there being wild elephants in Thailand, and I would not want to meet one of them on a lonely country road at night.

One hundred five miles beyond Ayutthaya, we arrived at Nakon Sawan, the main gate from Central Thailand to the north, where four rivers converge to make the Chaophraya River. Eighty-five more miles through humid heat, and we were at Phitsanulok, a town that was a small outpost of the Khmer empire in the 11th century. Still, we could not stop, because 36 miles to the west was Sukhothai, the capital of the first Kingdom of Siam in the 13th and 14th centuries.

A number of Thai riders compete at the world level, including Nakarin Atiratphuvapat in Moto3 and Ratthapong Wilairot in World SuperSport.

Bangkok lies 951 miles north of the equator.

There is much to see in Bangkok. But, if you are a first time visitor, you will be better off sightseeing without your motorcycle.

Traditional Thai historians considered the founding of the Sukhothai Kingdom as the beginning of the Thai Nation. Sukhothai means “Dawn of Happiness.” Thais generally seem to be happy people.

Now we had time to spend at the Wat Phra Sri MahaThat, the most important temple in the province, famous for the Phra Buddha Chinnarat image, considered by many to be the most beautiful Buddha image in Thailand.

Darkness was approaching, and the heat of the day became more bearable as we left this 14th century royal temple and headed to the modern Morage Hotel in Phitsanulok to end our first day’s ride.

Winding roads, with green foliage on each side, were appreciated in the early morning of Day Two, as we headed east in the cooler air toward the hill country. I had a “summer” riding suit, designed to pass quite a lot of air through its fabric, but it was not enough. If you ride through the heat and humidity of the day, you will sweat profusely.

Mekong River, Ghost Festival

Our first real stop of the second day was at Wat Phra That Pha Son Kaew, a magnificent temple in Khao Kor in the province Phetchabun. I have heard it said that this might be the most beautiful Buddhist temple anywhere. Unfortunately, it was undergoing repair, and the main building was ensconced in scaffolding. The neighboring buildings, decorated with more than 5 million mosaic tiles, more than showcased the superlative art that is a constant of so many temples, providing an elevated spiritual experience.

The roads that run west to east provide an excellent surface but, being a main transportation corridor, they also accommodate their share of truck traffic. Not far off the beaten track, you will find hilly, twisty, narrow two-lane roads that can test your fortitude. You also will get to meet more of the rural Thais.

We turned north from Highway 12 and headed toward Dan Sai, which is famous for its annual Ghost Festival where participants wear locally made ghost costumes. The permanent display of masks and costumes in a local temple can stimulate one’s imagination.

Back on the road, we headed east for a two-hour, 75-mile ride via Loei, before heading north to Chiang Khan.

The more we got into the hills toward the Mekong River, the more interesting the riding became. The Mekong marks the border between Thailand and Laos. It is a very wide, relatively slow-moving river that for centuries provided sustenance for the fishing villages along its banks. It still provides fresh fish for local restaurants.

At the end of Day Two, we cruised into the town of Chiang Khan on the banks of the Mekong and checked into the River Mountain Hotel. Dinner was at a trendy riverside restaurant after which we came out to a festive street market in full swing.

Booths of every persuasion, guitar playing singers, and something special that attracted me immediately—ghosts!

The impact of that Dan Sai festival is felt in many towns in northeastern Thailand. Children dress up and carry the festival through different times of the year. So it was that kind of an evening, where one gets sucked into the homegrown commotions.

Contrasts, History, Food

The cool early morning breeze coming off the Mekong was welcome as we strapped our luggage back onto the bikes and headed into the low, hazy sunlight and the morning rush hour. Once we were out of town, the traffic again was very light, allowing us to ride like we were singing our own song, so to speak. One corner followed another in rapid succession, as we passed farms and fields to our right and the river on our left.

This is certainly a very different culture in so many ways, already increasing my appetite for the history we can still see though the ruins, many of which are contrasted with modern day development, architecture and the industriousness of 21st century Thailand.

Alongside the roads throughout Thailand, there are large images of the current king and, more strikingly, his father, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The late king is considered to have done more for the ordinary citizens of Thailand than any other world monarch has for his citizens. He was not just a figurehead, but an educated leader who brought great reform to the country, bettering the lives of millions. Thais view their royal family with great respect and admiration.

To me, Thailand means food. I am not a foodie, but I have been enjoying Thai food for many years. However, the Thai food I had in small-town Thailand had a more invigorating taste than I had ever had before. I explored each menu, but I had to cut back on some of the spices, my bland English tongue often crying, uncle.

 

Reclining Buddha, Ceremonies, Local Brews

Another day on the road, with new smells, as we passed farms and villages while sweeping through an endless supply of turns. At the end of one twisty, narrow two-lane road, we arrived at a remote estate hidden among the trees high in the mountains. As we entered the parking area, the magnificence of the temple of Wat Pa Phu Kon was revealed.

As stunning as the huge building is, it only serves to house a jaw-dropping white marble 65-foot-long reclining Buddha.

The story of how it came about is almost as impressive as the statue itself. Costing $1.5 million, the marble was imported from Italy and hand-carved in pieces on site in Thailand before being assembled. The temple was constructed around it, the entire facility costing more than $9 million, all done in honor of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

About 80 miles northwest of Udon Thani, riding through plantations of rubber trees, we left the asphalt and turned down a dirt road.

At Wat Rat Cha Dum Ri, a small village temple, we underwent a traditional Buddhist welcoming ceremony with many residents of the village turning out to participate. It was inspirational, as the village elder conducted the simple but emotionally engaging ceremony in which each villager wrapped a white string around our wrists as a symbol of us all being linked together as humans.

As a closing touch, the resident monk concluded the ceremony with a piece of saffron-colored string. This was traditional Thai culture that I am sure very few tourists ever get to experience.

Lab Mu pork salad broke our fast in Udon Thani before we journeyed in a southerly direction for 30 miles to Talay Bua Daeng, or the Sea of Red Lotus. Unfortunately, we missed the season of November to March and its cool weather, the best time to observe the 26-square-mile lake and its masses of red lotus.

Through rice fields and past grazing water buffalo, the road provided much to see, as we rode east back to the Mekong, where one can look directly across the river to Laos.

Elephants, Dinosaurs, Spicy Food

The following day gave us stops at Phra Tat Phanom for another magnificent temple complex, complete with scores of Tuk Tuks waiting for their tourist customers. Lunch at the Animal Farm, and then on to Kalasin—the town of dinosaurs. By that, I mean there had been many excavations that had discovered dinosaur remains and that led to a park full of life size statues.

All through my trip, I had anticipated visiting Ban Ta Klang and its famous Elephant Village in the far northwestern corner of Surin province. The tiny village was historically home to a small ethnic group known as the Kui, who were skilled at capturing and taming elephants.

The village houses an elephant training area, a museum and the Surin Elephants Study Centre. In ancient times, thousands of wild elephants were believed to have roamed freely through the Surin province. Once the value of elephants as a work and a war animal were established, methods were devised to capture and train them.

Today, visitors have the opportunity to feed, bathe and ride elephants, or just watch and photograph them being trained. These elephants are usually raised as household pets, so visitors get a chance to see how they live with the villagers. A trainer picks a baby elephant and stays with that elephant for its, or his, entire active life.

That day was also where I banged my knee while swinging my leg over the motorcycle, whacking it with such force that by evening it swelled up as big as a small melon and hurt like I might have broken the patella. The next morning with the knee getting worse and me nauseated, we rode the 40 miles as fast as we could to Buriram and its central hospital.

Fortunately, the X-rays showed no break, only severe soft tissue damage. Paracetamol, anti-inflammatory and antibiotics in hand, we rode through the city streets to the Chang International Raceway to meet with three-time World Superbike Champion Jonathan Rea. I had been following Rea’s racing career as he won his three World Championships and was excited at being able to meet him for an on-camera interview.

Buriram is 245 miles from Bangkok, an easy main road ride in 5.5 hours. But between these cities, there much to see. At the end of Day Eight, after a great day’s riding, my taste buds took another thrashing, as I tried the various peppers and curries at dinner. It was comforting to know that cold beer was always nearby.

End Of the ride

At 6:50 a.m. of Day Nine, I sat lakeside at the Pae Wa Lai resort watching three Buddhist monks walk the path through the village with their alms bowls. In the background, a fisherman paddled his long boat, tracing his fishing lines to collect the morning catch.

Quickly following a breakfast of local fruit and eggs, we were back on the road in the Wang Nam Khaio district, enjoying the lush farmland scenery. The small villages, the twisty, undulating country roads were punctuated by local independent coffee shops.

My last night on the road was spent on a farm plantation at Ban Chan Chai—a small, family-operated farm that grew a variety of fruits and kept small animals. We all sat around my laptop and watched Rae win the first race at Buriram. Our hosts had never seen world class motorcycle racing before. Now they are fired up to attend future races, since it is so close to their farm.

A pre-dawn cacophony came at 4:30 a.m., followed, without a scintilla of a pause, by the dawn chorus. Awakened prematurely from a deep sleep, I would have gladly throttled the cockerels that started it and the local dogs that chimed in, for good measure.

It actually worked well for us, since the morning rides are generally in much cooler air and allowed us to cover great distances before the riding suit became a mobile sauna.

Too soon for me, the great back-country roads morphed into modern freeways and a gross population of trucks. It was Sunday noon, and the traffic flow, with all of its shortcomings, was headed back into Bangkok to complete for us the 10-day motorcycle exploration of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Peter Starr is an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer, author, motorcycle racer, TV producer and filmmaker.