Motorbike Tour: Exciting Adventure from Phuket to Pattaya

As you may know from other stories I have out there on this site, I have been riding motorbikes of all sizes for about 40 years. I can't wait to share a motorbike tour from Phuket to Pattaya with my friend and family.

So, to start with...

In the beginning, I just needed to get around riding motorbikes. And my iron horse was the best way to do that at a low cost with a bit of fun. I used it to go to work, the store, visit friends, and maybe for some nights out now and then. 

Over the years, I have had some unbelievable adventures on my two-wheelers. I discovered many things in places I would not have been in touch with so closely. I realized I was connected to the world around me and so much better traveling this way. 

So, coming to Thailand later in life, I still had my love for motorbikes. I found myself in motorbike heaven. These things are a way of life here, not just a way to get around. An adventure is still very much a part of this kind of lifestyle.

A Visit from a German Friend

In 2010, my friend Martin from Germany came to visit me. It was like a throwback to this original feeling. We have been longtime friends way back since high school. 

When he arrived in Thailand, he had just gotten his Motorcycle driver’s license in Germany. As you also may know, I live in the Pattaya Bay Area. So, when he got here and saw the big two-wheel life, it didn’t take long before the idea came up to hit the road!

One night, after a few beers, we decided to have a motorbike tour from Phuket to Pattaya. It means that I would drive with my Pickup and 2 Scooters to Phuket and that we would ride the bikes back to Pattaya. The plan was to ape hang 300-400 km daily, mainly in the morning and late afternoon. Then, we do some sightseeing and relax a bit along the way.

Thinking about Midlife Crisis

But you would not believe the criticism we took from everybody we knew when we told them about our planned motorbike tour from Phuket to Pattaya!

They said we were crazy amid a midlife crisis; we had some youthful fantasy about what it was like to do this, and we had no contact with reality. 

All our friends said we couldn’t go on a small scooter all that way. But we were determined to fly in the face of all that… we would do it anyway, no matter what anybody said!

Arriving at Patong Beach on Phuket Island

When all was ready, we set out for a 3-day car trip on Thailand's hectic and sometimes dangerous roads. Luckily we didn't bite the asphalt. We arrived at Patong Beach on Phuket island, where we met up with my family and stayed for two nights of food, fun, and seaside life…Thai-style!

Then one morning, after a seriously big Farang breakfast (Farang is what Thais call white western foreigners), we hopped on the bikes and rode up the big hill rising out of Phuket to the north. We followed the road to the bridge over the small bit of sea that makes this resort world an island off the rest of Thailand... 

The first stop was on a beach near the road for selfies.

Our First Unplanned Adventure

After the bridge, we had planned to take the left-hand fork in the road and drive north to Rayong. But we missed the turn and found ourselves in Phan-Nga. Meanwhile, my wife and kids riding behind us in the pickup truck took the fork to the right instead…

So, we crossed to Khao Lak and had our first unplanned ADV. The two of us found ourselves in the middle of a procession of some Buddhist vegetarian festival. It was not easy to get through the wall of people with motorbikes! 

But eventually, we managed to reach the right road. We went in the general direction of Khura Buri, passing the night in a lovely bungalow at Bun Piya Resort.

An Explanation to My Wife!

However, as anyone married can imagine, our little misdirection was not so easily explained to my wife! 

After the initial worry over what happened to us came the suspicion of how “convenient” it was that we ended up going off on our own. Thank goodness for cell phones! I could tell her what happened immediately, and the situation calmed down quickly. 

Most Thai girls are notoriously protective of their husbands, and our veering off the road required a good 10 minutes of discussion to make sure it was understood that this was an innocent mistake and not a planned deviation. 

So, with the grace of “all’s well that ends well,” we met up early the next day. We all drove north together for a visit to the beautiful hot springs in Rayong. Looking back on everything, it was all very friendly and pretty funny.

Raksa Warin Hot Spring

After Rayong, the road went up into the mountains, a route with an uncountable number of curves. 

Our joyride became a challenge, the kind every two-wheel rider dreams of. It was like the famous “Dragon” - the road in North Carolina, USA, specifically in the Great Smoky Mountains - twists and turns that demand tremendous riding skills, surrounded by unbelievably beautiful scenery. 

This is very difficult to enjoy if you are a rider. It's because of the required concentration on the road, but later, the flashes of the views in your memory are unforgettable. Luckily we didn't get off.

Punyaban Waterfall

We encountered some waterfalls as we passed through this area and again stopped for pictures. We visited the Kra Isthmus (the smallest land area between the Indian and the Pacific Oceans). We met up with some Burmese fishermen along the river that runs through it.

We were leaving the Andaman Sea coast in a generally northward direction. We crossed over the grand dividing ridge to the East Side of Thailand. 

In the evening, we reached Chumphon on the Gulf of Thailand side of the Malay peninsula. And by then, we were hungry, really hungry! 

Dinner in a Classic Asian Duck Shop

By pure chance, we found a classic Asian duck shop—the kind you can find anywhere from Taiwan to Myanmar and everywhere in between.

In Thailand, these places have Ducks hanging behind a small glass partition. When you order a portion, they cut a few slices and put them in a rice bowl. However, we made a deal with the owner to get the entire duck… and it took him nearly 15 minutes to calculate the price! He needed to do the home economics calculation of guessing how many slices he had to make for how many portions. Long story short, we got the duck by paying a few extra dollars. We ate up all the meat with just a little bit of rice. 

The “Ambiance” was a StreetSide plastic table with plastic chairs from Big-C under neon lights with “Do-Do-Doo-Ther-Tum” playing off in the distance from somebody’s radio along the road. Everybody in Thailand about this time will probably remember this song - it sticks in your head for weeks. 

A few tall Chang beers and the meal was complete! It was a classic Thai village Street-food experience! One that cannot be duplicated anywhere else for flavor and down-to-earth charm.

Sai Khu Waterfall

The following day, highly motivated after last night’s dinner and what had happened so far with our planned tour from Phuket to Pattaya, we returned to Cha-Am/Hua Hin. Once again, about halfway there, we found a gorgeous Waterfall. We hung out there for a while before we hit the road again.

Eventually, we got where we were going. After three days on the road, we realized we weren’t in a hurry to get anywhere… As a great travel writer once said - traveling is all about the journey; the destination is where you end up.

This was especially true because when we finally got to Hua Hin, we didn’t find a room anywhere. And after we decided to continue to Cha-Am, we got pounded by heavy rain! 

A Disappointing Hotel Stay

So after getting completely soaked, we found a little motel on the highway and crashed out sleeping. 

The place was disappointing because it wasn’t the excellent spot we might have imagined for such a famously luxurious part of Thailand. It was small, dingy, and anybody would say it was dirty - but at least it was dry… and in not too long, we all dried out and felt really good and very thankful for the shelter.

The next day we left early without even doing the formality of checking out. We already had paid, so it was bye-bye to this place without looking back. We found a Farang breakfast place on the highway, and by lunchtime, we arrived in Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok).

Suddenly Caught by the Police!

Unfortunately, after all this time on the road, we got stopped by the cops. Even worse, the guy that stopped us was right in doing it. We crossed the dividing lines against the rules! We drew some heat, and we had to pay the fine. 

After getting our heads back together, we wound our way through the city. We crossed the Chao Phraya River at the familiar Phra Pradaeng Pier and followed Sukhumvit Road south the rest of the way home.

But before getting to the safety and sanctuary of our home, one last thing happened that “stuck” in my memory of this trip...

All's Well That Ends Well

Shortly after Chonburi, I hit a piece of metal. I still have no idea what cut into the high side. The tire blew out and went flat immediately! 

But like everything else, good, bad, or ugly, on this trip, we had a bit of luck… only 400 meters away, there was a tire repair shop for trucks. I was able to push the bike there with no problem. 

The guys at the shop were great; they fixed the tire's hole, gave me a new inner tube, and got me back on my way.

So, after 30 minutes and 80 Baht, we were back on the road… We reached Pattaya in the evening just in time for some Khao Pat Moo (rice plates with pork) and a few Chang beers. 

To top it all off, somewhere in the background, we heard somebody singing Do-Do-Doo-Ther-Tum… our new anthem.

As the saying goes, “A good friend listens to your adventures. A best friend makes them with you.”

1300 km. 4 nights and 5 days, on two 125 cc mopeds all the way… 

A Motorbike Tour from Phuket to Pattaya, and WE MADE IT!

So, until next time... Rumble on!