Korat to Hua Hin by car

[VincentD]

Ahhh. Found it.

After passing Korat proper, you continue NE on highway 2 for 38 km. You then have to take a right turn to highway 206. Continue on for 15 km, then take a left onto highway 2175. From there, it's about 34 km to Chum Puang.

You'll love this mapmagic product... They even have an update that you download off the net, so it's current.

Oh, a quick correction; you'll get away with doing 110 kmh, but no more.

[Guess]

Wow, Guess

That's quite a route you've plotted. Turn off the main road after Saraburi, through Phachi (major railway station), through Bang Pahan, u-turn across the Asian Highway, on to Suphanburi, Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Petburi and finally Hua Hin.

I have to agree it does bypass Bangkok, but it does add another 80 km to the total journey, and a lot of the roads are single lane with a fair amount of heavy trucks and farm vehicles.

I'm very familiar with the back roads there, and it would not take a lot to get lost. In fact, I passed through Bang Pahan just last week. The roads are still in fairly good condition, but with the recent rain you have to be careful of the ocassional pothole beginning to appear.

Caller, in my opinion, stick with the well-travelled roads. Help (and public transport) is within shouting distance. Not so with these roads, should anything happen.

And drive at 100 kph max. Mr.T has given the traffic police some nice new shiny radar guns; you'll find one spot on the way between Bangkok and Saraburi is frequently monitored. (I know, I have a radar detector..)


Drive safe.

I agree the bit between Sara Buri and Suphan Buri is not the best road in Thailand but there are plenty of straight bits where you can overtake. Adding 80 KM is worht it in my opinion bearing in maind that any roiute that avoids the dreaded Highway 35 will ad 30 KM any way.

As for the radar guns. When the idiot walks out in the raod in front of you after clocking you doing over 90 KM then slow down wind down your window and when alonmgside him give hima a wave and Kaup Khu Krap and carry on your journey. By the time he gets out his notre book and attempts to take your number you will be about ten KM down the road.

[VincentD]

Hi Guess

If it were me, I may try the scenic route you describe, but I think caller is new to driving in Thailand and is nervous enough as is. Safer with the highway in my opinion, though I don't disagree about some stretches of Highway 35.

It's easy enough to get lost at the traffic light at Phachi where a left turn is needed; it's not shown on the map and he'll end up at the railway station. Or worse, get lost along the klong going to Tha Reua. Ditto the flyover on the Asian highway, and getting back on track a few kms further up.

I've been driving here too long and can find my way around most of the time without a map, plus I can read the signs in Thai.

As for overtaking, most hired cars are not the sort you'd try that with. But I must admit the stretch from Bang Pahan to Lopburi has lots of straights and right angled corners, and I love my turbo ride...

The boys in brown normally park in the u-turn along the BKK-Saraburi highway and aim their toys through the windscreen. They then set up a roadblock before the next u-turn and pick the offenders out. I don't really see the wrong side of 200 much these days... Heh, heh. Getting old, methinks.

Will be down HH way for the Saturday session of the Jazz festival, can always catch a beer or two maybe at JW's?

Cheers

Vincent

[caller]

Well guys, an on the road update!

Currently resting in the Sima Thani in Khorat after an odd journey here!

Picked up the car just north of the Brit Embassy and my immediate and well thought out plan (for me) of doing a right just past the car hire place and winding my way back down through back roads to sukhmuvit and then a left and another left onto the expressway came to a halt after the missus to be (we were in Bkk to do the Embasy requirements for our wedding) talked to a guy in the hire place who drew a map going left, right, left, right and shake it all about and an hour or so later we were on highway 7 heading west!!!! All to do with the cost of the toll road apperantly.

Funny thing was, when I saw we were on highway 9 and heading to the airport, I was quite happy. Little did I know it was the wrong one and we were heading in the wrong direction i.e. South! Not only that, I thought we were to the west of Bkk, not East!

So, I lost my typically British cool and face and we did an about turn and then, magically, I saw the signs to Bahn Pa In and we were on our way!

Pig of a journey with the rain and we were lucky to get out of a pit stop at Saraburi before the flooding stopped traffic, it nearly stopped me!

Anyway, regards speed, the conditions slowed everything down, but when I could, I hit 120k and did as others did, it was quite fun to pass others on the inside!

A good run after that to Khorat and before I knew it, we were showered and on the road again, inevitebly to one of the local malls. Quite impressive actually!

Then back to the hotel for a much needed beer and grub and writing this.

Jockey - its because of Jaimes enlightening subject that I'm well prepared with every medicine God could imagine, just in case, mind.

I've been to Ooys home before and loved it, eat and drank with everyone with no side effects - but this is the first time I'm staying over. Any updates will be faithfully recorded in full technicolour in the appropriate thread!!!

More to follow!

[caller]

Well for anyone thats interested, the journey south was fine until we got to the outskirts of Bkk at about 16.30.

We then got lost, lost again and went around in circles, literally! Even the Police instructions via phone in which we stated our exact location(s) didn't help.

Got to the western ring road eventually and heading south and feeling confident, then it turned into highway 3, then a building site and then a typial Bkk st! Mr Policeman helped again and we did yet another U turn and wandered off somewhere.

At 19.30 on a dual carriageway heading back to Bkk we decided to give up to prevent mutual murders taking place and holed up in a hotel in town for the night.

Set off at 6.30am this morning, easy to Rama 2, easy to highway 35 and was in HH by 09.30, even with a stop for brekky.

Lessons to be learnt? Firstly, its surpisingly okay and enjoyable to drive in LOS. Just do as the locals do. Secondly, Be well prepared and take the advice about the map above. I clearly wasn't well enough prepared re: the route and naively thought places would be better singposted. Thirdly, do not even think about buying the michelin road atlas of LOS, its crap.

So, this morning we got to LOS before 10.00 passing the Market Village en route - guess where I was taken an hour later!

[Guess]

Jockey - its because of Jaimes enlightening subject that I'm well prepared with every medicine God could imagine, just in case, mind.

More to follow!

Perhaps then you could enlighten us with your experience of consistency in the backwater places that you have just visited. On the appropriate topic of course.