Bicycle Touring Thailand

My morning started with me drinking a cup of delicious Nescafe instant coffee on the steps of a Thailand 7-Eleven. I patiently sipped as I waited for the sun to rise.

The goal today was Chanthaburi, Thailand. I knew it would be a tough day with a lot of climbing, but I would be closer to Thailand’s Southern Coast. Ever since that dirt road in Northern Cambodia, where I spent the day choking on dust, I had been dreaming of jumping in the ocean.

Finally, I saw the first glimmer of light, and I was off.

As I rode, every few minutes I would encounter an overly aggressive dog or a pack of dogs, and a high-speed chase would start. The dogs weren’t your typical third world terriers. These were big monstrous canines, and I hated them.

The climbing for the day began early. It was slow going, but after nearly three weeks of bicycle touring, I was up for the task.

The morning played out at a snail’s pace.  50-miles was all I covered by early afternoon. Tired, I was doubtful I would make it to Chanthaburi by nightfall and began looking for a hotel. Then the climbing ceased, and I started what would be the longest downhill run of my trip. I covered the final 26-miles to town in just over an hour.

Chanthaburi is a large city but off the tourist circuit. I read somewhere it’s known for being the best place in Thailand to hire an assassin. Lucky for me it also offered some excellent food options. So that evening, I took a pass on the murder-for-hire, but I did eat a large dinner.

When I awoke this morning, I noticed a painful itch in my throat. I immediately thought back to the Cambodian and Thai border. There was a guy a few people ahead of me in line. He had on a surgical mask and occasionally would chug a liquid out of a red prescription bottle. I had to listen to his constant coughing for three hours while waiting. At the time I knew that motherfucker would make me sick. He did.

Sore throat or not, I was determined to swim that morning, so I packed up the bike, once again visited a 7-Eleven, then headed out of town.

The ride to the coast was enjoyable. The route reminded me of my home in Florida. There was mile after mile of mangrove covered wetlands. I could smell the salt air well before reaching the beach.

When I reached the coastline, I found a spot and jumped right in. My long anticipated swim was quick but satisfying. Mission accomplished. I then spent the afternoon riding West along the coastal highway to the small coastal town of Ban Phe.

Yep. I am sick. While I was asleep my sore throat escalated to a full-blown fever. Riding my bicycle was the last thing I wanted to do that day, but I had to keep moving.

The plan was to ride until I found a pharmacy where I could purchase some antibiotics. From there I would check into the first hotel I came across and take a rest day. At least that was the plan.

Around 10:00 am I found my sweet drugs. A pharmacist sold me some amoxicillin. Confident I’d be feeling better in no time; I pushed on.

Despite being in a highly populated region of Thailand, I managed to spend the day touring some very empty backroads. Then late in the afternoon I crested a hill and saw the skyline of Pattaya. It was much larger than I expected.

The antibiotics had kicked in, and I was feeling much better, so I raced towards the city. I found a nice hotel near Pattaya’s Walking Street.

Having no doubt, I was on my way to recovery. I decided to catch a ferry across the Gulf of Thailand to the town of Hua Hin.

Modifying my route would add a couple of days to my bicycle tour. At the time it seemed like a good idea.

I was sick again. My fever was back, and it was worse than ever. It was going to be a long, tough day.

I felt worse than this bike

I took a route towards Bangkok that was off of the main highway. I was feeling horrible, but the backroads offered some of the best touring of my trip. The scenery was spectacular. There were dirt roads that meandered through lush green rice patties and limestone towers. The route was peaceful and empty except for the occasional village.

Late in the afternoon, I arrived at a small town on the Bang Tabun River. It was in the middle of nowhere and the hotel I planned to sleep at no longer existed. My only option was to continue another 20-miles to Samut Songkhram.

When I arrived, It was near nightfall, and I was worn out.