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Cycling in South ThailandIt isn't a secret that cycling in south Thailand can be really exciting but it depends where you start. I have cycled the whole part from Bangkok to different Malaysian border.
What if you don't want to cycle all the way?There's plenty of other transport forms available to almost any thinkable destination in south Thailand. The most convenient, at least to me, is the train (and no, not a bicycle, check further on this page). At the Bangkok railway station you can ask for a time schedule for the Southern Line. There are 14 different trains daily from Bangkok anywhere south. The express trains will have a luggage carrier for your bicycle. Usually you pay a small fee to get your bicycle in the train. I have done this now countless times in trains to north and south Thailand and never had any troubles. It's a good way to get out of Bangkok before starting your adventures with cycling in south Thailand .
What to bringBring as little as possible. Cycling south Thailand means cycling in a tropical country with day temperatures of about 30°C and night temperatures are usually not below 24°C. Cycling in south Thailand becomes more and more popular, for foreigners as well as for locals. For the best bike shop you have to be in Bangkok, next to the Cambodian Embassy. Probike is one of the very best bike shops in south east Asia. I know there are two excellent bicycle shops in Hat Yai, and reasonable good ones in Yala and Betong (see some details about those shops at this page. Although I have been several times in Krabi, Surat Thani and Chumphon, I haven't been able to find a decent bike shop there. Phuket has several bicycle shops that will be able to do repairs and have tires. If you are moving to Malaysia, the first good quality shop to be found is in Penang in Carnavon Street. Gary Yap does have good quality materials and excellent service.
MapsFor cycling in south Thailand a good map is useful. I use is the Nelles Thailand map. The scale is 1:500.000 and is sufficient. The Michelin maps are on a better scale: 1:350.000 but they are less detailed. Both maps have their inconsequence and faults. In Asia I normally to use Nelles plus a local map. All over Thailand you will be able to find local maps, either provincial or city maps. As Krabi and Phuket are tourist places, you will easily find local and international (English) maps. Some of these small roads are no more then just dirt paths and end up in no mans land.
One problem I found with the Nelles maps is that they do not always offer the exact right distances between cities, even on some of the main roads it's not always correct. Now when you are cycling in south Thailand, for example to Krabi, you won't find many problems as the road directions are clean. Besides, in Krabi you will be able to find excellent local maps of the whole Krabi area. Dangers and annoyancesThailand is a safe country to ride your bicycle. Avoid as much as possible big and on going road, never use the expressways. But even the main on going road (road 4) out of Bangkok was still OK to cycle. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't fun and I wouldn't recommend it. But it wasn't dangerous. Using smaller and more local roads give you the possibility to get in touch with many local people. And even close to major tourist areas, you may be one of the very few tourists ever visit the place. Many of the road you want for cycling in south Thailand are in excellent condition. And they are kept in excellent condition. Road marks are almost everywhere clear and reliable.
Hotels, restaurants, campingThailand is not like China, where every little village has a rest house, guest house or hotel. However, you will find every 50 km at least a place to stay. If you can't find a hotel, you may try your luck in the local Buddhist temple. They sometimes give travelers one of the empty rooms in the temple or allow you to pitch your tent on the temple grounds. Camping, as in most Asian countries is not much known. There are some camp grounds here and there in Thailand, mostly in tourist areas at beaches. You may like to pitch your tent on the beach, if the locals allow you. And, if you camp, do not leave any garbage, keep the area clean. Road side restaurants are everywhere available. A good bowl of noodles or rice is always possible to find without much effort. Drinks can be bought too. Here's some of my own experiences with food in Thailand. Subscribe to my Bicycle adventure RSS feed, if you don't know what this is, please read here more:
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