Cycling in Thailand – backgroundinformation 2001
In October and November 2001 we cycled from Vientiane (Laos) to Siem Reap in Cambodia. We traveled through Eastern Thailand, following the Mekong River for some time and visited the famous Khmer ruins in the southern part of East Thailand. We entered Cambodia at Poipet to end our trip at Siem Reap.
Maps; getting around
Thailand
Road signs along major roads are in Thai and Roman script. All roads are numbered. These numbers are shown on milestones and signs. A map with names in Thai and Roman script is handy but a map showing the road numbers is more important. We used two maps:
- The Nelles Map of Thailand. Scale 1 : 1.500.000 (only Roman script, limited road numbers, with relief)
- Michelin Tourist and Motoring Atlas. Scale 1 : 1.000.000 (both Thai and Roman, all road numbers, distances, no relief)
Signposting along all the roads is good. All distances are measured in kilometers.
Laos
Road signs along major roads are in Thai and Lao script. A map with names in Lao and Roman script is handy. We used The Nelles Map of of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Scale 1 : 1.500.000 (only Roman script, limited road numbers but with relief). All distances are measured in kilometers.
Cambodia
There were no Road signs along the Poipet – Siem Reap road. This is no problem as there is only one road. We used the Nelles Map of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Scale 1 : 1.500.000 (only Roman script, limited road numbers but with relief).
Books
For general travel info we used the well-known Lonely Planet travel guide. Lonely Planet has also recently produced a ‘Cycling in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia’ guide. This guide gives general information and has a selection with tours in these countries.
Links on the WWW
See our links section for info or try:
Exploring SE Asia by Bicycle
Report of a trip thorugh China, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.
Monks at That Luang temple, Vientiane
Roads and Traffic
Thailand
All the roads we traveled are in a good condition. Most roads have a shoulder (small strip on both sides separated by a line from the main lane) that can be used as a bicycle-lane. Try to stay away from the major highways. Although you may be cycling on a shoulder the fumes and noise will wear you down. Traffic is on the left hand side of the road.
Laos
The road from Vientiane to the Thai border is good. Traffic is on the right hand side of the road. Traffic decreases quickly outside Vientiane.
Entering Vientiane with The Lao version of the Arc the Triomphe in the distance Larger version
Cambodia
The Poipet – Siem Reap road into Cambodia is in bad shape. Potholes that eat cars for breakfast and cyclists as a snack. This road has been upgraded in November 2001. Traffic is on the right hand side of the road. Traffic is low and slow, mostly pickup trucks and slow freight trucks.
There are plans to pave the entire road. Check out www.angkor.com/road.shtml for the latest news. The Tales of Asia also has good info on this subject.
Your bicycle – preparation
You’d better prepare your bike well, to avoid having to look for bicycle repair shops and the inevitable communication problems once you have found one. Check out our Interactive Bicycle Checklist and the 12 language Bicycle Vocabulary.
Food and drinks
Heavy traffic near Surin, the elephant capital of Thailand
Food from food stalls and restaurants is easily available in all three countries. The major problem is to communicate what you want to be served, as English is not widely spoken. Safe bottled drinking water in 0.95 l bottles is available everywhere, even in small villages. Restaurants serve ice cold beer and cold soft drinks. Every bottle of Singha or Beer Lao comes with a bucket with ice to keep it cool!
Climate
We visited the area from October 20 to November 20. This is the time the rainy season ends. The weather was very variable: we had sunny and clouded days as well as some rain Temperatures varied from 20 – 35 degrees (Celsius during daytime). It often was very humid.
Where to stay
Thailand
There are plenty of reasonably priced hotels. For a nice double room with private bath and airco we paid 350 baht.
It can be hard to locate hotels and guesthouses as not all of them have signs in Romans script. Ask the local police to help you.
Laos
We only stayed at Vientiane. There are several good hotels and guesthouses in the town center.
Cambodia
Crossing the border from Thailand your first stop probably will be Sisophon where there are several hotels. The next town with a wide selection of accommodation is Siem Reap near the world-famous Angkor Wat temples. In between expect nothing fancy.
Other ways of getting around
Of course cycling is the best way to get around, but to avoid bad roads or less interesting areas you may want to consider one of the following alternatives.
Bus and train
On this trip we did not use public transport. Getting your bike aboard a train or bus should be fairly easy.
Taxi
Hiring a taxi (generally a pickup truck) is no problem. We did this to avoid cycling the disastrous road from Sisophon to Siem Reap in Cambodia. No extra fee was required for the bikes.
By air
Taking a bike on domestic flights inside Thailand is no problem. We flew from Bangkok to Udon Thani and from Siem Reap to Bangkok without any problems. There was no extra charge for the bikes.
Questions
Have a look at our FAQ pages for questions other visitors of this site asked us. If you still have some questions left do not hesitate to send us an e-mail.