The Baron and his Partner

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Just a brief info of the Isaan Region

Isan is Thailand's largest region, located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River (along the border with Laos) to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Sankamphaeng Range south of Nakhon Ratchasima.

From the map the red sector demarcates the Isaan Provinces.

Khon Kaen - used ti be as ex American base.

Loei — known for its numerous high hills, mountains and is one of Thailand's vineyard

Nakhon Phanom — border town with Laos along the Mekong

Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) — the chaotic main city of Isaan

Nong Khai — gateway to Vientiane and beautiful Mekong Valley surroundings

Roi Et — home to the tallest standing Buddha image of the world, Phra Phuttha Rattana Mongkhon

Surin — known for its annual elephant parade and Khmer temples

Ubon Ratchathani (Ubon) — famous for its annual candle festival

Udon Thani — best known for the archaeological site Ban Chiang

Yasothon — famous for growing high-quality jasmine rice and for the largest Rocket Festival in the region.

The Great Isaan Loop

Day 1

Sadao - Chumphon

550km

As day break, we head north towards our destination.

A cool welcome in Thailand this morning...nice cool weather and clear roads.

Sampao Thai

"Sampaothai" is in Baanta Sampaotai far from the center of city about 17 kilometers, you can go by car follow GPS maps, just type "Sampaothai" and drive along.

"Sampaothai" is viewpoint and home stay in more than 10 acres of rice field and organic vegetables farm. There is parking area for your private car.

A family run business they provide a homestay in a chalet facing green padi fields. They have organic passion fruits and vegetables farm that you can enjoy.

Kao Matsee Viewpoint, Chumphon

A viewpoint overlooking the town of Chumphon about 20km from the town centre. You are able to see the two colour water where the river meets the Gulf of Thailand.

Ended the day with a beautiful sunset view over the Gulf of Thailand in the province of Chumphon.

The Great Isaan Loop

Day 2

Chumphon - Saraburi

585km

Good morning... our day begins as we continue to head north.

Started the day's ride by visiting the old abandoned Chumphon train station. We were able to smuggle our bikes into the area and ride around the rail tracks area. There were plenty of abandoned warehouses as well as defunct trains. Managed to ride side by side witrh the trains and took some photos of them.

Rajabakti Park, Hua Hin

Rajabakti Park is a historically themed park honouring past Thai kings from the Sukhothai period to the current royal house of Chakri. The late king Bumibol gave the historical park the name "Rajabhakti Park", which means 'the park that has been built with people's loyalty to the monarchs.

Moai Cafe & Resort

A great place for a cuppa and cakes. Beautifully done up by the owner with Maoi architecture and stone carvings, This is a reminder of the character of Dum Dum. "I am dum-dum"- Night at the museum. We stopped by a some much needed coffee and cakes. They are both tasty and delicious.

Short Problem with the bike.

From Day 0 (Singapore to Sadao), 400km into the ride, I had been having a problem with my bike. The neck of the endcan of the exhaust system had broken off from the race midpipe I am using. Due to this, there was a loss in power for the bike. However instead of turning back or detouring into Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, I had decided to just continue the ride and drop into one of the Ducati agents in Thailand (cheaper labour cost). I am hoping to be able to weld the pipes together but I was prepared to buy a Termignoni aftermarket full system as well ( I had checked that it is available for purchase in Thailand (Bangkok dealership) specifically for my bike...well who minds an upgrade right?

Anyway I rolled into Ducati Hua Hin where I had been before in previous trip (I have a habit of dropping by Ducati dealerships where-ever I went) and look for my friends who work there. It is a habit of mine to meet new people at Ducati dealership and add them to my facebook accounts so that I may have contacts in case of emergency whenever I travel. They help me weld the parts back and it is as good as new (at least to be used throughout my trip). I am always thankful to all these friends that I made during my travel. They refuse to accept any payments and I managed to continue on my way. Thats also one of the good things that I like about travelling with a Ducati around the region, they always try to attend to you as best as they could so that you may continue your journey.

However due to these works to be done on the bike, we had wasted about 3 hours of our available daylight time to ride. We prepare ourselves to ride into the night. Well sounds ok after having been able to continue 1200km with a broken exhaust...hahaha.

The Great Isaan Loop

Day 3

Saraburi - Ubon Ratchatani

625km

Started our morning above the capital city of Thailand, Bangkok. We are starting the journey today from Saraburi after pushing our ride 2 hours into the night yesterday so that we can bypass Bangkok when traffic was much quieter. It is much needed so that we can weave through the city with our big bikes...am sure it is gonna be a hassle if we were to do it in the day time. Pushes off from Central region of Thailand due East as we head into the Isaan Plateau. Along the way we will start to notice changes in the weather and landscape as the Isaan region can be dry and arid at some points of the year.

Lamtakhong Dam

The Lam Takhong Dam is an embankment dam on the Lam Takhong River between Pak Chong District and Sikhio District in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. One of many large reservoirs in Thailand created by dams, Lam Takong is a mountain -rimmed body of water named after the river that feeds it. The dam was originally constructed in 1974 for the purposes of irrigation and water supply but after 2002, its water storage also serves as the lower reservoir for the Lam Takhong pumped storage power plant, Thailand's first power plant of that type.

Giant Tortoise of Surin

Passed by a temple that is in the process of being built. You will not miss it as you cut through route 24. The statue is so huge that you are able to catch a glimpse of it from far away.

Heading further into Isaan near the Thai-Cambodian border we made a detour to catch one of the places of interest in the region. This place are mostly non-touristy areas that we have researched on and decided to pay a visit to as we are passing by the area. Also the idea to go to places that are less visited by the mainstream tourist also sound great...see something that not many have seen.

Huai Luang Waterfall

Located near to the Emerald Triangle is Huai Luang Waterfall. It has beautiful cascading stream during the rainy season.

Entrance fee is 400baht is for foreigner. Yeshhhh that is almost 12USD/20SGD. Comparable to our 2 nights room charges (twin sharing) in Thailand.

Phlan Sa Ton Lang Lake

In the search for the Emerald Triangle we chanced upon a lake and decided to stop and admire its beautiful, serene surrounding with crystal clear water flowing in the lake. Bordering the neighbouring Cambodia, the lake was a natural demarkation between the two countries. As we were chilling by the lake we chanced upon carefree children who were swimming, playing and having fun in the lake with no worries visible on their faces.

The Emerald Triangle

The Emerald Triangle, as opposed to the Golden Triangle, refers to an area of lush forests which cover this region on the crossroads of Thailand, Laos (to the east) and Cambodia (to the south). From Ubon Ratchathani, head off on a journey of discovery through its unspoilt landscapes including, to the east, the Pha Taem national park, where you'll find unique prehistoric remains with the Mekong as backdrop.

As usual due to our visits to rural and places that are out of the way, we arrived into the town of Ubon Ratchatani about an hour after darkness. We search for a suitable hotel and rested for the night.

The Great Isaan Loop

Day 4

Ubon Ratchatani

Explore around the Province

Good morning from the Easternmost town of Thailand, we are in the province of Ubon Ratchatani this morning and shall be visiting some areas around this province. This is our second time in this province and we hope to discover new places that we missed during our last trip here. We hope to uncover new gems and geographical points of Thailand as we explore this area.

The Biggest Gong in Thailand

We are @ the most Eastern Point/tip of Thailand where we are now seperated between the Mekong River and Laos...

Thailand’s “gong highway,” a 21-mile stretch of road in the easternmost corner of the country. It starts 30 miles outside the area’s largest city, Ubon Ratchathani (called Ubon locally), and ends in Khong Chiam, a fishing village on the cliffs of the Mekong River that overlooks Laos.

Two Colour River

In a far-flung corner of Ubon Ratchathani province, Khong Chiam sits where the dark-blue water of the Moon River meets the chocolate-milk-coloured Mekong. The scenic town puts you within easy reach of two national parks, including the excellent Pha Taem, and a border crossing into Southern Laos, Ching Mek. Nature enthusiasts looking to ease into a rural rhythm will not be let down here.

Definitely a place I will be back again.

Pha Taem National Park

The Easternmost National Park in Thailand.

Pha Taem National Park is considered as one of the most popular attractions in Ubon Ratchatani province, which is known for prehistoric paintings that are 180 metres long, including about 300 pictures. The popular prehistoric paintings of the national park were found in 1981. The paintings shed some light on the culture at the time it was painted. Amazing and unique formations of stones along with fascinating waterfalls are displayed in the park. It is recommended that you bring your own transport to reach the waterfalls, stone formations and the museum.

Soi Sawan Waterfall

This large waterfall is located in the Pha Taem National Park. The waterfall has water year round, and falls for about 20 metres down a cliff face. The source of the falls are two streams which meet just before the cliff, forming what looks like a necklace, hence the name of the waterfall, 'necklace' falls

Catching the First Sunrise and Sunset in Thailand

Of course in order to be the first to catch the sunrise and sunset in Thailand, we would have to camp in this national park that is uninhabited and way off the grid away from the comfort of civilization. We did not however camp here for the day but merely cam here to share this point in Thailand that marks the first sight and last goodbye to the Sun in Thailand.

Met up with Abang Mazlan, a Malaysian, who has been residing in Ubon for the past 12 years. We chatted over drinks with him sharing with us how and why he decided to stay in Ubon together with his wife. He runs a supermarket and living a comfortable life...butbthe main thing there is no stress!! Enjoying his retirement.

His wife served us great tasty home cooked thai version of Laksa. Thank you so much for the hospitality and friendship.

We also managed to get a chop and some stickers for our friend, as part of visiting Route 2112 as part of the Official Route Pitstop (Malaysia & Thailand).

Hat Chom Dao

Its not a good time to visit as the Mekong is still not at the low level. Hat Chom Dao together with its neighbouring Sam Phan Bok make up the Grand Canyon Of Thailand. The best time to visit will be during the season when the Mekong is at its lowest.

Ended the day on the bank of the Mekong river bordering Thailand and Laos. Got into Mukdahan around dusk at sunset. Stopped by the river for a break and some snacks. We also took the time to decide if we would stay over in the town of Mukdahan tonight or should we ride another 100km to the next town of Nakhon Phanom. After enjying the sunset by the river accompanied by some 'newlymade" friends, we decided to proceed another 100km to the next town of Nakhon Phanom. This would mean that we would be rising another hour on the dark.

The 2nd Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge (Mukdahan)

The Mekong river marks the border in between Thailand and Laos , so in order to go from Thailand to Laos by road, you either have to take a boat when you reach the Mekong river or you can take one of the bridges that link the two countries.

On the other side of the Mekong river is Savannakhet, the second largest city in Laos, after Vientiane, but well, still pretty small by Thai standards. The interesting and attractive point about this second bridge is that from Mukdahan/Savannakhet, you only have to drive about 236 km to be in Lao Bao in Vietnam, making it the shortest route to reach Vietnam from Thailand.

The Great Isaan Loop

Day 5

Nakhon Phanom - Chiang Khan

520km

A cool morning from the East of Thailand

We will be heading up northward towards Beung Khan and then to Nong Khai and probably end our day in Old Town of Chiang Khan. All this while we will be skirting the great Mekong river. A long day ahead with a few places that we intend to visit along the way...hope we can make it for all that we have planned. For today's journey, we will be skirting along the Mekong (along the Thailand - Laos Border) till we get to the Northeasternmost province that is Nog khai. Probably at Nong Khai we will weigh our options of where to head (we have friends waitig to mee us in Chiang Khan though).

Friendship Bridge 3 (Nakhon Phanom)

The Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong is a bridge that connects Nakhon Phanom Province in Thailand with Thakhek, Khammouane Province in Laos. The bridge's foundation stone was laid on 6 March 2009, and it opened for traffic on 11 November 2011. The bridge is 1,423 metres long and 13 metres wide. One of those entry / exit point for motorbikes to cros between Thailand and Laos. Take note that not all border crossing are bike friendly...many a times travellers get turned around or refused entry at certain crossings.

Dinosaur Footprint Archaeological Site

Chanced upon this site as we were making our way up between Nalhon Phanom and Beung Khan on route 212.

As we all know Isaan is home to 2 type of dinosaurs native to this region. This site is where archaeologist uncovered prehistoric footprints of dinosaurs roaming centuries ago. However this site seem to have been abandoned or left in a limbo. Facilities are dated while working however the buildings in the area shows signs of aging and decay.

Rest stop by the Mekong.

The closest we can get to the Laos side so far....about 200m of the Mekong separates the two countries. Just to show you how close one can get to the next country.

The Heart of Mekong

The Mekong is a trans-boundary river in Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river and the seventh longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,350 km (2,703 mi), and it drains an area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi), discharging 475 km3 (114 cu mi) of water annually. From the Tibetan Plateau the river runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The extreme seasonal variations in flow and the presence of rapids and waterfalls in the Mekong make navigation difficult. Even so, the river is a major trade route between western China and Southeast Asia

Wat Phu Tok

This temple is quite far from Nong Khai (over 140 kilometers) but it is truly an amazing place ! More than the temple itself, it is the 359-meter high mountain on which is installed a set of walkways. As of now Level 7 and 8 has been closed to public for fear of the rickety ledges and wooden planks. Also there has been reports of snakes.

Friendship Bridge 1 (Nongkhai Boundary Post)

The first Thai-Lao friendship bridge is a bridge over the Mekong connecting Nong Khai and the city of Vientianne. The city of Vientianne is approximately 20 km from the bridge. The bridge spans a length of 1,170 meters.

Sala Kaeo Ku

Sala Keoku is a park featuring giant fantastic concrete sculptures inspired by Buddhism and Hinduism. It is located near Nong Khai, Thailand in immediate proximity of the Thai-Lao border and the Mekong river. The park has been built by and reflects the vision of Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat and his followers.

Wat Pha Tak Suea

Wat Pha Tak Suea is a temple situated within the beautiful mountainous and forest areas of the Nong Khai province in Thailand. The 16 meter skywalk is a u-shaped platform set in the hillside on a cliff edge that’s overlooking the Mekong river.

Marking the Completion of the 76th province of Thailand

(Some say 77 province)

It has been coming slowly over the years (10 years) focusing on different region at different points of time.

Glad to have completed the different regions of Thailand. To finish it off we created this Great Isaan Loop ride to give credits to the Isaan region. Whats more i get to celebrate it with my riding buddy, Udin Sudman who rode with me on this trip and members of Road to Bagan who met up with me in Loei. (everyone with their animal halves)

Finally arrived for our destination after a packed day today. Todays distance and places that we visit really utilise our energy and time. Although we were quite tired of the journey but meeting old friends make us rejuvenated again. and soon enough we were roaming around town.

Chiang Khan old Town

Chiang Khan is a small peaceful town in Loei province, located on the bank of the Mekong River with Laos on the other side of the river. Chiang Khan is an old town and a very popular destination for Thai tourists. The town is famous for its simple wooden houses adapted to be guest houses, coffee shops, and souvenir shops.

The Great Isaan Loop

Day 6

Chiang Khan - Phu Reua

100km

Good morning from Chiang Khan Old Town. We spent the morning walking aorund town seeing the old slow town come to life as the day passeas on. A leisurely stroll down by the river as well as enjoying hot coffee by the river. For today we will be heaing up for a camping session in Phu Rua National park atop a mountain. It will be chilly at night and we have brought along our camping supplies for this night. Since it is a short ride of about 100km to the camping grounds and we can only start camp in the afternoon, we spent our time hanging around Chiang Khan Town and visiting a Route 21 Cafe along the way.

Route 21 Cafe Phurua & Wat Som Det

Stopped for a rest ...

Camping in Phu Ruea National Park

There are over 120 Thai national parks, 150 if you also include marine parks. Most of the parks on land have large campgrounds with toilets, showers and washrooms, some are more well maintained than others. Some marine parks also have camping facilities such as the popular Mu Koh Similan National Park in the Andaman Sea.

Camping equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, mats, pillows, and kerosene lamps can be hired from park headquarters for a minimal cost. A two man tent can be hired for the night for 150 Baht, sleeping bags and other accessories range from 10 Baht to 30 Baht per item.

Camping Sites in Thailand (Must Do)

Khao Sok National Park, Surat Thani

Khao Yai National Park, Nakhon Nayok

Erawan National Park, Kanchanaburi

Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai

Phu Tub Berk, Phetchabun

Pang Ung, Mae Hing Son.

- Kaeng Krachan, Phetchaburi

-Phu Chi Fa, Nan

- Doi Angkhang, Chiang Mai

- Hintok River Camps

- Similan Islands

Phu Ruea Peak

The Coldest Area in Thailand

Today we shall we sleeping in a hundred star accomodation with strong natural airconditioning.

Temperature at 6pm was 16 degC.

We started to hike to the peak at 5pm... Underestimated the 2.5km upslope hike of 30 or 40 deg inclined. We had to hike in darkness and reached the peak at the last light of the mountain. We were the only two fools up there till the ranger came to clear the area ensuring no visitors left. Well we had to be escorted down. On the bright side we had a free transport down. Thank god I dont have to hike down in total darkness. Check out how dark it was....

The Great Isaan Loop

Day 7

Good morning from Phu Ruea National Park

A chilly 12 deg early morning. Took a walk to the nearby winter flower garden on Phu Reua.

Phu Ruea Winter Flower Garden

Just a walk down from our campsite sits the winter flower garden of Phu Ruea. Best time to visit will be the early morning when the flowers are at their freshest.

Phu Phra Bat Historical Park

The park's distinguishing feature is its unusual rock formations around which religious shrines have been constructed. Some formations also feature prehistoric rock paintings.

The park combines a distinctively beautiful landscape with a multi-layered trail of arts and religion stretching back over 3,000 years. Though we rank Phu Phra Bat among the Isaan region’s best attractions, its location amid the Phu Phan mountains in the rural northwestern corner of Udon Thani province keeps the crowds to a minimum.

Appearing as if propped up by a prehistoric race of giants, the park’s massive mushroom-looking rock formations were probably the work of erosion that took place when the terrain was immersed under an ocean millions of years ago. Narrow “stems” of sandstone somehow hold up the weight of harder and larger chunks of rock up above. Similar formations can be seen at Phu Pha Thoep and Pha Taem national parks, among other places, but some of Phu Phra Bat’s look like they’re defying the law of gravity.

Arrived in Udon Thani late afternoon. Did our laundry for the next phase of our ride down. Laindry services oe self- operated laundry machine are available widely in Thailand so do not overpacked your clothing when going for a ride. Plan for laundry days when you will stay in one place for more than a day to organise your laundry.

Headed to Central Festival to check out the Car Show in Udon Thani as well as looking for food. Then we went to O Zone night market to look for food. It is really hard to find Halal food in the Isaan province. So those looking out for halal food....7-11 is your best choice. Halal CP burgers and spagetti etc are available at some of the 7-11.

The Great Isaan Loop

Day 8

Udon Thani Exploration

Spent the day going around the province of Udin Thani checking out some of the interesting sites in the province.

Ban Chiang

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ban Chiang is a renowned archaeological site in Nong Han District, Udon Thani Province, Thailand. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1992. Discovered in 1966, the site attracted enormous publicity due to its attractive red painted pottery.

Ban Chiang is considered one of the most significant archaeological sites in Southeast Asia and was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1992. Excavations at a large, oval mound at the site uncovered pre-historic artifacts, especially pottery and bronze implements. Since the discovery of the site in 1966, the dating of Ban Chiang artifacts has been adjusted and refined over time in line with advances in the understanding and techniques of radiometric dating. This research has revealed that the site dates to as early as 3,500 years ago and that the site was continuously occupied for at least 2,000 years. The discoveries at the site, from both Neolithic and Bronze Age civilizations, have shown it has long been a habitation and burial site.

Talay Bua Daeng

Just 30 minutes from Udon Thani, we came across an otherworldly attraction that combined the beauty of a tropical flower garden and the serenity of a lake. This spectacular site is home to millions of lotus flowers and appropriately named the Red Lotus Sea or Talay Bua Daeng.

The Red Lotus Sea showcases its beauty during Thailand’s cool season between November to January. The best time of day to see the lotus blossoms is between 6 am until 11 am.

A one-hour boat ride costs 500 baht for up to 10 people. A 40 minute tour costs 350 baht. You may find others who are willing to share the cost.

The Great Isaan Loop

Day 9

Udon Thani - Phimai

400km

Today we are still continuing our journey down south. But along the way we have an event that we hope to be able to attend. It is known throughout Thailand as the Woodstock of Thailand. This is a weekend of music and it is held on this exact date every year at different venues all over Thailand. We are lucky that our plans to attend it was not delayed so we are exactly where we should be...now we hope to be able to get some tickets to enter the event.

Ubol Ratana Dam

Ubol Ratana Dam is the first multi-purpose dam of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) in the northeastern part of Thailand. The dam is also the control center of the electricity generation of the Northeast. The dam construction was completed in 1965. Ubol Ratana Dam, originally known as “Phong Neep Dam,” was built across Phong River in the area of Khok Soong Sub-district, Nam Phong District (presently called Ubol Ratana District) in Khon Kaen Province. The dam construction was completed in 1965

Pattaya 2 (near Phu Wiang)

Was skirting around Ubol Rattana Dam lookingbfor the site of the Isaan Music Festival. Chanced upon this remake of Pattaya beach here in Khon Kaen. Rental of cabanas available with great lakeviews as well as mountain backdrop. This happens to be on the other side of where we were this morning. The road skirting the Ubolrat dam was beautiful.

E-San Music Festival, unofficially dubbed Thailand's Woodstock, returning in November. Here's a big one for the hippies, peace makers, and music lovers among us — the E-San Music Festival, which past festival-goers often like to refer to as “Thailand's Woodstock,”

Isaan, sometimes spelled Esan, refers to the northeastern region of Thailand. Taking place at Ubon Rattana, Issan’s largest multi-purpose dam, this grassroots festival is known to provide a kaleidoscopic range of live music and entertainment, from rock ‘n’ roll to bluegrass and reggae, by both local and international artists.

Airways Land Cafe Route 2

Phimai Historical Park

Phimai historical park is the largest of all Khmer temples in Thailand, the rectangular complex measures over 1,000 meters long by almost 600 meters wide. It contains some of the finest examples of Khmer architecture in Thailand.

It is located in the town of Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima province. The temple marks one end of the Ancient Khmer Highway from Angkor. What makes this temple unique is that is constructed as a Buddhist temple, even though the Khmer who built it were Hindu.

Went to get some food from Phimai Town so that we have something to eat for the night. Most of our journeys, we survive on small portion of food as eating a full portion will make us sleepy during the day. Therefore we always try to ensure that we eat a full meal at night.

The Great Isaan Loop

Day 10

Phimai - Hua Hin

530km

Today will be a day where we push to ride southh...It is a day where we will ride as far south as wel could bypassing Central Thailand and into Southern Thailand. We are hoping to cover as much distance as we could and hope to land in Hua Hin tonight.

Along the way i spotted some familiar sites and decided to stop by for a while...

Saraburi Sunflower Field.

Saraburi is well known for the sunflowers especially during the season, you can see sunflower fields lining up the roads in most parts of Saraburi. Ot is also one of the main export for the province. We are a week early as the main season starts next week. Expect full blooms everywhere in the area come mid December. We were lucky enough to catch the early bloomers.

Chao Samran Beach, Laem Phak Bia (Phak Bia Cape)

The Laem Phak Bia Royal Project is located in Ban Laem in Petchaburi province. HM King Bhumipol Adulyadej initiated the project to treat both wastewater and solid waste through environmentally and ecologically sustainable methods. A pumping station in Phetchaburi city 18.5km away, feeds wastewater to Laem Phak Bia through a pipeline. This has created a 1-sq-km freshwater oasis among the surrounding expanse of brackish saltpans. It makes this a rich feeding area for water birds and insectivorous land birds, including many that are migrants from northern Asia, together with some other animals such as monitor lizard.The project has not only reduced pollution, but also provided nature lovers, birdwatchers and photographers a chance to get close to some of Thailand’s remarkable endangered birds and ecosystems.

Puek Tian Beach

A mysterious statue of a woman stands in the water surrounded by many smaller statues. Uncover the myth behund it.

A 19th Century the story of Phra Apai Mani, in which the same named prince was kidnapped by the female giant pee Seue Samut. She transformed herself into a beautiful woman, in which Phra Apai Mani fell in love ​​and he became the father of a son.

After many years Phra Apai Mani found out the truth, grabbed his son and ran away from her. For the avoidance, a family of mermaids helped him. In the beautiful daughter of the mermaids Phra Apai Mani fell in love and became the father of his second son, Sutsakhon.

But the story does not end here....this is just the beginning.

Arrived in Hua Hin just before the sun sets. We had a good shower and rested. At night we went to the famous Hua HIn Night Market to scavenge for food. It is really a food galore.

Hua Hin Night Market

One of the best night market in Thailand.

Hua Hin night market always leaves an impresssion of a night out for street food. Dinning is also available.

The Great Isaan Loop

Day 11

Hua Hin - Hatyai

800km

Our last riding day in Thailand, we left Hua hin early and aims to cover 800km to the town of Hatyai. Hatryai is naturally a town where many bikers will spend the night before they exit Thailand through one of the southern borders nto Malaysia. Today again is another day of pure riding. Arrived in Hatyai just before sunset and had a good time at the night market. The amount of halal food available is plenty making it a haven for halal Thai food.

Stopped by Ducati Hatyai to check out the merchandise on sale and to do a simple oil service for our bike.

Lee Garden Hatyai Walking street

Hatyai Municipality has rebranded it walking street. Situated just around Lee Garden Hotel (you cannot miss it is the tallest building in Hatyai), it is now a night market and food street. The old hawker road side stall still exist at the street off rows of massage and saloon shops.

It is a rainy evening here in Hatyai.

The Great Isaan Loop

Day 12

Hatyai - Singapore

880km

Today is the day that we ride home.

Do join us on our other adventures by reading our blogs.

Red Baron Diaries signing out.