Get the gdb file here …

Total Distance 121

I head south on the 1090 and after a few km take a left to visit the Huai Mae Sot reservoir

The water level is a long way down

Further down the 1090 I take a left to visit the Padaeng mine

I am invited in and the boss speaks very good English, this is a zinc mine and has another four or five years before it closes down

This was the east dump that has been successfully returned to nature

I am driven up to the top of the east dump for some better pictures

Thats the west dump which also will be returned to nature and should look the same sometime in the future

The water being used for processing is cleaned then reused and none is needed to be brought in from outside

Rainwater catchment

An interesting trip up here and I must look in again in a few years time after the mine has closed to see how it looks like then

Some views from along an unknown road leading back to the 1090

Now on the 4029 and it looks a bit dry along here

A twisty road though

After a while the road has a newish surface and goes on for a fair way before turning to dirt

The dirt section starts at N16.36.789 E098.40.669

There are absolutely loads of dirt tracks leading off of the roads I ride today

I noticed a rather pungent smell in the air, possibly this is the cause of it

The surface is a lot rockier around here but not as big as these

A potato field

After 6.5 km of dirt I reach the 1090 and turn left, almost immediately I turn left again to visit the Tara Rak waterfall.
These lads are swimming in a lake at the bottom of it

The Tara Rak waterfall at N16.34.144 E098.41.667

Now to find a way up there, my first foray around the lake ends up with me in someones garden and the second attempt off the 1090 is a dead end

Further along the 1090 there is a sign for this and its a dirt track starting at N16.33.779 E098.41.635

I ride on past the chedi for a bit but then turn back and ride back to the 1090

I turn left and just down the road I take a left onto an unknown road that turns to dirt at N16.33.195 E098.42.366

I reach a crossroads and take the right

Through a bamboo avenue now

Here the track I should be on does not exist, I ride to the end of this one but then its a ride back

I follow where the track should be according to the ESRI and come to this, I can see the 4016 not far away but cant reach it

And this is the bridge, I walk over which was dicey enough and find the track I should be on but with no way of getting to it

I walk around in a circle to see if I can find another way across then discover the problem

This was obviously once the bridge, no use in worrying about it I will have to ride back and find another way to the 4016.
I ride back and try another left but its a no go, the next attempt although not showing on the ESRI goes to the 4016 where I get back on asphalt at N16.32.332. E098.44.275 and ride home

A new restaurant for me tonight at N16.42.734 E098.33.463

A thicker crust vegetarian pizza that was tasty and filling for only 130 Baht

Get the gdb file here …

The route 105, Unknown

Total distance 182 km

I take the 105 northwards for about 65 km then take a left onto an unnumbered road to explore some border villages

I see a lot of these today, its obviously a major operation around here

The rider was going quite fast considering his load and he negotiated a pot holed bit quite well too

The first village has fuel in the drums at N17.08.328 E098.18.884

A deserted Army box on the bank of the Moei

The border and looking over into Burma

Now for a ride around the village exploring all the paved roads

I turn left at N17.07.626 E098.18.028 onto a dirt track to ride alongside the Moei

Two of those kids follow me through the corn field to the river

I ride south along the dirt track to where it finishes at this house

I am intrigued as to what the barrier in the river is for unless its to stop boat traffic apart from a narrow section near the Burmese side

Plus the two lookout posts

I look around and my two little buddies have found me

I ride back towards the 105 then take a right to explore further, along here I take a right at N17.07.019 E098.19.550 and this is a dirt track

Riding down here I see the sieve full of ants eggs lying in the road

No sign of its owner, perhaps the ants have taken their revenge this time

Suddenly the lady appears from out of the trees and helps herself to some more eggs

Then she gets some old dried leaves and lights them

I have never seen this done before

I ride on and now I am back beside the Moei

A rubber plantation here too

Nothing more here lets get back to the asphalt

On the way back I find more people getting the ants eggs that werent here about 30 minutes ago

I ride back to the asphalt, turn right and soon end up in another village

Here fuel is available in bottles at N17.06.603 E098.20.191

I ride around the village on a paved surface then ride out on another road that turns to dirt at N17.06.563 E098.19.960 and stays dirt until it meets the asphalt road at N17.06.706 E098.19.967

Further on and the Army presence is visible

I ride into another village and take a right through a checkpoint that is deserted, the surface turns to dirt at N17.06.144 E098.19.102

From here I ride down to the Moei

Lots of bags of charcoal here

I hear the sound of a bike racing around then suddenly this Soldier rides down, hes very friendly and tells me theres no danger now from any fighting

Not much left of this tree and its completely burnt out on the inside

Riding through the village and these are busy with the tamarind

Fuel here at N17.06.144 E98.19.168

Poor chap, I wonder if he trod on something nasty

At the end of the village at this checkpoint I am asked for my ID, I leave my Thai driving licence with them and ride off down to the Moei, they tell me to not take too long and not to cross over into Burma.
The road here turns to dirt at N17.06.093 E098.19.166

I cross the first water crossing but that was a mistake as its loose on the middle section and the KLX just bogs down, I leave it and walk from here

The Burmese Army post across the Moei

Now to go back and retrieve the KLX, its easier to walk alongside it until I get back to the water crossing

Now to get my licence back and try out a dirt track heading south from this village

I ride back through part of the village on the paved surface then take a road that turns to dirt at N17.06.109 E098.19.279

Not far and a water crossing

This has turned into a great fun dirt track and the ESRI shows it going south for a while and I am hoping it will link up with another dirt track that leads back to the 105 south of where I turned off it this morning

The track turns to a narrow single track that I have no desire to explore and I ride back to the water crossing then see this track heading east that the Esri only shows as going for about 3 km but I give it a go anyway, it turned out to be a very wise decision too

Lots of burnt trees here

I am wondering where this track will lead to as its now gone off the GPS but to get to the start of the one that leads to the 105 means crossing those cliffs

I ride on a very rough rocky section for a while but the track is heading south east and if it continues this course it should join the track I need

Just past here I reach the track I need but south of its start point and I am now back on the GPS

All of a sudden I emerge from the trees and I see people again

Not far along here and I reach a village

Fuel here in bottles at N17.04.150 E098.22.715

Just past the village and an Army checkpoint

A bit further on and I am right on the border again so I walk down to the Moei

About 1 km before reaching the 105 there is another checkpoint and I noticed the opening times, sod getting to here after it was closed and having to ride back the other way.
I think getting a bike through would be easy enough anyway

After 21.8 km of fun on the dirt I reach the 105 and ride back to Mae Sot, on the edge of town these two were causing mayhem in the road

I watched them for a few minutes then rode on, it was funny watching the traffic swerving either side of them

A lovely Lasagna for 75 Baht at SP Kitchen on the Asia Highway at N16.43.070 E098.33.619, the garlic bread was 30 Baht

Get the gdb file here …

The route 105, 1175, 08033/3114, 3047,

Total distance 134 km

I took the 105 north to Mae Ramat then a right onto the 1175

A few km along the 1175 I take a right onto this funny numbered road but the ESRI gives it as the 3114

I discovered this road about three years ago on the Phantom but gave up on it after a few km as its was so potholed and I had no idea where it was going, today I want to find out

The ant egg thiefs are on the prowl here

The only problem with getting near to these people is the fact that the surrounding road is crawling with angry red ants that quickly climb up your clothes, I notice they are both wearing wellingtons, perhaps the ants dont climb up them

I reach the end of one piece of asphalt at N16.59.410 E098.36.890 and according to the Esri the track finishes here

I ride on offroad

Its a pleasant scenic ride

At this point here I am on another track that shows on the Esri

I am guessing this is where the Monks shower and do their washing

Going by this

This is lovely out here and there are loads of these offroad tracks showing on the Esri around here

I follow this track and it brings me back to the asphalt of the 3114 at N17.00.245 E098.36.349

I ride through a few villages and notice that fuel seems to be widely available, not that I am far from the 105 where theres two fuel stations near the 1175 junction

When I first turned on the 1175 this morning it looked dull and colourless but now its turned into a great scenic area

I reach another end of the asphalt at N16.59.568 E098.38.717 and the Esri shows it going on as an unpaved track for less than 1 km

I am hoping it will carry on and join up with the 1175 but it needs to deviate to the left as those hills dont look too inviting

The track peters out here at a water crossing

This man and his dog come along and I am told that this is the end of the track

The dog crosses first

Then his master

Time for me to ride back

At the end of another side road through a village is this deeper water crossing that I have no desire to try

Now on the 3047

In a village I see a newish looking dam and take a left onto dirt at N16.55.404 E098.37.758

The surface returns to Asphalt at N16.55.452.098.38.221 and remains paved for the rest of todays ride

The Huai Mae Lamao

Next stop is this lake which I didnt realise was next to the Mae Ka Sa cave which I visited a few years ago but this asphalt surface wasnt here at the time

This lake is at virtual capacity

I walked across but I am not a fan of these swaying bridges

A quick look around the hot spring then it was back to Mae Sot after a fun day exploring some new roads and dirt tracks

I eat here tonight at N16.42.932 E098.34.197

A fast food outlet thats a mix of KFC and Pizza Hut

Extremely packed as I walk in but the food doesnt take long to arrive

119 Baht for that lot and very filling

99 Baht for the small pizza but as a set its 199 Baht for the lot, I just about found room for the pizza

Get the gdb file here …

The route 105

Total distance 258 km

A shot of the Yuam river as I ride out of Mae Sariang

I have never seen elephants along here before and at first though it was elephant trekking but these are working elephants and the other westerners here stopped for a look the same as I did

Part of the old surface, I encountered a badly pot holed section for a bit but otherwise it was a good surface with lots of new asphalt since I last rode here in march

Now for some of the lovely new surface

The KLX gets a rest from the dirt today, I dont think my legs could take another days off road riding so todays asphalt was a nice change

The banana being gathered, I was told it was food for their pigs

Another section of old that is being widened and then resurfaced

I climb up to get this scenery shot only to see some huts down below

Nearby is this sign

I am now riding alongside the Moei river so go down for a closer look

I have not noticed this place along the 105 before

A new restaurant I think

Just before reaching Tha Song Yang there is this new fuel station at N17.14.350 E098.13.559 but despite having a benzine and a gasohol pump both of them only contained benzine, diesel was sold here too.
A few metres along was another fuel station that again only had the same fuel choice

A good road and great scenery

At Mae Ramat there are a couple more fuel stations and this PTT with a 7-11 redresses the balance by only selling gasohol and diesel at all its pumps, no benzine sold here.
This used to sell benzine but since it was refurbished a couple of years ago has only sold gasohol, I wonder if this is what the future holds for Thailand as the rumour that benzine is going to be dropped still persists

I check in at the Smile House but instead of being virtually the only guest I find there is only this double room left for 150 Baht, apparently Mae Sot is very busy at the moment

I get my own private veranda

As I have enough time today I ride to the border and cross to get a new 90 day visa, over in Burma I see this Yamaha DT 125,
I had a few of the 175 versions years ago and thoroughly loved doing offroad riding on them, in the late 70s and early 80s they were the bike of choice for green laning and that sort of thing

Sitting in the Immigration office in Myawaddy while waiting for my passport I suddenly notice there is a time diffence between Thailand and Burma but of only 30 minutes, something I had not noticed before

Now time to eat

The fajitas and a big tasty meal that completely fills me for 140 Baht

Get the gdb file here …

The route 1194

Total distance 148 km

The start of todays new track at Mae Sam Laep, I noticed fuel sold here from the hand pumps

I am told at the harbour that I can ride to Tha Ta Fang then on to Mae Sakoep

Its a paved road from the harbour to start with then the road turns to dirt at N.17.59.054 E097.44.308

Not far in and a cloud of smoke greets me

But its only rubbish being burnt here

Its a relatively easy going dirt track today

Across the Salawin in Burma and a reasonable sized land slip by the look of it

All of a sudden a guy appears from out of the trees then crosses the road and disappears again

The track now turns inland a bit and I am riding along one of the tributaries of the Salawin

Now for my first water crossing of the day

Theres a few homes on the other side of the water

Peering through the trees I can see a boat and I am looking for a way down to the riverside for some better photos but its too steep to get down without falling, then getting back up would be a big problem

Further along I spot a mother with her sons down on the river bank so here I manage to climb down okay

Now if I can manage to get out there I will be out in the middle of the Salawin

I make it out to the middle on the rocks

Looking up to where the water level rises to and its got to be about 25 metres higher in the wet season

Where the river has narrowed so much its a very fast current indeed and sod falling in there

Boats travelling downstream motor through here

This one going upstream really slows down here

Although the boats engine note doesnt change at this point the boat almost appeared to be stopped as the current was so strong

A couple of very minor water crossing along the way

Free drinking water is available here

The weather is so much clearer today and so are the photos, while I am happy about this I am pissed off about the last three days new forays not having the same visibility, especially yesterdays ride to the confluence.
I will try to get there again in march for another look

The NP at Tha Ta Fang

My main water crossing today to ride into Tha Ta Fang

Fuel is available here in bottles at N.18.04.459 E097.41.461

The soldier here tells me that the high water level is above those sandbags and is 30 metres above its current level

I ask which way to Mae Sakoep but here I am told theres no track and I can only get there by boat

I have rode from Mae Sariang to here before on the Phantom and remember the difficulty in getting back through a water crossing, the KLX would be more difficult through that water because of its seat height and as I am alone I decide to ride back the way I left as I know there are no pitfalls awaiting me

On the way back and the ice cream man is stopped here

Suddenly theres vehicles galore passing through here

A 5 Baht treat that is much appreciated on this hot days ride

Nearing Mae Sam Laep and what a fun days ride exploring a new track, sadly I need to leave tomorrow as my visa expires on monday but I hope to get back here for some more exploring next month

Back on the 1194 and these buffaloes are relaxing

A new restaurant tonight, this is Mae Sariangs other Moukata at N18.09.048 E097.56.251

The usual food here

Includes ice cream for 129 Baht

Get the gdb file here …

The route 1194

Total distance 169 km

Some shots from along the 1194

The good new middle section of the 1194 and its a shame its not like this all the way

Now back to reality and the really rough section begins

I let him get past first before I got going just in case he disappeared into one of those holes and needed pulling out

The Salawin, I was looking at the live map on my own website last night of wednesdays ride and noticed that there were tracks showing that went to the Salawin/Moei confluence so I drew a rough sketch on a piece of paper and hope to find it today

Now the start of todays long dirt ride

There were quite a few of these coming the other way, all empty but chucking up clouds of dust

After 5 km of dirt I take a right onto the track that I rode down for 2 km on wednesday

Two choices and I take the one to the right, but unknown to me both were wrong

Straightaway I am in a large village

I need to head south but its only that narrow track, I am pointed to a track to the west of it and off I go.
It leads up steep on single track then turns to loose that I need 1st gear for and cant stop for photos or I wont get going again.
I have every intention of turning around at the first opportunity as this is no fun

I come out onto this new track and decide to explore a bit further

It appears to be a new track thats been cut and its steep and not compact, I get up some of it in 2nd gear but the looseness of the dirt is really sapping the power and 1st is also needed a lot of the time, this happened in quite a few places today and the fan never came on once surprisingly

I have absolutely no idea if this is the right track or not but its heading south and although the GPS is just a blank I have pinpointed where the confluence is and hopefully it will be located

This gentleman stops to ask me where I am going and he tells me this is the way, I have to bear round to the left then at a village take a right and my target is 20 km away

Just before reaching this village I go down some seriously steep hills with loose bulldust and I am hoping I can get back up them

The Salawin through the trees

What I dont appreciate at the time is that is actually the confluence

I reach a crossroads in a village and take the right as that appears to be going in the right direction, plus I guess this is the village I was told to turn right in.
Also as I have rode 7 km since speaking with him this would be the correct distance, a quick asking of a couple of locals confirms my suspicions

The sign to look for

The surface is a mixture of compact where I can make decent progress and loose bulldust where I had the KLX sliding sideways round a downhill corner and some rocky bits thrown in for good measure

My third and final water crossing and they were all easy ones

I reach the village sitting on the Moei, now to head north a bit for the confluence

I asked at two places here about benzine only to be told no, I find this rather surprising considering its a reasonable sized place, maybe they didnt understand me and they do have some.
I have only covered 82 km since leaving Mae Sariang and will get back on a tankful even with the dirt riding

The Salawin

The Moei

I am not under any illusion that I am the first westerner to come here but I have never heard this confluence mentioned before or ever seen any photographs of it.
Has anyone reading this ever been here before?

Well here is the confluence, it took me a lot longer to get here than I expected and as my legs are aching from standing up on the pegs I decide not to walk right down there.
I will visit here again and would love to see it when both rivers are at full flow

Mission completed and time to ride back

On the way back and I discover a vantage point where I can get a good view of the confluence, I cant help thinking what a lovely photo this would be in ideal weather conditions.
The GPS co-ordinates of this spot are my secret and are on offer to the highest bidder

A zoom of the confluence

In one of the villages on the way back fuel is available, N17.53.677 E097.43.137 is right outside the house that sells it

Just out of the fuel village is the steep uphill bit I was concerned about, I just gun it in 1st and apart from one of the corners which was a bit difficult to negotiate the KLX sails up it

Now a steep downhill bit that the photo doesnt show the true angle of, I stop here for the photo and even with the bike in 1st with the engine off the bike still slides downhill and the front brake is also needed to hold it

I dont make the mistake of turning right onto that steep single track going into the village on the way back and stay on the freshly made wide track.
It brings me back to the first water crossing where I should have taken a right that doubled back on itself

After 67.4 km of dirt riding I am back to Mae Sam Laep and heres another shot of the Salawin.
I had asked before over the years about a boat trip to the confluence from Mae Sam Laep but was told they dont go that far, fortunately for me the KLX did go that far

What I hadnt noticed in my rides past here lately was the fact that the bridge leading from the 1194 to Mae Sam Laep was destroyed, this must have been fun going across here in the wet season.
I ride into town to find out if the road to Tha Ta Fang is open, I am told yes.
I thought this must be possible as I noticed Tha Ta Fang was mentioned on signposts along the way, hopefully tomorrow I will try it out.
I get back to town and even with todays long dirt section the bike has done 169 km and the fuel light still hasnt come on

A large vegetarian pizza for 320 Baht at the Sawaddee

Get the gdb file here …

Total distance 106 km

The first thing I noticed this morning was my number plate was hanging very loose as one of the nuts had worked loose and fallen off.
A quick visit to the Castrol Bike Point and it was fixed, but not before I was charged the extortionate sum of 5 Baht for them to fix it.
A great service from these people every time whether its for oil, tyres or other fixes that are required

Now out on the 1194 to explore some new roads

I take a left to try out a road that should bring me out at the bridge in Sop Moei

Riding along the Mae Yuam for most of the way

The surface turns to unpaved at N18.00.723 E097.54.572 and then these guys come along

Its a pleasant scenic route

After a while there is a concrete section then more unpaved followed by a bit of asphalt, a bit of what was possibly once asphalt and a bit of what has probably never been paved so I guess this needs to be designated an unpaved track from the waypoint

An absolute monster Richard III there and these guys are giving it a very wide berth too, probably a wise decision as I wouldnt fancy the bikes chances if it hits that

I reckon even the KLX could have struggled getting through that one

The bridge at Sop Moei and I reach the proper paved surface at N17.57.824 E097.55.431

Some kids enjoying a dip in the Mae Yuam

I ride across the bridge and upon reaching the 105 go straight across it to explore more new territory for me and its a paved surface to start with

Then comes a short 0.7 km unpaved bit from N17.58.327 E097.56.315 to N17.58.185 E097.56.751

Back on a lovely twisty asphalt bit now

At N17.58.677 E097.58.283 the surface returns to unpaved but its easy going

A choice of routes now, right appears to be a dead end at a village and so I take the left

At N.17.59.333 E097.59.173 the surface is now concrete and a choice of routes, I take the right signposted to Ban Mae-Oag-Tai

While I am stopped these two come along and stop beside me

No fear of the bird escaping

The concrete finishes at N17.59.646 E097.59.325 and from here on its an alternating surface that I dont bother recording as even some of the concrete section is very rough

Brilliant scenery and its a shame that the sky isnt clear to really appreciate it more

I reach Ban Mae-Oag-Tai

I dont know if this has just arrived or is about to leave

The truck carrying the wardrobes left just before me and I managed to get past it on a straight concrete section, I stopped for photos on the way back and was surprised at how good a progress the truck made

I get back to the junction and turn right and now the sign says Ban Mae -Oag-Nuea, its a good concrete surface until N18.01.280 E097.59.810 then it turns to dirt and stays that way until I reach the 108 apart from a few short concrete bits on steep hills

In the village and here I am told no fuel

Heading north and lots of choices but fortunately today the ESRI has these tracks on it so navigating the right way is easy

Finding the correct track is the easy part but the track has now become steep, rutted and rocky and care is needed on this part

I ride through another village at N.18.03.931 E098.00.694 and here they have fuel

Stopped for a photo and suddenly I am not alone

Nearing the 108 and a shallow water crossing

A bit further on and another one

This is where it comes out on the 108 and the end of todays new tracks

Eat your heart out Kevin

Chicken steak, fries, and onions for 200 Baht at the Sawaddee

Get the gdb file here …

The route 105, 3004, 1194, 4077

Total distance 138 km

A shot of the Mae Yuam heading south along the 105

At Sop Moei I take a right onto the 3004 to hopefully ride across to Mae Sam Laep

As I stop for a photo I hear an air gun go off a couple of times then spot the shooter

I have seen pump up air rifles before but not one that looks like its got a bicycle pump attached to it

Good shooting that man, after a few shots his prize falls and hes happy

Quite a few Army guys come past me along the 3004

This road has had the paved surface extended since I last rode here a few years ago and some steep hairpins along here now

I didnt expect to see this at the top, theres a restaurant here too

Sadly its a very cloudy overcast day and visibility for photos is quite poor

After 14 km the road turns to dirt at N17.54.657 E097.53.628 and just past here I have three directions to go in

The middle track was the correct one

Theres a lot of loose bulldust and its slow progress

This ambulance passed me where I stopped at the three way junction and I waited to let it get ahead as the dust being kicked up was not nice, this is about 5 km after the dirt starts and fuel is available here

I ride on and it starts raining slightly, hopefully its nothing much as the sign said 50 km of dirt until Mae Sam Laep and as its steep and loose bulldust heavy rain would make it treacherous going.
I attempted to ride this way six years ago two up on the Bm, as we were heading up from Mae Sot and saw the signs for Mae Sam Laep we gave it a go but turned back in deep loose dust.
After riding it today I am glad we never carried on back then but I often wondered if the road did go through or not, today I finally found out

I stop in a larger village for a look

Just past the village theres a fork, the ESRI shows the track going on to the left but then it shows it heading south and going in the wrong direction.
A truck comes along and the driver tells me to take the right fork, I am now riding blind as this doesnt show on my GPS map

The odd sign of civilisation along this bumpy dusty track but thankfully the rain has stopped now

Progress is slow riding in this and I am beginning to wonder how long its going to be before I reach Mae Sam Laep

A few buildings going up here

Another village in the distance and I can see a dirt track showing on the ESRI leading out from this village

There are more pigs here than anything else so until I know otherwise this place is pig village, or Ban Moo

Everywhere you look there are pigs

The ESRI shows that as the track I need to be on, but I dont think so somehow

I discovered two things here in Ban Moo, English is not the main language spoken and theres no fuel here either.
I am not worried about the fuel as I will have only rode about 90 km from Mae Sariang by the time I reach Mae Sam Laep and I will get back to Mae Sariang on a tankful anyway.
Ban Moo is at N17.52.948 E097.47.695, the trusty old bilingual Thinknet map came in handy here as they were able to read it and point me in the right direction for Mae Sam Laep

My one and only minor water crossing today

A couple of km past Ban Moo the surface turns to solid and I can now make much better progress

The track has now disappeared again from the ESRI map and I reach another T junction, luckily enough once again there are people there to show me the correct way to go

The track has now reappeared on the ESRI and I am nearing Mae Sam Laep so no worries now

I need to take the right fork but am intrigued as to where the left one goes so as I have plenty of time I try it out

Rather a major obstacle to the waters flow and it looks like fires have taken place on the tree trunk

Its a stony dusty track thats also concrete in places but appears to head south rather than going to the border so after 2 km I turn back, plus its started raining hard now and I want to get off the dirt if its going to carry on raining

Thankfully the rain was short lived and I ride on reaching a checkpoint, someone says Burma pointing the way I am going and I think oh no thats all I need to be told this is a prohibited area.
I know full well that the Salween is the border and quickly ride off before I get asked questions

The Salween, I now know exactly where I am as I have rode to this point many times before and its now only 2 km back to the asphalt of the 1194

I started to ride this dirt track past the Salween on my Honda Wave seven years ago but gave up as it was so bumpy and often wondered where it went, today thanks to the KLX I found out this plus also whether the 3004 looped round as well

I reach the paved surface of the 1194 at N17.58.645 E097.44.394 after only about 36.6 km of dirt rather than the 50 the sign said when it first turned to dirt.
I guess its because there are some new dirt shortcuts that I used which were not on the ESRI map

I say I reached the paved surface of the 1194 but for about 16 km its in the worst state that I have ever known it to be

There were even worse spots than this, deeper longer stretches in places

Thankfully the surface improves and its a pleasant ride back

I take a right onto the 4077 to see for myself the damaged bridge that Phil found last week.
I wonder if thats going to be fixed this dry season

One final shot of the Mae Yuam then its back to the guesthouse after a brilliant fun day exploring new routes that were not on the map, GPS or paper

Sausage, fries, onion rings and onions for 200 Baht at the Sawaddee

Get the gdb file here …

The route 108, 1266

Total distance 139 km

Outside my guest house this morning was this customised bike

A Honda Sonic engine has been transplanted in here

Its time for the 3000 km oil change and no Shell garage here to get my usual brand of oil from

Shouldnt get any problems with this brand and its a semi synthetic 10W-40 the same as the Shell that will be mixed with it.
The gear lever was a bit loose and the guy here took it off cleaned it then fixed it, this plus the oil change was 150 Baht which was the price of the oil.
I used this place a couple of years back when the Phantom needed the tyres changing, a very good service here indeed and good English is spoken here too

Now time to change accommodation, I move to the Riverside Guest House as I get a room with private toilet/shower plus hot water for 150 Baht

The view from the terrace

Its a midday start by the time I am sorted out so a quick trip to Huai Hom for some coffee

The 1266 has a bit of surface debris here and there

A few landslips along the way, this was the largest one

Its been two years since I last rode here and the asphalt has been extended from the 108 until N18.21.236 E098.03.875, then its a 3.6 km unpaved section

At N18.22.617 E098.04.624 I am back on asphalt at the turn to Huai Hom

Huai Hom village

I ride through the village until the paved surface finishes then turn around

Huai Homs most famous product drying out

A view from upstairs at the coffee tasting/buying house

Lots of packets of the ground coffee for sale

No trip here is complete without sampling a cup

Now time to ride back with half a kilo of freshly ground for myself and 1.25 kg for a couple of restaurants here who always ask me to get them some

These school children are busily tidying up and burning the rubbish under the supervision of their teacher

On the way back I take a right onto a narrow concrete road that leads to a village of wooden houses

Theres more watching than working

The end of the road and time to turn back

I ride a bit further along the 1266 then take another right onto a concrete road but after the bridge it turns to dirt at N18.22.984 E097.57.877

Just past these buffaloes the surface returns to paved at N18.23.409 E097.58.041

Now a scenic ride back to the 108

The playful puppy at the Sawaddee restaurant

Pork steak, fries and onions for 200 Baht at the Sawaddee

Get the gdb file here …