Hat Yai (60km north of the Malaysia-Thailand border) was a pre-determined stop us. Here we planned to change our uncomfortable Honda ‘bench’ seat to a more butt friendly ‘king and queen’ styled seat.
Why Hat Yai and not Singapore? Two reasons: 1.The quality of one particular shop was well known in Singapore & 2.The price. Customization of our original seat with new padding and seat cover cost only USD$25!! We had to spend 2 nights in Hat Yai so it cannot be said th job was rushed.

From Hat Yai we headed north to Surat Thani. A popular departure point for Ko Samui bound ferries, servicing the thousands of tourists that visit each year. The town itself lacked character and it became obvious that this was nothing more than a transit point. We also made a quick getaway the following morning for a full days ride…. in the rain. The overcast weather was a welcome change to that of the sweltering heat the previous couple of days, but the constant rain made for an uncomfortable ride.
Upon reaching Prachuap Khirikhan, the rain had eased and we were welcomed by the gate-keepers of this sleepy town…. monkeys!! There were hundreds surrounding the main temple and more than a few happily posed on our motorcycle for a few bananas.

We soon found a cheap guesthouse for only USD$8 (the best deal so far). It had garaged parking (next to the family living area), a big double bed and attached bathroom with an interesting entrance…

In general, Thailand has surprised us with its level of development. Every few kilometers is a ‘western-styled’ petrol station with an attached 7eleven and the roads are in very good shape, 2-3 lane highways separating each major town. Seems globalization is spreading quickly…
Petrol is a bit more expensive than in Malaysia at USD$1.05 per litre.

Bangkok
From Prachuap Khirikhan we headed directly to Bangkok, stopping only for lunch in Hua Hin - the most popular beach destination for local Thai’s.
Within half an hour of entering Bankok and its maze of one-way streets, we made our first contribution into the ‘Underpaid Thai Police Officer’s Fund’. It turns out this metropolis with a population of over 9 million, has specific rules for motorcycles and Tuk Tuk’s alike. 1.A two or three wheeled vehicle cannot enter major highways and 2.It must remain in the left lane.
For the first offence we had to ‘donate’ 100Baht (USD$3.10). No ticket written or receipt received… For the second offence we were fortunate enough to only get a warning.

So having negotiated the Bangkok traffic (and police) for over 2 hours, our bike overheating, it was time to find a place to sleep. Izabela seems to have a good knack for spotting good ‘deals’ and she again pointed out our rest stop - The Green Hotel (with no tree or plant in sight…).
At USD$10 it was again good value and fairy central.
The first night we visited the famed Bangkok ‘GoGo Bars’. Unfortunately it turned out to be a dissapointing night. Either times have changed or we were unlucky with our choice, but the shows lacked character and we left only after a few ‘performances’.
The following night we decided to experience Thailand’s ‘other’ favorite sport - Muay Thai (Kickboxing). This was a hit!! The pre-fight theatre and the fights themselves were well worth the entry fee.

After two nights in Bangkok we headed further north - destination Chiang Mai: touted as South East Asia’s motorcycle touring heaven. With Chiang Mai around 900km away (including a scenic detour) we overnighted in a small village called Yaeng. Actually, it wasn’t even a village but a local run homestay (Smile Eye Homestay) 500m off the main road and attached to a rubber tree plantation.
I think that so far, this has to be one of the highlights of our trip. We were also a highlight for the locals, as it seemed the place had not had guests for a few months…
We slept in a raised shelter, with only some bamboo partitions and a mosquito net to keep out the local reptiles and bugs. It was back to nature stuff and we loved it…

Some breakfast and we were on the road again for the remaining 450km to Chiang Mai.
We arrived just before sunset and were lucky enough to find the JONADDA hotel, run by an aussie expat -John- who loves his bikes and touring. Over the next couple of days, John would be a great source of info as we explored northern Thailand…