Driving: Udon to Chiang Mai
Driving: Udon to Chiang Mai
Anyone know how long it take to drive from Udon to Chiang Mai and is it possible to go straight west through Loei and no have to drive down south on the major road? It seems that I would be able to save a lot of time if there is a road that goes out west of Loei all the way toward the road to Chiang Mai.
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laphanphon
i've done the drive both ways, via khon kaen/phitsanulok and returned thru phrae without going back down to phitsanulok, saving lots of time. good roads all the way. don't recall the time, as it was a leasurely drive during holiday with many stops. but a pleasant and easy drive, well marked on good roads. i forget, but looking at map, from loei, hwys # 203/2013/1143 to uttaradit, the rest on 11 to CM. I think.
map says 767 kms, that's cutting thru phitsanulok, so at least 8 hrs for leasurely drive. that route is better highway, but lots of traffice and cuts thru hills, other way also cuts thru hill, little less traffic as not on main maps, plus you are cutting thru loei, decent scenery pretty much all the way. the phitsanulok is nice ride also, little longe, plus i did it couple times and didn't want to do it agai. i asked a tour operator driver, who was working the north thailand are, has worked all of thailand and coincidently was from udon. met at same guesthouse in mai hong son, and ask if i had to go go thru phitsanulok or was there an alternative. that's when informed was possible on good road as the map i had didn't show any major roads that way, even the new map i have doesn't show as good routing.
map says 767 kms, that's cutting thru phitsanulok, so at least 8 hrs for leasurely drive. that route is better highway, but lots of traffice and cuts thru hills, other way also cuts thru hill, little less traffic as not on main maps, plus you are cutting thru loei, decent scenery pretty much all the way. the phitsanulok is nice ride also, little longe, plus i did it couple times and didn't want to do it agai. i asked a tour operator driver, who was working the north thailand are, has worked all of thailand and coincidently was from udon. met at same guesthouse in mai hong son, and ask if i had to go go thru phitsanulok or was there an alternative. that's when informed was possible on good road as the map i had didn't show any major roads that way, even the new map i have doesn't show as good routing.
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beer monkey
- udonmap.com
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done this journey lots of times, i like the to go the road to nong bua lamphu, turn off to si chompoo, junction on to highway 12 towards lomsak, (nice crispy duck near the police box on the junction) drive through some scenic routes into phitsanolouk then onto sukothai stay the night visit the historical park if you like, then i uaually take a smaller road towards si satchanalai, there is a place round there that has Hot springs, you can't miss it , it's on the main road, you can cook a few boiled eggs in the hot water only a few baht ago.
Or if you fancy you can have a bath in one of the huts, the water is superb, again only a few baht, then head towards Lampang, man i just love those sweeping mountain roads great scenery too, then head towards Chiang mai. Only 3 hours from udon....only joking, took me what seemed like forever, but what with all the stops (mostly toilet) a nice drive though. Do drive up Doi Inthanon as far as you can go.
going the Loei way or this way, there probably is'nt much in it.
Or if you fancy you can have a bath in one of the huts, the water is superb, again only a few baht, then head towards Lampang, man i just love those sweeping mountain roads great scenery too, then head towards Chiang mai. Only 3 hours from udon....only joking, took me what seemed like forever, but what with all the stops (mostly toilet) a nice drive though. Do drive up Doi Inthanon as far as you can go.
going the Loei way or this way, there probably is'nt much in it.