Songkhran Festival & Phuket Bike Week : Part I

Najib, Amir, Epol and SIC members planned a couple of weeks in advance for this ride. I actually didn't. I didn't even think of going until Najib make me change my mind on the last minute to company him. Amir loan me RM 300.00 to cover the fuel and Najib RM 400.00 for the accommodation. My wife sponsored me RM 400.00 for food and other expenses. The bike's roadtax will expired by the month's end, so I said to my self, let's enjoy the ride, I'm incapable of renewing the roadtax for the time being. How unlucky is that Amir couldn't join us when the time comes. So there's only 5 of us on the strating grid. Myself on the Zx10R, Najib with his Z750s, Remy ZX14, Shahril GSXR1000 K2 and Mat Nor Z750.


The journey up route. 986km all the way up.


It was Friday, we assemble at RnR Sungai Buloh somewhere on 1p.m. Amir join us to wish us safe riding.


From left, Remy, Amir, Shahir's back, Mat Nor and Najib. You'll not see me much in the pics, I just love to take them, not be in them. Remy and Najib has liaise with the Langkawi bike group and will be joining them at the Thailand border. They'll help arrange our hotel and all.


As about time to leave, the rains starts falling. Left us hanging a couple of more minutes. That means more cigarettes and drinks.


Najib's with his waterproof gears. But he actually dying to have a shiny metal panniers on both side.

As we agreed among five of us that we are well getting late, we ride through the rain. It stopped and rain again on and off through the journey.


The next checkpoint is at RnR Simpang Pulai. Refuel the bike and some light stretch for us.


This one keeps you going.


Remy mount a camcorder ready for Jelapang twisties.


We stopped when visibility is bad when it's rains heavily. I'm currently on my Power Race. Honestly, it's a delight for me riding in the rain. At least that stretches up my tyre thread for an extra more life.


We always regroup on every checkpoint or junction. I always prefer this kind riding pattern. A voluntary sweeper always at the back watching out for others and we ride at our own pace. No marshall is necessary because that's just caused bikers hogging the road. Who's fast or who's not is really doesn't matter as long as we group together again on the next stop.

After a while we ride again and next stop is RnR Gurun.


I snapped this photo at 6 o'clock. This is suppose to be my lunch. It ended up became my dinner.


Everyone is starving.


You can make insurance and related border paperwork here at Caltex RnR Gurun. It cost us RM 17.00 for each bike's insurance and RM 1.00 for the white paper. They also have a money changer here with a rate of RM 10 = 9.80 Baht. I gave them an idea that they can always change the money later in Thailand. Bad judgment cause that end up some losses as the rate in Phuket are much lower than this. I still have some 700 Baht left in my wallet from the previous visit. That will just do for now. I'm on budget diet.


Here's where you can get easy border arrangement done for you. We move then.


Somewhere along the way it's raining again. A small house with a human label on the door became our shelter for that moment. Najib is talking with a guy who remain anonymous tipping us on Danok.


As we arrive to the border. We waited for the Abg Wan and Abg Anwar to guide us up.


Najib trying to run down the gate without a passport. He didn't succeed.


Mat Nor's ride are as the same with Abg Wan's.


At the Sadao Immigration, it's been done a little bit differently. We park our bike at the side and que up for the passport and import vehicle form.


This are the helpful guys from Langkawi chatting up with Mat Nor. On the right is Abg Anwar and the left is Abg Wan. Mat Nor learn some few tricks for future reference from these guys.


We glad we arrived at Danok without much hassle.