Sisaket (TH) to Singapore – Ep 2

TH – Kanchanaburi to I-Tong

In Thailand mountains have two big advantages.
First, in the right season the air is fresh and cool! Second you find a lot of twisty roads!

So let’s stay a bit in the Kanchanaburi area and explore.

After a good sleep and a simple breakfast, we started at 7 am up north west on Hwy 323.
Once you are out of the city area, Hwy 323 is great to ride.

The plan for the day was, go up to Pilok / I Tong.

Pilok rose as a mining boomtown in the 1940s, when tin and tungsten mines were established in the area, but suffered greatly from the tin market crash of 1985, after which its mines ceased operation. The village has since seen revival as a tourist destination.

Pilok has various places of interest, many of which are natural features within Thong Pha Phum National Park. The village of I-tong itself has become a tourist destination for its rustic atmosphere and the fog which regularly rolls in over the surrounding hills. In the village’s vicinity, the site of the abandoned Pilok Mine, with its old buildings and machinery, is open to the public, and the Buddhist temple Wat Mueang Pilok (วัดเหมืองปิล็อก) sits on a hill overlooking the village. Another hill, Noen Sao Thong (เนินเสาธง, “flagpole hill”) lies on the border itself, and also features a viewpoint under the twin poles which fly the flags of Thailand and Myanmar side by side. There is a border crossing nearby, but it is not open to the public.

The ride up to I-Tong is a great one. 399 curves and twists, a paradise for motorcyclists.

At the Noen Chang Suek view point, Pilok.
People travel up there for view the sunset and sunrise. As the road is not in good conditions, many rent a van in I-Tong to bring them.

I-Tong:

As we stayed two nights in I-Tong to relax from the boring ride the days before, here some more photos:

Gas station in I-Tong – the only one…

and some abandoned mining tools…

After a quiet night, and a breakfast in the market with Myanmar style coffee (not my favorite) and Myanmar style tea (very delicious)…

…a walk in the village. Great atmosphere!!!

If you have never been to Myanmar, this is your chance to go there visa free.
Technically you are in Myanmar – at some point you can cross the border but it is not recommended to continue further on into Myanmar.

When I took this photo, I was in Myanmar. Just 2 or 3 m across the border but is was Myanmar.
The construction is for the gas pipeline Myanmar to Thailand.

The road to Myanmar (photo above).

Travel tip for Pilok and I-Tong:

NOT go on Saturdays or on public holidays.
Mass tourism. It’s hard to find a good accommodation. Parking is full and it might happen that they close the village for cars in the late afternoon.

One more thing – no electricity at 9 am and 9 pm. It might take a short time to get it back or maybe hours. Depending on…we did not find it out.

Find the details for the trip in the Calimoto link.

Ride safe guy’s and enjoy yourself!!