Ducati MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo announced that he will try to race in the next round at the Buriram Circuit in Thailand next weekend.
He made the announcement after another round of medical check-ups on his right foot.
Lorenzo was launched high into the air in a highside at the first corner immediately after the start of the Aragon GP last Sunday. He landed awkwardly on his right foot before being clouted twice (fortunately at low speed) by his own bike.
It was over before it began for @lorenzo99 at the #AragonGP ? pic.twitter.com/yqKHBiTmoT
— MotoGP™? (@MotoGP) September 24, 2018
He was stretchered off the track’s runoff area to the Clinica Mobile where he was found to have suffered a dislocated big toe and compound fracture in the second metatarsal of his right foot.
Lorenzo would go on to blame Marc Marquez for the crash through multiple tweets, although his team members disagreed with him (off the record, of course).
Ducati announced that the latest check-up revealed that he’s “recovering well,” although the foot was “still swollen.”
The triple MotoGP champion will assess if the pain is tolerable to race at Buriram.
Ducati report that the latest check showed Lorenzo’s injuries are ‘recovering.
The month of April is here and it’s time for some touring, around Malaysia, but usually to Thailand. Yes, it’s time for the Phuket Bike Week and Songkran (the Thai new year).
It’s during March and this month that the winds and tides hitting the Thai west coast are still benign, as the monsoon season starts in mid-May, which brings heavy rain and higher surfs (and lots of debris) to the beaches.
Also, as the holy month of Ramadhan is in May this year, you can expect many more Malaysian riders rushing north during this month.
But long-distance touring shouldn’t be carried out without proper planning – you can’t just hop on your bike and ride to Thailand like how you ride to Karak for nasi lemak. For one, you need the necessary documentation if you ride into Thailand, and you should bring along these items when you tour.
The cable tie is probably the most universally useful item you should never ride without. It serves almost any purpose during emergency roadside repairs. Brake pedal dropping out? Cable tie it. Bodywork came loose because the fastener had gone down the rabbit hole? Cable tie. Number plate screws fell out? Cable tie. Snapped your shoes laces? Cable tie. Etc., etc., etc.? You got it – cable tie!
Along with the cable tie, duct tape is indispensable. It’s especially useful as a temporary repair for tears. We’ve used it on a riding boot which mimicked a “crocodile’s mouth” (the sole split open). Sealing pants legs to prevent water getting in. As a bandage by wrapping it around a piece of cloth placed on a wound.
Always ride with at least one bungee cord under the seat and use it to tie down extra luggage.
Depending on your bike’s manufacturer, what’s supplied may not be enough. There are plenty of tool “packs” offered to bikers these days. Get a set that includes wrenches and Allen keys for the majority of fasteners on your bike.
Never, ever tour without a tyre repair kit. Along with a mechanical breakdown, a tyre puncture destroys your hopes of a wonderful holiday in no time err… flat. Get a kit with CO2 inflation canisters.
Almost no rider carries one, for some reason. GIVI offers a set the size of a thick wallet, so it’s easy to carry in your backpack, tankbag or waist pouch.
The chain needs to be lubed every 400 km or so. Most makers offer them in small cans that could fit under most bikes’ seats. A chain without proper lubrication will grind down the sprockets quickly, cause the roller links to wear, besides robbing engine power and fuel economy.
April may be the hottest month in Thailand, but that doesn’t mean you won’t encounter heavy rain along the way. Trust us, it rained on us on our every trip to the Phuket Bike Week. There are many brands in the market, but the best is by GIVI. They’re expensive, no doubt, but they really work and are tough (proven during the Golden Triangle Adventure).
If you’re riding a sport-tourer or adventure-tourer/dual-purpose bike, it’s a no-brainer to install some luggage. Needless to say, having a luggage system beats strapping on a backpack or tying stuff to the bike anytime (more space for the above items too). There are many brands in the market that offer many solutions, including panniers, tank bags and top cases of different designs and materials. GIVI has the largest selection. (We’ve ridden in South Africa and Indochina with them and boy, are they useful and strong.)
You may not need this but bring a few bottles along as insurance. Thailand does have RON 95 petrol but there have been times where riders mistakenly filled up with lower RON fuel. Using fuel with an octane number lower than the recommended grade is at least detrimental to the engine’s performance, if not cause catastrophic damage. We’ve tested X-1R’s Octane Booster during the said Indochina ride and came away impressed.
During the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure ride in 2017, I rode to Pattaya, Thailand from Kuala Lumpur with a buddy.
We were excited for sure. Since I’ve ridden to Thailand many times, it’s a great opportunity to experience what those two other countries had to offer. As for my buddy, it was the first time he’d be riding to Thailand, let alone Cambodia and Vietnam.
As we approached the Malaysian-Thai border at Bukit Kayu Hitam, we pulled into a stop area to purchase the third-party Thai insurance and prepare other necessary paperwork. I obtained the insurance in no time at all, but my buddy was stuck.
It turned out that the manufacturer had balked in providing him with just one document – the Form 49 – and that meant the insurance could not be processed and issued.
He made a flurry of calls to the manufacturer and they insisted that he could actually cross the border with what he had in hand. The clerk at the layover suggested that we tried speaking to the Thai authorities at Sadao.
The Thai authorities had none of it and it was either that he submitted that one missing document or he had to turn back. Pisang. Does it mean that we’ve ridden for nearly 500 km only to be refused entry?
Another flurry of calls had the form Whatsapped to him. He got it printed, submitted the documents again and we were finally on our merry way, after almost three hours.
So, to avoid any such thing from happening to you, these are the necessary documents if you wish to ride into Thailand.
1. Malaysian International Passport, valid for at least another six months from your date of entry into Thailand. Malaysians are not required to apply for visa for entry into Thailand.
2. Driving license recognized in Thailand. It’s best to obtain the International Driving Permit (IDP) from JPJ or AAM.
3. Bike’s road tax (photocopy is fine), make sure it’s valid and not expired.
4. Vehicle registration card/geran (photocopy is okay), even if it’s held by the financial institution you’re servicing your loan with.
This is where it gets a little “interesting” in terms of the vehicle grant. If it does not specify your name on the card while you’re servicing your loan, you will need two additional documents:
5. Authorising letter from the financial institution authorizing you to ride the bike into Thailand. The letter must include his/her full name and NRIC number, in addition to your full name and NRIC number/passport number (I usually choose passport number thus I don’t have to dig out my NRIC).
6. Form 49 if it’s your financial institution that authorized you, which details the company’s register of directors, managers and secretaries.
With the documents in hand, look out for any shop displaying “THAI INSURANCE” or “INSURANS THAILAND” anywhere from north of Gurun to Changlun to Bukit Kayu Hitam.
Hand all the documents to the clerk and he/she will provide and fill in the necessary Thai forms such as:
7. TM.2 Information of Conveyance. There will be 2 copies of this.
8. TM.3 Passenger List. Also 2 copies but only if you’re riding in with a passenger, otherwise it’s unnecessary.
9. TM.6 Arrival/Departure Card. Also known as the “White Card.” You will need to sign the card, and best to provide the name of the hotel you’ll be staying in (the clerks will usually fill in Grand Plaza Hotel or Lee Garden Hotel).
10. Third party Thai vehicle insurance. It’s not expensive, usually less than RM20 for 9 days.
Please check and double-check if all the documents are in place and filled before heading to the border checkpoint.
Malaysia has constructed a new border checkpoint complex. Follow the sign for motorcycles and hand your passport over the counter to the Immigration Officer.
Further up the road, the Thais have also constructed a new immigration centre to stamp passports, so park your bike and head over. There is (usually) no charge during office hours. The officer will retain the arrival part of the TM6 card, stamp the return portion and hand it back to you together with your passport.
Having stamped your passport (do check!), head over to the booths where you see vehicles heading through. Look for the correct counter (ask the Thai guards, they’ll be more than happy to help), wish the person inside Sawadeekahp and hand over the documents.
He/she will ask for a small fee (again less than RM20) and point you to the counter in front. Queue or wait here until called, where you will be given the Thai Temporary Import/Export form. You’re required to write down your vehicle’s registration number and sign your name in a large book.
Done! You can head into Thailand to experience the Land of Smiles.
But, for the live of you, DO NOT lose the copies of the TM2, TM3, TM6 and Import/Export forms as these need to be returned when you cross back to Malaysia. Failure to return the Import/Export form will see the vehicle being levied a THB 1,000 fine per day to a maximum of THB 10,000, which needs to be paid when you ride it to Thailand again in the future.
So, that’s it. It’s a very simple process for Malaysians to enter the Kingdom, but remember to adhere to traffic laws at all times and BE HUMBLE. And oh, don’t stop traffic for your friends to pass.
17th November 2017, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – Today marked the most important day of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 itinerary.
We were slated to visit GIVI’s factory in Vietnam, situated not far away from the hotel, where we were going to see not only how some of GIVI’s products were made, but more importantly, to attend a special Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program.
We left the Merperle Crystal Palace Hotel at little later than usual, with the sun already up and shining. The rider with CBR600RR was back and we sure hoped he knew which way we were headed. We were worried about running headlong into HCMC’s traffic, that’s for sure.
We travelled on city roads for a short distance before we started veering into a smaller road flanked on the left by one-storey houses and a river on right. The road condition was good, despite a few patches covered in gravel awaiting their asphalt cover. Hot and dry conditions meant the lead bikes throwing a thick cloud of dust into the air.
Soon we arrived at the GIVI Vietnam HQ and were welcomed by the smiling staff. We were ushered directly to the large entrance to the factory, where a reception had been prepared with light snacks and drinks. We attacked the bottles of water and Pepsi as if we had just left the desert.
Also, there were the Italian Ambassador to Vietnam and the Head of the Italian Trade Delegation, along with Hendrika Visenzi.
Two of the Vietnamese crew had dressed up in the traditional Vietnamese dress, called áo dài (pronounced “Ao-Yai”). Yes, they were pretty.
The GIVI Explorers were then separated into two groups for a grand tour of the facilities. Our group was led by Giorgio Della Rosa, the Factory Manager and designer of GIVI’s riding gear.
This was the birthplace of GIVI rainsuits and soft luggage.
We saw how different materials came together, being cut to exact dimensions by using a hydraulic press or laser cutter, the stitched together by highly trained professionals, before being QC’ed and packed.
We saw the very same tankbags, soft luggage and waterproof we were wearing being assembled right there.
In the meantime, the GIVI crew had taken our helmets to a room in the administration building, where two ladies pinstriped on our names and national flags on one side of the chinbar.
The GIVI Explorers and other guests were then ushered into the conference room for lunch and the GIVI charity event called, “Riding for Reading.” This GIVI CSR initiative aims to assist Vietnamese children in primary schools by meeting short-term and long-term needs. For the near-term, GIVI donated writing and drawing utensils; and health insurance and scholarships in the long-term.
A spontaneous fundraiser was set up among the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 participants, to which everyone was more than happy to contribute. A total of USD 800 was raised.
The kids came to meet us soon after, and it was a happy and emotional experience for all involved, as Ms. Visenzi and Mr. Perucca handed the items to them.
As Mr. Perucca said in his speech, the GIVI Explorer adventures have always been about learning and giving, rather than being just riding across the world.
With the Riding for Reading program done, GIVI presented gifts to the Explorers. First was renowned Vietnamese coffee, packed together with a set of serving cups, and the traditional Vietnamese conical hat called nón lá (translated as left hat).
It was time to say goodbye to GIVI Vietnam and head to our stop for the day. A few of the Vietnamese crew also joined us on the ride.
We cut a south-southwesterly course toward Cần Thơ (pronounced “Kan Ter”), the main city in the Mekong Delta, where the Mekong River empties into the South China Sea. The river life figures heavily here, including a floating market.
Unfortunately, one of the bikes developed a puncture and we arrived way after dark so there was no chance of us going anywhere.
Click here for Day Five (Part Two) of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Click here for Day Five (Part One) of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Click here for Day Four of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Click here for Day Three of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Click here for Day Two of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Click here for Day One of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
PICTURE GALLERY
13th November 2017, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam – The GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 participants freshened up and boarded a bus specially chartered to transport us downtown for dinner.
GIVI did so to mercifully spare us the hassle of having to suit up again, and ride through that traffic.
https://www.facebook.com/BikesRepublic/videos/1840524289311881/
A VIP had joined us by now. She was Ms. Hendrika Visenzi, daughter of GIVI’s founder, Mr. Giuseppe Visenzi (the first two letters of his name became GIVI). The Hevik sub-brand was under Ms. Visenzi’s charge (HEnrika, GIvi, Kappa). She rode with us from this point on.
The local guide on the bus announced that the restaurant wasn’t far away and we had time to shop at the Takashimaya Mall nearby, before getting back together for dinner. That sounds great, maybe I could get something for family and friends back home.
As usual, it was already dark by 7pm and the roads seemed to be fully illuminated by the headlamps of the scooters and mopeds. There are 7.5 million motorcycles to HCMC’s population of 10 million.
It was explained that HCMC has a chronic parking problem, therefore the motorcycle was the perfect tool. The rich would have their drivers drop them off at their destinations and the driver would continue to drive around in circles until their bosses are done with their business. Hence if the city was a body, motorcycles are the blood cells. There were many Grab Bikes too!
It was also pointed out to us on how the bikes were parked – squished together as if they were bicycles. The owners of these motorcycles will park them inside their living rooms when they get home.
Shops lined the road, selling everything from foodstuff to house stuff.
In the meantime, mopeds kept zipping by. One fast guy swerved through everyone else and was closed to being squeezed like a bug between our bus and a car. Ronald, Enrique and myself were seated at the front and we started yelling. Man, that puckered us up real good.
Other impatient riders would hop onto the sidewalks, sometimes against the traffic.
Our guide was right, our makan place wasn’t far from the hotel, but even he miscalculated the amount of time we needed to get there.
I took us more than an hour to get to the restaurant and it was already too late to visit the mall, so we decided to foot it to dinner. Here’s another adventure: Crossing the never-ending stream called “the road.”
The trick was to see an opening, then step confidently onto the street and keep walking in a steady and predictable manner. That allowed the local riders to guesstimate where you’re headed so they could go around you. Ismadi and I said a prayer, and I almost had my eyes closed when we crossed en masse.
We made it!
We also noticed that all bikes were fully stock and most glaring of all, no bike had any luggage tacked to it (due to lack of parking space). Well, except for one scooter which carried a B32 top case! That was enough to send us all into a celebratory mood!
Dinner was at the 3T Vietnamese BBQ Restaurant on the rooftop of the Temple Club Restaurant. Superb food! I’m allergic to seafood so I hammered on the Vietnamese spring rolls and chicken all night.
A group from GIVI Vietnam had also joined us. Joseph explained that it was through these hardworking individuals that we were enjoying the exclusive line of riding gear during the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Here’s a personal note to them (hope you guys are reading this): The gear were truly amazing. Both the new jacket and pants kept me cool when it was really hot. They fitted my body well and allowed lots of freedom of movement without flapping in the wind. Also, all the accessories worked. My favourites were the X-45 Fibre helmet, Hevik Lumbar Support belt, and the Technical T-shirt. Well done!
Now, where were we? Oh yes, dinner.
We went out on foot again after the thoroughly satisfying dinner and chartered every trishaw we saw at a square. Sure, we were swamped by traffic again at first, but we didn’t care by now as every GIVI Explorer was laughing and giggling like children. A few Explorers took to riding the trishaws instead of being ferried. GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 happened on three wheels, too! Hah!
It was only now that I discovered just how beautiful HCMC was! I was shooting pictures of the guys around when I spotted, first an M48 Patton tank with Vietnamese Army insignia, followed by the tail section of a Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighter jet and Bell UH-1 helicopter in a compound! Being a military history buff, I asked the trishaw uncle, “Is that the museum?” He just smiled and shrugged. Then I heard, “Yes, that’s the War Museum” from behind somewhere. I looked around to see a young couple wearing surgical masks on a scooter to the left. “But it’s closed now,” said the rider in perfect English. I thanked him and they nodded. Whoa! I have to come back here!
It was during this time that it occurred to me how HCMC has thrived. HCMC, known as Saigon at the time was the capital of South Vietnam, and had been the scene of battles and bombings during the Vietnam war. Being the first “televised war,” there were many enduring images from Saigon, but perhaps the most famous was of choppers airlifting civilians from the US Embassy (Operation Frequent Wind) on 30th April 1975, which marked the Fall of Saigon and end of the war.
It’s been forty-two years since then and Vietnam, although remaining a communist country, had opened its borders to trade and tourism.
Our convoy of trishaws rounded an intersection and a large classical cathedral like those you’d find in Europe came into view. it turned out to be called Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, just like the one in France. It was built by the French in 1863 and completed in 1880.
On the other side of the street was a beautiful classical building, the Saigon Central Post Office. Completed in 1891, it was designed by the architect Gustave Eiffel, the French civil engineer who owned the firm which built the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
We stopped for a photograph session, then continued onwards past the river front of the Saigon River. Here, we saw European-styled luxury hotels, exactly like those you’d see in movies. And up the road was a large cruise ship at the Saigon River Dock. An ultra-modern skyscraper with an open-air deck shoots into the air on the opposite side.
That’s the charm of HCMC. Classical colonial buildings amidst modern buildings and modern lifestyles. We stopped at the Nguyen Hue Walking Street and continued on foot. This stretch encompasses more classical and old buildings converted to shops and hotels.
There was a concert here along the median between the lanes. The Explorers stopped for ice-cream at the foyer of The Reverie Saigon, HCMC’s most luxurious hotel. Wisnu and I spotted a brightly lit building about 500m to the north and decided to investigate.
The concert was over by now and the street was reopened to light traffic. Pretty Vietnamese ladies caught our eyes. We stopped opposite the Rex Hotel to shoot a few pictures when we spotted a Bentley Continental GT poking its nose out of a side street.
We kept walking and discussed about the ride as we hadn’t done so since this GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 first started. We were roomies during the GIVI Wilderness Adventure 2015 in South Africa. But we kept getting distracted by the Vietnamese girls. Oh yes, friends have warned us about this.
We arrived at the building. It was gorgeous, beautifully restored and maintained. It was the HCMC City Hall. We got busy photographing it when we heard the roars of sportscars. They were Ferraris and Lamborghinis and they charged down Nguyen Hue Street.
The group had finished their ice-cream and caught up with us there. They too started shooting the pictures of the City Hall. We continued walking and ended up at another prominent classic building, this time it was the Municipal Theatre of HCMC, but better known as the Saigon Opera House.
Built in 1897 by French architect Eugene Ferret, and restored in 1995, it was shaped like Opera Garnier in Paris. Right opposite was an old building, with a large “Louis Vuitton” signage on top of the entrance.
The left side of the building was boarded up as the authorities are building an underground MRT system.
From here, we took taxis back to the hotel in District 7 and called it a night. I regretted that decision as there’s so much more of HCMC to be discovered. For a few Explorers and myself who had been here the first time we vowed to return. The memory of the traffic had faded into oblivion.
Click here for Day Five (Part One) of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Click here for Day Four of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Click here for Day Three of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Click here for Day Two of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Click here for Day One of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
PICTURE GALLERY
13th November 2017, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – It’s time for the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 to leave Cambodia (for the time being) as we pushed forward to Vietnam.
The weather stayed clear all morning, thankfully, but the downside was it was starting to get hot by 8am as we prepared to head out from the Phnom Penh Hotel.
Apart from crossing the great Mekong River at Naek Loeung, the rest of Cambodia was uneventful, to put it succinctly. with more small towns interspersed with paddy fields along the way. Traffic was moderately heavy with the usual mopeds, large SUVs, among those huge Peterbilts and Mack trucks, and of course, more mopeds. It may look like there are many curves and corners along the way, but it was straight in reality.
Still, am just happy to be here to see a whole different country.
And that notion brought along a surprise as we reached the Cambodia-Vietnam border crossing at Moc Bai.
Just as with the border crossing from Thailand, there were a number of casinos on the Cambodian side, and they were called glamourous names such as those in Las Vegas. We didn’t get to find out if “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” tho’.
The Moc Bai Border Crossing consists of beautifully constructed buildings in the traditional Vietnamese style. The administration building was no doubt modern, but it was unmistakably Vietnamese. We stopped to wait for the organizers to sort out the paperwork, while we took photographs with the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 banner, to stamp the evidence that “we were here.”
Then as we were running around with our cameras and our phones, the marshals announced, “Okay, let’s go!” What? Wait, that was just like 20 minutes. We waited for almost an hour to cross into Cambodia a few days prior.
I noticed a blue and yellow Honda CBR600RR among us for the first time. It had a loud exhaust, semi-slick tyres, but no mirror and he was way up front of the pack.
It turned out that he was our guide to the hotel from the border. The Vietnamese authorities prohibits the entry of overseas motorcycles, unless you’re guided by a government-designated guide.
So nevermind, since we’ve only 100 kilometres to go to Ho Chi Minh City.
We were swallowed up by packs of mopeds soon enough. Well, “pack” isn’t the correct word, but swarms would be accurate.
Before I proceed further, please allow me to state on record that this isn’t a criticism of the way people ride and drive in their own countries. Instead, it serves as one of the episodes in the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
We had been briefed earlier by Joseph about the traffic in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City. I’ve seen pictures and documentaries about Vietnam, so I made an offhand joke with a few guys that we might be surprised to find a local sitting on one of the boxes when reach the hotel.
Right in the thick of it, it was disconcerting at first, but conditioning, survival instinct and defensiveness kicked in as the mopeds crossed right in front of us, or overtaking one another without checking behind or alongside, etc. The duty to avoid them and stay save therefore fell squarely on the shoulders of each Explorer. Still, that didn’t mean being aggressive, instead one should be assertive. Oh yes, there’s a huge difference between the two.
Anyway, most of us started to struggle further along, including the hardworking Marshals who were getting overwhelmed. They had nominated me as their assistant marshal after the first day, so we did what I we could to open a path for the rest of the convoy.
But most of us started to get an inkling of something was wrong as we kept riding in the same traffic for two hours without getting anywhere. Worse of all, there wasn’t even a split second to check out the sights.
Remember the guy on the CBR? With no mirrors and being prone on the tank, he couldn’t look behind to see where we were. He had been briefed back at the border crossing to take another route (Joseph and Giorgio are familiar with Ho Chi Minh City) to avoid the gridlock, but he had guided us down the very route we had wanted to avoid.
So, we ended up covering 25 kilometres in two hours.
However, all of us made it to the Merperle Crystal Palace Hotel safe sound and that was what mattered the most.
It had taken us the better part of a day to cover the 289 kilometres from Phnom Penh. By comparison, that distance (minus 3 kilometres) was the same as travelling from the Rawang R&R to the junction of the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge (the new Penang Bridge). But, that’s what an adventure is: Experiencing something totally different from everyday norms.
Click here for Day Five (Part Two) of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Click here for Day Four of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Click here for Day Three of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Click here for Day Two of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
Click here for Day One of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017.
13th November 2017, Siem Reap, Cambodia – The GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 epic ride has finally started today, leaving Thailand behind for the neighbouring Cambodia.
I said “finally” because Ismadi and I have ridden into Thailand since the 9th, hence it was time to release all that pent-up energy.
Participants were allocated their bikes last night after dinner. The convenience of having large-capacity GIVI side and top cases, besides tankbags and other storage accessories was not lost upon us, as we could carry virtually anything be brought in for this ride, with much space to spare.
We got together for the final briefing before the ride began. The 25 participants were split into four groups, each led by a Marshal. “Assistant Marshals” were also picked to help, especially at stop lights to keep the riders from straying and losing their way.
There were two support vehicles, one carrying tools, drinks and essential gear, the other as a medical vehicle.
We rode out of Pattaya and headed to the Thai-Cambodian border town of Sa Kaeo, 209 kilometres away.
The ride out was smooth, with traffic getting thinner and thinner the further we got away from the city. Thankfully, the day was overcast although it was still humid. Excitement and the freedom of the open road was apparent among the riders, smiling and laughing everytime we stopped.
For me who’s grown accustomed to Thailand, the scene at the Sa Kaeo border crossing kind of took me by surprise. There were many people pulling on large wooden carts in and out of Cambodia and poverty shows.
Anyway, the border crossing was painless as Trans Asia, the tour operator contracted by GIVI, had assured so well in advance.
We got our passports stamped and signed the paperwork for all the 25 bikes within 30 minutes and we were in Cambodia, although we had to stop at the Immigration Office a kilometer away for the officials to verify the details of the bikes we rode in.
We were advised repeatedly about what to expect in Cambodia, and how different it would be to ride here compared to in Thailand. We were told to watch out for Cambodian traffic, particularly how chaotic it would be. Traffic in this country is lefthand drive, by the way.
The road was rough at the border crossing but it was actually pretty smooth as we travelled further into the country, heading to our hotel in the ancient city of Siam Reap, 212 km away.
Traffic was thin, but true enough, bikes, car, trucks, even pedestrians will cross everywhere without looking closely. They’ll also pull out onto the road without thinking twice. We kept the group as tight as we dared to avoid being cut off.
The scenery in the countryside was natural and beautiful. Lush rice paddies stretched into the horizon like a green, plush carpet.
Our pace was much slower than in Thailand, although steady. It was dark when we reached Siam Reap, but the Aspara Angkor Hotel was thankfully not too far into the city.
We freshened up for dinner at a large restaurant called Tonle Sap not far away. Here, there was a large selection of cuisines, Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean.
We split up as a group headed back to the hotel rest, while the rest visited the Night Market and Pub Street.
This is Siam Reap’s nightlife centre. There’s everything from pubs, restaurants, massage parlours, small hotels, bazaars, street food and just about everything else.
We soon called it a night, more than elated that Day One of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 has been a success.
Kelantan police has issued an advice to Malaysians travelling to southern Thailand to be more vigilant, following the fatal accidental of a Malaysian national in Tak Bai, Narathiwat Province, on 16th October.
It was learned that Wan Mohd. Zain W. Hussain, 46, from Kampung Ketil, Tumpat, Kelantan was visiting his relatives when he was hit by a stray bullet when a group of armed men fired upon the police at the Ban Taba checkpoint.
Later, the superintendent of Tak Bai police station, Police Colonel Patcharapol na Nakhon, was lucky to escape a bomb explosion near a petrol station as he led a team to the scene of the attack.
The blast brought down power lines and caused a local blackout. An inspection of the scene of the bombing revealed what bomb technicians believed to be an IED (improvised explosive device) weighing between 22 to 25kgs.
Daylight inspection revealed a food stall and an electricity pole riddled with bullet holes. Police collected spent bullet casings from M16 assault rifles.
Patcharapol believed the attacks were the work of Famee Mudo, who leads a militant group active in the district. He is a suspect in similar attacks on Oct 21, 2012.
The attacks were believed to be linked to the approaching 13th anniversary of the “Tak Bai incident” on Oct 25, when 85 Muslim men suffocated after being arrested and stacked on top of each other in the back of army trucks after soldiers violently broke up an anti-government protest.
Southern Thailand has been the scene of bombings and violence. On 9th October, a bomb planted on a roadside killed a Ranger and seriously wounding another. On 26th September, a bomb disposal team defused a roadside 20kg IED. On 29th September in Mae Lan district a motorcycle bomb exploded at a checkpoint. Another bomb killed one and wounded 18 in Yala when bomb disposal units went to investigate after two explosions.
So please be careful when riding into Thailand.
Artikel oleh: Wahid Ooi Abdullah
Last year, we had just checked into our honeymoon suite, freshened up and were in the midst of renting a scooter for some gallivanting until we saw the news on TV: “Malaysian biker shot dead” in Hatyai. (Click here for the coverage.)
We cancelled our plans for the scooter that evening, although we knew we were just being too careful. But how could we be sure since we’re now in another country where conversing with the locals was not as easy? Whose cultures and sensitivities are different from ours?
The Thai police acted quickly and caught the shooter. The reason of the shooting was because he didn’t “like the way the (Malaysian) rider rode.”
I was also in Phuket two months prior to the shooting, first for the Phuket Bike Week and then back in Phuket again on a ride a week later.
We were covering the festivities at the bike week when a video captured by a Thai driver on his dashcam had made rounds in Facebook, showing a group of Malaysian bikers stopping traffic at an intersection for their riders in their group to pass. He was courteous in his comments however, hoping this doesn’t repeat the next time.
But on the next trip to Phuket two weeks later, we had this one guy who raced against every Thai who overtook him. His reason, “no-face” to lose against the 100cc scooters on his 1000cc naked sportbike. Additionally, there were a few others who couldn’t stop harassing young Thai ladies on their scooters from the moment we crossed the border, all the way to Phuket, and back. We warned these buffoons, but habits die hard, right? I won’t be riding with them any longer, that’s for sure.
I thought it’s all buried and done.
Then this video showed up on Channel 7 News in Thailand, just a few weeks ago.
Recorded on another Thai driver’s dashcam, it showed four Malaysian riders blocking an intersection for their buddies to blow past the red lights.
A firestorm of criticism blew up in social media. Non-bikers called these guys a whole bunch of undesirable names, and some even criticized all Malaysian bikers. Bikers also joined in the fray in criticizing those chumps, partly in attempt to distance themselves from that selfish act.
Stopping traffic by marshals, unless by police riders, has already been outlawed in Malaysia by the authorities, but what in the world were these cretins thinking when they did so in Thailand?
They’ve not only sullied the reputation of bikers, but the nation’s as a whole.
But even then, there were those who defended the indefensible, by claiming that the Thais drive without manners at our border towns. But hey, did they stop traffic for their friends to pass? Were there videographic proof?
I’ve met those drivers on the road many times and yes, they were FAST. But they didn’t stop traffic, race with the locals or harass our adiks and aweks, did they?
Let’s face it, we’ve seen how belligerent some mat sallehs can be in the way they treat the Thais or any populace of developing countries, but at least they don’t stop traffic the way these guys did.
We’ve even ran into members of the Bandidos MC during Phuket Bike Week, a 1-percenter bike group (means outlaws) bike group with affiliations to the Hell’s Angels, but they didn’t stop traffic for their buddies, did they?
The offending “marshals” were part of a group from Choppers Garage Kelantan (CGK). They have since done the right thing and handed a letter of apology to the Thai consulate to Malaysia. (Click here for the report on MyMetro.)
But what about the repercussions? Is it so easily solved? I wonder if the apology was picked up by Thai networks at all.
The Thais are among the most hospitable people in the world. Most, if not all, are genuine in their welcoming attitude, correctly earning them the title The Land of Smiles. Go to places like Buriram or Chiang Mai and they’d wish you everytime they see you. School kids smile and wave when they see you riding a big bike. Restaurant owners welcoming you into their premises with the wai and a bow of the head, as if you were the king.
Tourism contributes up to 10% and beyond to the Thai economy and the locals know this. Most turn a blind eye towards the uncouth “traditions” of some tourists. The cops also tend to be more lenient towards visitors.
In recent times, Chinese tourists have taken over as the majority to visit the kingdom. According to Association of Thai Travel Agents website (click here for more details), the Chinese constituted to 59.29%, equivalent to 2,576,129 visitors, from 1st January to 30th September this year alone. But their failure to observe and adhere to local traditions have driven the Thais to respond in kind. Chinese tourists now have to be driven into Thailand.
Malaysians contribute a smaller number of visitors to the kingdom. 26,723 made their way across the border in the same period, but even then, the Thais still regard us Malaysians as friends from afar. They’d usually ask, “Where are you from?” and cheer up when we mention, “Malaysia.”
But if we kept treating them with a sense of us being the master race, what’s to stop us being treated like the Chinese and Middle Easterners before this? Or see our entry requirements tightened or being harassed by the Thai authorities?
Or worse, stare into the barrel of a Beretta 9mm.
What do we want to be? Do we want to be bikers who are cultured, learned, courteous? Or do we want to be modern-day barbarians on steel horses? If anyone chooses to the be the latter, please do so after you lose those Malaysian number plates and whatever other thing that will identify you as a Malaysian.
May this episode be a lesson.
© Copyright – BikesRepublic.com 2023 Trademarks belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved
