If you are in Bangkok and you want an escape from the noise and pollution, a little know trail along the coast makes for an interesting road cycling trip for an afternoon. Located around the Rama 2 area outside Bangkok, South West of the city centre, an ideal place to start is Wat Krabue, where you can park your car and stock up on refreshments.
The Wat itself is quite interesting, there is a rather macabre pile of buffalo skulls outside and the monk has an impressive collection of Mercedes-Benz cars apparently donated to him over the years. Some of the cars look over 40 years old, all of which are parked around the grounds of the Wat.
From the Wat, it is a 10km cycle along Thanon Khun Thian, which is not especially interesting, however the traffic is quite light and there is a designated cycling lane unlike most other roads around Bangkok. The road is well paved and there is no elevation therefore any level of fitness would suffice for the ride to the coast.
As you approach the coast you pass over various klongs, many of which are actively used as water highways with street lighting and signs. There are also many seafood restaurants along the way up to this point all of which are very popular with Bangkok locals on weekends looking to escape and enjoy cheap seafood. As you approach the sea you will start to see more mangrove areas as the cultivated land gives way to briny water unsuitable for farming.
Eventually you will need to take a small turning off the main road and follow some footpaths to reach an elevated wooden path through some more dense mangrove. This is quite difficult to find but you can refer to the map below for reference. This is the prettiest section of the trail and you can see various flora and fauna within the mangrove. The wooden platform is well maintained, however caution is required if wet as it becomes very slippery and there is a 6ft drop off in places.
You will reach the sea after 2km along this platform, and there is a small platform to relax or take a picnic, from here you can head back the same way or there are many other small trails in the area waiting to be explored! You can contact us for information on cycling in Thailand or if you are looking for a cycling day trip in Thailand we offer a directory of trails, GPS coordinates and photos.
A 3D flyover a the route is below.
