Songkran, April 2016. I had planned a bike trip to Siem Reap with my wife (Ara). Having had the experience of riding to China I made efforts to check with BMW the necessary paperwork needed for exiting Thailand with my bike and being all set we rode off to Cambodia. Leaving home at 7am made my way to Bang-na Trat highway and headed towards Chonburi. A relatively straight forward ride. Navigating Bang-Na Trat at any time of the day is a precarious event, so eyes forward, senses on high alert, we made short work of the road.
I peeled off the highway at Thetsaban and headed toward Chachaengsao. Traffic was very busy and expectedly so, given it was the start of the holiday season. Upon turning on to Route 304 towards Pranburi, I stopped at Tha Thong Lang PTT station for a coffee break. As we were leaving I saw a couple on a 250 who were very admiring of the bike and we exchanged customary biker nods with each other.
Making out way onto Route 359 towards the border, the road is very hot, long, straight and downright boring so I tried to make short work of it. The next stop was at Wattana Nakhon, about 15km from the border where I filled up with fuel, and we took another coffee and water break. Already the temperatures were hitting the high 30’s. Whilst waiting we met the same couple on the 250 who had come a different way, (less traffic) had a nice chat with them and the rider, Khun Gai. They were going home to Arunyaprathet for holidays.
We arrived at the border around 11am. Having been there before, I planned we stop off into the KFC in the Star Mall for a rest and early lunch before crossing the border. I arranged with Ara to stay in the air con of the KFC while I got the bike export paperwork done and then I would call her to the border control to save her getting cooked in the heat. The paperwork was an ordeal in itself which took over 30 minutes.
It was amazing to see the continuous line of cargo being manually trafficked across the border on buggies, carts and trolleys.
Paperwork done, and then called my wife over. We got on the bike and proceeded to passport control where they decided to check papers first just 20 metres on from the customs office.
Here our woes begun to sprout. The customs officer, a very objectionable Lieutenant, found a problem with the papers and would not let the bike pass. Stating that the paperwork was out of date and thus I didn’t have the current authority to take the bike out of Thailand. Having explained a number of times that I had checked with BMW (the leasing company) and was told all was in order, and given reasoning as a mature and responsible person that I wouldn’t take the risk to arrive with incorrect papers, he just was not for letting us through. I even called BMW and got them to explain, but as it was his prerogative, and he seemingly was having a bad day, our efforts were just futile. So, having no other choice, we turned back having to re-import the bike that had never left Thailand and went back to the KFC again to plan the ride back home sadly.
Myself looking extremely dejected and unhappy, Ara suggested parking the bike, crossing the border on foot and getting a bus to Siem Reap. “No way” I said, “Are you crazy? Leave the bike here and have it stolen or dismantled, no thanks”. But I was impressed at her sense of adventure and gave it a thought. I decided “ok lets give it a shot”. So I walked around, popped into a hotel and asked if I can use their car park to which they refused. Then I saw a paid car park had a chat with the attendant. After a bit of negotiation he agreed that I can park the bike for a few days. I don’t think they were comfortable or familiar with having big bikes parked with them.
As I rode the bike in, seeing that it really was a big bike, taking as much space as a car, he highlighted he needed to charge the royal sum of 100 baht per day, instead of 50 baht. “My friend, if my bike is here all in one piece when I get back in 5 days, you can have 1,000 baht” I replied. He happily agreed. He showed me a parking spot and after parking I called Ara to come and help unload the bike. I unloaded our bags and then loaded all our riding gear (jackets, helmets, gloves etc..) into the bike, locked it up and then proceeded to walk across the border which, in the heat which was now hitting 40 degrees.
Exiting Thailand was straightforward. We then had about 500m to walk to the Cambodian immigration where we obtained visa on arrival, and then another 50m to the immigration office for the passport stamping.
While waiting in queue in our reduced bike gear and carrying Touratech pannier bags, noticeably dressed as bikers but with no bike, a couple asked where we were from. As we started chatting they had noticed we were in bike gear and our bags, but had no bike. It turned out they were from Germany and also avid bikers. He also had a GS 1200. They were called Michael and Agatta and I wasn’t able to snap a photo which is a shame.
Having cleared immigration I then just stood around looking lost knowing that some keen eyed fellow would offer me a transport of some sort. Within 5 seconds a chap came up and offered a taxi. After a bit of negotiation we settled on a price of 1500 baht to Siem Reap. We had to walk another 100m to where the car was parked, loaded up and then were on our way and some two and a half hours later arrived in Siem Reap.
I thought driving in Thailand was hard, but Cambodia adds another dimension to no-rules driving. You indeed have to be on your toes with cars coming at you on your side of the road. My friends had ridden this rode in the dark in February and so I could only empathise with their plight as they certainly didn’t like riding along this road in the dark.
We spent the next three days touring Siem Reap which was just great, but could have been greater on the bike, however after having spent a whole day sightseeing around the historical parks in a hotel car, it was a good choice to get the hotel to provide the car and tour given the heat. It was very hot (in the low 40’s and the luxury of an air conditioned car with unlimited cold towels and water was a God send).
At the end then I had the hotel to arrange a car to take us back to the border for the same price and arriving around noon time, we then proceeded to exit Cambodia and enter Thailand.
Approaching the Cambodia immigration I was greeted by a tour agent, Kevin as he called himself who offered expedited exit stamps in our passport for 200 baht each avoiding what would be a very long queue. So I took his offer and we were walking to Thailand within 5 minutes. A colourful character who loved practising his cockney phrases, so we taught him a few more, such as ‘luvlee jublee’.
Got through the Thai border control where there was another long queue which took the most part of 40 minutes to clear and then we walked through into Thailand. I had spent some time over the past few days wondering if the bike was still going to be there, and as I walked back into the car park was very pleased to see the bike still there, in one piece and buried in a sea of small bikes. While I loaded up the bike, and got it ready, Ara took our riding gear and walked back to the KFC and got lunch ready and I settled the parking bill honouring my promise to pay the attendant 1,000 baht for looking after bike.
After lunch, we then mounted up and set off to home back along the same route we came along. As the bike was already fuelled I just made a bee line for home, making it non-stop in about three and a half hours.
Motorcycle Chronicles by Jamil Siddique 