Cameron Highland Ride – Hat Yai to Cameron Highlands

April 30th, 2016.  The following morning we left for the border town of Sadao.  It’s a pretty straight forward ride to the border.  Leaving at 9am, I had planned we’d be in for a time consuming crossing but as this being the first time heading South on a Thai bike, it was a big learning indeed.  Arriving at the customs checkpoint, there was a queue of trucks over a kilometre long queuing to cross the border.

I pulled us in for a stop at some food stalls I knew of for a Malaysian deep fried chicken and Teh Tarik breakfast .  I didn’t realise how much I missed Teh Tarik.  Next we proceeded to the border point.  Here before going to immigration Thai bikes need to buy a mandatory insurance to ride through Malaysia, called ‘JPJ’.  This can be done at a number of kiosks located around the area all providing the required services.  What is needed here is to provide the following documents.

1. A copy of your ‘Green’ Book, which serves as your registration document.  If the registration isn’t in your name then supply a photocopy of the first 2 pages, and;
2. A letter of authorisation from the registered owner which is witnessed and notarised by three Thai Nationals with copies of the their ID cards.
3. An officially translated copy of the registration document in English language issued and notarised by the Thai Ministry of Transport.
4. A copy of your Thai insurance documents
5. A copy of your passport photo page, duly signed by yourself.

We found a kiosk that was open and started providing the documents.  After providing papers and checking that all were ok, we were told ‘come back in 50 minutes’.  That was annoying as had we known that first, we wouldn’t have stopped for breakfast.  So we found another restaurant in which to sit and drink tea looking like lemons in the heat that had already reached the mid 30’s.  I have to say it was a very long 50 minutes.  When the time came we picked up the documents, paid 1,200 Thai Baht and set off to the immigration and customs control.

By the way, the reason it takes 50 minutes to create the document is that a person has to go across the border, into Malaysia, get the document created in an office there, and then come back.  For Thai vehicles you also get a registration plate (sticker) translated into English which has to be put on the front of your bike.

Unbeknown to both of us the exit side of the border point has been totally rebuilt and in true Thai fashion there were no guides or signs to tell us where to go.  So we parked up the bikes and proceeded to the first passport control I saw.  We queued for 15 mins, got to the desk only to be told that motorbikers had to go to the ‘other’ kiosks’ at the other end of the complex.  So back on the bikes in the heat and we found our way to the car/bike passport control desks.

Here you have to do two things.

1. Present all the above same documents to the customs control desk who will check all the documents with scrutiny and then pass them through a window where a very grumpy woman (quite upset that she has to do some work) begins to make out the customs control document which essentially becomes the passport for your bike exit and re-entry.   Without this, exiting Thailand is easy.  But getting back in without the paper can cause a whole manner of problems.  They also do not check if you have the Malaysian JPJ.
2. Proceed to the passport control kiosk and have your passport stamped for exit.

All this took an additional 30 minutes so by now we’ve been stuck here for the most part of one and a half hours.

To lighten up the mood, we’re both mobbed by Malaysians who was are thrilled to see bikers so just had to stop for photos.  And then there was this girl who had purple hair.  She was driving down all the way from Chiang Mai and going to Ipoh for a holiday.

So, almost two later, we’re off.  And on immediately passing through the Thai gate and into no-mans land between the two countries, the traffic is gridlocked.  It’s a 400m road to the Malaysian checkpoints and both lanes of the road are packed with cars, trucks and buses and no room in between to ride our bikes through.  So I did the only thing a good biker can do.  Cross to the other side and ride down on the opposite side to the passport booths.  Thankfully Roy followed through too.

To anyone contemplating the same journey here is my recommended step-by-step guide to expediently getting through the border.

1. Get to the border point and find a kiosk who can do the paperwork for the JPJ.  Submit papers.
2. Get on the bikes and go to the passport control and complete immigration and customs documents for exit.
3. Ride back in to Thailand and park near the kiosk.  Go for some food and drinks.
4. Go collect the paperwork from the kiosk
5. Get on the bikes and ride out of Thailand.

Malaysian check point took the whole of 4 minutes to navigate.  Passport stamped, helmet and gloves back on and just wave at the customs officers and ride on through.  No problem.  Malaysia boleh (can) !!

From here on it’s just a straight run down the North South Highway, which is just a blast.  Dual carriageway motorway, little traffic, great road and scenery and a pleasant cruise in the higher speed ranges.  At a fuel stop just past Butterworth, as we fuelled up I heard one of the pump attendants talking to his colleague and so I started talking to him too.  In my native tongue of Punjabi.  They were migrant workers from North India.  Roy was paralysed trying to figure what the hell was going on.  “I have absolutely no idea what language that is” he remarked.  English or Malay he was expecting from me, but not another language.  The pump attendants also quite delighted to be able to converse with someone in their own language so we both got priority treatment from them.

After that we ran down to South Ipoh and pulled off the Highway at KM137 (Simpang Pulai)   for the road leading up to the Cameron Highlands, Route 185 (A181).  Stopping a Petronas fuel stop at the bottom of the road, both mounted our video cameras and set off.  This is the last fuel stop for more than 80kms, but as it’s a mountain climb then the bikes will consume a lot more fuel.   If you have less than 150km range in your tank, stop here and fuel. up.

As we set off I switched on the video camera.  A few Kms along the road I looked down at the camera and it wasn’t there.  Ouch !!!  The damn thing vibrated loose and fell off.  This is where you resign yourself to losing it and never finding the damn thing.  However, we turned back and I followed the road slowly scouring the road and grass sides between this spot and where I last saw the camera.  In not too long, I saw it in the grass side.  First the battery, then the cover and then Roy found the body a few metres away.  It was bit battered but still in one piece, and it worked as I found later that night.  I don’t know whether I was surprised or relieved.  I threw it in the tank bag and off we proceeded.

The Route 185 is one of the best roads I’ve ridden and even after first riding this road eight years ago it’s still a great road and my bike handled wonderfully all the way up. As we rode up we rode through a rain cloud on one side of the mountain.  It was a torrential downpour.  Twenty kms later as we passed to the other side of the mountain and rose above the cloud the rain stopped.  We saw some great views looking down the valleys into the clouds beneath us.  Riding into the highlands through the little towns can be tough.  Lots of slow moving even stationary traffic.  Tight bends, pedestrians everywhere and even an articulated lorry that went into a turn too fast and overturned in the middle of it.  Brakes probably failed as most drivers would be familiar with the road.

We got to the destination, Heritage Hotel by about 5pm Malaysia time. As we got off the bikes we heard the bikes of our friends roaring up the drive way so the timing was perfect.

 JC, Nicola & Mark stayed with us in the Heritage, Anita and Andrew had booked into Cameron Highlands Resort a few kms away.  After an ardous check-in process (more than 30 mins) we then all met in the lobby and proceeded to dinner at The Smokehouse, an old English hotel and restaurant from the Colonial days.  Was a great way to end a great days ride.