A traveller's reflection: Route 12: Day 06

My Travel Journal

"There isn't much I haven't shared with you along the road and through it all there'd always be tomorrow's episode" - Elton John

I started traveling around the world since early 80s when I had the opportunity to combine business trips with vacations. Then later when my rezeki is in abundance, there were numerous other trips along the way for vacations, most of the time with hubby and the kids when the timing is right. I have also started to compile the journal and photo-pages covering almost more than 45 years of world wide travel. Some destinations I visited just once, others many times. Many of those places are the obvious famous places people would like to visit but some, the casual traveler doesn't even think to try. I have placed links to my travel at the side bar of my personal page, My Life Reflections, and will be updating them from time to time.

My wish is to continue my travel and complete circumnavigate the globe, insyaAllah…

Sunday, 27 April 2025

Route 12: Day 06 - Phitsanulok

“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood...” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

(Sukhothai Historical Park)

Day 06: 23 April 2025 (Wednesday)
Route: Tak - Phitsanulok
Distance: 200 km
Hotel: Rattana Park Hotel

Breakfast with toast, fried eggs and salad in the hotel dining room. This morning we planned to visit a few attractions in Tak.

(Well decorated Be Rich Hotel)

(We were early for breakfast)

(Simple healthy breakfast)

After breakfast, we visited two mosques located in the centre of Tak town. We have been to these mosques during our previous rides with the bikers gang.

(Masjid Al-Fatah, Tak)

(Masjid Darul Salam, Tak)

Our next destination was the suspension bridge of Tak. This bridge is also known as the 200-year Rattanakosin Suspension Bridge, which is considered one of the most beautiful river viewpoints in the province especially with beautiful lighting at night. It is 450 m long and crosses the Tak River. The bridge was constructed in 1982 to commemorate the 200 year anniversary of the founding of a new royal capital in the Rattanakosin area of Bangkok.

(A beautiful suspension bridge in Tak)

(The bridge crosses the Tak River)

(Walking to the mid-point of the bridge)

Next was a visit to King Taksin the Great Memorial Park. King Taksin the Great was the only king of the Thonburi Kingdom that ruled Thailand from 1767 to 1782.

(An old signage of the historical attractions)

(The shrine at the centre of the park)

(A wild black horse)

(Another horse statue)

(A small museum in the park)

We checked out of the hotel by 11.00 am. Stopped at Kopi Malay Cafè for an early lunch of nasi lemak and roti pisang before we drove on the Route 12 towards Phitsanulok.

(An early lunch at Kopi Malay Cafè)

(Tak Route 1 t-shirts and stickers souvenirs)

(With Safarwan, the young Malay owner)

About 795 kilometres of the 1,530-km-long Route 12 highway lies in Thailand. The Thai section of the highway begins at the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Mae Sot to Mukdahan, where it connects to Laos at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. Our trip this time started from Tak and will end in Mukdahan. We will stop at a few towns in between.

(A Police road block on the Highway 1)

(The start of Route 12 in Tak)

(Clear traffic, we are all alone)

(An old city, half-way to Phitsanulok)

(Route 12 road to Sukhothai)

Half way to Phitsanulok, we passed the town of Sukhothai. Sukhothai is the very first capital city of Thailand. We made a brief stop to visit a small part of the Sukhotai Historical Park. During 2014 solo ride with our KTM bike, we had the opportunity to visit most parts of this historical park.

(Visiting Wat Traphang Thong)

(The temple on an island with Buddha footprint)

(Built during King Lithai in 1360)

(Singhalese-style round shaped chedi)

(The ancient artefacts lining the roads)

(Leaving the city of Sukhothai)

From Sukhothai we drove another 70 km to Phitsanulok. Phitsanulok is the 10th largest city in Thailand, founded in the 13th century. It also represents one of the oldest cities in Thailand.

(Driving on Route 12 to Phitsanulok)

(A prominant landmark of Phitsanulok)

(City of shrines and chedi)

Arrived in Phitsanulok around 3.30 pm and drove to Masjid Pakistan to perform our jamak prayers. Met with a local who assisted to show us the smaller prayer hall on the ground floor for us to use.

(Pakistan Mosque of Phitsanulok)

(The main prayer hall on the upper floor)

(A newly appointed Imam?)

(Met an 80-yr old local man in the mosque)

We checked-in Rattana Park Hotel at Rm78/night. The hotel compound was a little dusty because of the on-going construction works.

(No complementary breakfast for us)

(Our lodging for the night)

After a short rest we drove around to look for dinner. The only halal eatery that was still open was located near the Pakistan Mosque. We had nasi kuning daging kambing for dinner. The eatery is owned by an elderly couple from Pattani. We used to eat here during our previous visits and they still recognised us.