Saddle up for a ride to Bangkok

BANGKOK  A group of cyclists from Ho Chi Minh City completed a 960 km marathon trip to Bangkok at the weekend to support the promotion of cycle tours across the ASEAN region.
Participants, all members of the Saigon Bike Club, ranged in age from 34 to 75. They cycled through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand in nine days to reach the Thai capital.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand, which is supporting cycle tourism in a big way, said the tour illustrated the appeal of overland travel on the Greater Mekong Subregion countries.
It was a particularly memorable trip for the oldest cyclist, Tran Tam Quang, 75, who was returning to Bangkok after nearly 50 years. He was last in the Thai capital for the 1966 Asian Games when he ranked fourth in the men’s track cycling.
inside no 7The tour was the brainchild of avid Vietnamese sportsman and cyclist Vo Huu Thien, 53, CEO of Saigon Vina, a real estate company in Ho Chi Minh City.
All the participants ride with the Land Saigon Bike Club, which was founded by Thein in 2003.
Organised by Viking Travel and Media, the tour covered four stops in Cambodia — Neak Luong, Phnom Penh, Pursat and Sisophon — before arriving in Sa Kaeo, Nakhon Nayok and then the final ride to Bangkok.
Tourism Authority of Thailand, deputy governor for international marketing (Asia and the South Pacific) Pongsathorn Kessasamli said: “TAT is honoured to support this inaugural trip. Biking holidays are one of our fastest growing niche markets and expected to become even more popular after the Asian Highway network is completed.”
Commenting on the trip Thien said: “I have been dreaming of this trip for the last five years. I believe it will go a long way towards promoting ASEAN friendship and integration and intra-regional travel. All the group members undertook nearly a year of training on domestic land routes in Vietnam before deciding to head for Thailand as our first destination.”
inside no 7.1 with caption
Vo Huu Thien, chairman of Saigon Land Company, who led the group from Land Saigon Bike Club, presented a token of appreciation to Pongsathorn Kessasamli, TAT deputy governor for international marketing (Asia and the South Pacific).
The cyclists started their daily ride 0430 to cover an average distance of 120 km daily. The longest sector from Phnom Penh to Pursat (Cambodia) took them a full 12 hours.
In Thailand, TAT helped the cyclists by fast tracking immigration at the border, monitoring their progress to ensure safety while in Thailand, organising a gala dinner, and presenting certificates to commemorate the historic trip.
TAT also arranged a friendship get-together to meet with Thai bike clubs; such as, the Thailand Cycling for Health Association, Thai Airways Bike Club, Thai Hotels Association Bike Club and TAT Bike Club. The group also became the first foreign group to test the special lane for cyclists in Bangkok, which was opened in December 2014.
TAT did not clarify the location and route of the special bike lane in Bangkok, possibly a candidate for the category “Unseen Treasures of the Kingdom”.

sourced:ttrweekly.com