The ride beginning before sunrise, the road ahead long and arduous, as the motorcycle hums into the awakening day.
On the edge of Subang Jaya, beneath the morning mist and the low hum of early traffic, a small machine rolled out with a bold ambition – to reach Bangkok and return on less than RM100 worth of fuel.
The Yamaha PG-1, a 115cc adventure cub, wasn’t built for grandeur. It was built for grit.
Compact, unassuming and unfazed by distance, it would soon become the unlikely hero of a 3,300km journey through monsoon plains, crumbling ruins and neon-lit city sprawl – a road tale stitched together by fuel stops, coffee stalls and the ceaseless hum of an engine.
The machine had already proven itself earlier in the year on a test run through Southern Thailand – nearly 2,000km of backroads and provincial highways conquered on less than RM60 in petrol.
That feat sparked the idea for something bigger.
This 2.5-litre fuel bottle is the lifeline of the solo moto-touring ride from Subang Jaya to Bangkok, ensuring extra range when petrol stations are few and far between.
This time, with Bangkok as the goal and time on its side, the PG-1 was rigged for long-distance travel.
A pair of auxiliary fuel bottles were bolted to the frame, adding an extra 110km of range.
Waterproof panniers hung like wings, packed with tools, sealants, jackets and spares.
A 39-litre top box held photography gear and a drone. The cockpit was wired with Garmin GPS, a satellite communicator and smartphone mounts.
The journey began on the Guthrie Expressway, merging with the West Coast Expressway and then the North-South Expressway at Changkat Jering.
As daylight faded, the Yamaha pressed northwards and by nightfall, it was humming through Thai border towns.
A quick roadside dinner was followed by a long ride into the night along Route 4, past rice paddies and rubber plantations.
After more than 14 hours on the road, the PG-1 reached the quiet town of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Upon arrival at the Thai border immigration and customs checkpoint in Danok, Southern Thailand, marking the first gateway into the Land of Smiles.
From there, the road curled along the Gulf of Thailand – salt in the air, storm clouds building overhead.
It passed through Surat Thani, into Chumphon, and north into the long province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, where the sea meets jungle and Myanmar lurks just over the hills.
Ten hours of riding and storm-dodging ended at a quiet hotel, the bike resting, dripping rainwater like sweat.
Bangkok was now within reach – just 279km away.
The route led through Phetchaburi, Samut Songkhram and the concrete arteries of Samut Sakhon. But the final 40km dragged on like a test of patience.
The sprawl of Greater Bangkok swallowed the journey in gridlock and fumes.
Yet, the PG-1 slipped through like a needle in a tapestry, weaving past buses and taxis, its Malaysian number plate the only thing that turned heads.
A hotel in Bang Kapi became base camp for the city leg. Tucked away in the outskirts, it offered the only luxury a rider truly needed: 24-hour bike surveillance.
For three days, the PG-1 roamed the capital like a native, cutting through flyovers and alleyways, visiting old friends and revisiting old memories – breakfast reunions in Huamak, gear hunts at the Thailand Outdoor Shop in Lat Phrao.
A rider taking a photo of the small Malaysian bike, a travelling companion that has carried its load faithfully across borders..
The trip extended to Ayutthaya, Thailand’s ancient capital, 87km to the north.
A nail in the rear tyre threatened to stall the ride, but a Yamaha dealer swiftly swapped the tube for 200 baht (RM26).
The ruins of Ayutthaya stood proud and solemn, the stone skeletons of a forgotten empire surrounded by markets bustling with vendors and schoolkids on scooters.
But the skies turned heavy again. A storm pushed in from the Gulf and on the sixth day, as the PG-1 set off at first light, Prachuap Khiri Khan was already sodden.
There was no waiting it out. The bike rode on past Bang Saphan Noi, through puddles and fogged visors, chasing fading daylight.
Chumphon offered little reprieve – the beach hidden behind curtains of rain – but a hot meal and a dry bed were more than enough.
The return leg was long and lonesome.
Southbound again, through Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Patthalung, the machine showed signs of fatigue only in dirt and wear, not performance.
A quiet small town at the tip of the Kra Isthmus, where land narrows between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.
Other riders appeared like ghosts – Thais headed the same way. Each nod a silent bond of the road.
Hat Yai marked the last northern stop, a city of motorcycles, street vendors and warm rain.
After 930km of road, the rider celebrated with a thick steak dinner – the kind only earned after days in the saddle.
The next morning, with traffic thinning behind, the PG-1 crossed the border and returned to Subang Jaya. The roads familiar, the ride easy.
The journey ended not with fanfare, but with the quiet click of a key and the soft sigh of an engine cooling down.
No breakdowns. No detours too great. No regrets.
Thailand’s roads – from neat freeways to quiet kampungs – had been welcoming and even kind.
Rest stops were clean, fuel was cheap and drivers were courteous.
The PG-1 defied expectations. Over 3,300km travelled, on less than RM100 in petrol.
But the true value of the journey wasn’t measured in receipts or maps. It was in the open roads, the coastal storms, the strange towns with friendly faces and the sense that even the smallest engine can power a grand adventure.
It was never about the destination.
It was the joy of the ride.
The ride beginning before sunrise, the road ahead long and arduous, as the motorcycle hums into the awakening day.
This 2.5-litre fuel bottle is the lifeline of the solo moto-touring ride from Subang Jaya to Bangkok, ensuring extra range when petrol stations are few and far between.
Upon arrival at the Thai border immigration and customs checkpoint in Danok, Southern Thailand, marking the first gateway into the Land of Smiles.
A rider taking a photo of the small Malaysian bike, a travelling companion that has carried its load faithfully across borders.
A quiet small town at the tip of the Kra Isthmus, where land narrows between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.
The Thailand Outdoor Shop in Bangkok, one of the largest outfitters in the city, where adventurers stock up on gear for their next expedition.
Mission accomplished – riding from Bangkok to Thailand’s ancient capital, Ayutthaya, with history rising in the background.
One of Ayutthaya’s many evocative ruins, its weathered bricks tell stories of kings, wars and centuries gone by.
A tranquil scene from Ayutthaya, where ancient spires rise above the river and village life flows steadily along its banks.
