With that area now under our belt we set our sights on another part of the country that neither of us had yet to experience, the lower North. What follows is a trip report of our adventure through the Thai countryside, a couple of young farang guys exploring parts of Thailand.
The adventure was supposed to begin in the lower north, but we had yet to leave the big, bad city when it all began. As we approached the toll plaza beyond Don meuang on the expressway out, there they were once again, the men in brown. Given that all vehicles were just being waved on, I was more than a bit surprised when we were waved over to the side and a cop approached.
In my very best Thai I wished him good morning and told him that we were on our way to Sukhothai. He was completely disinterested in this, more interested in reporting to me that we had been speeding. How fast I asked him. Now, I knew immediately that he was lying because we had been sitting at — the whole way. I protested and he said that officers back along the motorway had clocked us doing that speed.
I said I saw them and that clearly they did NOT have a radar which was, as far as I could tell, true. Ahhh, this cop had met his match. He started to write out something on a ticket and I said that I wouldn't pay it as I hadn't committed the said offence and without evidence, I would appeal it as far as I could.
Mai pen rai , it must all have started to sound like hard work to him and he returned the driver's licence and sent us on our way, without a donation to his mia noi fund. The main highway heading north is much better to drive than the road up into the northeast, Isaan. In fact you are quite likely to get passed by vehicles moving at a much higher speed than that.
