Thousand Corner Thailand: Mae Hong Son Loop

Mae Hong Son Loop (thousand / 1000 corner of Thailand) has been described as “one of the top ten most beautiful motorbike routes in the world” and is Thailand’s most mountainous province. As you can imagine, it’s sparsely populated, the roads are accessible, and the scenery is stunning!

While the trip can be completed in just two days, most take four (at least), and if you have the time, you can spend a week riding around the loop to enjoy green paddy fields, hidden waterfalls, and breathtaking mountain scenery. It is over 600 kilometers long, passing through the towns of Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son, and Pai.

Table of Contents

4088 Curves- The MHS Loop Map

The Mae Hong Son loop is all about it being one of the best motorcycling roads anywhere in the world. It consists of 4000+ corners and you will never get bored!

Google Map of MHS Loop: https://maps.app.goo.gl/dtWQdCzFjGnK6AWc6

Thousand Corner Thailand: Mae Hong Son Loop

4088 Curves- The MHS Loop Map — Mae Hong Son Chamber of Commerce

Mae Hong Son Loop Itinerary

If you’re renting a bike/car from Chiang Mai, I would recommend the itinerary below:

Day 1 – Chiang Mai to Mae Sariang Via Doi Inthanon | Distance is approximately 263 KM and journey time about 5 hours.

Sightseeing: Tham Thong temple, Ob Luang Canyon & Doi Inthanon

Day 2 – Mae Sariang to Mae Hong Son | Distance is approximately 166 KM and journey time about 3.5 hours.

Sightseeing: Nong Haeng hot springs, Kun Yuam war museum

Day 3 – Mae Hong Son to Pai | Distance is approximately 109 km and journey time about 2 hours.

Sightseeing: Visit one of the Long Neck villages in Mae Hong Son before leaving for the day’s ride, fish cave at Huai Pha, a couple of fantastic mountain viewpoints on the way.

Day 4 – Pai to Chiang Mai | Distance is approximately 128 KM and journey time about 2 hours.

Sightseeing: Nip into the Huai Nam Dang national park and then back to Chiang Mai

Accommodation

These are the places I stayed but if you’re on a budget, you can always look up other cheap hotels.

Day 1 – Mae Sariang | River House Resort – Very nice with a river view

Day 2 – Mae Hong Son | Imperial Mae Hong Son Resort

Day 3 – Pai | Pai Village Boutique Resort– Right in the heart of the town, nice clean rooms and a great restaurant.

Day 4 – Chiang Mai | De Naga Hotel – Excellent hotel and a very short walk to TBB’s bike shop

Rent A Motorcycle/Car In Chiang Mai

I’ve rented motorcycles through Mr Mechanic Chiang Mai and you can contact them via Whatsapp at: +66 82 762 8302

Mr Mechanic Shop Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7QV7W4gwSedwV1Qn7

Mr Mechanic Shop GPS Coordinates: 18.764365551512864, 98.9949228882703

I got myself a 650 CC Kawasaki ER6-F and the bike was in excellent condition and it comes with ABS which was really helpful.

If you are looking to rent a car, you can do so at Mr Mechanic, they are reliable and trustworthy. That is TBB Tour’s recommendation.

Riding From Kuala Lumpur

If you want to ride from Kuala Lumpur to do Mae Hong Son loop, my recommendations are as per below:

Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sMavuKJhHe5H9pXx5

Day 1 – Kuala Lumpur – Hatyai (534KM)
Day 2 – Hatyai- Surathani – Chumpon (480KM)
Day 3 – Chumpon – Prachuap Kiri Khan – Kanchanaburi (472 KM)
Day 4 – Kanchanaburi – Tak (400 KM)
Day 5 – Tak – Chiang Mai (328 KM)
Day 6 – Chiang Mai – Doi Inthanon – Mae Sariang (263 KM)
Day 7 – Mae Sariang – Ban Rak Thai – Pai (327 KM)
Day 8 – Pai – Phitsanulok (470 KM)
Day 9 – Phitsanulok – Hua Hin (574 KM)
Day 10 – Hua Hin – Surat Thani (473 KM)
Day 11 – Surat Thani – Dannok (372 KM)
Day 12 – Dannok – KL (480 KM)

Total Mileage: 5023 KM +/-

Note: I would recommend that you plan for 14 days so you can have the extra days to repair your motorcycle if needed or take day off from riding in between.

Best Month To Visit Chiang Mai

The best month to do this loop or visit Chiang Mai would be on November. If you can’t go in November, please click here to check on Chiang Mai’s weather and when to go.

Video Highlights

Below is the Chiang Mai – Mae Hong Son full loop video of ours. The video is about 6 hours! Sorry, I didn’t have the time to do the highlights for this trip.

Mae Hong Son Loop Certificate

If you wish, you can purchase the Mae Hong Son Loop certificate with your name on it at;

Mae Hong Son Chamber of Commerce

114/5 ถนนขุนลุมประพาส อำเภอ เมือง, Chong Kham, Mueang Mae Hong Son District, Mae Hong Son, Thailand

Map: Google Map Link

Photo Gallery

Some of the pictures along the Mae Hong Son Loop.

Thailand 1864 Corners - Mae Hong Son Loop — On The Way To MHS – Love The Corners

Conclusion

Riding in Northern Thailand is one the thing that I would recommend and if possible, spend more days and split up the KMs (ride short distance) so you can enjoy it more.

Personally, I would suggest that you fly into Chiang Mai and rent a motorcycle there. This will not only give you the extra days to enjoy the ride but also cheaper in costing.