Mae Hong Son Loop III by motorcycle

Leave Mae Hong Son on Highway 108 through Khun Yuam for Mae Sariang, take 105 along the Moei to Mae Sot, cross 12 to Tak and Phitsanulok, then ride 11 through Uttaradit back to Chiang Mai.

Not yet ridden. GPX is not published yet.

The ride

Loop III starts in Mae Hong Son and finishes in Chiang Mai: Khun Yuam, Mae Sariang, Mae Sot, Tak, Phitsanulok, then Uttaradit. There is no published total for this town sequence.

Highway 108 drops south through Khun Yuam to Mae Sariang on two lanes. The Mae Sariang junction is at km 191, and the south gate of Mae Hong Son is at km 353. Highway 105 then runs 230 km to Highway 12 in Mae Sot, mostly beside the Moei on the Myanmar border.

The Mae Sot to Tak section of Highway 12 is about 86 km and four lanes. The same highway continues east to Phitsanulok. Highway 11 shares about 12 km with 12 in Phitsanulok, then runs north through Uttaradit and on to Chiang Mai.

Quick facts

Region
North Thailand
Towns
Mae Hong Son – Khun Yuam – Mae Sariang – Mae Sot – Tak – Phitsanulok – Uttaradit – Chiang Mai
Start and finish
Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai
Distance
No published total for these towns. Highway 105 is 230 km from the Mae Sariang junction to Mae Sot. The Mae Sot to Tak section of Highway 12 is about 86 km.
Surface
Two-lane 108 to Mae Sariang. Highway 105 is four lanes from Mae Sot to Mae Ramat and two lanes on to Mae Sariang. Highway 12 from Mae Sot to Tak is four lanes. Highway 11 is four lanes from Phitsanulok to Den Chai.
Best season
November to February is the cool, dry window on the Mae Hong Son highways. March and April are burning-season haze. August and September bring landslips on 108.

Highlights

  • Mae Sariang’s wooden shophouses, Wat Utthayarom from 1896, and Wat Boonruang.
  • Highway 105 beside the Moei, the river that marks the Myanmar border, all the way to Mae Sot.
  • Mae Sot, the border town where 105 meets 12.
  • Highway 11 into Chiang Mai, ending on Huai Kaeo Road.

Legs

  1. Leg 1: Mae Hong Son to Khun Yuam

    Distance. About 65–70 km on Highway 108, or 85 km.

    Riding time. About 1.5 hours Mae Hong Son to Khun Yuam with no stops.

    Highway 108 south, two lanes. The south gate of Mae Hong Son is at km 353. Fuel in Mae Hong Son.

  2. Leg 2: Khun Yuam to Mae Sariang

    Distance. 92 km on Highway 108.

    Highway 108 south, two lanes, through Mae La Noi. The Mae Sariang junction is at km 191. Fuel in Mae Sariang.

  3. Leg 3: Mae Sariang to Mae Sot

    Distance. 230 km on Highway 105.

    Highway 105 follows the Moei and the Myanmar border from the Mae Sariang junction to Highway 12 in Mae Sot. Four lanes from Mae Sot to Mae Ramat, two lanes through the mountains, steep between Tha Song Yang and Sop Moei.

  4. Leg 4: Mae Sot to Tak

    Distance. About 86 km on Highway 12.

    Four lanes from the Friendship Bridge at Mae Sot to the Tak junction.

  5. Leg 5: Tak to Phitsanulok

    Highway 12 continues east. Tak to Sukhothai on this highway is about 79 km, then the road runs on to Phitsanulok.

  6. Leg 6: Phitsanulok to Uttaradit

    Highway 11 north. It leaves Highway 12 in Phitsanulok at km 224. The turn into Uttaradit is at km 321. Four lanes.

  7. Leg 7: Uttaradit to Chiang Mai

    Highway 11 continues through Phrae, Lampang and Lamphun and ends in Chiang Mai at km 563, on Huai Kaeo Road.

Road surface

  • Highway 108 from Mae Hong Son through Khun Yuam to Mae Sariang is the paved two-lane mountain road. It is steep into Mae Sariang, then runs beside the Yuam.
  • Highway 105 is 230 km from Highway 12 in Mae Sot to Highway 108 in Mae Sariang. Four lanes from Mae Sot to Mae Ramat. Two lanes from Mae Ramat to Mae Sariang. The steep climb is between Tha Song Yang and Sop Moei. Most of the road follows the Moei.
  • Highway 12 from the Thai–Myanmar Friendship Bridge to the Tak junction is about 86 km and four lanes. It then runs east through Sukhothai to Phitsanulok. The Tak to Sukhothai section is about 79 km.
  • Highway 11 shares about 12 km with Highway 12 in Phitsanulok, then goes north. The turn into Uttaradit is at km 321. The road continues through Phrae, Lampang and Lamphun and ends in Chiang Mai at km 563 on Huai Kaeo Road. Four lanes from Phitsanulok to Den Chai. Two lanes from Den Chai toward Mae Tha. Four lanes again from Lampang to Chiang Mai.

Fuel, food and sleep stops

  • Fuel in Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang.

Hazards

  • The Department of Highways hotline 1586 is 24 hours. Ask by kilometre marker on the morning you ride.
  • On 21 August 2026 the Yuam River flooded low-lying Mae Sariang.

Best season

  • November to February is the cool, dry season on the Mae Hong Son highways. March and April are burning-season haze. May or June through October is the wet season. August and September bring landslips on 108.

Questions

How many days does Mae Hong Son Loop III take?

This page does not print a day count for Mae Hong Son Loop III. The towns run Mae Hong Son, Khun Yuam, Mae Sariang, Mae Sot, Tak, Phitsanulok, Uttaradit and Chiang Mai. The guide starts in Mae Hong Son and finishes in Chiang Mai. These places are the sequence on the page, not a timed BigBikeTrips ride.

How many kilometres is Mae Hong Son Loop III?

No published total is printed for these towns. Highway 105 is 230 km from the Mae Sariang junction to Mae Sot. Mae Sot to Tak on Highway 12 is about 86 km. Tak to Sukhothai on Highway 12 is about 79 km. Do not add those lengths and call the sum the length of Loop III.

When is the best time to ride Mae Hong Son Loop III?

November to February is the cool, dry season on the Mae Hong Son highways. March and April are burning-season haze. May or June through October is the wet season. August and September bring landslips on Highway 108. The Department of Highways hotline 1586 is 24 hours. Ask by kilometre marker on the morning you ride.

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Road reports

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No current road reports for this route. Riding it soon? Conditions change fast in the rainy season, so let other riders know what you find.

Other variants

  • Mae Hong Son Loop I — Chiang Mai – Pai – Mae Hong Son – Khun Yuam – Mae Chaem – Chiang Mai
  • Mae Hong Son Loop II — Chiang Mai – Pai – Mae Hong Son – Khun Yuam – Mae Sariang – Hot – Chiang Mai