This is part of my series where I kart across all of Thailand, publishing them in the order I visited them. For more about deciding to do this and how I went out and about and got from place A to B you can read my intro article to the series, I Kart Raced Across the Entire Country of Thailand. Also worth checking for some general safety comments for karting if you’re new to it, as safety is not always priority #1 out there…
Name: Patong GoKart Speedway aka ‘the one on the right’, ‘the slow one’, ‘the one you see from the street’
Website: http://www.gokartthailand.com
Facebook: Patong Go Kart Speedway
Location: map
Cost to get there: I don’t know what a good price is, I didn’t have munch to anchor off of. I went to this area twice, both times with tuktuks. You can visit it and Phuket Kart Speedway on the same trip, if you’d like. They are very close, you could even walk from one to the other. I ended up paying 200 baht to be driven out to the track, wait for me to race, then drive me back. Both times I started/ended on Patong Beach, near the big beach sign and at the end of Phuket’s walking street (Bangla road). The tuk-tuk drivers started high (400, and 800) but were both pretty cool and I gave them 20 baht extra. I also karted for a while, like a couple hours each day. This ended up being some of the cheapest kart transit I took. That’s the back of my tuktuk above.
Cost: Cash only. Requires license or deposit IIRC. Has a place to store your bag (free) if needed. I think I’ve cut off the cost here of the 200cc adult kart with 10 minutes of just racing, no video. 800 baht?
Track: The distance is ok but the track is not very creative. There are a lot of repetitive loops.
Popularity: There are a lot of people in Phuket looking for things to do, so even if you arrive and drive as a lone wolf like me, you should be mixed in with others if you show up here. I don’t recall what day of the week I went but I would speculate you will race with others if you don’t bring some friends yourself.
Karts: 200cc 4-strokes “up to 60 km/h” – the website and price list also shows a 400cc 4-stroke race kart “up to 110 km/h” although I was told the mechanic was out/they were not available that day. I’m not sure this course would really be that much more fun with them though, I’d like a more interesting track. From a feel perspective the karts felt good/normal to me.
Timing: Yes, it is taken and provided.
Overall: I did 2 races here, these are the results of my 2nd. Not too bad!
This track seems to get a bad rap, thus it being referred to as the slow one and the recommendations to go to the nearby Phuket Kart Speedway. As you can see in my video though, it’s not actually slow. Many of the US kart tracks are indoors, and run ~20 second laps, ~7 minute races, in karts that, if capable, are probably back to a turn too early before even hitting 40 mph. In the video I’m exceeding the claimed 60 km/hr, and hitting 48 mph (sorry for switching back between different measures here people!) – I wouldn’t necessarily claim these karts are slow at all. Given the reputation I was lazy about setting up my gimbal for smooth video, which was unfair to these guys really. It’s a decent track and I should have taken better video for them too. If you are bringing kids or newbies this is also a more appropriate and safer track.
Video: If you click the title on the embedded video, it will open up in youtube and you’ll be able to full screen it.
Other tracks in Thailand:
Phuket
1. Patong Go-Kart Speedway
2. Phuket Kart Speedway (100cc and 125cc 2-strokes)
Hua Hin
3. Go Kart Hua Hin
Chiang Mai
4. Chiang Mai X-Centre Drift Karts
5. Chiangmai Speedkart
Ko Samui
6. Samui Go-Kart
7. EasyKart Samui
Krabi
8. Krabi Kart (420cc and 560cc 4-strokes)
Pattaya
9. EasyKart Pattaya
10. Bira International Circuit (no arrive and drive; rotax rental)
11. Pattaya Kart Speedway
Bangkok
12. MSL Motorsports Land
13. EasyKart Bangkok (RCA)
