Driving the Umphang Highway: How to Survive the 1,219 Curves

Viewing Thi Lo Su Waterfall and rafting the Mae Khlong River are among the most extraordinary natural wonders Thailand has to offer.  If you’re thinking of going, you already know the reason more people haven’t: the 1,219 curves of the ominously named “Death Highway.”  Even if you survive, someone’s probably going to vomit.   

While proper planning for the drive is crucial, remember it’s just one piece of a longer journey. Don’t miss out on what to do *before* and *after* Umphang—all the details are laid out in our full Northern Thailand Road Trip Guide.

Mae Sot is the last big city before the drive starts, but the drive is less remote than its reputation suggests.  Our contact in Umphang warned us to stock up on food and fuel in Mae Sot before we attempted the drive, but honestly, there were dozens of petrol stations and just as many convenience stores scattered along the route.  You won’t get stranded, and you won’t starve, but for any niche needs (booze, diapers, or medicine), stock up in town.

If you take Dramamine, ginger, or other car sickness prophylactic, don’t take it yet. You want to medicate 20-30 minutes before the curves begin, and we still have some time.  

Finally, bring plenty of sturdy, leak-proof plastic bags.  Pass them around.  Drill on procedures: secure your own bag before helping other passengers.  We and the kids have strong stomachs.  In over 5,000 kilometers of driving in Southeast Asia, we’ve only had two vomiting incidents (and I’m not sure we can conclusively pin those on carsickness).  Despite best efforts, poor Henry did succumb to a technicolor yawn.

While locals refer to Highway 1090 as the “Death Highway,” it’s not for the reasons you think.  The name comes from a tragic, one-time event nearly 50 years ago when communist insurgents opposed to the road massacred 40 construction workers.  The insurgency is long gone, but the ominous name remains.

There’s no doubt about it; this road has curves.  The road to Pai is famous for its winding route – you may have even bought the shirt – but only 762 curves?  Pah!  That’s for tourists!  Compared to the 1,219 curves on Highway 1090, driving to Pai is a milk run. 

The reality is that Highway 1090 is not that dangerous if you drive slowly and defensively.  Slow is key here: whatever your GPS software tells you, you should budget at least four hours to cover the 165 kms.    

But at this stage, you’re still feeling confident, laughing in the face of Death Highway, right?  Sister, we’ve only just begun.  The first 20 kilometers are flat and smooth along the Moei River valley.  At kilometer 26, you’ll pass Tararak Waterfall and its clifftop golden chedi.  Fifteen kilometers beyond that, you arrive at Namtok Pha Charoen National Park.  

If you’re coming from Mae Sot, you’ll have been driving for less than an hour.  It might be tempting to drive on, but this is a great place to catch a final breath, swallow some Dramamine, and enjoy the views of the water cascading down Phra Charoen’s 97 limestone terraces.  It’s directly off the road and when we visited, it was free to enter.  

If you’ve had a late start or are coming from farther afield than Mae Sot, this is a good area to stop for lunch.  We ate at the perfectly serviceable Kaewsri Kitchen, but there are plenty of other equivalent options.  We started the drive from Sukhothai, but I wouldn’t recommend this for everyone.  The first leg is a solid three hours and you’ll already be tired even before you reach the curves, but it can certainly be done.

This is where any illusions you might have had shatter.  The road makes a banking southeast turn into the mountains and never stops turning.  Highway 1090 narrows to two lanes with no shoulder whatsoever.  On one side, steep jungle cliffs going up, on the other steep jungle cliffs going down.  Pity the poor driver who must keep eyes on the road, because the scenery is stunning,

The traffic going both directions is almost exclusively local, and they’re just going to drive faster than you.  Accept that, and don’t be tempted to go faster because cars are piling up behind you.  You need to maintain a reasonable speed, but don’t make bad decisions under pressure.  There are very few places to pull over, but there are a few.  Use these to allow other cars to pass if caution truly is causing you to become a traffic hazard.  

Read that part about not having anywhere to pull over again.  If and when the vomit comes, you might have to live with it for a bit.  

It will be at about this point that you realize you’ve lost mobile coverage.  Not such a big deal for navigation (where else are you going to go?) but any streaming that’s not well-buffered is going to come to a crashing halt.  With Halloween only a few weeks away, we’d submitted to listening to a few seasonal songs.  Halfway through “Monster Mash” I realized we were about to lose coverage and would be stuck in an endless loop of Halloween hell if we didn’t switch to a better playlist while we still had a few bars.  

There aren’t many places to stop along the way, but there are a few.  Just over 90 minutes from Pha Charoen is Ton Nam Mae Klong Market (ตลาดต้นน้ำแม่กลอง คอฟฟี่), a coffee shop and market with coffee, basic supplies, and simple toilets.

Along the route, you’ll pass through two or three police checkpoints.  You can usually expect them to wave you through, but it’s possible they’ll want a closer look.  Keep your passports handy just in case, but smiles will go a long way to smoothing your passage.

After a series of hairpin turns as you descend the mountain into the Umphang Valley, you’ll finally reach the town itself.  Cell service restored, you’re probably listening to “This is Halloween” as you negotiate narrow streets filled only with scooters and Toyota Fortuners.  You’ve made it!  You’ve cheated the Death Highway – at least until you do it all again three days from now.  That’s plenty of time to recover, renew your strength, and resupply.  If you do any shopping, remember to hold on to the plastic bags.  You’re going to need them.