Last month, I took some time for a break from my day-to-day and took 3 weeks to visit Thailand. I plan this trip for a while and we finally have the opportunity to visit there despite all the problems COVID-19 brings to us.
Of course, visiting the local karting tracks was part of the plan, so immediately after we land in Phuket, I check all the tracks around and check which of them will be the best go-kart track to visit as a go-kart lover.
After some research and reading reviews, I saw that the Phuket Kart Speedway has the most varied go-karts fleet (include 2 strokes rental karts) and the best track in aspects of corners and speed compared to the other 2 tracks in Phuket.
So we booked a day in the Speedway and took a driver that will drive us from our hotel to the track so we will be able to spend some time on the track without even thinking about driving back to our hotel (you will see later in the post why it was a very smart decision).
First Impression – Phuket Kart Speedway
So as I mentioned, we took a driver, our hotel was in Patong which is the most colorful and attractive area in Phuket (in my opinion). It took around 30 minutes to get to the track and cost us around 400 Baht (12 USD).
At a first glance, the track looks amazing, surrounded by threes, has a lot of space around for parking and there are a lot of places for non-drivers to stay in the shade (Thailand’s sun is crazy hot).
My wife find a seat with a wide view of the track and she was able to enjoy drinks and some snacks that the little kiosk in selling for really cheap and normal prices.
The Phuket Kart Speedway length is 750 meters plus-minus, and has one main straightway, 5 Left corners, and 8 Right corners.
Around the track himself, there is a lot of space for error in case you are a beginner, the asphalt is in a very good condition (no holes or bumps), and in general, the track looks amazing.
Go Karts Fleet – 4 Strokes & 2 Strokes Go-Karts
After a short introduction on the track by the local team, we arrived to choose the karts we would like to rent and drive with.
The karts fleet is varied and they have 7 different types of karts to choose from.
Engine Type | Engine Size | Max Speed |
4 Strokes (4T) | 85cc (Kids Go Kart) | 40 KPH (Limited) |
4 Strokes (4T) | 250cc (Double Seats) | 50 KPH |
4 Strokes (4T) | 250cc | 50 KPH |
4 Strokes (4T) | 270cc | 70 KPH |
4 Strokes (4T) | 370cc | 90 KPH |
2 Strokes (2T) | 100cc | 100 KPH |
2 Strokes (2T) | 125cc | 125 KPH |
Unlike the rest of the experience we had in Thailand, the prices here were very similar to the prices in any European track I visit.
Most of the karts were in good condition, the tires were pretty fresh and everything functions as expected.
From the list above, I choose to take the 250cc double seats, 370cc, and of course the 125cc with 2 strokes engine.
Warmup With The Double Seater
Since I am not familiar with the track, and my wife came with me and wanted to feel what karting is all about, we took a double seat Go-Kart to taste the track for me, and have a shot of adrenaline for her.
The double-seater was is a bit tight for me, I wasn’t fit into the seat easily and the safety belt was a bit annoying, but it is just for a few laps so I was able to handle it.
We start the drive, it is a 10 minutes session each time, and the track was amazing.
Wide corners, pretty smooth, and we had a good time on it.
A nice feature they have is a photographer who took a position in one of the main corners and shot some photos you will be able to take home (for a few dollars of course).
Go Kart with a 370cc Engine
The next kart I took for a 10 minutes session was the 370cc 4 strokes engine.
4 strokes are much more linear in the power supply, regularly on my local track, I use to drive on 250cc \ 270cc engines and I was curious how a bigger 4 strokes engine will feel.
Additionally, I wanted to do a real warm-up on the track before going on the 2 strokes.
So the mechanic turn the engine on, and immediately I feeled the difference of a bigger engine. The acceleration was much more intense, and the kart reach a higher speed.
More than that, I was able to use the engine to control the turn with an over-steering since I had more power in the rear wheels and the tighter turns were easier to manage.
The next kart, and the one who I waited for the most, was the session on the 125cc with 2 strokes engine.
Go Kart with 125cc (2T) Engine
I finished the session on the 370cc Go Kart and was pretty impressed by the available power, and the mechanic said to me “take a short rest before going for the next session on the 2 strokes”.
I took a rest for 20 minutes while another group did a driving session on the track, rehydrate myself (I already talked in this blog about how much it is important to drink), and prepared myself for the next session.
I shared with the local instructor that I am competing in my country and it is not my first time, and he talked with the team and they gave me a go-kart with soft tires so I will be able to enjoy from a better grip on the track.
The kart was ready and I walk again to the pit in order to start my session.
2 Strokes engines are very different from 4 strokes engines in many things, one of them is the power availability. 2 Strokes engines feel weak in low revs but when the revs reach the power range, it’s like are on a space rocket.
The team turn the engine on, I push the gas pedal, and felt the kart start to accelerate, nothing special until… the famous power range arrived.
It is hard to explain but I can summarize it in 3 words. IT’S A BEAST!
The kart is lightweight, accelerates so fast, and reaches speed faster than anything I drive on before. Everything feels much more intense, the turns at higher speed, the over-steering is a thing you have to take care of, drifting (drifting is bad) occurs on every push on the gas pedal, and in general, it was much more taxing to drive on this machine.
By the end of the session I was so exhausted, my hands worked like never before to handle the steering and the adrenaline reach the sky.
It was so fun and I recommend it to every Go Kart fan to try it at least once to try.
Conclusion
Wrapping up the visit to Phuket Speedway GoKart track is easy, if you are in Phuket and want to have fan, go there.
It doesn’t matter whether you are an amatur\pro driver or just want to drive a Go-Kart for the first time, there are so many options to choose from so you can easily find the karting that will fit your abilities.
The second group who drive on the track with us was a family with kids aged 10 to 18, they enjoyed it a lot and each kid took a different kart fit to his size.
From the track, you can go to other attractions nearby or come back to Patong to take a good massage to release the sore muscles (I can guarantee you that they will be).
If you want to see all the videos I took from the track, you can find them in my YouTube channel.