Blown away by the Land of Smiles.

Winding off-road stretches, mountain roads and steep hairpin turns.

Riders in the 2016 International BMW Motorrad GS Trophy had to put their skills to the test. The landscape of the Golden Triangle of Southeast Asia, where the borders of Thailand, Burma and Laos meet, is formed by a number of challenging routes.

From Chiang Dao to the most beautiful places in Thailand.

From Chiang Dao, the teams made their way to Lamphun, Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son and Pai. During the event, the riders were able to reach some incredible viewpoints – centuries-old pathways, untouched mountainous regions and jungles.

"I'm proud that the GS Trophy took place in Southeast Asia and that we were able to show this breathtaking region to riders from all around the world," said Heiner Faust, Head of Sales and Marketing at BMW Motorrad.

Thailand was the perfect place for the sixth edition of the Int. GS Trophy. Participants were not only impressed by the extraordinary routes, but also by the exciting culture and people.

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“

The GS Trophy is an incredible experience in an incredible country. ”

Stéphanie Bouisson, International Female Team

Star on two wheels.

Sitting in the driver's seat of a GS.

Star on two wheels.

The 1,400 kilometre-long stretch led the teams through enchanting natural areas and diverse locations boasting a number of cultural highlights. The riders and their motorcycles were welcomed with open arms everywhere they went. Kids often rushed up to the motorcycles to get a closer look at the huge adventures bikes.

The women's team got a lot of surprised looks. "When the locals realised that we were women, they were absolutely delighted", recounted Amy Harburg from Australia.

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Need a little cooling off.

With temperatures over 30 degrees, some riders jump into the water too cool off.

Need a little cooling off.

At the start of the International GS Trophy, the weather really made the teams' lives difficult. The routes had to be changed because of the heavy rains. But the following day, the storms eased up and the teams completed the special tests under a shining sun.

During the week, temperatures rose to 30 degrees with high humidity. No one was surprised when the entire Japanese team jumped straight into a stream in all their gear to cool off.

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Everyone to the left: traffic in Thailand.

GS riders first had to get used to the road traffic in Thailand. They drive on the left side of the road there. All the hustle and bustle on the streets was also new for the riders.

Tuk-tuks, pickups and scooters.

Entire families on top of tiny scooters, tuk-tuks and pickups overflowing with people and luggage all managed to get through the narrow streets.

There were very few cars on Thai roads. "There aren't any cars here, just motorcycles and scooters. That's so cool", said Dennis Godwin from Team USA.

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Always friendly

Thailand is also called the "land of smiles". And rightly so. The locals are known for their hospitality. The participants also got to experience this friendliness first-hand. "The local people are great. They are really happy when I greet them in Thai," reported Stéphanie Bouisson from France.

Buddhist temples, fishing villages and jungles.

The daily stages led the riders through jungles, mountains and large rice fields. Teams also got to see Buddhist temples and fishing villages with traditional stilt villages.

During the seven-day tour, the riders regularly got close-up views of elephants, water buffalo, roosters, ducks and pigs. "It was quite special to be able to observe elephants in the wild. The routes led us deep into the rural regions of Thailand, far away from the streets and even from hiking trails. It was unbelievable to be able to see something like that," said Gaston Quiroga from Argentina.

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