Episode 5

The teams must navigate the full length of Thailand to reach the next checkpoint - Koh Phi Phi - an archipelago of islands immortalised by the Hollywood blockbuster movie The Beach. Their first challenge is to get to Bangkok, but with very limited transport out of sleepy Mae Sariang, this is not going to be as straightforward as they might think. With every decision counting, they will need to exercise ingenuity and race smart.

They could take the familiar backpacker route and detour north via Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second city, where they can make the most of the abundant transport options. Or they could navigate the lesser travelled route, hugging the Myanmar border via the city of Mae Sot. Once they reach the capital, the teams face more decisions – do they travel quickly through, or stop to take in the sights of the vibrant Thai capital?

Every decision counts. As they edge closer to Koh Phi Phi, travelling south along the elephant’s trunk of Thailand, our racers must decide whether to choose Krabi or Phuket to travel through and how to make the final run into checkpoint - speedboat or ferry – a decision that could make the difference between coming in first or last.