Paul Hamon, 39, and Natt Opasanon, 27, started their trip in Surat Thani on May 29 and plan to visit every province in Thailand. Phuket is province number 11 out of 77. Sixty-six to go.

From Phuket they’ll be heading north through Phang Nga and Ranong. Their aim is to promote Thailand as a beautiful place to see using slow two-wheel transport, rather than a car or a motorcycle.

Each day they head out at 5.30am and ride until lunchtime, then relax. They keep a log book and use gps to map their next move. Their budget is about 1200 baht a day, with fuel not a problem.

”The best part of the trip,” Mr Hamon told Phuketwan, is ”meeting so many people.” The pair met five years ago in Bangkok, where Khun Natt is a tour guide and Mr Hamon is in internet marketing.

They’ve done a ride from Hua Hin to Kuala Lumpur, so Phuket and the other 76 provinces just means a little more legwork.

And then there’s the big one. The couple plan a honeymoon ride, putting their best feet forward, from Thailand to Paris.

They teamed up briefly yesterday with Phuket Tourism Authority of Thailand Director Bangornrat Shinaprayoon, who was delighted to see tourists taking the environmental-friendly route around Phuket.

Everything the couple need is in bright safety-yellow panniers. And they always wear helmets.

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