I want to avoid the road work on the 118 in going to Chiang Mai and need to choose between the 1089 and 109. The 1089 is the road that goes through Thaton and Fang, and 109 branches off the 118 to Fang.

Which is easier with a decent road surface?

Any info appreciated.

A friend does the trip every couple of months on a motorbike and goes via 109.

Having taken the 109 since I asked the question, I can now report on it.

The 109 road surface is a notch below that of the 1089 (through Thaton) but it is nevertheless perfectly acceptable. The 109 shaves at least 30 km off the 1089 distance from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai.

There is little traffic on the road and it is a slower road, so much so that even time seems to slow down. A throwback to an earlier Thailand. No 7-11s!

It is definitely worth considering to avoid the construction, especially for motorcycles.