They just get worse and worse! 

 

However, I'm not bitching about the Thais. I have definitely been to cities in the USA with worse roads. 

 

Everywhere I rode today it was bumpity bump on my 20-year-old Honda Wave. 

 

 

Edited July 8, 20241 yr by ricklev

There are a lot of better suspensions than a 20 year old Wave

19 minutes ago, ricklev said:

I have definitely been to cities in the USA with worse roads. 

I haven't.

It reminds me of Manila, forty years ago; pure 3rd world. Knocked a chain off my old bike 6 months back because of a hole & metal plate. Locked up the back tire and skidded to a stop. All in all, lucky I wasn't run over by the car behind me. 

The patch work on the holes they’re digging around the moat is elementary at its finest. If you don’t know where the gouges are in the road then you’re in for rattling and surprises.

Most of my riding is here in town, especially around the moat.

To date, I have had to repair the steering column in my bike because of hitting potholes and replace my number plate as it just vibrated off.   I have to constantly adjust my mirrors as they keep getting bumped out of position, but at least that isn't costing me money.

 

The roadwork being down has probably aged our vehicles by 10 years.
 

Bumpy Roads!

It's all down to construction. When the Thais built roads in the past, still do, they didn't use stone as a sub base. They just compacted soil and Tarmacked over it. Consequently rainwater finds its way through and the sub base becomes  spongy and then you get the problem. What they now do is make a concreted sub base slab. Give it time and all roads will be built this way in Thailand, hopefully. 

Edited July 10, 20241 yr by IvorBiggun2

The roads around the moat and old city are in poor repair due to the underground lines project and the need to constantly dig new holes to put lines underground. The first phase finishes later this year and the rest next year - once finished, road resurfacing has been promised. 

On 7/8/2024 at 2:35 PM, Bill97 said:

There are a lot of better suspensions than a 20 year old Wave

Too true!

2 hours ago, lordblackader said:

The roads around the moat and old city are in poor repair due to the underground lines project and the need to constantly dig new holes to put lines underground. The first phase finishes later this year and the rest next year - once finished, road resurfacing has been promised. 

I am sure they will eventually be reaurfaced, only to quickly be torn up again. I am not saying why, I'm just saying...

4 hours ago, lordblackader said:

The roads around the moat and old city are in poor repair due to the underground lines project and the need to constantly dig new holes to put lines underground. The first phase finishes later this year and the rest next year - once finished, road resurfacing has been promised. 

 

I'm glad to see the beautification project moving forward. Those overhead lines and cables are really ugly. But... perhaps with a little forethought?
1. Announce the day before where the road constrictions will be. Drivers can then plan to avoid them and reduce the horrific traffic jams.

2. For several days, the right turn onto Sri Donchai Road coming from the east side of the moat was completely blocked off AFTER the corner, but there was NO WARNING in either direction that this was so. You came around a blind corner and BANG! The road is blocked right there, so you have to go around it, driving into oncoming traffic... with no warning that this was required. Some notice might save lives.

3. Have a traffic cop stationed at the sites where traffic is always worst; a cop directing traffic in front of Chiang Mai Gate market might reduce the number of triple-parked cars there and allow traffic to move more smoothly.

4. And most of all... when putting on a 'temporary fill' over the holes, have it at the same level as the roadway, instead of 10cm lower. Fill in the holes, not just make them look pretty. That would save a lot of wear and tear on the vehicles going over it.

3 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

 

2. For several days, the right turn onto Sri Donchai Road coming from the east side of the moat was completely blocked off AFTER the corner, but there was NO WARNING in either direction that this was so. You came around a blind corner and BANG! The road is blocked right there, so you have to go around it, driving into oncoming traffic... with no warning that this was required. Some notice might save lives.

 

I went through that intersection several times and also noted how dangerous that lane closure was.  Even coming down Sri Donchai towads the moat the cars coming directly into my lane or waiting to was quite a shock. What a strange decision not to provide any warning! 

3 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

 

I'm glad to see the beautification project moving forward. Those overhead lines and cables are really ugly. But... perhaps with a little forethought?
1. Announce the day before where the road constrictions will be. Drivers can then plan to avoid them and reduce the horrific traffic jams.

2. For several days, the right turn onto Sri Donchai Road coming from the east side of the moat was completely blocked off AFTER the corner, but there was NO WARNING in either direction that this was so. You came around a blind corner and BANG! The road is blocked right there, so you have to go around it, driving into oncoming traffic... with no warning that this was required. Some notice might save lives.

3. Have a traffic cop stationed at the sites where traffic is always worst; a cop directing traffic in front of Chiang Mai Gate market might reduce the number of triple-parked cars there and allow traffic to move more smoothly.

4. And most of all... when putting on a 'temporary fill' over the holes, have it at the same level as the roadway, instead of 10cm lower. Fill in the holes, not just make them look pretty. That would save a lot of wear and tear on the vehicles going over it.

 

10 minutes ago, ricklev said:

I went through that intersection several times and also noted how dangerous that lane closure was.  Even coming down Sri Donchai towads the moat the cars coming directly into my lane or waiting to was quite a shock. What a strange decision not to provide any warning! 

Really no surprises, they’ve been working on the project for quite awhile now. 

1 hour ago, novacova said:

 

Really no surprises, they’ve been working on the project for quite awhile now.

Interesting defense of that lunacy. I was surprised because I don't live here regularly.  

11 minutes ago, ricklev said:

Interesting defense of that lunacy. I was surprised because I don't live here regularly.  

Then drive with caution and not with lunacy. 

13 minutes ago, novacova said:

Then drive with caution and not with lunacy. 

OK. I'm not looking for a fight.  I'll take your advice and drive with caution.  🙂

On 7/8/2024 at 7:35 AM, Bill97 said:

There are a lot of better suspensions than a 20 year old Wave

 

It's about the air pressure  in your tires.

 

29 minutes ago, watchcat said:

 

It's about the air pressure  in your tires.

 

 

If there is a 25cm wide, 10cm hole in the road (and right now there are quite a lot of them around the Old City,) and you hit it at 35kph with your front tire on a bike, all the tire air pressure in the world isn't going to protect your steering column.
All it would take is a warning sign a few meters before it so people could slow down. Or better still, fill it in if you're not working on it.

34 minutes ago, watchcat said:

 

It's about the air pressure  in your tires.

 

That is just part of it.

You haven't seen anything until you drive on roads in the UK.  After years of neglect most UK towns have thousands of pot-holes wherever you drive, so you see cars zig-zagging like crazy to avoid them. I'll never complain about Thai roads which by and large are far superior.