Road No Ring Road 1

[Rob5060]

I am just preparing a map for Immigration and not sure what Thais refer to as ring road 1

The road I mean is the one that has Payap University on it

Im not sure but I think its Highway 3029 but probably better descibed as ring road 1

Appreciate any clarification

[MrBrad]

The way I look at it--and what I've heard from others--is that the "Super Highway" (Highway 11) is considered Ring Road 1. Payap University is on Ring Road 2 (Highway 121).

[mrclough]

The way I look at it--and what I've heard from others--is that the "Super Highway" (Highway 11) is considered Ring Road 1. Payap University is on Ring Road 2 (Highway 121).

You sure about that? I live on Highway 121 and I'm pretty sure Payap is on the inner ring road. Maybe I'm getting confused going back and forth all the time though lol

[gotlost]

3029 is considered the first ring road. The 121 is the second ring road. The super Highway is not, it is the super highway or highway 11. Local maps show these as such.

[jimmym40]

My understanding is that the Super Hiway is Ring Road 1.

Payop University is on Ring Road 2. and then Ring Road 3.

I guess it all depends on who you talk to. You can never get a definate answer...

[gotlost]

My understanding is that the Super Hiway is Ring Road 1.

Payop University is on Ring Road 2. and then Ring Road 3.

I guess it all depends on who you talk to. You can never get a definate answer...

There are no maps that show that. Only maps that show 3029 as #1 and 121 as #2.

[noise]

My understanding is that the Super Hiway is Ring Road 1.

Payop University is on Ring Road 2. and then Ring Road 3.

I guess it all depends on who you talk to. You can never get a definate answer...

There are no maps that show that. Only maps that show 3029 as #1 and 121 as #2.

Keep looking; my map shows the 3 "ring" roads with 121 being #3 or the outer, Payap is on the middle one, and hwy 11 is the inner one (also called Super Hwy).

Now it may be terminology for a lot of us, but if you look at a decent map carefully you will see that Hwy 121 will hit the klong road on the north and then again way south in Hang Dong. It is not a good separated hwy, 2 lanes in both directions, all the way, but it functions as a ring road. And you will see it is not the ring road that goes by Payap, Mee Choke Plaza (Rim Ping Mee Choke).

Edited June 28, 2010 by noise

[gotlost]

The 121 is the only true ring road around Chiang Mai. It may be called by other name in certain areas but it still has the number of 121 and I have driven ever inch of it around CM.To be of help if i was given a map to immigration I would mark the roads in dispute as the 3029 highway and the 121 highway for that is their official names not 1,2 or,3 ring roads.

[MrBrad]

Yes, I agree that in the long run, learning to call the roads by their number would be a good thing. Although I have yet to meet a Thai driver who knows what highway number he's driving on. TIT.

I would think though that since the Super Highway was built before the other two highways in this discussion, it, the Super Highway, would naturally be Ring Road 1. Subsequent ring roads would then be numbered accordingly. Calling the Super Highway Ring Road 3 presents a problem in the future when a new, even farther out ring road is built. Will that one be called Ring Road 0 rather than Ring Road 4?

Alas, teaching all drivers to learn the correct highway numbers and requiring them to use this new and unThai terminology will never happen. Sigh.

[gotlost]

If you talk to expats tha live outside the super highway and I'm saying expats that have been here for at least 5 years the majority of them call the 3029 ring 1, 121 ring 2 and the super highway as such.

[elektrified]

Thais have no idea what a "ring road" is. For that reason I never even use the phrase because it only confuses things. They always say "supa" if not a soi or thannon.

[Yunnie]

I live at Payap...

There's Super Highway. Then Hwy 3029 where Payap's "new" entrance is Ring road 1. Hwy 121 is Ring road 2.

[mcgriffith]

Just buy a good map.

The (3) "ring roads" don't do a perfect contiguous loop around the city.

I recommend the "Big Map"; although somewhat dated (last edition 1996) it has pretty much every soi and a zillion landmarks and a online key to another zillion places.

Also the B&B map for Chiang Mai.

[realthaideal]

In my experience the majority of Thais here will call the oldest one around the city (and closest to the city center), 'Super' and that works just fine. Counting out from there the middle ring road they will call 'Lop Song' (ring/round two, รอบสอง), and then the outermost or 3rd ring road they call 'Lop Saam'(ring/round three, รอบสาม). There is some inconsistency as to whether the Super Hwy is counted or not - making a total of 2 or 3 Ring roads ?! - but in general this seems to work just fine communicating with the Thais and it's what the majority of them use in my experience.

[cmdream]

Now I know why I never ask for directions.

[gotlost]

Which way did he go mom which way did he go.

[Nienke]

As I run my biz on the 121 I often need to explain to people how to get here.

As this thread already indicates, there's a lot of confusion about the different ringroads.

As for the Superhighway, everybody knows, no mistakes. But then ...

Some think of the Superhighway as the first ringroad and the No. 121 as the third. Others think of the middle ringroad as the first ringroad and think that the road between Bo Sang and Doi Saket is the third ringroad (as yes, that include foreigners).

The No 121 is also often called the outer ringroad.

And that Thais have no notion of ringroads is utter nonsense (well, at least in my experience). There is the same confusion, but than RR 1 or middle = wongwhen klang or nung, and RR 2 or outer = wongwhen 2 or nork.

When people can't find me my first questions is where they are and if that's unclear then if they have passed the Payap Uni.

What amazes me is that just before the outer RR intersections there are signboards with the number 121. But many people, again including foreigners, just don't see them ... or maybe do not understand what it means?

[schmangle]

Agree with Nienke.

The superhighway is the superhighway.

3029 is วงแหวนรอบที่ 1 or usually just วงแหวน 1 (1st Ring Road). I live just off this ring road, and 99% of Thai people who I've given directions to have known which one that is. Runs from just in front of the Sala Glang Chiang Mai, runs past Rimping and Payap Uni, and eventually joins up with Hang Dong Road just after the Tesco

The 121 is วงแหวน 2 (2nd Ring Road). Not quite sure where that one ends up.

Nancy Chandler agrees with us too

[MrBrad]

Wikimapia lets you see it all. For what it's worth: click here for an aerial view.

[whatsupdoc]

3029 is called central ring road as well (wong wen rob klang). Less confusing than 1st ring road.

[Pantip]

To get into the city from my house in Doi Saket you cross the 2nd or outer ring road then the 1st ring road then the Super. I've been here for nearly 30 years and as far as I know the name of the Super Highway has never been changed.

[iainiain101]

I am fairly certain I live just off one of the roads you all refer to, but we know it as Mahidol Road. It is probably fair to say using road numbers is a very American thing.

A couple of weeks ago 3 of us (British) were waiting for an American 4th to play golf who was lost. He kept phoning to ask what road number it was on, none of us knew the number, we all called it the new Sangkampang Road!

[MrBrad]

I never thought of that; maybe it is an American thing. It would never work to call Interstate 90 (where, if you didn't have to stop for fuel, you could drive non-stop for 4,987 km) "Seattle-Boston Road." Highways (in the US at least) need numbers or another designation other that giving them names indicating cities that the highway passes through. If the Department of Transportation in the US did call the roads by city names, the names would change every 20 km or so. I guess one size doesn't fit all.

[iainiain101]

I never thought of that; maybe it is an American thing. It would never work to call Interstate 90 (where, if you didn't have to stop for fuel, you could drive non-stop for 4,987 km) "Seattle-Boston Road." Highways (in the US at least) need numbers or another designation other that giving them names indicating cities that the highway passes through. If the Department of Transportation in the US did call the roads by city names, the names would change every 20 km or so. I guess one size doesn't fit all.

It worked for the Romans.

[MrBrad]

we all called it the new Sangkampang Road!

Just to add to the clutter along the highways maybe it would be enlightening if the Department of Highways would erect signs in Thai and Roman script designating highways by names that the locals use. There could be the problem of deciding where, for example, "New Sangkampang Road" begins and where it ends, as well as what to call the road as it continues on in either direction. Also, traveling in one direction might the road have one name, and going in the return direction have another name? The Sankampangers probably call that road "New Chiangmai Road" or something similar (or not).

There are no easy answers. Furthermore, it's just another thing that up-ends some of us foreigners here; the Thai seem to get along just fine with the status quo.

[davidgtr]

How I refer to them

1. Route 11 "the super" = inner ring road & the original "ring" road.

2. Route 3029 = the middle ring road & the 2nd one built.

3. Route 121 = the other ring road & the 3rd one built.

[LJW]

How I refer to them

1. Route 11 "the super" = inner ring road & the original "ring" road.

2. Route 3029 = the middle ring road & the 2nd one built.

3. Route 121 = the other ring road & the 3rd one built.

I agree with David

[Nienke]

we all called it the new Sangkampang Road!

I've heard many Thai people referring to the road that goes from the Makro-intersection to Bo Sang-Sankhampeang as the CM-Sankhampeang Sai gao (= old road). It has the No 1006.

The road that comes from the airport and goes to Sanhampeang hot springs-Mae Ohn is called the Mahidol road till the overpass over the superhighway (forgot the No ... again) and after this overpass it's called CM-Mae Ohn or CM-Sankhampeang sai mai (= new road)and has the no. 1317.

It's very possible that the Thai people have other names for the roads as well. I just don't know of these.

Many Thais know the Loui silverware intersection, and also 'my' little village Tha Rua, or more the big weekly local market (talad nad).

Edit: add the 'forgotten' number of the Mahidol road. It's No. 1141

Edited June 29, 2010 by Nienke

[chuang]

I think it's called "Super-highway, Chiangmai Lumpang Rd..A Muang Chiangmai 50000....

[WinnieTheKhwai]

How I refer to them

1. Route 11 "the super" = inner ring road & the original "ring" road.

2. Route 3029 = the middle ring road & the 2nd one built.

3. Route 121 = the other ring road & the 3rd one built.

I agree with David

Me too. And David has lived in Chiang Mai well over 5 years.

Note also that you cannot be misunderstood with 'outer' and 'middle'. When you say middle you imply that you consider there to be three, otherwise you cannot have a middle. Also with Superhighway (or Aom Muang for the Southern stretch) you cannot go wrong. By the way, the Middle Ring does have a name, (that nobody, NOBODY uses), but it's Sompote Chiang Mai 700 Year ( ถนนสมโภชเชียงใหม่ 700 ปี ) See wikipedia in Thai: http://bit.ly/9M8hE4 This article mentions specifically that this road is also (and more commonly) called "ถนนวงแหวนรอบกลาง", so that's "Middle Ring Road".

I think this answers the question. Give me some stars.

As for Payap, it is of course in between the Superhighway and the Middle Ring. You can get there from either road. (And from the Doi Saket road as well, through the business park)

Edited June 30, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai