Sawasdee Khrup, TV CM Friends,

A few tourist friends-of-friends are in town, and they want to see the artsy boutique shops, and I wanted to give them an update report on what the current status of traffic-flow is on Nimmanhaemin.

I just searched for, and read all the posts I could locate here on the "one-way" experiment that was supposed to happen in January, and came away unsure of what the final outcome was. By the way, I tend to think of Nimmanheiman as running north-east to south-west going from the Amari towards Thanon Suthep, rather than north-south.

Appreciate any information on the current status.

thanks, ~o:37;

Not been there this week, but I understood that Nimmen itself was to remain 2 way (insofar as it is at rush hour) while only the sois were to be regulated.

Unimportantly in the extreme, n-s is comfy for me when describing that Enclave of Euro-emulation.

Nimmenhimmenamanen Rd runs more NNE - SSW than NE- SW, more towards the N-S alignment at a bearing of 199 degrees. If you're going to be a pedant, be more accurate.

Current state of traffic, probably gridlocked

Twenty minutes ago there was lighter than average two-way rush-hour traffic on Nimmanhamin. Sois 9 and 13 are east to west, sois 5 and 7 are west to east, I assume it alternates directions on each soi connecting Nimmanhamin to SriManglakhan (sp?). I don't know if the one-way rules are being enforced.

I live here. I see the signs. I pick my precarious pedestrian way through the reality.

In a word, Nimmanhaemin is two-way, and it's SNAFU inside the sois.

check chiangmaimail facebook entry...colored maps and everything...just short of daily reports

I saw long queue's of cars in the Soi's going south waiting to turn on Siri Mangkalajarn road.

So my perception is that if you turn off onto one of the Soi's heading south then your likely to be trapped for a good amount of time.

This might work if S.M road was wider with a merge lane... It's more like a plumbing clog.

Well, there we have it. Nimmen continues two ways, N and S, (plus about 20 degrees) whereas the odd numbered sois have had one way traffic introduced - and some confusion is the result. No surprises.

Yes, no surprises. Surveying the area this afternoon (about 16:00 - 16:30), I found mixed driver reaction to the changes on the first day of the experiment. All in all, things seemed to be moving fairly smoothly except for the usual delays in all directions at the Rimping intersection. No particular increase in traffic on Sirimangkalajan, north or south, was noted. Adherence to the one-way changes on sois between Nimenhamen and Sirimangkalajan varied. There was still some wrong-way traffic, but not a lot evident. I saw no traffic police in the area, as maybe promised, to assist confused motorists. The real measure of success would probably be better gauged after the cafe crowd arrives past 18:30 on the east-west sois.

Regardless, the traffic pressure at the Rimping intersection must necessarily continue and increase until there is a massive reconstruction of roads. This has to be be among the worst traffic intersections in the Asia, if not the world!

Oh wow -- when did they open a Rimping on Nimmanheiman? I live close enough to walk and don't worry about the traffic. When it's gridlocked, it's easier to walk across the street.

I'm not normally on Nimman if I can possibly avoid it (-any time-) but I was there yesterday around 6pm. Had to be there to take a client to his hotel, as ALL the mid range / upper mid range hotels downtown were fully booked at least part of his stay. (So tourism is pretty good, clearly).

Anyway Nimman was a big traffic jam, but I don't know what it's normally like. Sois were nice and clear, no issue getting into one of the West->East sois and getting to the hotel, and also no issue getting back out on Sirimangkhalajarn road going South, and no issue getting on to Suthep Road back towards the Old City and the Oasis of Tranquility that is Loy Kroh, in comparison.

The 800 pound gorilla in the room remains the Rincome intersection.

I'm not normally on Nimman if I can possibly avoid it (-any time-) but I was there yesterday around 6pm. Had to be there to take a client to his hotel, as ALL the mid range / upper mid range hotels downtown were fully booked at least part of his stay. (So tourism is pretty good, clearly).

Anyway Nimman was a big traffic jam, but I don't know what it's normally like. Sois were nice and clear, no issue getting into one of the West->East sois and getting to the hotel, and also no issue getting back out on Sirimangkhalajarn road going South, and no issue getting on to Suthep Road back towards the Old City and the Oasis of Tranquility that is Loy Kroh, in comparison.

The 800 pound gorilla in the room remains the Rincome intersection.

Just wait til they open the new shopping center at the northwest corner of the Rincome intersection. Oh what a joy traffic will be then.

Yes, no surprises. Surveying the area this afternoon (about 16:00 - 16:30), I found mixed driver reaction to the changes on the first day of the experiment. All in all, things seemed to be moving fairly smoothly except for the usual delays in all directions at the Rimping intersection. No particular increase in traffic on Sirimangkalajan, north or south, was noted. Adherence to the one-way changes on sois between Nimenhamen and Sirimangkalajan varied. There was still some wrong-way traffic, but not a lot evident. I saw no traffic police in the area, as maybe promised, to assist confused motorists. The real measure of success would probably be better gauged after the cafe crowd arrives past 18:30 on the east-west sois.

Regardless, the traffic pressure at the Rimping intersection must necessarily continue and increase until there is a massive reconstruction of roads. This has to be be among the worst traffic intersections in the Asia, if not the world!

As NancyL has pointed out: not Rimping, the market. Rincome Junction, of course. But this could be a promising start of a new urban rumor!

Yes, no surprises. Surveying the area this afternoon (about 16:00 - 16:30), I found mixed driver reaction to the changes on the first day of the experiment. All in all, things seemed to be moving fairly smoothly except for the usual delays in all directions at the Rimping intersection. No particular increase in traffic on Sirimangkalajan, north or south, was noted. Adherence to the one-way changes on sois between Nimenhamen and Sirimangkalajan varied. There was still some wrong-way traffic, but not a lot evident. I saw no traffic police in the area, as maybe promised, to assist confused motorists. The real measure of success would probably be better gauged after the cafe crowd arrives past 18:30 on the east-west sois.

Regardless, the traffic pressure at the Rimping intersection must necessarily continue and increase until there is a massive reconstruction of roads. This has to be be among the worst traffic intersections in the Asia, if not the world!

As NancyL has pointed out: not Rimping, the market. Rincome Junction, of course. But this could be a promising start of a new urban rumor!

Surely a Harrods Foodhall would be more appropriate for NH area

When I was there yesterday there were three HUGE tourist buses causing absolute mayhem. Why anyone would want to live around there beggars belief.

I saw traffic police setting up barricades and banners announcing this weird experiment this morning while motorbikes continued around them the wrong way into the sois. Kinda funny really.

When I was there yesterday there were three HUGE tourist buses causing absolute mayhem. Why anyone would want to live around there beggars belief.

Uh, the area is in the city with all it's headaches and conveniences, it's close to CMU for those who work or study there, condos rent for less money than comparable ones elsewhere in Chiang Mai, streets are occasionally under water during heavy downpours but flooding is nothing like that near the river, traffic and parking is often terrible for cars but usually manageable on a motorbike, etc.

I'm not normally on Nimman if I can possibly avoid it (-any time-) but I was there yesterday around 6pm. Had to be there to take a client to his hotel, as ALL the mid range / upper mid range hotels downtown were fully booked at least part of his stay. (So tourism is pretty good, clearly).

Anyway Nimman was a big traffic jam, but I don't know what it's normally like. Sois were nice and clear, no issue getting into one of the West->East sois and getting to the hotel, and also no issue getting back out on Sirimangkhalajarn road going South, and no issue getting on to Suthep Road back towards the Old City and the Oasis of Tranquility that is Loy Kroh, in comparison.

The 800 pound gorilla in the room remains the Rincome intersection.

Just wait til they open the new shopping center at the northwest corner of the Rincome intersection. Oh what a joy traffic will be then.

the new harbour shopping mall place has already had an impact on huay kaew traffic so christ knows what the one on that corner is going to do. park and ride scheme from prasertland might be an idea.

When I was there yesterday there were three HUGE tourist buses causing absolute mayhem. Why anyone would want to live around there beggars belief.

Uh, the area is in the city with all it's headaches and conveniences, it's close to CMU for those who work or study there, condos rent for less money than comparable ones elsewhere in Chiang Mai, streets are occasionally under water during heavy downpours but flooding is nothing like that near the river, traffic and parking is often terrible for cars but usually manageable on a motorbike, etc.

Not to mention the deafening roar of aircraft!

Orang37 and all....

You can get the up to date information, photos, and comments from ชมรมชาวนิมมานเหมินท์ on Facebook, created by the Nimmnan Residents group.

Nimmenhimmenamanen Rd runs more NNE - SSW than NE- SW, more towards the N-S alignment at a bearing of 199 degrees. If you're going to be a pedant, be more accurate.

Current state of traffic, probably gridlocked

always knew it was not straight.

It appears that the change in the traffic pattern is really the biggest non-event of 2013 in Chiang Mai, but it has certainly stirred up everyone!

When I was there yesterday there were three HUGE tourist buses causing absolute mayhem. Why anyone would want to live around there beggars belief.

Uh, the area is in the city with all it's headaches and conveniences, it's close to CMU for those who work or study there, condos rent for less money than comparable ones elsewhere in Chiang Mai, streets are occasionally under water during heavy downpours but flooding is nothing like that near the river, traffic and parking is often terrible for cars but usually manageable on a motorbike, etc.

Not to mention the deafening roar of aircraft!

I didn't claim Nimmanhamin is perfect, but acceptable for many. I can live with aircraft noise and without a car, but I don't want to live with flooding or out in the boondocks. So Nimmanhamin is ok for me.