What Don't You Like In Chiang Mai

[dutchdellboy1]

"The traffic police are just plain lazy. In the last two months including the laughable new years 'crackdown' I have not seen one traffic stop. "

Well you must have driving up- and down your own small Soi then or illegally been working as a "red taxi" driver, only looking at the pavement to pick up some passengers.

There are daily traffic stops all over Chiang Mai, even on the Highways.

Visit the Narawit bridge between 09:00 -11:00, without a seatbelt belted or a helmet on your head if you use 2 wheels, and the chances are even, that you get caught.. by a group of at least 20 coppers...with booklets in their hands, they do not like to use for obvious reasons....

Or cross the Super Highway towards Bor Sang [seejeck Macro], visit Central department store coming off Boonruangrit Rd, the Super Highway "2" turnoff to the Mea Rim Rd [saamjeck new prison] and many more, nowadays ever changing places, where they try to make a Baht or two.

[p1p]

When I leave Chiang Mai to drive to the South or Esarn, I have to put on my better driving manners. I have been stopped for speeding and for other offences, (i.e. changing lanes at the wrong time etc.) in Bangkok, Esarn & in the South. Normal traffic offences which are totally ignored by the police in CM.

Additionally, I find that the drivers here almost prefer to ram you, rather than give way if you are trying to break into traffic. In Esarn, Bangkok & the south they are likely to slow down & wave you out. I have NEVER experienced that here, except from cars with Bkk, Esarn or other distant plates.

You can get stopped for not wearing a belt, or helmet, because these are easy income earners. But bad driving...

[cdnvic]

There was a loudspeaker set up this afternoon at Chungpuak/Superhwy telling people to put on their helmets and their lights. Would have been more impressed if there wasn't four cops waiting at the lights with neither helmet, nor lights.

cv

[dutchdellboy1]

"Normal traffic offences which are totally ignored by the police in Chiang Mai."

p1p please realize that we, foreigners living in Chiang Mai, are very fortunate to be based here.... driving around in Chiang Mai clearly saves us money....

We can add to this topic that the majority of the traffic police force in Chiang Mai only works "office hours". After 18:00 you will be hard to spot them, except for the ones who opt for OT and drive around on their crapped out Honda Dreams motorcycles with 3 yellow coloured clamps tied to the backseat, in order to catch the motorist who parks in places, they decide, you should not park...

The other night at about 22:00, I saw a elderly traffic policeman chaining together at least 10 wrongly parked motorcycles: he simply put a metal chain through the back wheels of these motorcycles and locked them together... lots of people looking and making funny remarks...he took it all on the chin and joked too....

This happened at the very end of Chang Moi Rd, where it meets the Ping River, opposite the 7/11.

I love being in Chiang Mai and observe all these, mostly gentle, jokers.... much better than all the strict rules you have to deal with, when you are based in Bangkok.

Relax p1p "traffic life" is not too bad in CNX, certainly if you compare it with driving habits in the surrounding countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar.

Adjust your brakes and you will be doing fine....

Dutchdellboy1

[PD0NVJ]

Adjust your brakes and you will be doing fine....

Dutchdellboy1

Jou mean throw away the original one's and buy Brembo's ore something simmilar.

[dutchdellboy1]

Adjust your brakes and you will be doing fine....

Dutchdellboy1

Jou mean throw away the original one's and buy Brembo's ore something simmilar.

"Jou mean throw away the original one's and buy Brembo's ore something simmilar. "

Sorry, I think you mis-spelled that word ... did you mean BIMBO'S?

I take it that you are a South-African joker of Dutch decent.... just a wild guess you know... and again very sorry.... I have really no idea what BREMBO'S are, and thus refuse to throw away the Japanese imported ones, I use at present. They suit me perfectly.

Dutchdellboy1

[Guest The Judge]

Hardly matters. Thai police are all available to the highest bidder. Take a close look b4 you take them home for a long night is all. Short time no problem.

[cdnvic]

Well you must have driving up- and down your own small Soi then or illegally been working as a "red taxi" driver, only looking at the pavement to pick up some passengers.

There are daily traffic stops all over Chiang Mai, even on the Highways.

Visit the Narawit bridge between 09:00 -11:00, without a seatbelt belted or a helmet on your head if you use 2 wheels, and the chances are even, that you get caught.. by a group of at least 20 coppers...with booklets in their hands, they do not like to use for obvious reasons....

Or cross the Super Highway towards Bor Sang [seejeck Macro], visit Central department store coming off Boonruangrit Rd, the Super Highway "2" turnoff to the Mea Rim Rd [saamjeck new prison] and many more, nowadays ever changing places, where they try to make a Baht or two.

Yeah... I made that whole assumption driving up and down my soi...

Seriously, It sounds like you got pinched

I drive around mostly after noon, so I have little idea about morning traffic, but the attitude of drivers on the road is appalling... and whats worse is there's enough westerners who actually should be used to decent driving/saftey standards that drive like Thais (ie: no helmets and flip-flops for foot 'protection).

Oops.. I shouldn't label all Thais like that. I will put 75% of the male population in the "motorized idiot" catagory. I think machismo has something to do with it. It seems almost as if you lose face if you let someone merge ahead of you... especially if you drive an expensive car, or are driving well-heeled people around (minibus drivers are the worst I find).

Yeah, 0ther places can be worse... but that doesn't excuse killing people here by being stupid.

cv

[cdnvic]

Giving proper credit where it is due.....

Finally, somewhat ironicly, I got pulled over today in front of Chungpuak bus station. No ticket, they just checked to make sure my bike was registered (it was), told me it was good that I had a helmet (on my head) and my lights on, and sent me on my way. Without checking to see if I had a licence.

Good job guys.... now if you could try to check Chotana Rd for drunken motorcyclists between 1-2am, I would be quite grateful.

cv