My wife's friend from college was just doing the Doi Suthep route. This year, the local govmt decided to have the tourists park at the 100 yr stadium and take a songthew up to the temple to minimize traffic and accidents in this holiday season.................sounds like a good idea, but it seems that the songthews by passed the greedy flower vendors at the bottom of the hill and the vendors formed a blockade and protest that got bloody and several songthews were stuck without a way down. She said that her driver took a long dirt road through Doi Pui to get down.

Just a head's up to anyone going up and waiting for a confirmation on what really happened. The above was passed from my wife's friend to my wife and then to me and things do get lost in translation.................

Happy New Years!!!

Was up there this morning, no problems walking through the jungle.

Where is the 100 year stadium? or was that to be the 700 year stadium?

There are billboards around nimmen and huay kaew already saying that no vehicles other than songthaew are allowed up to the temple.

That means no cars, bikes,coaches and I think it was in force since xmas day.

As 52 says you can avoid the hassle and walk up through the jungle.

700 yr stadium.........corrected.

The incident occurred sometimes after noon and now I hear that it was up at the parking area near the temple.

Yesterday 29th December. Went up to phu ping palace. Going up 30 mins. Coming back 3 hours. In a car.

Motorbikes should be ok but the traffic coming down is in 2 sometimes 3 lanes. But this is mainly from the doi suthep temple to phu phing palace.

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The traffic seems worse than ever before. Yesterday I was heading from town towards Mae Rim. When I got to the third ring road (121) the light was green but you could not cross the intersection because the traffic was backed up all the way from Macro and beyong, 4 km of inching along.

The traffic seems worse than ever before. Yesterday I was heading from town towards Mae Rim. When I got to the third ring road (121) the light was green but you could not cross the intersection because the traffic was backed up all the way from Macro and beyong, 4 km of inching along.

Luther, know the area well as I live in Mae Rim. If I go into the city/town during this time of the year, I always take the back road (By-pass) just past the Army base (Special Combat Unit 5). Its the road that follows the canal, a left turn before the craziness of Macro straight. I notice there are big signs up at that turn off but as its in Thai I have no idea what they say

Yesterday I popped into Macro and instead of doing the (illegal) u-turn to head back into Mae Rim proper, I went towards the Army base did the authorised u-turn there and back along the canal road. It was a lot quicker and that back road was very quiet.

I know to keep away from Doi Suthep at this time of the year...crazy road at the best of times but with all the people and mad as Songthaew drivers is just insane. Actually I do like the road in the quieter times.... good m'cycle ride although Samoeng Loop is better.

Ok enough from me.

Enjoy New Years Eve everyone and as they use to say on the TV Series Hill Street Blues (Remember that series?)

'Be careful out there'

I have been told by reliable local sources that the traffic was bumper to bumper from Mae Rim all the way up to the Mon Chaem resort, the ride taking 3 hours in one direction.