Doi Suthep blocked off by Songtaew Drivers demanding you use them?

[Dave 74]

It was mentioned in the Phuket forum in the thread about the boat taxis blocking off access to a beach and demanding you use their taxi service to get there instead.

So is it happening in Chiang Mai too. It was said that they are blocking cars from driving up the hill so that the occupants are forced to use the songtaews.

True?

[Oscar2]

not true.

[Dave 74]

Good.

A poster called Bung posted it.

[roger1999]

I thought this sounded familiar so I googled it. From Dec. 27 - Jan. 2 apparently the police did stop car traffic in order to reduce accidents. The songtaew drivers did not block the traffic.

CityNews – Chiang Mai police announced today that due to road accidents during the New Year festival on the road to Doi Suthep, during 27^th December 2013 until 2^nd January 2014, only red cars will be able to use the road.

[dave2]

re

I thought this sounded familiar so I googled it. From Dec. 27 - Jan. 2 apparently the police did stop car traffic in order to reduce accidents

hes right ! ... here ya go

dave2

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

They made that claim but on a few of those days I bicycled up and they hadn't restricted anything.

Business as usual.

[Trujillo]

Something is/was going on though. My sister came to visit me and we went -- or tried -- to drive to Doi Suthep on the motorbike on January 10th. The road was blocked with traffic control fences and cement blocks at the canal road. The only way to negotiate this was to go down a bit and make a U-turn and go back up the other side of the canal road. It was such a nightmare (if we'd have continued on, it would have taken an hour, two? just to get to the zoo.) that we gave up and got the hell out of there.

It was speculated that the cops were too bone lazy to actually come and take down the signs and the blockage, but then there might be some other reason.

Has anyone tried to make a straight shot up there lately? Is it open now as it should be?

[Saan]

Can anyone tell me how much do the songtaews charge for the trip up to Doi Suthep from the bottom of the mountain?

[dave2]

re

Can anyone tell me how much do the songtaews charge for the trip up to Doi Suthep from the bottom of the mountain?

here ya go ... pic taken 22 dec 13 !

if you go up you might wait quite a long time till one fills up

dave2

[Oscar2]

it's definitely not true. we had Japanese guests in town during that time period and we took them up to Doi Pui and/or Chang Kian 2 times to see the Sakura blossoms. i think one time a policeman asked where we were going and waived us straight through.

[Deez]

I thought this sounded familiar so I googled it. From Dec. 27 - Jan. 2 apparently the police did stop car traffic in order to reduce accidents. The songtaew drivers did not block the traffic.

CityNews – Chiang Mai police announced today that due to road accidents during the New Year festival on the road to Doi Suthep, during 27^th December 2013 until 2^nd January 2014, only red cars will be able to use the road.

So they stop cars from going up and force them to travel up with the worse drivers on the road? Excellent. Split 50/50 with police I'm sure

[Oscar2]

I thought this sounded familiar so I googled it. From Dec. 27 - Jan. 2 apparently the police did stop car traffic in order to reduce accidents. The songtaew drivers did not block the traffic.

CityNews – Chiang Mai police announced today that due to road accidents during the New Year festival on the road to Doi Suthep, during 27^th December 2013 until 2^nd January 2014, only red cars will be able to use the road.

So they stop cars from going up and force them to travel up with the worse drivers on the road? Excellent. Split 50/50 with police I'm sure

again, not true.