little mary sunshine Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 OK...I am positive YOUR IDEA OF THIS BUS SUCKS..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostnigel Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 you can't be serious, for so many reasons. ....Well elaborate on your statement.....you say something and say nothing ????? Perhaps you'd prefer a ox cart with a couple vibrating recliners in back They are out of scale with CM's crowded narrow roads. Something more on the scale of the zoo tour busses might work.Thats only one reason, you said 'many' reasons...got anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernjohn Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 That style of transport works when there is actual sight seeing...exactly what site seeing is there in Chiang Mai that doesn't involve actually being on foot and entering a building or complex vs being on a bus and taking pictures? The simple answer is 'absolutely everything!' When we first moved to Chiang Mai, we hired a Tuk-tuk for the day to do nothing but drive us around and around. The driver removed the top so we'd have a better view. We went around inside and outside the moat, stopping for a few seconds at each temple, at the wet markets, back and forth through the small sois around Warrarot market, and the big market near the US Consulate, up and down the sois in the Old City looking at old houses, different shopping areas, and then moved outward along the Superhighway past Tessco Lotus, Carrefore, Big C, etc. In the afternoon, he took us out to Mae Rim and up into the Mae Sa Valley. There was no Royal Flora in those days, nor a Night Safari. Chiang Mai was all new for us in those days, and everything was worth noting. We marked locations on our maps so we could re-visit places that we thought might interest us for further exploration in a more leisurely manner, and did so over the next few days. Frankly, I still enjoy wandering around Warrarot Market, and I've been shopping there for 15 years! When we visit a new city anywhere in the world these days, we like to spend the first day getting a general overview of the place. It's a wonderful way to get a feel for a place, especially if it is within a completely different cultural setting. For us, it wasn't so much a 'photo safari' as it was an 'introduction to what's available in Chiang Mai.' Very well said. If possible when I am visiting a new city I like to get the tour and as you said mark down the places that I feel are worth more investigating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicog Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Very well said. If possible when I am visiting a new city I like to get the tour and as you said mark down the places that I feel are worth more investigating. I wonder how long before the tour bus drivers start taking people to jewellers, tailors and karaoke shops? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangmai Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 they killed two in Washington DC: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/12/AR2008071201610_2.html?sid=ST2008071400858 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Perhaps they might borrow a few of the hop-on hop-off buses from Ratchapruek, to trial the idea, or would the red song-thaew drivers not approve of the competition ? Kudos the Gonzo for the idea of this thread ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 (edited) How do so many pessimist find there way on to one forum???? The glass is half empty...... It'd never work..... what is there to see in CM, etc. ..... and why is everyone limiting it to just in the close in city???? Think positively.... It would probably be a huge success just giving tourists a view of the old , muttering, barstoolers bitching about everything including the weather who have so much difficulty finding their way to their favorite barstool on Loi Kroi ..... Retirement at its finest and posting bitching on TV, between beers. Com'on gang think positively about the place you chose to spend the duration. nuff 4 now. "the old , muttering, barstoolers bitching about everything including the weather who have so much difficulty finding their way to their favorite barstool on Loi Kroi ..... Retirement at its finest" Perhaps one might propose the idea of a bar-to-bar tour, aimed at just that sort of traveler/resident, covering the hard-to-find soapies, the best boites along the Loi Kroh Road, the most-convenient/understanding pox-doctors' establishments, the farang-graveyard, the Thai/farang dating-agencies, the various consulates for when one needs assistance getting out of 'clink', the cheapest full-English-breakfast establishments, the best burger-bar joints, and so on ... Other higher-quality tourists might equally find this useful, to show them where not to go, perhaps ? Edited June 21, 2015 by Ricardo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daoyai Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Speaking of bars on wheels, I attended a convention in Phoenix Az. .. one of the dinners was at a mountaintop BBQ. place, transporation was via tour type bus with lovely senioritas serving margaritas on the way.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangmai Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 everyone loves Phoenix in March on their company's credit card. 114F a few days ago, and it's not even Summer, yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzo the Face Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 they killed two in Washington DC: http://w ww.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/12/AR2008071201610_2.html?sid=ST2008071400858 Gee Whiz Bangers......Must have taken a while to research those 2 deaths in open top bus..... as it was July 13, 2008... Just to make it interesting, research and determine how many people in Thailand now, got killed in nice , secure , enclosed 12 passenger vans since July 2008. Somehow I don't think the numbers are close. ...... and please do tell up how many others got killed in the open tops also....... just as way of comparison you understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
off road pat Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 They are good Used them in London Edinburgh and Singapore I guess they don't have low hanging electric wires over the roads there ?....they have in Chiang Mai....!!!! The OP has obviously never been to Chiang Mai ...or did not notice anything.!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hml367 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Gonzo, Why don't you have a visit to Chiang Mai? I can recomnrnd a good restaurant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave2 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 re The OP has obviously never been to Chiang Ma oh dear ... gonzo ( the op ) owns the pun pun resturant in chiang mai re I can recomnrnd a good restaurant here ya go .. the pun pun dave2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FolkGuitar Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 They are good Used them in London Edinburgh and Singapore 1. I guess they don't have low hanging electric wires over the roads there ?....they have in Chiang Mai....!!!! 2. The OP has obviously never been to Chiang Mai ...or did not notice anything.!!! 1. I guess that's why we never see large tour buses in Chiang Mai... Especially around the moat or on Huay Kaew Rd. It's the wires, eh? I always thought it was because they didn't know how to paint Chinese characters on the sides of the buses... 2. Obviously. A visit would certainly enlighten him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzo the Face Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 They are good Used them in London Edinburgh and Singapore I guess they don't have low hanging electric wires over the roads there ?....they have in Chiang Mai....!!!! The OP has obviously never been to Chiang Mai ...or did not notice anything.!!! Welcome to the Twilight Zone. To get you ON THE ROAD Pat, let me ask you to really try hard and think about this...... Did you ever see a double decker bus in Chiang Mai???? Now the hard part....... If they can travel around the city at their height, should not a similar bus with the roof cut off..... {hint this makes it not so high} be able to ride around the same area ???? as to not ever having been to Chiang Mai....... are you writing about the CM in Thailand or the one in Zimbabwe ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzo the Face Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 re The OP has obviously never been to Chiang Ma oh dear ... gonzo ( the op ) owns the pun pun resturant in chiang mai re I can recomnrnd a good restaurant here ya go .. the pun pun dave2 See the fat lady on the moto in Daves photo???? she is a regular snacker here...... Thanks for the photo Dave, now I'll be able to find my way home , but not on a double decker G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hml367 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Hello again , Gonzo. Maybe the person was talking about Si Chiang Mai... might not be quite as many wires there. Other than that, someone could always get the bamboo pole people to lift the wires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangmai Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 A simple circulator system around the moat would be an affordable start, and would ease some of the worst congestion. Similar to the electric trams they use at CMU. Two on the outside and two on the inside. If they they did the whole moat in 30 minutes, there would be one coming by every fifteen minutes. A fixed rail or "light rail" would break the bank, I'm afraid, I would say 1 billion THB per Km, and you would still have collisions with cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Land acquisition alone could make the cost prohibitive. It's not Bangkok; it's not Singapa (thank God), but showing some ingenuity would be great for the city's image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mapguy Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 That style of transport works when there is actual sight seeing...exactly what site seeing is there in Chiang Mai that doesn't involve actually being on foot and entering a building or complex vs being on a bus and taking pictures? The simple answer is 'absolutely everything!' When we first moved to Chiang Mai, we hired a tuk-tuk for the day to do nothing but drive us around and around, but with some sense of where we wanted to go. The driver removed the top so we'd have a better view. We went around inside and outside the moat, stopping for a few seconds at each temple, at the wet markets, back and forth through the small sois around Warrarot market, and the big market near the US Consulate, up and down the sois in the Old City looking at old houses, different shopping areas, and then moved outward along the Superhighway past Tessco Lotus, Carrefore, Big C, etc. In the afternoon, he took us out to Mae Rim and up into the Mae Sa Valley. There was no Royal Flora in those days, nor a Night Safari. Chiang Mai was all new for us in those days, and everything was worth noting. We marked locations on our maps so we could re-visit places that we thought might interest us for further exploration in a more leisurely manner, and did so over the next few days. Frankly, I still enjoy wandering around Warrarot Market, and I've been shopping there for 15 years! When we visit a new city anywhere in the world these days, we like to spend the first day getting a general overview of the place. It's a wonderful way to get a feel for a place, especially if it is within a completely different cultural setting. For us, it wasn't so much a 'photo safari' as it was an 'introduction to what's available in Chiang Mai.' When we moved to Chiang Mai, we also hired a tuk tuk, for two days, as I recall, but not to see wats! The cost was 1000 - 1200 bhat per day, anywhere we wanted to go, including somewhat outside the city. I also bought him his lunch. But times change. The price of fuel is up! And --- more importantly --- the number of new foreigners not knowing the value of things locally also appears to be up. The new foreigner non-immigrants, especially those who have done little travel before --- is an increasing part of the problem, especially considering the Mainland Chinese who have a lot of money and not much travel experience. Many --- still including farang (Western foreigners) -- haven't a clue about local acceptable rates of food, travel, et cetera in Thailand. And local farang merchants, of which there are now plenty, aren't always "helpful!" Sometimes, I think, foreigners do some research, but they don't really understand who or what they are reading. ThaiVisa --- if you have many weeks of patience --- can be revealing if someone is planning to move here. It is not just what members post. You begin to understand where they are coming from. But that takes time and perception. If you are from the American Kansas or some other place in the Anglo hinterland, you might find it difficult to fit in. The whole tone of ThaiVisa Chiangmai, in my opinion, has changed considerably over the past ten years or so. It used to be a new internet toy --- like listservs everywhere --- a new playground for a cyber "in crowd," like a lot of earlier such sites in many places. Now, I hazard to say this site is more strait-laced Anglo expat. Not always, but if you follow it long enough, you'll catch on. All that said, I do NOT recommend all foreigners move to Chiang Mai. It is not, for one, "sin city," for young studs or for recently-divorced or single beer-bellied retirees still feeling their oats for girls or boys. For marrieds (nevermind abdominal urges), it may be increasingly questionable. That is, you might feel more comfortable in Florida or on the Costa del Mar. If you are considering saving on health insurance and heath care, those with national health care systems better bloody well stay where they are! The drift of change on some important matters is changing a lot. So, be careful about holding a yard sale of your goods at home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernjohn Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 re The OP has obviously never been to Chiang Ma oh dear ... gonzo ( the op ) owns the pun pun resturant in chiang mai re I can recomnrnd a good restaurant here ya go .. the pun pun dave2 gonzo. wish your sign was bigger. Had a hard time finding it when I first came here to small. Even in this good picture it is hard to see if you don't know what you are looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernjohn Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Very well said. If possible when I am visiting a new city I like to get the tour and as you said mark down the places that I feel are worth more investigating. I wonder how long before the tour bus drivers start taking people to jewellers, tailors and karaoke shops? Depends on the company that sets it up. I know in Mexico and in Victoria B C the tour busses all stopped at places of business. Mind you in Seattle the duck tours didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
off road pat Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 (edited) Very well said. If possible when I am visiting a new city I like to get the tour and as you said mark down the places that I feel are worth more investigating. I wonder how long before the tour bus drivers start taking people to jewellers, tailors and karaoke shops? They do already......check the jewellers on the road to San kam pheng.....every time I drive there I see Buses parked on there big parking's...... Edited June 21, 2015 by off road pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
off road pat Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 They are good Used them in London Edinburgh and Singapore I guess they don't have low hanging electric wires over the roads there ?....they have in Chiang Mai....!!!! The OP has obviously never been to Chiang Mai ...or did not notice anything.!!! Welcome to the Twilight Zone. To get you ON THE ROAD Pat, let me ask you to really try hard and think about this...... Did you ever see a double decker bus in Chiang Mai???? Now the hard part....... If they can travel around the city at their height, should not a similar bus with the roof cut off..... {hint this makes it not so high} be able to ride around the same area ???? as to not ever having been to Chiang Mai....... are you writing about the CM in Thailand or the one in Zimbabwe ??? Yes, I have seen double decker buses in Chiang Mai, around the moat, the road to hang Dong, San Kham Paeng, in fact on all the big roads around Chiang Mai. But I doubt if I ever saw one in the centre.... On the other hand, I have seen normal big buses at the night bazaar, and Loi Kroh Road...in most cases they were full of Chinese. (Witch is not the point) And have you been there on Loy Krathong or the flower festival ? did you notice the guys walking in front of some of the high flower cars ? they have a long pole just to push up the electric cables...and the high tips of the flower cars are build on hinges so they can fold sideways when they pass under the cables....and honestly I think they are not as high as a double decker Bus....(I could be wrong...) Anyway, Best regards....from Chiang Mai in Zimbabwe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 I think this is a great idea.. Even as a business venture, though not without trouble getting it started of course. There are some fine lines to skirt in areas that are regulated, it sits in between public transport and a tourist tour and there are regulations for both. The vehicle should be mid size and not humongous, but that's not too difficult to accomplish. It does need to be big enough to seat enough people to be profitable, especially as it would be good to have an English/Chinese speaking attendant. (Better and cheaper than technological solutions). As for the route, it should pass all the main sights: the temples in the old town area, the big market, riverside area, night bazar, and possibly out to at least one of the shopping malls, from talking with Chinese tourists they definitely want to visit a shopping mall at some point, typically either Airport Plaza or Central Festival. Airport Plaza would make more sense in terms of routing. And you can collect additional income from businesses that want to get a mention and/or be on the route. Back to laws and regulations.. is the attendant a tour guide or not and if so he/she would need the TAT certification. If not, then is it public transport, which opens a whole nother can of worms. Overall though it's not dissimilar to what other businesses already do: The shopping malls run (free) vehicles from downtown to their respective locations (competing with public transport) and several businesses run their own vans, like the elephant parks and treetop zipline operations. Reasonably priced tickets, yet just a tad higher to not compete with public transport too much, which would also pay for the additional guide/attendant. Whoever starts this will spend the most effort regarding regulations and government I think, not so much acquiring some suitable vehicles and hiring some drivers and guide chicks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernjohn Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 I think this is a great idea.. Even as a business venture, though not without trouble getting it started of course. There are some fine lines to skirt in areas that are regulated, it sits in between public transport and a tourist tour and there are regulations for both. The vehicle should be mid size and not humongous, but that's not too difficult to accomplish. It does need to be big enough to seat enough people to be profitable, especially as it would be good to have an English/Chinese speaking attendant. (Better and cheaper than technological solutions). As for the route, it should pass all the main sights: the temples in the old town area, the big market, riverside area, night bazar, and possibly out to at least one of the shopping malls, from talking with Chinese tourists they definitely want to visit a shopping mall at some point, typically either Airport Plaza or Central Festival. Airport Plaza would make more sense in terms of routing. And you can collect additional income from businesses that want to get a mention and/or be on the route. Back to laws and regulations.. is the attendant a tour guide or not and if so he/she would need the TAT certification. If not, then is it public transport, which opens a whole nother can of worms. Overall though it's not dissimilar to what other businesses already do: The shopping malls run (free) vehicles from downtown to their respective locations (competing with public transport) and several businesses run their own vans, like the elephant parks and treetop zipline operations. Reasonably priced tickets, yet just a tad higher to not compete with public transport too much, which would also pay for the additional guide/attendant. Whoever starts this will spend the most effort regarding regulations and government I think, not so much acquiring some suitable vehicles and hiring some drivers and guide chicks. An excellent well thought out idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masuk Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 They are good Used them in London Edinburgh and Singapore I guess they don't have low hanging electric wires over the roads there ?....they have in Chiang Mai....!!!! The OP has obviously never been to Chiang Mai ...or did not notice anything.!!! I read recently that the power companies are complaining that their poles can't take much more weight, and want cables under the ground... Also have to think about the sideways thrust of strong winds, as those cables make a large sail area! It's certainly far from picturesque. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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