Thapae road closed, chaos awaits

[piewarmer]

The western end of Thapae road up to the gate is closed. Looks like markets. Forget driving or even riding... the back lanes are copping the load now. Tough luck if you are staying in the thick of it. Happy NY regardless. Yes it happened last year but the authoritys didnt learn.

[CMKiwi]

Mate, at this time of the year all the roads are crap. Livin out in Mae Rim is great but the roads are absolute chaos as all these festive travellers are heading North and South.

The main road is pure bedlam, everyone is in a hurry and any side sois are <deleted> out of luck if they wish to go anywhere. Its time to stock up on a few dozen and await for the crappola to sort itself out.

I went to Promenada on Monday to get the Cert of Residence (Required for the Thai Drivers Licence that I decided to finally apply for) and the traffic was crazy. Any lane heading into town from the ring roads was backed up. Luckily I was only going to the immigration people (Or the guys next door).

Tuesday I had to return (As is the process) as the traffic wasnt any better...although I did manage to block/piss off an idiot Thai in a Mazda 3 who thought it was ok to swerve in and out of traffic at 120kmph. Escort driver training (Security) does come in handy sometimes. I think he got the message as he slowed down and decided to go with the flow instead of putting other peoples lives at risk (No doubt some will give me flak for doing so)

Was going to go to Mae Tang licence people today to finish off the licence stuff but the missus said not to bother...traffic chaos everywhere.

Oh I notice the police have also started up their lovely check points again too.... ring road and Super highway seem to be their main points of focus. Maybe they need additional funds for their end of year festivities?

But overall it's something we have to bear with, and I guess with time I'll get use to it. We aint in Kansas anymore Dorothy!

Edited December 30, 2015 by CMKiwi

[flyDelight]

I remember the Sundays walking street was on Tapae Road.

[northernjohn]

The western end of Tha Pae road is Tha Pae gate. There is things going on there lots of times. Even if there isn't you can't drive through there.

Well there are some motor bikers that do but not that many.

[arunsakda]

What happened to the signs that used to be up about fines for riding motorbikes on the Thapae gate grounds?

[cmsally]

Road is blocked west of old AIS office/Wat Saen Fang as well as around Tapae Gate on to Kotchasarn - don't know how far though. Total chaos earlier as a lot of people are out of towners and don't know where they are going anyway. Got the usual crap wheeled out to sell. Chiang Mai used to have some nice stuff for sale in the years gone by. But the quality and variety has taken a nosedive lately.

[uptheos]

I remember the Sundays walking street was on Tapae Road.

Nope, Rachdamnoen Rd the other side of Thapae Gate

Edited December 30, 2015 by uptheos

[bangmai]

The traffic on HD road has been major league the past few weeks. You would think more people would be leaving the City in the evening, but the opposite is true. CMU is off, so it's unusually calm up here, where walking is often faster than driving. Even if gas were free; this is a great place to live in the City. I can guarantee you that I won't die in a motorbike "XZDAN," because I have no reason to be on one. I still might check out the foodcourt at Siripat...lol..I'll bet it is a lot better than the LK Boxing Stadium, but then again, so is Robinson's.

[cmsally]

I remember the Sundays walking street was on Tapae Road.

Nope, Rachdamnoen Rd the other side of Thapae Gate

Originally they started the walking street on Tapae and then I think moved to Rachadamnoen as an experiment because of traffic. It ended up staying on Rachadamnoen.

[flyDelight]

I remember the Sundays walking street was on Tapae Road.

Nope, Rachdamnoen Rd the other side of Thapae Gate

No, walkingstreet used to be on Tapae Road, later moved to the current location.

[uptheos]

I remember the Sundays walking street was on Tapae Road.

Nope, Rachdamnoen Rd the other side of Thapae Gate

No, walkingstreet used to be on Tapae Road, later moved to the current location.

Yes, you're right cmsally jogged my memory

[Chiengmaijoe]

I remember the Sundays walking street was on Tapae Road.

Nope, Rachdamnoen Rd the other side of Thapae Gate

No, walkingstreet used to be on Tapae Road, later moved to the current location.

Yes, you're right cmsally jogged my memory

There was a time when Changklan Rd closed for a walking street, mostlty weekends during the high season. The regular traders put an end to it as the people were more interested in the stalls on the road as opposed to the regular stalls on the pavement. After walking street moved to where it is now, the end result was that on Sundays the night bazaar is very quiet and some traders actually don't open or go to sell on walking street.

[flyDelight]

Don't forget the pricing difference, walkingstreet sellers usually ask honest prices while the nightbazar scum brutally overask many times.

Wish walkingstreet was less crowded. 5:30 I'm gone already before the horror starts.

[northernjohn]

Road is blocked west of old AIS office/Wat Saen Fang as well as around Tapae Gate on to Kotchasarn - don't know how far though. Total chaos earlier as a lot of people are out of towners and don't know where they are going anyway. Got the usual crap wheeled out to sell. Chiang Mai used to have some nice stuff for sale in the years gone by. But the quality and variety has taken a nosedive lately.

How long has Tha Pae road been closing down at the old AIS office. I know a few years ago they were doing it but I thought they had stopped that.

[Chiengmaijoe]

Don't forget the pricing difference, walkingstreet sellers usually ask honest prices while the nightbazar scum brutally overask many times.

Wish walkingstreet was less crowded. 5:30 I'm gone already before the horror starts.

Night bazaar scum! The price is open to negotiation and you are free to walk away. They are in business because thousands of people go there every day to happily purchase their goods. Of course they are happy people that aren't seeing everything through your eyes so it's not really fair to compare them with you.

[flyDelight]

Yes they are defenitely scum, only a few are not. Selling counterfeit goods, lying about quality, overcharging, insulting people if they don't buy. Don't try to talk right what's wrong, this is the lowest form of trading and nothing for the city to be proud of. But yes dumb tourists wanna be fooled, but thats another thing.

[Chiengmaijoe]

Yes they are defenitely scum, only a few are not. Selling counterfeit goods, lying about quality, overcharging, insulting people if they don't buy. Don't try to talk right what's wrong, this is the lowest form of trading and nothing for the city to be proud of. But yes dumb tourists wanna be fooled, but thats another thing.

Sure. Tourists are dumb. Either that or they aren't miserable moaners. I happen to know plenty of the Night bazaar traders. Lovely people. You don't sound so nice.

[flyDelight]

Yes they are defenitely scum, only a few are not. Selling counterfeit goods, lying about quality, overcharging, insulting people if they don't buy. Don't try to talk right what's wrong, this is the lowest form of trading and nothing for the city to be proud of. But yes dumb tourists wanna be fooled, but thats another thing.

Sure. Tourists are dumb. Either that or they aren't miserable moaners. I happen to know plenty of the Night bazaar traders. Lovely people. You don't sound so nice.

Yes the Lolex watch sellers are asolutely respectable boys, I envy those boys for their politeness and integrity. Your best friends I understand, if not fukcbuddies hahaha.

[Chiengmaijoe]

Yes they are defenitely scum, only a few are not. Selling counterfeit goods, lying about quality, overcharging, insulting people if they don't buy. Don't try to talk right what's wrong, this is the lowest form of trading and nothing for the city to be proud of. But yes dumb tourists wanna be fooled, but thats another thing.

Sure. Tourists are dumb. Either that or they aren't miserable moaners. I happen to know plenty of the Night bazaar traders. Lovely people. You don't sound so nice.

Yes the Lolex watch sellers are asolutely respectable boys, I envy those boys for their politeness and integrity. Your best friends I understand, if not fukcbuddies hahaha.

Fuckbuddies? And you're trying to take the moral high ground. You're rude, crude and ignorant, thanks for letting us know.

[flyDelight]

Just joking, happy new year!

[piewarmer]

At the Loikroh/Kotchasan intersection last night looking toward Thaphae gate, for the first time l saw only one car on the road, that's a first.

What happened to those driving south on Chaiyapoom along the moat, all diverted onto Chang Moi road? ... if so... more chaos.

Edited December 31, 2015 by piewarmer

[cmsally]

Road is blocked west of old AIS office/Wat Saen Fang as well as around Tapae Gate on to Kotchasarn - don't know how far though. Total chaos earlier as a lot of people are out of towners and don't know where they are going anyway. Got the usual crap wheeled out to sell. Chiang Mai used to have some nice stuff for sale in the years gone by. But the quality and variety has taken a nosedive lately.

How long has Tha Pae road been closing down at the old AIS office. I know a few years ago they were doing it but I thought they had stopped that.

Only on "high days and holidays" . Otherwise business as normal. Today it will be closed again for sure.

Markets and bazaars are much of a muchness but there are a few gems still around for shopping.

[Konini]

There is still the occasional good stall on the nightmarket/walking street but they are very few and far between - I've worked it out and I go once every 18 months,. Last time, a couple of months ago, I found a really nice Middlesborough FC framed logo made out of handmade paper and red felt. It was the old (pre 2006) logo, but really nice and unusual and I got it for what I consider a fair 350 baht which was exactly half the opening price. He was probably glad to get rid of it, not too many Smoggies visiting the night market, and not many who would want the old logo but Mr K was chuffed to bits with it.

And I would say to everyone - don't go out on the roads unless you have to now for the next couple of days; there will be a lot of drunk drivers out there.

[CMKiwi]

And if you do go out and drink, be sure to have a dedicated driver to get you home (Unless you walk) The BiB are out in force and like last year are sure to have booze checkpoints.

Penalties for drink driving / DUI are starting to make sense now. 10K instant fine, 1 month jail and loss of vehicle.... and Im told that just for starters. Once you go to court then things get even heavier.

Forewarned is forearmed. And please be safe out there!

[LannaGuy]

What happened to the signs that used to be up about fines for riding motorbikes on the Thapae gate grounds?

it really irritates me that motorcyclists cut through there after they removed that bar on the road (I guess because people tripped over it) but it did stop people using it as a shortcut