Hi again.

Lets talk about driving around Chiang Mai. 

Hiring a car or a moped is a great way to get about and allows you freedom of coming and going as you please.  Relying on Taxis and Tuk Tuks is another good way of getting about especially if you are unsure of where you are going and also for taking the stress out of travelling around.  Be carefull the Tuk Tuks tend to have two prices like many things here.  One for the Thai and one for the Foriegn visitor.

Tuk Tuk drivers will also tend to take you to places that are of interest and have some great offers but will not take you to all the other great places that have great bargins.  This is due to shops paying the drivers 5% or a back hander for bringing you to their shop and you buying things from there.  The usual story is that this shop is cheaper than everywhere else and good bargins.  Yes that is true that there are great bargins to be had, but you will find beter bargins a couple of shops down, but these are places that do not give the Tuk Tuk driver a percentage or a backhander  So hiring a moped is a great way to get about the place.

Being extra careful is what you need to be when you are driving about.  If you come to a cross road you can turn left even if the lights are against you as long as there is nothing coming from the right.  At trafic lights you will see that the twin lane turns into multi lanes as mopeds sqeeze between cars getting to the front of the queue and then when the lights change there is a mad rush for everyone to get ahead of the person infront.  Over taking by the way is done on both sides and in alot of cases, on the hard shoulder.  Many cars tend to hug the outside lane, as though they have never seen the first lane or think that it is for pedestrians.  this causes many cars to play dodge-ems winding in and out of eachother, and other moped users who are faster than you over taking with about 5 cms between you and them.

The worst part and this is where you need to have your eyes open at all times.  Look ahaead at all times, especially at side roads.  cars and bikes will not sop and check the traffic and will shoot out infront of you when you least expect it.  I have just had this experience.  i drive a Suzuki 400cc Low Rider Twin and I am the most carefull driver going.  I had a car pull out in front of me, I had no where to go so I ended up hitting the 4x4 that pulled out.  The bike was badly damaged and I found out very quickly that the body is not designed to bounce on tarmac.  I was in the right and the 4x4 was not, but this is where as a foriegner things can be very difficult for you.

You will make a report and everyone will admit that, Yes they were in the wrong, but the actual police report will say that you were in the wrong.  Being wise to things like this I had someone that I knew who spoke English and Thai come to the scene and to the police station and translate everything for me.  They tried to say that I was in the wrong and that i would have to pay compensation.  After alot of discussion we managed to get to the real truth.  Now you could fall victim of this as you will not be able to understand what you are signing at the police station.  So my advice is to always have a travel agents contact number with you who you have found that speaks good ebnough English so that tyhey can translate everything for you.  Do not sign anything or admit to anything until you get someone. 

You will find that not many police will speak English, and the Thai will always stand beside another Thai even if they are in the wrong.  I love the Thai people but there are things that they will do against a Falang (Foriegner) and one of them is to get as much money as they can.  I have an e-mail address on my website of which you can contact me on and let me know if you are coming here.  If you are let me know where you are staying and your arrival day and I shall leave my phone number for you to carry around with you if ever you need help with something of this nature, and I shall contact someone who will be able to come out and help you through this type of process.

So driving here is great fun but my advice is to always be ready to make sudden manouvers when you least expect it. 

Have fun driving around Chiang Mai and the North, do not drink and drive and where that helmet.

Have fun.

Until the next instalment