Bicycles & Motorcycles

[Serendipity2]

I'm sure many expats own and ride either motorcycles or bicycles. Any problem with theft or do you chain up at every stop? A car is probably impractical if living right in Chiang Mai but probably makes sense if in an outlying area.

Is registration and insurance affordable for a farang?

Thanks for any and all comments.

Serendipity2

[King Silk]

I don't chain-up my Motor Bike and never bother with the alarm on my Car S2.

The secret is not to have brand new expensive vehicles imo.

AXA Ins Co are not expensive and they pay up I am told.

[frogblogger]

On a tangent, after a considerable amount of pressure from biking fans that felt they were in danger of losing their lives each time they ventured out, the town administrators finally put in a cycle lane around the moat ring road last year. It was promptly converted into an unofficial car parking area, and the police seem to do little or nothing about it.

That's Thailand for you ...

[frogblogger]

Oh, and personally I wouldn't ride a motorcycle in Thailand, but that's because I like life.

[Serendipity2]

Thanks frogblogger and King Silk,

I guess the wise thing to do is either a. get a car [an old one] b. walk. Great for exercise but certainly limits one's range c. hire tuk tuks for short trips In my 'younger' days riding a motorcycle was fun [have always hated bikes as they're dangerous to ride] but as I get older I don't feel as "bullet proof" as I once did. Guess I'll keep it simple and do a lot of walking but it's not a lot of fun on those hot and humid days! Thanks for the info. though.

Serendipity2

[frogblogger]

Originally Posted by Serendipity2

Thanks frogblogger and King Silk,

I guess the wise thing to do is either a. get a car [an old one] b. walk. Great for exercise but certainly limits one's range c. hire tuk tuks for short trips In my 'younger' days riding a motorcycle was fun [have always hated bikes as they're dangerous to ride] but as I get older I don't feel as "bullet proof" as I once did. Guess I'll keep it simple and do a lot of walking but it's not a lot of fun on those hot and humid days! Thanks for the info. though.

Serendipity2

If you end up in the centre of town, ie near the Night Bazaar in CM, then a car is not really needed. I've a couple of tuk-tuk drivers' numbers I use all the time, and walk a lot. (Reliable guys, won't rip you off, if you want their mobile numbers). Pretty much anywhere in the centre can be reached for 40/50 bt. 80/100 baht to the ringroad superstores and malls. A samlor isn't a lot cheaper, but it's fun - so long as the mostly ancient samlor drivers don't expire en route. Then there are the red buses, 20 baht to go anywhere within the ring road.

Traffic's bad now. I've hired cars for longer trips, no problem for me especially as I'm a Brit and used to driving on the left... But it's pretty stressful around town.

When are you heading out there? I'm back in CM around the end of June.

[Serendipity2]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

If you end up in the centre of town, ie near the Night Bazaar in CM, then a car is not really needed. I've a couple of tuk-tuk drivers' numbers I use all the time, and walk a lot. (Reliable guys, won't rip you off, if you want their mobile numbers). Pretty much anywhere in the centre can be reached for 40/50 bt. 80/100 baht to the ringroad superstores and malls. A samlor isn't a lot cheaper, but it's fun - so long as the mostly ancient samlor drivers don't expire en route. Then there are the red buses, 20 baht to go anywhere within the ring road.

Traffic's bad now. I've hired cars for longer trips, no problem for me especially as I'm a Brit and used to driving on the left... But it's pretty stressful around town.

When are you heading out there? I'm back in CM around the end of June.

Hi frogblogger,

Good info. I'll be doing a lot of walking as well. Want to keep life simple. I'll be heading your way in late September so I've a ways to go. Got LOTS of stuff to sell as I hope to store nothing. Not easy to do and I might not reach my goal but am trying.

Is there a cafe that expats gather during the day to chat and compare notes about life in Chiang Mai? If there isn't it could be something worth trying to get going. Could share good information about life in the LOS and an early warning system on what's going on and what to look out for. I'm sure there are a lot of scams and perhaps a few dangers to be aware of. When I was in the Philippines most areas had such gatherings such as Baguio, Manila and Dumaguete. Nice to have a coffee [or tea] and compare notes! I thought there was an infrequent dinner in Chiang Mai as well - as long as it was a restaurant and not a bar!

Serendipity2

[ceejay77]

theft is low in Thailand compared to the west but I take my bike indoors to be safe

[KhwaamLap]

Originally Posted by Serendipity2

Hi frogblogger,

Good info. I'll be doing a lot of walking as well. Want to keep life simple. I'll be heading your way in late September so I've a ways to go. Got LOTS of stuff to sell as I hope to store nothing. Not easy to do and I might not reach my goal but am trying.

Is there a cafe that expats gather during the day to chat and compare notes about life in Chiang Mai? If there isn't it could be something worth trying to get going. Could share good information about life in the LOS and an early warning system on what's going on and what to look out for. I'm sure there are a lot of scams and perhaps a few dangers to be aware of. When I was in the Philippines most areas had such gatherings such as Baguio, Manila and Dumaguete. Nice to have a coffee [or tea] and compare notes! I thought there was an infrequent dinner in Chiang Mai as well - as long as it was a restaurant and not a bar!

Serendipity2

SP2 start a new thread for the 'get togethers in CM' question - it would be helpful to others - I know of a coiple which I'll share on the new thread...

[Serendipity2]

Originally Posted by KhwaamLap

SP2 start a new thread for the 'get togethers in CM' question - it would be helpful to others - I know of a coiple which I'll share on the new thread...

Hi KhwaamLap,

Good suggestion! Thanks