Chiangmai must be one of the most technical cities I've been mashing in. Small compare to some of the other I have had the pleasure to explore on a bike. New York City, San Francisco, San Jose, Tokyo (probably the best), Osaka etc. Chiangmai is a traditionally walled in city (as Xian in China) and there are two one-way 2-4 lane road running around it in both direction, so you shouldn't get meeting traffic giving you the chance to pedal in synced speed with the traffic or faster. Takes you 10 min around the city if you pedal hard. The traffic is fast and mercy-less and as always the Thai play on the national "MaPeiLai" strings even as motorist so many gnarly moments. MaPeiLai is what a westerner would call "Don't Give a Fuck" attitude and applied in all levels of the Thai mentality and ways of doing stuff. Many accidents due to this, but hey…MaPeiLai.
Most common day-to-day stuff crashes includes teenage girls on scooters and new-rich middle aged guys in oversized SUV's with tinted windows all around (the Thais love their big trucks, small dudes in general so makes them look bigger I guess), in all variations you could think of. Indicating a left turn and then turn right and vice versa is a favorite as well.
I live in the South-West corner just near the hospital. Made 3 laps in 33min last time I timed, in morning traffic.
