Driving around CM and Pai as a westerner

Hi everyone! I'm from the US and want to independently explore the area around Pai, and possibly Chiang Mai. I've driven on the left in Japan so that's not a problem, but I worry about how chaotic and non-rule based driving is around Bangkok. I would definitely not be able to deal with that. Anyone have advice or experiences to share? Thanks! I suppose we could hire a private driver, but would prefer not to.