A South African man spent more than three hours trying to pay a 500-baht parking fine and have a wheel clamp removed from his car in Pattaya early on 5 September.
Jeandre, 28, had parked on Pattaya Beach Road with his girlfriend in the evening before going out in the city. When they returned at about 1.10am, they found one wheel clamped and an A4 notice left on the vehicle.
Unable to read the Thai-language instructions, the couple took the document to Pattaya City Police Station for help.
Directed between police and City Hall
Police told them the clamp had been fitted by Pattaya municipal enforcement officers as part of beachfront parking controls. The measures particularly apply to vehicles in red-and-white zones and at public transport stops.
They were instructed to go to Pattaya City Hall, where staff were supposed to be available overnight to accept payment and arrange the clamp's removal. Jeandre said he did not object to the penalty and was ready to pay.
However, after taking motorcycle taxis to City Hall, the couple found nobody at the payment point. They travelled back and forth three times but could not find an officer responsible for collecting the fine.
After more than three hours, they returned to Pattaya City Police Station, where they met a local reporter and asked for assistance.
The reporter called a contact number for the responsible officers, but although the call connected, nobody answered. A second number for Pattaya City's radio communications centre was repeatedly busy.
Staff member eventually arranged
The reporter then checked the municipal administrative office at Pattaya City Hall, where fines are processed. The room was lit and air conditioning was running, but there were no staff inside, no response to calls for an officer and no security personnel nearby.
Later, the reporter found municipal enforcement officers on patrol elsewhere in Pattaya and explained what had happened. Those officers contacted the fine-payment point and arranged for a staff member to deal with the case.
Jeandre paid the 500-baht fine, the wheel clamp was removed and he and his girlfriend drove back to their accommodation. He thanked the reporter for the help.
A municipal officer later said the administrative employee assigned to collect fines had left the office to attend another incident after Pattaya City Police Station requested assistance. The officer said night-shift staffing was insufficient, meaning the payment office could be temporarily unattended.
Pattaya City is working to increase overnight staffing to avoid similar problems.
Picture courtesy of Rak Siam News
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6 September 2026
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