Thai business owners who think they own the public road

[Grumpy Old Man]

I want to share my experiences and interactions with Thai business owners who think they own the public road / highway outside their shop.

 

On a very alarming number of occasions while parking on the PUBLIC road / highway in accordance to the Thai traffic law in Chiangmai city I have had a business owner or representative come running out of a business premises shouting " Can not park there ! ! "  when I have asked, why not ? the top two replies are. "My shop" or "My boss park there"

 

On these occasions I reply in a firm but very polite manner informing them that this is the PUBLIC road / highway with no indicated parking restrictions ie red and white no parking Etc. and I can legally park here; if the conversation continues I advise them to call the Police and the Police will confirm my information.

 

On occasion I have lifted these white plastic chairs from the PUBLIC road and placed them on the pavement / sidewalk outside the offending shop and then parked, sometimes I have the same conversation regards to parking with a shop owner or representative.

 

The craziest reaction I've had was a person who insisted I pay to park on the PUBLIC road / highway outside of their shop, after my well rehearsed parking statement the shop owner still insisted that I can not park there without paying and he will " Lock my wheel "

 

I tried to inform him that " To permanently or temporary remove or restrict the use of another persons property is theft and a criminal offence" I know this feel on deaf ears because when I returned from the ATM approximately ten minutes later there was a chain passed through my wheel and a padlock attaching it to a concrete block.

 

Two men sat at a table laughing saying " 1000 THB and I take off " I am not easily intimidated and I declined their offer, I promptly removed a pair of "Bolt Croppers" from the back of my truck and cut the chain link nearest the padlock, removed the chain with the still attached padlock, placed it on the ground and drove away.

 

I know there will be comments that I should have called the Police Etc. or I should have parked in a different place because of the possible risk of car damage or personal injury but these are my experiences and how I chose to deal with them.          

[Trujillo]

Is that an actual photo of you in your avatar? 

 

Did you explain the law to them in Thai? If not, you might as well be clucking like a chicken for all the good it would do you. 

 

Having said that, I feel your pain. At some point, however, you should understand that your car will be "keyed" by someone, or your tires slashed. Just FYI.

[Greenside]

I agree with your sentiments, but if you're planning to keep that strategy up you'd better add a baseball bat, some weaponry and maybe a couple of young and fearless friends to your equipment in the back of the truck. ?

[cornishcarlos]

25 minutes ago, Grumpy Old Man said:

these are my experiences and how I chose to deal with them.

 

Thais also choose how to deal with their experiences, which will at some stage result in you ending up in hospital/jail or worse...

 

Good luck with the next one, is it really worth it ??

[Grumpy Old Man]

12 minutes ago, Trujillo said:

Is that an actual photo of you in your avatar? 

 

Did you explain the law to them in Thai? If not, you might as well be clucking like a chicken for all the good it would do you. 

 

Having said that, I feel your pain. At some point, however, you should understand that your car will be "keyed" by someone, or your tires slashed. Just FYI.

 

Yes the photo is of myself.

 

Thank you; I do understand there is a risk factor for standing up for yourself

[colinneil]

12 minutes ago, Grumpy Old Man said:

 

Yes the photo is of myself.

 

Thank you; I do understand there is a risk factor for standing up for yourself

Hells teeth Jock the battle of Bannockburn is long past, you trying for a battle Jock versus Thai?

[observer90210]

does this news really surprise anybody ?

 

( but I hope the OP has a bullet proof vest in his trunk with his "Bolt....."

Edited July 13, 2018 by observer90210

[ezzra]

Try to tell them otherwise and you get a face full or agro, i have tried once and nearly got into a fight over someone placing his restaurant tables in the middle of the road, learned my lesson since....

[Vacuum]

5 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

does this news really surprise anybody ?

It certainly surprised me. First time I've ever heard of anyone take actions against this illegal behaviour. Good work by the OP.

[Trujillo]

I would never put a photo of myself as an avatar. This world contains people who can get offended at slight matters and knowing what you look like means it may be possible to find you. 

 

 

[cmsally]

I would say not totally the fault of the business owners. Whoever invented the ubiquitous shophouse really counted on the fact that each unit would have to use the street in order to survive. So the planning dept is just as much to blame.

[Vacuum]

12 minutes ago, Trujillo said:

I would never put a photo of myself as an avatar. This world contains people who can get offended at slight matters and knowing what you look like means it may be possible to find you. 

 

 

I would not believe everything I read on a internet  forum.... For all we know, OP could be a lady.

Edited July 13, 2018 by Vacuum

[giddyup]

If you offend the shop owners and park anyway you are just as liable to find your car keyed or tyres flat as payback, just not worth the risk.

[Emster23]

Good for you cutting the chain. First thought take it with you (but then they could claim theft). Perhaps cut into 4" sections would be in order?

[Juan B Tong]

Changing the world one parking space at a time!

Good luck Mr. Grumpy.

 

 

[seancbk]

If I owned or rented a shop I would consider the parking out front to be mine.   

 

[Thailand]

Do you have as many incidents with business owners hogging the public right of way as you do with getting stopped at checkpoints every day?

Or is that somebody else?

[Bill97]

Another farang kicked ass for principle. Great he told us all about it.

How many of you guys and gals Cary bolt cutters in your vehicle?


Sent from my iPod touch using Thaivisa Connect

[sydneyjed]

This country has one rule for Thais' and Thais..then no rules for Thais' and farangs.Please be careful and watch your back if you persist as there will be only one winner!

[Just1Voice]

Being a "tough guy" like this will lead to no good for you if you persist.  I don't know how long you've been in Thailand, but apparently it's not long enough to know that in the end you can't win against these people. 

[giddyup]

10 minutes ago, seancbk said:

If I owned or rented a shop I would consider the parking out front to be mine.   

 

Why, do you maintain the roads and curbs?

[seancbk]

5 minutes ago, giddyup said:

17 minutes ago, seancbk said:

If I owned or rented a shop I would consider the parking out front to be mine.   

 

Why, do you maintain the roads and curbs?

 

No, but I'd expect to be able to park outside my shop.   What if I needed to do regular deliveries and needed to be parked there to pickup/drop-off stuff?  

It's common courtesy to leave the spot outside a shop for the owner. 

Unless there is a parking meter outside the shop, everywhere I've lived in Asia treats spaces outside shops as for the use of the shop.

Edited July 13, 2018 by seancbk

[Farangwithaplan]

16 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

Another farang kicked ass for principle. Great he told us all about it.

How many of you guys and gals Cary bolt cutters in your vehicle?


Sent from my iPod touch using Thaivisa Connect

I'm starting to think hard ass Mr Grumpy might have those bolt cutters in the truck to use as "toe" cutters to anyone who tries to irritate him ?

 

By the way, OP, good for you standing up for your principals and rights, but as you have alluded to, you are aware of the possible consequences.

 

Edited July 13, 2018 by Farangwithaplan

[Trujillo]

"Good for you cutting the chain. First thought take it with you (but then they could claim theft). Perhaps cut into 4" sections would be in order?"

 

One could argue that he was destroying private property by damaging the chain. 

 

"...everywhere I've lived in Asia treats spaces outside shops as for the use of the shop."

 

"Treats" is the operative word here. They have no legal right to it, but often call "dibs" on it. 

[Farangwithaplan]

16 minutes ago, sydneyjed said:

This country has one rule for Thais' and Thais..then no rules for Thais' and farangs.

I image that if a local did what the OP did and they weren't notably hi-so, there would have been a similar outcome. At least that's my experience in my little part of the kingdom. I find I get treated no differently to the locals, at least I don't notice any different. In fact I believe I get treated with a higher respect than the way a lot of locals do.

 

[Jimbo53]

Its a pet hate of mine,its all over Thailand,and the authorities turn a blind eye to it,i have had a number of altercations with busiñesses in Pattaya and Jomtien,even one with a mid 30's French farang that knocked my window when i returned to my car to tell me not to park there,there were no chairs or witches hats there,i actually thought the place had closed down,due to a couple of pot plants blocking the entrance at the top of the stairs.I just pointed to my car registration sticker on my windscreen,and told him that i pay for that to park here,he went off saying he will get the police,i told him to get them,as there was a Police box about 50 metres away at the 711 at Dong Tan beach,he never took me up on the offer..I am surprised there has been nobody shot over it....T.I.T.

[kannot]

12 minutes ago, seancbk said:

 

No, but I'd expect to be able to park outside my shop.   What if I needed to do regular deliveries and needed to be parked there to pickup/drop-off stuff?  

It's common courtesy to leave the spot outside a shop for the owner. 

Unless there is a parking meter outside the shop, everywhere I've lived in Asia treats spaces outside shops as for the use of the shop.

BALLCOCKS is  it

[royalmice]

When in Rome, do as the Roman's do

[Maejo Man]

The witch's hats are my favourite, I just gently reverse into them and move them further along. For chairs I actually get out of the car and move them onto the pavement.

 I had a business some years ago in a shophouse, but never placed anything in the road to "reserve" my space. To my mind it's a public road, but there again, I do not have Thai mentality, despite having living here for well over 30 years.

[digbeth]

56 minutes ago, seancbk said:

 

No, but I'd expect to be able to park outside my shop.   What if I needed to do regular deliveries and needed to be parked there to pickup/drop-off stuff?  

It's common courtesy to leave the spot outside a shop for the owner. 

Unless there is a parking meter outside the shop, everywhere I've lived in Asia treats spaces outside shops as for the use of the shop.

Where do your customers park then? in front of other people's business?