Thai Parking

[Ulysses G.]

The type of comments in this thread are beginning to strain the Forum Rules.

Members are reminded of the following in particular: "extremely negative views of Thailand will not be tolerated".

The title of thread is about as rude as one can get.

[Neeranam]

In my particular case, I don't plan on letting my driver drive my kids anywhere anyway.

Getting worked up over people's driving or parking habits here is like getting worked up over mold buildup in your bathroom. It's not something one needs to think about. Just delegate and have it taken care of.

Hire a driver and drive your kids yourself - strange guy. Spend much time with the kids do you, or are you out earning more money to brag about? Why not put your kids in boarding school?

Noone is getting worked up about anything. If you can't say anything relevant don't say anything at all.

I want to know why Thai people do this kind of thing.

It may be thoughtlessness or just don't give a shit?

[Heng]

In my particular case, I don't plan on letting my driver drive my kids anywhere anyway.

Getting worked up over people's driving or parking habits here is like getting worked up over mold buildup in your bathroom. It's not something one needs to think about. Just delegate and have it taken care of.

Hire a driver and drive your kids yourself - strange guy. Spend much time with the kids do you, or are you out earning more money to brag about? Why not put your kids in boarding school?

Noone is getting worked up about anything. If you can't say anything relevant don't say anything at all.

I want to know why Thai people do this kind of thing.

It may be thoughtlessness or just don't give a shit?

I'm not driving them anywhere. My driver is. I'm simply riding (and working... laptop + GPRS).

And yeah you are getting worked up. It's funny.

[bendix]

I think Neeranam's in a bad mood today. I hope he's not off to play golf. The poor caddy's tip might fall to 20 baht.

Memo to Heng: success is not tolerated by some members on this board. Please adjust your earnings accordingly.

[PeaceBlondie]

But JaiDee, have you ever seen such near-unanimity on a subject!! Even Heng and somebody's Thai wife agree! Well, Heng chimes in for the chauffer-driven set; just have Jeeves do it. Or as we used to say when we got into the car and Jimmy was driving, "Home, James...."

Okay, trying not to have a negative view about Thailand: this is a land that instantly went from walking to riding motorcycles, and few Thais (outside of that New York place called "Bangkok") have learned to cope with parked cars. Or even parked motorcycles.

It is a hassle to move locked bikes, especially if you have a bad shoulder like I do. One time in downtown Hua Hin during high season, there were 12,894 drunken Scandanavians - each man weighing over 100 kilos, and wider than a footpath - strolling down the street four abreast. I got on the horn and loudly shouted in English, "Sawadee and crap, welcome to Thailand!!! This is a street for motor vehicles!!!" And we farang sometimes double-park, or whatever you Brits call it.

I like that idea of smiling, using the horn, smiling again, horn again...nam jai, don't you know?

[The Dan Sai Kid]

20 Baht is a generous tip for a Scotsman!

[Jai Dee]

The type of comments in this thread are beginning to strain the Forum Rules.

Members are reminded of the following in particular: "extremely negative views of Thailand will not be tolerated".

The title of thread is about as rude as one can get.

Noted - title amended.

But JaiDee, have you ever seen such near-unanimity on a subject!!

I know... I know... to be honest, I get frustrated driving (and parking) here too... every single day.

But I don't make the rules... I just try to keep threads running within their constraints.

I wonder what a Thai person reading this thread would think about the remarks here...

[bendix]

[

I wonder what a Thai person reading this thread would think about the remarks here...

He or she would probably wonder, like I do, why these big crazy white people try to impose their western standards on a country which - well - isn't in the west.

And then he or she would get on doing whatever they were doing, happy in the knowledge that all is well with the world.

[Neeranam]

I think Neeranam's in a bad mood today. I hope he's not off to play golf. The poor caddy's tip might fall to 20 baht.

What's wrong with a 20 baht tip?

I'm in a great mood today.

I am not Thai bashing - I love Thai people.

I'd love to hear a Thai person's view on the subject.

Edited March 15, 2007 by Neeranam

[Heng]

But JaiDee, have you ever seen such near-unanimity on a subject!! Even Heng and somebody's Thai wife agree! Well, Heng chimes in for the chauffer-driven set; just have Jeeves do it. Or as we used to say when we got into the car and Jimmy was driving, "Home, James...."

Hehe. I didn't mean it to sound like that. If folks here can adapt enough to accept full service gas stations and not pumping one's own gas, they can surely understand that they can enjoy the same type of convenience of employing someone to do whatever you don't have time to do for a minimal cost.

I maintain it's a simple possible solution. Not to mention the added benefits of: never having to wash one's car (or going to one of those parking garage car wash outfits: especially if you consider that a standard car wash at say Poli Chem costs 300 Baht... 20 washes and you've paid your driver's salary), never having to worry that your car will get door dings or scrapes, being able to work/read/nap/whatever while you're stuck in traffic *just about no matter what your profession is -perhaps even as a prof or teacher pb... valuable prep time-, you're going to come out ahead, sometimes way ahead*, more time to spend in conversation with your kids -without risking getting in a car accident-..... and finally, never worry about having to find a parking space and possibly getting blocked in by an inconsiderate nose hair picking motorcycle gang.

[smartecosse]

Just delegate and have it taken care of.

excellent advice

I wonder if I can delegate someone to put paint stripper all over the cars / pick ups that continually block me in as they cannot walk two extra meters to the ATM machine

[gummy]

But JaiDee, have you ever seen such near-unanimity on a subject!! Even Heng and somebody's Thai wife agree! Well, Heng chimes in for the chauffer-driven set; just have Jeeves do it. Or as we used to say when we got into the car and Jimmy was driving, "Home, James...."

Okay, trying not to have a negative view about Thailand: this is a land that instantly went from walking to riding motorcycles, and few Thais (outside of that New York place called "Bangkok") have learned to cope with parked cars. Or even parked motorcycles.

It is a hassle to move locked bikes, especially if you have a bad shoulder like I do. One time in downtown Hua Hin during high season, there were 12,894 drunken Scandanavians - each man weighing over 100 kilos, and wider than a footpath - strolling down the street four abreast. I got on the horn and loudly shouted in English, "Sawadee and crap, welcome to Thailand!!! This is a street for motor vehicles!!!" And we farang sometimes double-park, or whatever you Brits call it.

I like that idea of smiling, using the horn, smiling again, horn again...nam jai, don't you know?

Peaceblondie, it was my Thai wife. Now to be absolutely serious I will not give my opinion as cynicism does not help and will only address the parking issue. My Wife, who as I said lived for many years in the UK, passed her UK driving test first time, well some people are just born lucky I guess, suggests this about Thai drivers. In the main they do appear to most Farang to be selfish with respect to parking. However it is not done deliberatly only insofar as they know no differant. Is it wrong to lambast somebody for only knowing one thing ? Thais are still quite insular and for them to visit overseas ( other than Singapore ) to those countries that have differant standards is financially prohibitive thus they only have their own benchmark. It is not until you have the opportunity to compare other standards that a fully informed decision can be made as to what is the better practice. Yes for us being brought up elswhere they do appear to be selfish, but transpose Thais to England overnight to say an NCP car park in Central London and they would probably consider that we are totally stupid. Why ? well why build a multi-million pound car park and only allow it to be 75% full because it is against our rules to park in front of a row of cars.

With respect to them being lazy, well as a car driver I admit I am no worse or better than Thais, Indians, Americans or anybody else. If it were possible for me to park in a Supermarket doorway on a cold wet night in the UK to load my shopping I would do it. Those conditions are no worse or better than the heat to deal with I suspect.

[smartecosse]

Hire a driver. It's their job (and problem if you see it that way).

That extra 6,000-8,000 a month might push you over that 35,000 Bath a month budget threshhold though. But hey, case in point... that small amount can actually save you the clear annoyance and unhappiness that you clearly will likely experience for the foreseeable future.

well thats the price for a car driver, how much is it for a driver for my moped?

[ColPyat]

But JaiDee, have you ever seen such near-unanimity on a subject!!

Seems that i have to be the odd one out again

I really don't mind the traffic much here. I think in many ways the traffic here is rather civilized, far less aggressive than in many other countries. Make a mistake here, and chance is that people wait far more patiently than in other countries where a tiny obstruction is greeted with all and sundry honking their horns.

You just gotta be a lot more aware of your surroundings.

Dunno what the fuzz is about. One poster mentioned Bombay. Indian traffic is far more adventurous than Thai traffic. There you got all sorts racing and parking in the oddest places.

[smartecosse]

But JaiDee, have you ever seen such near-unanimity on a subject!! Even Heng and somebody's Thai wife agree! Well, Heng chimes in for the chauffer-driven set; just have Jeeves do it. Or as we used to say when we got into the car and Jimmy was driving, "Home, James...."

Okay, trying not to have a negative view about Thailand: this is a land that instantly went from walking to riding motorcycles, and few Thais (outside of that New York place called "Bangkok") have learned to cope with parked cars. Or even parked motorcycles.

It is a hassle to move locked bikes, especially if you have a bad shoulder like I do. One time in downtown Hua Hin during high season, there were 12,894 drunken Scandanavians - each man weighing over 100 kilos, and wider than a footpath - strolling down the street four abreast. I got on the horn and loudly shouted in English, "Sawadee and crap, welcome to Thailand!!! This is a street for motor vehicles!!!" And we farang sometimes double-park, or whatever you Brits call it.

I like that idea of smiling, using the horn, smiling again, horn again...nam jai, don't you know?

Peaceblondie, it was my Thai wife. Now to be absolutely serious I will not give my opinion as cynicism does not help and will only address the parking issue. My Wife, who as I said lived for many years in the UK, passed her UK driving test first time, well some people are just born lucky I guess, suggests this about Thai drivers. In the main they do appear to most Farang to be selfish with respect to parking. However it is not done deliberatly only insofar as they know no differant. Is it wrong to lambast somebody for only knowing one thing ? Thais are still quite insular and for them to visit overseas ( other than Singapore ) to those countries that have differant standards is financially prohibitive thus they only have their own benchmark. It is not until you have the opportunity to compare other standards that a fully informed decision can be made as to what is the better practice. Yes for us being brought up elswhere they do appear to be selfish, but transpose Thais to England overnight to say an NCP car park in Central London and they would probably consider that we are totally stupid. Why ? well why build a multi-million pound car park and only allow it to be 75% full because it is against our rules to park in front of a row of cars.

With respect to them being lazy, well as a car driver I admit I am no worse or better than Thais, Indians, Americans or anybody else. If it were possible for me to park in a Supermarket doorway on a cold wet night in the UK to load my shopping I would do it. Those conditions are no worse or better than the heat to deal with I suspect.

i'm sorry i didn't know any better is a pathetic excuse, i mean really

[Jai Dee]

Indian traffic is far more adventurous than Thai traffic.

What a euphemism!!!

[andook]

[

I wonder what a Thai person reading this thread would think about the remarks here...

He or she would probably wonder, like I do, why these big crazy white people try to impose their western standards on a country which - well - isn't in the west.

And then he or she would get on doing whatever they were doing, happy in the knowledge that all is well with the world.

Just as long as someone is not imposing their front bumper through the arse-end of my Nissan at 140kph, all is indeed well with the world....

[gummy]

But JaiDee, have you ever seen such near-unanimity on a subject!! Even Heng and somebody's Thai wife agree! Well, Heng chimes in for the chauffer-driven set; just have Jeeves do it. Or as we used to say when we got into the car and Jimmy was driving, "Home, James...."

Okay, trying not to have a negative view about Thailand: this is a land that instantly went from walking to riding motorcycles, and few Thais (outside of that New York place called "Bangkok") have learned to cope with parked cars. Or even parked motorcycles.

It is a hassle to move locked bikes, especially if you have a bad shoulder like I do. One time in downtown Hua Hin during high season, there were 12,894 drunken Scandanavians - each man weighing over 100 kilos, and wider than a footpath - strolling down the street four abreast. I got on the horn and loudly shouted in English, "Sawadee and crap, welcome to Thailand!!! This is a street for motor vehicles!!!" And we farang sometimes double-park, or whatever you Brits call it.

I like that idea of smiling, using the horn, smiling again, horn again...nam jai, don't you know?

Peaceblondie, it was my Thai wife. Now to be absolutely serious I will not give my opinion as cynicism does not help and will only address the parking issue. My Wife, who as I said lived for many years in the UK, passed her UK driving test first time, well some people are just born lucky I guess, suggests this about Thai drivers. In the main they do appear to most Farang to be selfish with respect to parking. However it is not done deliberatly only insofar as they know no differant. Is it wrong to lambast somebody for only knowing one thing ? Thais are still quite insular and for them to visit overseas ( other than Singapore ) to those countries that have differant standards is financially prohibitive thus they only have their own benchmark. It is not until you have the opportunity to compare other standards that a fully informed decision can be made as to what is the better practice. Yes for us being brought up elswhere they do appear to be selfish, but transpose Thais to England overnight to say an NCP car park in Central London and they would probably consider that we are totally stupid. Why ? well why build a multi-million pound car park and only allow it to be 75% full because it is against our rules to park in front of a row of cars.

With respect to them being lazy, well as a car driver I admit I am no worse or better than Thais, Indians, Americans or anybody else. If it were possible for me to park in a Supermarket doorway on a cold wet night in the UK to load my shopping I would do it. Those conditions are no worse or better than the heat to deal with I suspect.

i'm sorry i didn't know any better is a pathetic excuse, i mean really

It is not an excuse it is the reason and there is no need to say sorry, the English have accepted rudeness from Jocks for generations because they know no better either in the manners stakes

[Heng]

Hire a driver. It's their job (and problem if you see it that way).

That extra 6,000-8,000 a month might push you over that 35,000 Bath a month budget threshhold though. But hey, case in point... that small amount can actually save you the clear annoyance and unhappiness that you clearly will likely experience for the foreseeable future.

well thats the price for a car driver, how much is it for a driver for my moped?

Same rate actually. When there's no need to take the car out... one's driver doubles as a motorcycle messenger/general use employee: for running bank errands, collecting checks, going to the hardware store, etc.

[ThaiGoon]

I have an even cheaper solution than Heng's: use the baht bus. A very inexpensive way to save yourself from all troubles and frustration.

I regularly use it myself when I'm in Thailand.

Edited March 15, 2007 by ThaiGoon

[ColPyat]

Indian traffic is far more adventurous than Thai traffic.

What a euphemism!!!

Traffic is one of those things of mind over matter - i don't mind, so it doesn't matter.

20 years ago, and a few times after, i went all over India, mostly by bus and walking where there were no roads. Some of that was truly memorable, ducking cables while sitting on the roof of overcrowded buses, the lovely mountain roads in the Himalaya, best one yet was the Kargil -Srinagar road, leaving Kargil at 3 in the morning so that we can get to the exposed spot before the morning prayer and the shelling from Pakistan stops briefly, and then at break neck speed to safety again.

Or the trips through Sumatra in Indonesia, days in a bus full of piss and vomit of the passengers, the driver having regular sips from his bottle of clear liquor...

Tibet on the backs of lorries...

etc...

One does learn to appreciate Thai traffic. It's almost boring.

[Heng]

I have an even cheaper solution than Heng's: use the baht bus. A very inexpensive way to save yourself from all troubles and frustration.

I regularly use it myself when I'm in Thailand.

True. Free fresh air too.

[Acquiesce]

thais drive in a small opaque bubble , they are unable to see beyond the confines of their bubble , nothing exists outside their bubble , and if it does , its of no interest to them and its not their business. a bit like goldfish.

Even walking when there is another person within a five meter radius can become difficult.

[ThaiGoon]

I have an even cheaper solution than Heng's: use the baht bus. A very inexpensive way to save yourself from all troubles and frustration.

I regularly use it myself when I'm in Thailand.

True. Free fresh air too.

That's the best part! ...

[cdnvic]

Western countries have their adventurous drivers too. Take away the rice and minibuses and replace them with kumura and Holdens and you have a Kiwi.

I used to hear Indians complain about Kiwi drivers

Edited March 15, 2007 by cdnvic

[taxexile]

Hire a driver. It's their job (and problem if you see it that way).

thats a very thai way of dealing with annoyances here , just get someone else to deal with it.

just remove it from my sight , so it doesnt exist.

it does nothing to address the original observation / problem though of why parking courtesy and discipline here is non existent..... and it is a problem .... and how can that problem be minimised.

as the streets get more and more choked with cars and bikes , thoughtfulness in parking becomes more and more important. getting a driver to do it for you , whilst easing your day , does nothing to ease the day of other people looking to park.

it illustrates nicely the different approaches to problem solving between western society and asian society.

judge for yourselves which way is more beneficial to the population at large.

[madjbs]

The best solution would be for some of you guys to just chill out! Theres no need to turn to racist snobbish remarks over such a minor issue.

Chill

Jake

[cdnvic]

The best solution would be for some of you guys to just chill out! Theres no need to turn to racist snobbish remarks over such a minor issue.

Chill

Jake

Yeah, much better to bottle it up inside till it explodes in road rage.

[ThaiGoon]

The best solution would be for some of you guys to just chill out! Theres no need to turn to racist snobbish remarks over such a minor issue.

Chill

Jake

[ThaiGoon]

Hire a driver. It's their job (and problem if you see it that way).

thats a very thai way of dealing with annoyances here , just get someone else to deal with it.

just remove it from my sight , so it doesnt exist.

it does nothing to address the original observation / problem though of why parking courtesy and discipline here is non existent..... and it is a problem .... and how can that problem be minimised.

as the streets get more and more choked with cars and bikes , thoughtfulness in parking becomes more and more important. getting a driver to do it for you , whilst easing your day , does nothing to ease the day of other people looking to park.

it illustrates nicely the different approaches to problem solving between western society and asian society.

judge for yourselves which way is more beneficial to the population at large.

There are idiots everywhere...even at the country you are originally from I'm sure. So why does anyone have to get all worked up and get racist? What do you want us to do? Go work as a traffic warden?

Edited March 15, 2007 by ThaiGoon