Thai Parking

[DrFisher]

I think anyone who drives here can relate to this problem I don't have to much of a problem but from time to time it's annoying at the least. I think the reason people do what they do is because there is no consequence , I assure you if people could get away with doing this sort of thing in my home country they would. People are people and most of them think only of themselves (I catch myself doing some things that I get angry when others do them none of us are immune). I would suggest you just take a deep breath and shrug it off don't let another persons ignorance cause your blood pressure to raise and create undue stress on yourself.

[andook]

I understand that sometimes folks need to vent their frustrations, but really, this is another perfect example of how some people are simply unable to adapt to their environment. We are in Asia, obviously - not the West - and there is a different set of cultural norms regarding how personal space is dealt with.

If you ever pay close attention to what's going on you'll notice that there is always a way for you to manoevre in or out of parking spaces and driving situations, although it may require a little more imagination than you are accustomed to using back home.

As is true of many things here in Thailand, I actually prefer the local parking and driving "rules" to the rigid, highly regulated, and strictly enforced ones where I came from -- as long as I am able to take advantage and use them to my own benefit, as is usually the case.

Appreciate what you're saying. Parking isn't a dangerous irritation at least. However, having lost a few friends and staff to the moronic driving habits of some people here, I cannot agree about adapting to other people's environment. Road safety laws are there for a reason. The road carnage and loss of life here is staggering. One of the world's highest, it also costs the county billions of Baht / year in lost lives, disability claims, insurance claims; and attendant social problems, etc.

[oooooo]

my mate, am, collects about an average 10-12k baht a day/night for "parking rights".

[Jai Dee]

I think the reason people do what they do is because there is no consequence, ...

I'd agree with that.

[Heng]

I understand that sometimes folks need to vent their frustrations, but really, this is another perfect example of how some people are simply unable to adapt to their environment. We are in Asia, obviously - not the West - and there is a different set of cultural norms regarding how personal space is dealt with.

If you ever pay close attention to what's going on you'll notice that there is always a way for you to manoevre in or out of parking spaces and driving situations, although it may require a little more imagination than you are accustomed to using back home.

As is true of many things here in Thailand, I actually prefer the local parking and driving "rules" to the rigid, highly regulated, and strictly enforced ones where I came from -- as long as I am able to take advantage and use them to my own benefit, as is usually the case.

nice try but no cigar ,

examples ,

one vehicle occupieing two spaces at Tesco , and of course the motor cycle that makes entry/exit to the 7-11 impossible ,

and , last but not least

your own words

as long as I am able to take advantage and use them to my own benefit, as is usually the case

look up selfish , it's in the dictionary .........................

I'm definitely on the selfish and self serving side. So are most of my friends... of all nationalities. Birds of a feather and all that...

And your examples are no better than Tax's. Now if there were no spaces ever available at Tesco and if one could never enter or exit a 7-11, then you'd have something.

I'd quote you, but I don't recall any of your posts.

[maccaroni man]

the bush gaurd on the front of my truck works great on motor bikes and for some reason they seem to know this because motorbikes move quickly when they see me coming.

[Sing_Sling]

I understand that sometimes folks need to vent their frustrations, but really, this is another perfect example of how some people are simply unable to adapt to their environment. We are in Asia, obviously - not the West - and there is a different set of cultural norms regarding how personal space is dealt with.

Jing Jing, there is Asia and there is Asia.

There is the Asia that has rules and consequences for not following them and then there is the Indonesia/Thailand/Vietnam/Cambodia Asia.

I believe that tarring all Asians with the brush of Thailand et al in this regard is quite insulting to those that have a measured amount of public awareness.

Thailand has a lot going for it, but to simply say that 'this is Asia' is one of the problems that keeps the places, mentioned above, down.

Order is a bad thing?

[taxexile]

heng

Your generalization is a typical 'foreign expat on a foreign web forum' way of taking a single action and applying it to a general population. The solution at hand is no different than taking care of any specific problem. Say...clogged septic tank or sewar line... you'd certainly delegate that kind of problem to someone else, yes? Or would not diving in with scuba gear and scrub brush be a very Thai way of dealing with an annoyance?

As to 'beneficial to the population' since when was life a team sport anyway? I'm all for altruistic behaviour as long as the boundaries are limited (for myself, to one's own family).

heng , your analogy between a septic tank that inconveniences your household and a parking problem that inconveniences hundreds of drivers doesnt really hold up.

you wouldnt solve your sewage problem by taking a dump on your neighbours lawn , any more than you can ease the parking behaviour problem by employing a driver to double park on your behalf.

life is very much a team sport , we all have to live together in this world , and whilst taking care of ones family is of prime importance , that doesnt imply that everyone else in society should be inconvenienced by selfish behaviour.

thais are ruled by their egos , and this can make them appear to behave arrogantly and selfishly in public to outsiders.

witness the driving habits , the way footpaths are taken over by traders , the disturbance to others caused by noise , rubbish burning and littering. people do what they want with little concern for those they inconvenience.

they do it because they know they can do it and rarely will they be challenged or prosecuted.

look to how so many young children are brought up here , with very few boundaries placed on their behaviour , and you can see how that translates to adults who have little respect for others.

Edited March 16, 2007 by taxexile

[Neeranam]

I understand that sometimes folks need to vent their frustrations, but really, this is another perfect example of how some people are simply unable to adapt to their environment. We are in Asia, obviously - not the West - and there is a different set of cultural norms regarding how personal space is dealt with.

This answer got me thinking.

Adaptance(is that a word?) or acceptance is definately the answer for myself. It doesn't explain why the situations happens but is it important?

My serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance - when I am disturbed, it is because I find some person , place or thing, or situation - some fact of my life - unaccaptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person place or thing as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment Nothing happens in this world by mistake. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be or should be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and my attitudes. There is a bit of good in the worst of us and a bit of bad in the best of us - we ALL have a right to be here.

I have to chill out and adjust certain ideas and attitudes. I must remember that this is not my home country, and therefore has different ways of doing things. Christ, that is one of the reasons I love it here. I used to want them to keep doing the things I liked and stop doing the things I didn't like. What a shitty attitude!

Realise what yo can change and what you can't. Don't let the things that you can't get on top of you, they're not worth it. Once you have done this, weigh up the pros and cons of living in a new land and decide if it is for you or not. I have not been sentenced to live in Thailand, it is my choice.

Edited March 16, 2007 by Neeranam

[The Dan Sai Kid]

look to how so many young children are brought up here , with very few boundaries placed on their behaviour , and you can see how that translates to adults who have little respect for others.

This trait is not uniquely Thai, IMHO the UK is much worse nowadays.

[taxexile]

and there is a different set of cultural norms regarding how personal space is dealt with.

in department store car parks , both indoor and outdoor , parking is done correctly and mostly courteously , the cars are usually properly parked within the lines , and bikes and cars are kept apart.

how come its such a free for all on the streets.

[Heng]

heng

Your generalization is a typical 'foreign expat on a foreign web forum' way of taking a single action and applying it to a general population. The solution at hand is no different than taking care of any specific problem. Say...clogged septic tank or sewar line... you'd certainly delegate that kind of problem to someone else, yes? Or would not diving in with scuba gear and scrub brush be a very Thai way of dealing with an annoyance?

As to 'beneficial to the population' since when was life a team sport anyway? I'm all for altruistic behaviour as long as the boundaries are limited (for myself, to one's own family).

heng , your analogy between a septic tank that inconveniences your household and a parking problem that inconveniences hundreds of drivers doesnt really hold up.

you wouldnt solve your sewage problem by taking a dump on your neighbours lawn , any more than you can ease the parking behaviour problem by employing a driver to double park on your behalf.

life is very much a team sport , we all have to live together in this world , and whilst taking care of ones family is of prime importance , that doesnt imply that everyone else in society should be inconvenienced by selfish behaviour.

thais are ruled by their egos , and this can make them appear to behave arrogantly and selfishly in public to outsiders.

witness the driving habits , the way footpaths are taken over by traders , the disturbance to others caused by noise , rubbish burning and littering. people do what they want with little concern for those they inconvenience.

they do it because they know they can do it and rarely will they be challenged or prosecuted.

look to how so many young children are brought up here , with very few boundaries placed on their behaviour , and you can see how that translates to adults who have little respect for others.

Morning Tax,

My analogy was referring to delegating tasks, in response to your comment regarding delegating tasks. Now if I specifically ordered my driver to park, as a matter of policy: as selfishly as possible, perhaps in the middle of intersections and T-junctions only... now that would be the equivalent of your 'taking a dump on the neighbor's lawn' analogy.

While I do agree that there are a lot of folks that do fit your profile described above -and yes, I've been annoyed and/or inconvenienced before by such behaviour-, it still doesn't make an accurate generalization of any particular group of people. It still sounds like the taking a few or even several negative experiences (sometimes combined with personal frustrations - not saying this is particularly true for your case) and applying them to the whole population without taking a more appropriate/accurate sample size into consideration.

[Martin_F]

I never get frustrated or stressed about Thais driving or parking,we are in Thailand...accept it or dont drive.

For example,if a mentally retarded Toyota Fortuner driver is almost touching your rear bumper whilst travelling at 100kph..brake!I guarantee he will <deleted> his pants and back off immediately.

IMO I dont think they are THAT bad at parking.Believe me there are worse in London.

Or Paris or Roma!!!

[cmsally]

Basically I suppose we are talking about empathy and considering the position of others when we are doing something.

I don't agree that more empathy exists in the West than Asia. I think there is empathy in the West more prevalent in certain sectors of society and in certain people, just the same as Asia. Having empathy with rules, regulations etc. is more strictly enforced, that is for certain. Not the perfect solution as in a perfect world it would be more intrinsic.

The one thing that I find in Thailand is that if you ask anyone to move something, stop doing something etc (within reason) and you ask politely, they are more than likely to oblige whereas results of the same exchange in other parts of the world might not always be so pleasant.

[Martin_F]

look to how so many young children are brought up here , with very few boundaries placed on their behaviour , and you can see how that translates to adults who have little respect for others.

This trait is not uniquely Thai, IMHO the UK is much worse nowadays.

I agree:

• pirate disabled badges
  
• parking in disabled or with-baby spaces
  
• double bay parking
  

[Mid]

I'm definitely on the selfish and self serving side. So are most of my friends... of all nationalities. Birds of a feather and all that...

And your examples are no better than Tax's. Now if there were no spaces ever available at Tesco and if one could never enter or exit a 7-11, then you'd have something.

I'd quote you, but I don't recall any of your posts.

memo ,

yours stink same as anyone else's even if you do pay someone else to wipe

as for quoting me , please don't

I've no desire to be associated with selfish people .............................

[Martin_F]

It's easy you don't park in places where motorbikes will park.

Park a few spaces down the road and it will be peaceful.

Don't try and beat the system work within societies norms.

Now it is not agreeing with the actions or accepting the actions.

[Heng]

I'm definitely on the selfish and self serving side. So are most of my friends... of all nationalities. Birds of a feather and all that...

And your examples are no better than Tax's. Now if there were no spaces ever available at Tesco and if one could never enter or exit a 7-11, then you'd have something.

I'd quote you, but I don't recall any of your posts.

memo ,

yours stink same as anyone else's even if you do pay someone else to wipe

as for quoting me , please don't

I've no desire to be associated with selfish people .............................

Like roses actually. Hired a local lab to run a scent analysis for me.

[meadish_sweetball]

Basically I suppose we are talking about empathy and considering the position of others when we are doing something.

I don't agree that more empathy exists in the West than Asia. I think there is empathy in the West more prevalent in certain sectors of society and in certain people, just the same as Asia. Having empathy with rules, regulations etc. is more strictly enforced, that is for certain. Not the perfect solution as in a perfect world it would be more intrinsic.

The one thing that I find in Thailand is that if you ask anyone to move something, stop doing something etc (within reason) and you ask politely, they are more than likely to oblige whereas results of the same exchange in other parts of the world might not always be so pleasant.

Good points.

[Neeranam]

Whilst driving this morning, my father asked me what the writing said on a car that pulled up next to us - I couldn't believe it - a brand new honda jazz or something with ฝึกหัดขับ wrtten on the back in large letters.

A learner driver vehicle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[The Dan Sai Kid]

They do exist - my wife learned to drive before she sat her driving test.

[andook]

They do exist - my wife learned to drive before she sat her driving test.

Mine too. The lady instructor was recommended to us by a friend. She must have nerves of steel and the patience of Job.

[kiakaha]

I went to the park with the kids this evening and parked the car outside in the spaces meant for cars. On returning, there were about 6 motorcyles parked behind it. It's a hel_l of annoying as I had to move them all myself, and all the wheel locks are on. This has happened heaps of times around the city of Khon Kaen. Tonight, two other bikes came and were going to park in the exact same place I'd just moved one from until I shouted some obscenities at them. It really baffles me. Are they too lazy to walk an extra 5 metres? Are they sefish, or are the plain stupid? Two youths sitting on their bikes nearby didn't even offer to help one farnag and a little girl - too busy looking into their side mirror, plucking the hair from their noses.

The same happened a couple of weeks ago in the hospital. The cars park in the carpark, then other cars, usually pick-ups(I won't go into the IQ of pick up drivers) park long-ways so they have to be moved along to get out. I saw on two occasions they hadn't left any space and the first-in cars were totally stuck. I saw one guy standing outside his car when I went in the hospital and was still there when I returned about 90 minutes later. The car-park attendant(who I blamed) could do anything either.

In the shopping plaza multi-storey car-park, there are cars doble parking on the 3rd floor when there are no cars on the 4th! They'd rather be on the 3rd, even though they take the lift anyway. AND they'll wait at the lift for 1/2 hour if it is busy rather than walk down a flight of stairs, making me think that it could be laziness. Then again, noone could be that lazy, surely?

I stop the car outside 7/11 and another one stops 1 inch behind me then a bike comes along and stops on my front bumper. He looks shocked when I lean on the horn for 10 seconds.

I'm having a bit of a vent, but it is a question I'd like to get an answer to - do Thai people have have no thought for others? Is it the laziness of having to walk a little farther? Do the have a lower IQ than other people? If it is it cultural difference that makes sense, please enlighten me.

My solution was to buy a car and hire a driver for 9,000 baht a month.

I like to think of it as outsourcing my frustration

Great solution but surely whinging about it on the internet might have been more effective? What are you going to do to help all those other frustrated falangs out there? Don't you know that having roughly the same skin tone and perhaps even visa class mean you must help each other out?

I believe I am still the only participant in this thread who has put forward a solution.

I really dont understand people who winge and dont look for solutions to their problems.Relating to that level of psyche completely eludes me.

Maybe its all just a ruse and the childish online spats increase the per pixel advertising revenue of the sites banners

[Levent]

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?

There is a big difference in being racist and being critical of the way people behave. If you think criticising someone for irresponsible behaviour is racist, please look up the word in the dictionary. There are a lot of racists everywhere, in Thailand both Farangs and Thais. Look at how Thais with very dark skin colour are treated by the lighter, upper-class people - that's racism my friend.

I know Thais don't take being criticised easily. That's just the way they've been brought up. But they can't just keep acting selfishly and look the other way. I don't understand how on one side Thais can be so polite and respectful, and at the same time so selfish and ignorant towards others.

At least with many Farangs here, they are either good, compassionate people or jerks who don't care about anything but themselves.

As this thread is about the parking and driving habits of Thais, there are many valid comments as well as less sensible ones. That's the whole purpose of a forum like this, isn't it?

[soundman]

I went to the park with the kids this evening and parked the car outside in the spaces meant for cars. On returning, there were about 6 motorcyles parked behind it. It's a hel_l of annoying as I had to move them all myself, and all the wheel locks are on. This has happened heaps of times around the city of Khon Kaen. Tonight, two other bikes came and were going to park in the exact same place I'd just moved one from until I shouted some obscenities at them. It really baffles me. Are they too lazy to walk an extra 5 metres? Are they sefish, or are the plain stupid? Two youths sitting on their bikes nearby didn't even offer to help one farnag and a little girl - too busy looking into their side mirror, plucking the hair from their noses.

The same happened a couple of weeks ago in the hospital. The cars park in the carpark, then other cars, usually pick-ups(I won't go into the IQ of pick up drivers) park long-ways so they have to be moved along to get out. I saw on two occasions they hadn't left any space and the first-in cars were totally stuck. I saw one guy standing outside his car when I went in the hospital and was still there when I returned about 90 minutes later. The car-park attendant(who I blamed) could do anything either.

In the shopping plaza multi-storey car-park, there are cars doble parking on the 3rd floor when there are no cars on the 4th! They'd rather be on the 3rd, even though they take the lift anyway. AND they'll wait at the lift for 1/2 hour if it is busy rather than walk down a flight of stairs, making me think that it could be laziness. Then again, noone could be that lazy, surely?

I stop the car outside 7/11 and another one stops 1 inch behind me then a bike comes along and stops on my front bumper. He looks shocked when I lean on the horn for 10 seconds.

I'm having a bit of a vent, but it is a question I'd like to get an answer to - do Thai people have have no thought for others? Is it the laziness of having to walk a little farther? Do the have a lower IQ than other people? If it is it cultural difference that makes sense, please enlighten me.

My solution was to buy a car and hire a driver for 9,000 baht a month.

I like to think of it as outsourcing my frustration

Great solution but surely whinging about it on the internet might have been more effective? What are you going to do to help all those other frustrated falangs out there? Don't you know that having roughly the same skin tone and perhaps even visa class mean you must help each other out?

I believe I am still the only participant in this thread who has put forward a solution.

I really dont understand people who winge and dont look for solutions to their problems.Relating to that level of psyche completely eludes me.

Maybe its all just a ruse and the childish online spats increase the per pixel advertising revenue of the sites banners

I do believe I have allready put forward a valid solution. (see previous post by soundman on this thread)

Monkey see monkey do.

Just drive & park thai style. Who's out there to impress by courteous driving etiquette. - NO one. Just do it like a thai of a simalar social ranking.

Cheers,

Soundman.

[chrisspursbkk1]

In the shopping plaza multi-storey car-park, there are cars doble parking on the 3rd floor when there are no cars on the 4th! They'd rather be on the 3rd, even though they take the lift anyway. AND they'll wait at the lift for 1/2 hour if it is busy rather than walk down a flight of stairs, making me think that it could be laziness. Then again, noone could be that lazy, surely?

I stop the car outside 7/11 and another one stops 1 inch behind me then a bike comes along and stops on my front bumper. He looks shocked when I lean on the horn for 10 seconds.

I'm having a bit of a vent, but it is a question I'd like to get an answer to - do Thai people have have no thought for others? Is it the laziness of having to walk a little farther? Do the have a lower IQ than other people? If it is it cultural difference that makes sense, please enlighten me.

Hi i don't know about the IQ, lol, but they are very lazy when it comes to walking that extra 10 meters, i often go to the post office and at the entrace i normally have to sgweeze throgh a half meter gap due to all the bikes and even the post office vans, it makes me think what would happen if there was a fire what with all the cardboard boxs n stuff. Please any one reading this who is not a bad parker please don't be upset by my comments.

[phibunmike]

Like others, I am curious about this and wonder if it is lack of thought, selfishness, or what? It just happened to me last weekend - I parked properly at a small hotel, and had to leave early in the morning. There were two cars parked behind me, not in spaces but directly behind my car, completely blocking me. One had left his handbrake off, but the other had not. I just managed to get out, after pushing one car away, and shunting back and forth quite a lot, but some other cars would have found it impossible. I asked my wife, are they selfish, or did not think, but I can't really find a reason. She seems to think it is ok - "they think nobody want to leave before them". She doesn't even really understand why it annoyed me, so the gulf between the cultures is actually quite huge.

[ozymandious]

Here's a great one I saw the other day At Tesco Lotus in Phuket

Completely straddling 2 stalls when there were plenty available.

PS. if I violate any forum rules by having the plate number shown, let me know and I'll edit it out.

Edited April 2, 2007 by ozymandious

[Neeranam]

Always the same type of vehicle too - these things should be banned, or there should be a compulsory IQ/selfishness test before being allowed to own one.

There must be a link between this type of vehicle, especially the colour and low IQ. The black Vigos too.

There was a Toyota Vigo right up my A*** on my way to work this morning. I was going at 140 km/h, and he was honestly only about 3 feet behind me - bloody idiot.

[DirkGently]

I don't think it's an IQ issue. There was a study done (I think it's called the Bell Curve) and it shows that SE Asians score more than Caucasions. If you look into it there some interesting observations of the people at the bottom end.

My take on it is that Thais simply can not see the effects of their actions. Couple that with the fact they are rarely, if ever, made to face up to problems they cause, you have a recipe for the chaos commented on in this thread.

Let's face it. They may have the trappings of the modern world but their mentality remains under a tree in a field, as all the luxuary has sprung up over the last couple of generations.