Airport Road Incident

[niller74]

I had a 'fun' experience today with the little guys that control the gates to the airport road.

To those of you that don't know how this works. Every year, around December you apply for a sticker to use this private road. Owned by the Thai military. This road let you take advantage of a nice shortcut.

Today I went through to go to the immigration office and I place my sticker in the front window. As many other people I don't like having all the stickers glued on, since I would end up blind the passenger side completely.

On the way back I am stopped at the checkpoint and they notice that it isn't glued on and ask me to roll down the window. When my passenger rolls down the window the guard grab the sticker and tell me to make a U-turn. I ask him in English, 'what is wrong?', since my Thai is pretty limited. He then in a VERY firm tone say: 'U-TURN', like it is the only English he know. I reluctant make the U-turn and step out of the car to find out what is going on and he just blabbers in Thai, which I tell him that I don't understand. Then he tell me in Thai that he will call someone that speak English. I go back to the car and wait for roughly 30 minutes and my patience is getting to a very low point. I decide to go back to this guy and explain him that I just want my sticker and I will go the other way around. He refuse and continue to explain me all kinds of things in very rapid Thai. At this point my temper is about to explode. I tell him, in Thai, that he talks too much, which he probably think is rude. I then call my Thai girl friend to have her talk to him, which he refuse.

At this point I see no way out and decide to go pick up my lawyer who work very close by. At least this guy can communicate with them.

15 minutes later I am back with my lawyer, who has already told me that there isn't much he can do, cause it is a private area. I have ensured him that all I need it someone that can communicate with this guy so I can clear this misunderstanding, get back my sticker, and go the other way around.

My lawyer, who is way older and more educated than this guy, lowers himself and respectfully try to get the sticker back and all he is being told is that the guard made his decision and refuse to change it, cause I had been impolite.

I would have to wait till December and apply again, was all he could say.

This is the first time I have had this kind of conflict with any Thai official and I must say I have been disgusted.

Anyone else had similar experiences?

[davidgtr]

Sounds a bit like your personal statement "Why make things difficult, when you can make them completely impossible, with a little extra effort" on your bio.

Som nam na springs to mind.

[tigerbeer]

for a minute, i thought the topic referred to an accident this morning at Mahidol Road. Cause a massive traffic jam. Truck carrying crates of coca-cola bottles crashed on its side and completely shut off the access to the bridge going over the Palm Spring mooban U-turn area. probably overloaded the old truck.

[Sledge71]

for a minute, i thought the topic referred to an accident this morning at Mahidol Road. Cause a massive traffic jam. Truck carrying crates of coca-cola bottles crashed on its side and completely shut off the access to the bridge going over the Palm Spring mooban U-turn area. probably overloaded the old truck.

That's much more interesting

[lannarebirth]

If you don't affix the decal to the window it is then possible to move it from vehicle to vehicle. Including other peoples vehicles who never applied for and were granted permission to use this route. If you get another one, please follow the correct procedure and maybe also you should consider going back and apologizing to the guard for your outburst.

Edited July 21, 2008 by lannarebirth

[mcgriffith]

How hard is it to stick the pass in a bottom corner of the windscreen?

One of the deals when you get this pass, is that they clearly state you must affix permanently.

The obvious reason for this is that Mr. X, who was screened to get the pass, can transfer the non-affixed sticker to Mr. Y, or transfer to another vehicle. Even though the pass itself has your full name, vehicle description and license plate number.

You are dealing with a secured military area. The "little guy" as you termed him in a very derogatory manner IMO, was perfectly in his rights.

That is why your lawyer couldn't do diddly squat.

Just count your blessings- had you pushed the issue more aggressively, he would also have been within his rights to detain/arrest you, or use deadly force if needed.

I'd be surprised if you get a pass issued next time around. You broke the rules, on a military site, and I don't think they look too kindly on this.

Som nam na, my friend.....

[Tywais]

Nothing like that happened to me. When I got my new sticker I didn't have time to replace the old one. I put it in my lap figuring there may be an issue. When I approached the gate the guard put his hand up to stop me as I was lowering the window to show him the new sticker. He just looked in the window at me and waved me on.

As for large number of stickers. I have my road tax sticker and the base sticker in the upper left and non-intrusive (two only). My university sticker is in the very lower left so nothing is blocking my view.

[mcgriffith]

Tywais, the difference is you had one sticker (expired) permanently affixed, and a new one, with matching data.

Not the same as the OP...

[Tywais]

Tywais, the difference is you had one sticker (expired) permanently affixed, and a new one, with matching data.

Not the same as the OP...

Sorry mc, I was starting to type what you said but heard the banging sound of som tahm being made and had to turn some fans on.

[sabaijai]

Having used the Wing 41 stickers for seven years now, I can confirm that when you are granted the sticker, you automatically agree to the policy that it be affixed to your windshield for the reason mentioned above.

Let's hope Wing 41 doesn't ban all foreigners now for niller74's behaviour.

[SoloFlyer]

...given a privillage and look what happens. No wonder 'guests' are becoming less accommodated here.

[Steve2UK]

You can imagine the other side of this story when the guard is off duty with his mates.............

"You wouldn't believe what I got today. There I am doing my 4 hours of road security - yep, a lot of fun as we know. Up drives this farang with his sticker not even fixed to his windcreen. So, of course, I get him to stop and wind down his window and I take the sticker and tell him to U-turn. The guy gets hopping mad - like that's going to cut any ice with me. Wait for this - then he gets his girlfriend to come and argue with me. Sure - you can imagine I'm going to change the rules for her........... No, wait - it gets better. The guy drives off and before you know it he's back with............. you're not going to believe this......... his lawyer! If I hadn't been in uniform, I could have died laughing. Some of these farang, eh....... they don't know they're born".

[JuniorExPat]

niller74, are you planning on staying here for long?

JxP

[Blinky Bill]

niller74, please use Mahidol Road when you go to the airport to leave Chiang Mai and make it soon.

[kash]

niller74, are you planning on staying here for long?

JxP

<deleted>?

[Maejo Man]

Having enjoyed this privilege for some twenty years now, I would hate to see this withdrawn because some arrogant foreigner refused to abide by the conditions of issue. It clearly states that you have to affix the sticker to the windscreen of the vehicle that it is issued to. It also tells you your vehicle lighting obligations after dusk, and the perscribed road to use. Quite frankly you deserved all you got,and some.

I would suggest an apology to the MP concerned, and try to loose the arrogance (def:- offensive display of superiority or self-importance). You only have until next February or March to wait for your new sticked, provided they will still issue you with one

Edited July 21, 2008 by Maejo Man

[Rasseru]

Ouch, ouch, ouch.

[Bananaman]

You guys dishing out the "som num naas" and similar sentiments are a litte harsh. We've all fallen foul of jobsworths in this country and I dare say many of us have reacted in a fashion typical of our western standards and upbringing. So niller74 made a mistake and didn't attach the Wing 41 sticker to his window but this security guard could've quite easily just indicated that that was what was required or even peeled the backing off it and done it himself seeing as the passenger window was rolled down. As a foreigner, losing your rag is quite obviously the wrong thing to do in this situation but who can honestly put his/her hand up and say that he's/she's never seen red at the inability of Thai civil servants to think outside the box or exercise a little flexibility? All you posters with your holier-than-thou attitudes need to just remember that there is a lengthy period of adjustment for any expat in this country and during that period many of us make cultural faux pas.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

[gpdjohn]

You guys dishing out the "som num naas" and similar sentiments are a litte harsh. We've all fallen foul of jobsworths in this country and I dare say many of us have reacted in a fashion typical of our western standards and upbringing. So niller74 made a mistake and didn't attach the Wing 41 sticker to his window but this security guard could've quite easily just indicated that that was what was required or even peeled the backing off it and done it himself seeing as the passenger window was rolled down. As a foreigner, losing your rag is quite obviously the wrong thing to do in this situation but who can honestly put his/her hand up and say that he's/she's never seen red at the inability of Thai civil servants to think outside the box or exercise a little flexibility? All you posters with your holier-than-thou attitudes need to just remember that there is a lengthy period of adjustment for any expat in this country and during that period many of us make cultural faux pas.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

That would be me.

I am without sin.

[StevieH]

for a minute, i thought the topic referred to an accident this morning at Mahidol Road. Cause a massive traffic jam. Truck carrying crates of coca-cola bottles crashed on its side and completely shut off the access to the bridge going over the Palm Spring mooban U-turn area. probably overloaded the old truck.

ah, always coca-cola.

[dotcom]

Coke. For those who think young.

[FolkGuitar]

You guys dishing out the "som num naas" and similar sentiments are a litte harsh. We've all fallen foul of jobsworths in this country and I dare say many of us have reacted in a fashion typical of our western standards and upbringing. So niller74 made a mistake and didn't attach the Wing 41 sticker to his window but this security guard could've quite easily just indicated that that was what was required or even peeled the backing off it and done it himself seeing as the passenger window was rolled down. As a foreigner, losing your rag is quite obviously the wrong thing to do in this situation but who can honestly put his/her hand up and say that he's/she's never seen red at the inability of Thai civil servants to think outside the box or exercise a little flexibility? All you posters with your holier-than-thou attitudes need to just remember that there is a lengthy period of adjustment for any expat in this country and during that period many of us make cultural faux pas.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

That would be me.

I am without sin.

Awww.... Mom!!

[Jefferson]

What a .. erm, silly, attitude.

I liked the one-way-ticket-out advice.

[chuang]

...given a privillage and look what happens. No wonder 'guests' are becoming less accommodated here.

When uou give him an inch he expectrs a foot.

[Blinky Bill]

By all appearances it would seem that NILler74 is in the running for the Chiang Mai Turd of the Week Award and could be a finalist for the Annual Award as well.

Without a doubt he must be very proud of his achievement.

[toybits]

I would probably do same thing as the guard-on-duty and send your sorry a_s off the other direction.

You do not cross paths with these kinds of people. Sometimes, you can get your way by going with the flow and not opposing it. This is a difficult lesson for many Westerners. But foreigners that have lived in Asia for a much longer time have come to understand this.

What can your lawyer do to help you? Only you can help yourself in this situation. A lawyer will only make an already messy issue more complicated.

Too bad you lost your pass...

[dotcom]

Which is dumber? The incident with the travel pass or confessing it on TV? LMAO.

If you're looking for sympathy look in a dictionary. ....

[Austeyr]

In other countries, restricted military bases are very serious affairs. You are probably lucky you didnt get shot.

[Thailand]

Could be a new forum topic with the header:

"Things I wish I had not said or posted!" - but then nobody would post in it

[Greenside]

Ho-hum, time for a new alias....