Be Careful Where You Park.

[Wanraya]

On Saturday evening I parked on second road on the part that runs parallel with walking street outside smile beer bar. When I returned an hour later my motorbike was missing as were the three bikes or so that were parked near me.

After asking the beer bar customers what happened they told me that the police had come and taken the bikes away in a pick up.

I went to the police station and was told that I would need to pay 500 baht (200 baht fine + 300 baht tow fee) to retrieve my bike. I asked him why it was taken and he said that it was because I had parked illegally. I told him that there were no yellow/white or red/white road markings where I parked but he would not have it.

I had no choice but to pay up. When I went back to the scene to check on on Sunday it turns out that the police were in the right after all as there are urban clearway signs every fifty metres or so stating that there is nio parking from 12pm-10pm.

I've lived in Pattaya for 4 years and this is the first time I have noticed these signs (have they just been put up?) but they are now on both sides of the road.

Riding past on Sunday evening I saw dozens of bikes parked on this stretch of the road. The police compound in north Pattaya must have had 200 bikes or so impounded. Be careful where you park don't just assume that because there are no red/whit yellow/whit stripes on the kerb and that there are other bikes there it is legal to do so.