Does Your Neighbour Leave His/her Car Blocking The Main Entrance Of Your House?

[Ijustwannateach]

The other thing to keep in mind is:

1. You will generally be better educated and more aware of the future consequences of actions than the type of Thai who would be so inconsiderate and stupid;

2. You will generally have a lot more to lose than that same type of Thai.

Either way, even if you make that type of Thai person 'lose' you will stand to lose just as much or more. Even if it doesn't exactly feed your ego, better not to let it become a lose-lose situation. It isn't worth it.

[caf]

I live in a moo ban and experience the same problem, rather consistently. I have never found a solution, but I have managed to minimize the problem. First, always smile and always act unperturbed. They are your neighbors and they can make your life a living nightmare if they chose--and they won't do alone, they'll get everyone to join in on the fun. The offending party is usually not too far away and the wait to get the car moved is usually not too long.

For me it's a pet peeve and I smile while cussing under my breath. Once inside I rant, rave and swear at the dog. I also make sure that I make it quite inconvenient for them at times. I go to work very early and I love getting them up at 5:00 to move their car the 2 metres forward so I can get out of the driveway. I also enjoy waiting until I see their lights go off to ring the bell and ask them to move it from in front of my house. We have two vehicles. One goes in the driveway and one on the street in front of the house.

If the neighbors are having a party (or house blessing), I make sure and park my vehicle at the end of the soi and tell them to park in both the driveway and in front of my house. I am not being kind, but I can tell you they will get the whole road blocked so that you will be an hour trying to get out--if at all. If I want to go somewhere, my vehicle is free and clear.

It's a pain, it's frustrating, but they are the neighbors, this is Thailand and I just want a reasonably easy life.

Good luck to you.

Do you really think playing games like that is the answer?

"I also enjoy waiting until I see their lights go off to ring the bell and ask them to move it from in front of my house."

[caf]

The other thing to keep in mind is:

1. You will generally be better educated and more aware of the future consequences of actions than the type of Thai who would be so inconsiderate and stupid;

2. You will generally have a lot more to lose than that same type of Thai.

Either way, even if you make that type of Thai person 'lose' you will stand to lose just as much or more. Even if it doesn't exactly feed your ego, better not to let it become a lose-lose situation. It isn't worth it.

If I read you right you are sort of saying - don't stoop to their level.

If that is right I agree. It's silly to play childish games such as making it awkward for them.

[reboi]

It happens, sometimes when I come home there is a car blocking the road somehow, during the day I leave my car parked behind there's but at night I do ring there bell as I will not leave my car on the street. This only happens a couple of times a year though so not a big deal.

Check out my thread tittled idiots living oposite me. You may learn something! Lol

Yes, wait until the grannies start moving pots into your parking space, then PM onnut, he'll set you straight.

A mate of mine had a problem with this back in Oz, he warned the neighbour several times before hooking a drag chain up to the back of his landcruiser and dragging the offending car down the road about 40 yards.....strangely then never did it again & you could always hear them approaching with their squared off tyres......maybe try that method

Strangely enough this happened to me when I lived in Bondi, a female parked her Volvo right across my driveway.

She only did it once!

I am ashamed (LOL) of my farang aggression.

[submaniac]

The thing is, after two hours, I let half of the air out of two of their tires.

I admire your actions. I have done the same thing before.

[way2muchcoffee]

The thing is, after two hours, I let half of the air out of two of their tires.

I admire your actions. I have done the same thing before.

And if you were caught doing this to the wrong car you would be in jail, the hospital, or the bonfire at the local temple.

[neverdie]

In my condo, there are plenty of parking spots. But one guy with a huge pick-up refuses to park only 15 meters away in the main parking area and always parks in the smaller area directly in front of the condo entrance. These spots are usually taken first, so he ends up parking in the middle of the lane, blocking the parked cars on both sides of lane from getting out. On more than one occasion, I have had to help women move his beast out of the way as it is too heavy for many people to move. And I know he has had notes left on his windshield twice, but he refuses to walk the 15 meters from the open parking spots. THai culture or not, this is plain wrong, in my humble opinion, and I know this view is shared by at least three Thais, so maybe it is not really "Thai culture" but mere bad manners.

The only time I ever did anything in a like situation, though, was in Jomtien at the King's Cup jetski tournament. I parked in a small pay lot. Another couple came in and parked, blocking me, but leaving their parking brake engaged. I went to leave, but there was no way I could possible get out. I told the attendant, but he could do nothing. After an hour, I even told the police, but they pretty much ignored me. Finally, after two-and-a-half hours, the couple came back. My date told the we had been waiting for all that time to leave, and neither one even acknowledged us. The thing is, after two hours, I let half of the air out of two of their tires. Neither of them noticed it as they crept out of the lot, with us following them as we were heading in the same direction, but as we picked up speed on the main drag, they stopped and looked out at the tires, then pulled over. I merely smiled at them as we passed.

Call me petty, but I think my actions were justifiable (and were perhaps the only time in my life I have ever done anything like that.)

Great Story and good on you.

On my keyring I have a valve remover, carried this around for years, actually a very long time, its amazingly quick to remove four tyre valves and send all four tyres completely flat within seconds, even worse for them if they get someone along with a portable compressor to blow the tyres back up, they wont hold air until the valves are replaced.......perfect for those situations . You have alot more patience than me, I would of had that car moved within the first 10 minutes & for those who flame me about not understanding thai culture, give me a break, thats not part of any culture except the culture of selfishness & utter contempt for people around you.

[neverdie]

I live in a moo ban and experience the same problem, rather consistently. I have never found a solution, but I have managed to minimize the problem. First, always smile and always act unperturbed. They are your neighbors and they can make your life a living nightmare if they chose--and they won't do alone, they'll get everyone to join in on the fun. The offending party is usually not too far away and the wait to get the car moved is usually not too long.

For me it's a pet peeve and I smile while cussing under my breath. Once inside I rant, rave and swear at the dog. I also make sure that I make it quite inconvenient for them at times. I go to work very early and I love getting them up at 5:00 to move their car the 2 metres forward so I can get out of the driveway. I also enjoy waiting until I see their lights go off to ring the bell and ask them to move it from in front of my house. We have two vehicles. One goes in the driveway and one on the street in front of the house.

If the neighbors are having a party (or house blessing), I make sure and park my vehicle at the end of the soi and tell them to park in both the driveway and in front of my house. I am not being kind, but I can tell you they will get the whole road blocked so that you will be an hour trying to get out--if at all. If I want to go somewhere, my vehicle is free and clear.

It's a pain, it's frustrating, but they are the neighbors, this is Thailand and I just want a reasonably easy life.

Good luck to you.

Fair call Scott, you seem to have it all under control, those who critise you obviously have constantly experienced this sort of nonesense.

Its a pity the Thais dont realise theres a whole industry of money making to be had with vehicle tows, if callers in the city could ring a number, illegally parked vehicles could be towed to an impounding yard & have to pay tow & storage fees to get their vehicles back.......it would certainly go a long way to tidying these matters up, its not hard to have consideration for other people & its only fair to do so.

[Heng]

Its a pity the Thais dont realise theres a whole industry of money making to be had with vehicle tows, if callers in the city could ring a number, illegally parked vehicles could be towed to an impounding yard & have to pay tow & storage fees to get their vehicles back.......it would certainly go a long way to tidying these matters up, its not hard to have consideration for other people & its only fair to do so.

Plenty of tow companies around, but only for folks who are calling for roadside assistance.

The issue with random towing of strangers is that the only folks who could ever get it to work would be the police. But then, how to sort the commoner market from the people who matter? When they pull over folks who are beyond police taxation at the present, when that mistake is realized, a quick salute and wave off is easy. That's not as practical when you've towed someone's car 10 km's away to a central lot, stranding them wherever they had parked, and finally having them show up really pissed off a few hours later. Also not worth having your drivers getting popped with folks with their own 'valve removers' in the .38, 9 mm, etc. caliber. Yeah, bad press.

[MrHammer]

Its a pity the Thais dont realise theres a whole industry of money making to be had with vehicle tows, if callers in the city could ring a number, illegally parked vehicles could be towed to an impounding yard & have to pay tow & storage fees to get their vehicles back.......it would certainly go a long way to tidying these matters up, its not hard to have consideration for other people & its only fair to do so.

Plenty of tow companies around, but only for folks who are calling for roadside assistance.

The issue with random towing of strangers is that the only folks who could ever get it to work would be the police. But then, how to sort the commoner market from the people who matter? When they pull over folks who are beyond police taxation at the present, when that mistake is realized, a quick salute and wave off is easy. That's not as practical when you've towed someone's car 10 km's away to a central lot, stranding them wherever they had parked, and finally having them show up really pissed off a few hours later. Also not worth having your drivers getting popped with folks with their own 'valve removers' in the .38, 9 mm, etc. caliber. Yeah, bad press.

For a minute there I thought Heng was quoting a passage from 'the Godfather'.

[wamberal]

The basic problem is that the OP does not realise that he has a totally different way of thinking to his Thai neighbour. Lighten up, my friend - you are in a totally different culture. Your Thai neighbour parks his car in a place that is easy for him. It doesn't occur to him that this affects you. And it doesn't really, does it? You can always get him to move away when you need access. So what's the big deal?

Either get to know your neighbour well enough to have a philosophical discussion with him, in which you try to explain western concepts of property rights, and so on, and talk him into seeing things your way, or go to live in a country where people think exactly like you.

The OP is not a farang.

So he is probably even further behind the 8 ball.

[CDNinKS]

I have a similar problem.

My neighbor has been doing renovations to his house for the last 6 months and has piled everything from building materials to sand and gravel on the soi directly opposite my gate. The soi is very narrow (as they all are) and it was impossible to reverse out of the drive many times, but I was always polite about it.

One day they parked their truck very near the gate and as I was backing out with my truck (large bumper) I honestly did not see their truck and backed into it. I apologized and called the insurance company who came and assessed the damage and gave them a claim form to have their truck repaired (minor damage). That was 4 months ago and they never got it repaired, too much hassle I guess, but the upside......they never parked anywhere NEAR my gate again.

[yabaaaa]

Why dont you all lie down and let me walk all over you??? seems most want this judging by the replies, dont worry when one of your family needs the hospital in an emergency you wont mind the 15 minute wait whislt your neighbour moves his car will you?

You can always explain at the funeral" oh well he died as Mr Somchai couldnt get off his idle fat arse to park his car in a better place" Face facts a lot of Thais are idle just like a lot of westerners, except here they have more of a monopoly on it.

[sendbaht]

I can tell you what I wouldn't do. I would neither yell at them nor threaten to damage their property.

I live in a moo baan as well. Parking is limited and occasionally we are blocked into our carport. When this happens I open the gate and start the truck. This usually catches the attention of the car owner and they come out and move the vehicle. I thank them. If the neighbors don't notice, I will ring the bell. When they come to the door they can see what's required and they come out and move the vehicle immediately. I thank them and go about my business.

If you'll allow me to reverse the adage: 'good neighbors make good fences'. They do this by keeping a watchful eye on the neighborhood and providing additional security for our home and property inside the moo baan. It is important to be on good terms with neighbors. I realize that sometimes this is impossible, but I also believe that every effort should be made.

Way2muchcoffee, I love your post, it put a smile on my face. Anyone who parks in front of your carport and you get them to move and thank them to boot...well...that's love man, that's love.

Plus, one of my best internet friends is on this board and recently she and I shared this.

If you have to choose between being right and been kind always pick kind. You Khun 2MC live this it seems. Nice!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

the internet lets people be different people on a day to day basis. maybe today he is a girl, 20 years old, Thai knockout. tomorrow he is back to himself, farang, senile, 150 stone, etc.

Well ...... guess who is back.

[phil2]

I can tell you what I wouldn't do. I would neither yell at them nor threaten to damage their property.

I live in a moo baan as well. Parking is limited and occasionally we are blocked into our carport. When this happens I open the gate and start the truck. This usually catches the attention of the car owner and they come out and move the vehicle. I thank them. If the neighbors don't notice, I will ring the bell. When they come to the door they can see what's required and they come out and move the vehicle immediately. I thank them and go about my business.

If you'll allow me to reverse the adage: 'good neighbors make good fences'. They do this by keeping a watchful eye on the neighborhood and providing additional security for our home and property inside the moo baan. It is important to be on good terms with neighbors. I realize that sometimes this is impossible, but I also believe that every effort should be made.

Your neighbor is pretty decent. Mine isn't, I use to be very polite to them in the beginning. I spoke to them gently about the problem of leaving their vehicles blocking my entrance, but again and again they seem to ignore my problem but park their cars infront of my house for their own convenience. They have an open parking space in front of their house so why don't they leave them at their own space? It made me blood boil. I am sure you will do the same like I did if your neighbor is neglect even if they knew of your inconvenience of getting in and out of your own house.

I know exactly how you feel. My neighbors, the customers of the factories, and food stall at the moobaan I live all do the same. Before I bought my car, it was usually impossible for my wife to get the motorbike out of the house, but my neighbors stopped as soon as they saw me with a car except the customers of the factories and the food stall. Two days after I bought my car, when I got home there was a guy who usually parks his pickup in front of my house just arriving before me, so I got out of the car and asked to move, and since then he just parks like one or two meters from my gate so I can squeeze my car between his and the guys house atrer mine ( the guy built a pavement in front of his house so no one can park there). But last week, there's this guy in the other soi who comes to eat at the food stall blocking my path when I arrived from work, and the food seller asked him to move his car, but he refused. I just parked in the middle of the road and went inside the house. It's really annoying, but it's better to ignore people who just want reasons to label you bad.

[Scott]

Caf, you seem to think I am playing a game with my neighbors. Well, I am not. When they turn the lights out, then I can be assured that they aren't planning on moving their car before they go to bed, so that seems like a good time to have them move it. I can assure you that when I get up in the morning, very early, they aren't very pleased to be moving it.

The inconvenience seems to work well, especially with people who are lazy.

I live with a Thai person and the thing that is interesting is that his parking area is NEVER blocked. Mine isn't blocked often, but mine will be blocked long before anyone else in the neighborhood is inconvenienced in the slightest.

I would be very careful about even thinking of having a car towed. I am not sure that parking in someone's space is really illegal in a moo bahn.

[Heng]

Its a pity the Thais dont realise theres a whole industry of money making to be had with vehicle tows, if callers in the city could ring a number, illegally parked vehicles could be towed to an impounding yard & have to pay tow & storage fees to get their vehicles back.......it would certainly go a long way to tidying these matters up, its not hard to have consideration for other people & its only fair to do so.

Plenty of tow companies around, but only for folks who are calling for roadside assistance.

The issue with random towing of strangers is that the only folks who could ever get it to work would be the police. But then, how to sort the commoner market from the people who matter? When they pull over folks who are beyond police taxation at the present, when that mistake is realized, a quick salute and wave off is easy. That's not as practical when you've towed someone's car 10 km's away to a central lot, stranding them wherever they had parked, and finally having them show up really pissed off a few hours later. Also not worth having your drivers getting popped with folks with their own 'valve removers' in the .38, 9 mm, etc. caliber. Yeah, bad press.

For a minute there I thought Heng was quoting a passage from 'the Godfather'.

Yeah, that's from Godfather IV, the Retirement.

"Just when I thought I could go to Vientiane, they make me get a re-entry permit."

[Heng]

I am not sure that parking in someone's space is really illegal in a moo bahn.

Why would it be illegal, unless your chanote extends out into the street?

[khundon]

Kensingto

You have a choice as I see it, chill out or learn to use a paint sprayer, cause if you scratch their car, they will total yours.

[caf]

Kensingto

You have a choice as I see it, chill out or learn to use a paint sprayer, cause if you scratch their car, they will total yours.

Or respray yours

[onnut]

It is really annoying when there is a car blocking the driveway, it really makes me work up a sweat but I am getting much better at controlling my temper and now I just park my car as close to there's as possible when I get home and go in the house. They move there car over then normally, I never understand why they don't do it in the first place. There is a guy with a fortuner that normally parks in the middle of the road right in the way.

So far I have not been blocked in yet but I guess it will happen sooner or later. And when it does I will do my best to smile and ask them to move as I need to leave.

Tit I guess. I would love to let the air out of there tyres but they would k ow it's me or blame me anyway because I'm foreign.

[toptuan]

I live in a moo ban and experience the same problem, rather consistently. I have never found a solution, but I have managed to minimize the problem. First, always smile and always act unperturbed. They are your neighbors and they can make your life a living nightmare if they chose--and they won't do alone, they'll get everyone to join in on the fun. The offending party is usually not too far away and the wait to get the car moved is usually not too long.

For me it's a pet peeve and I smile while cussing under my breath. Once inside I rant, rave and swear at the dog. I also make sure that I make it quite inconvenient for them at times. I go to work very early and I love getting them up at 5:00 to move their car the 2 metres forward so I can get out of the driveway. I also enjoy waiting until I see their lights go off to ring the bell and ask them to move it from in front of my house. We have two vehicles. One goes in the driveway and one on the street in front of the house.

If the neighbors are having a party (or house blessing), I make sure and park my vehicle at the end of the soi and tell them to park in both the driveway and in front of my house. I am not being kind, but I can tell you they will get the whole road blocked so that you will be an hour trying to get out--if at all. If I want to go somewhere, my vehicle is free and clear.

It's a pain, it's frustrating, but they are the neighbors, this is Thailand and I just want a reasonably easy life.

Good luck to you.

Do you really think playing games like that is the answer?

"I also enjoy waiting until I see their lights go off to ring the bell and ask them to move it from in front of my house."

Scott's not playing games. He's indirectly communicating the way the Thais do it. Very effective and no one loses face. You should take some cues from his advice.

[andyc2006]

I live in a moo ban and experience the same problem, rather consistently. I have never found a solution, but I have managed to minimize the problem. First, always smile and always act unperturbed. They are your neighbors and they can make your life a living nightmare if they chose--and they won't do alone, they'll get everyone to join in on the fun.

...

For me it's a pet peeve and I smile while cussing under my breath. Once inside I rant, rave and swear at the dog. I also make sure that I make it quite inconvenient for them at times. I go to work very early and I love getting them up at 5:00 to move their car the 2 metres forward so I can get out of the driveway. I also enjoy waiting until I see their lights go off to ring the bell and ask them to move it from in front of my house.

...

It's a pain, it's frustrating, but they are the neighbors, this is Thailand and I just want a reasonably easy life.

Do you really think playing games like that is the answer?

"I also enjoy waiting until I see their lights go off to ring the bell and ask them to move it from in front of my house."

That depends on the question.

If you're resigned to tolerating another person's inconsiderate behavior, because there's no practical way for you to stop said behavior in a given situation, and the question is, "given that you must live with this annoying behavior, how can you mitigate your frustration and have some satisfaction?" then yes, clearly the person thinks that's the answer.

For me, the answer was "move back to Farangland," which I did yesterday, because those games wouldn't have been enough for me and eventually I would've escalated the "war," and as we all know, eventually I would've lost.

Now I'm in California, where it's cold and the food sucks, but if somebody f*ks with my life like the neighbor in this story, I WILL find a way to end the undesired behavior. Such are the balances & choices in life...

[caf]

I live in a moo ban and experience the same problem, rather consistently. I have never found a solution, but I have managed to minimize the problem. First, always smile and always act unperturbed. They are your neighbors and they can make your life a living nightmare if they chose--and they won't do alone, they'll get everyone to join in on the fun. The offending party is usually not too far away and the wait to get the car moved is usually not too long.

For me it's a pet peeve and I smile while cussing under my breath. Once inside I rant, rave and swear at the dog. I also make sure that I make it quite inconvenient for them at times. I go to work very early and I love getting them up at 5:00 to move their car the 2 metres forward so I can get out of the driveway. I also enjoy waiting until I see their lights go off to ring the bell and ask them to move it from in front of my house. We have two vehicles. One goes in the driveway and one on the street in front of the house.

If the neighbors are having a party (or house blessing), I make sure and park my vehicle at the end of the soi and tell them to park in both the driveway and in front of my house. I am not being kind, but I can tell you they will get the whole road blocked so that you will be an hour trying to get out--if at all. If I want to go somewhere, my vehicle is free and clear.

It's a pain, it's frustrating, but they are the neighbors, this is Thailand and I just want a reasonably easy life.

Good luck to you.

Do you really think playing games like that is the answer?

"I also enjoy waiting until I see their lights go off to ring the bell and ask them to move it from in front of my house."

Scott's not playing games. He's indirectly communicating the way the Thais do it. Very effective and no one loses face. You should take some cues from his advice.

I won't be taking that advice "

"I also enjoy waiting until I see their lights go off to ring the bell "

My neighbours are reasonable. I am reasonable. I see no point in causing conflict and I am sure they don't either. We just get on well together. Maybe I am lucky to live amongst decent folk. But the memoent I start to enjoy inconveniencing people it would be time to take stock I think.

Just my view. It's not my business what others do but as I say that is one bit of advice I will not be taking.

No disrespect to you or Scott, whose post I find quite untypical of him.

[onnut]

Everybody handles things in different ways, some let air out of tyres, some wait until the lights are off before ringing the bell, some sit there and do nothing, absolutly nothing. Others shout and moan and some scratch cars! Such is life, we can't all do the same thing, it would be too boring.

[Scott]

My goal is simple, it's to get people not to block the driveway. It was a problem that didn't solve itself. I don't wait until they are fast asleep. I wait for the lights to go out because it's clear they aren't going to move it that night. I leave quite early in the morning and they aren't up. The morning is just to rushed to mess around with them.

I don't 'enjoy' any of it--it's a hassle and it's uncomfortable. When I would ask them to move it shortly after parking, I got snide remarks when I didn't immediately drive away. Most of my neighbors are nice people and we have plenty of room for parking unless someone has guests and that's a whole different thing because it's not too hard to get people to move their car as they are all around.

I try to be as helpful to my neighbors as I can be. I am the only one in the neighborhood with jumper cables and I am always willing to jump cars, give them a ride if it's raining (or not--at least I ask). I saw a neighbor on a major road not too far away with his car broken down. I stopped to help. Most of them are at least thankful. I have only two requests--don't park and block me in or out, without permission and don't, as a neighbor who was doing construction, put your building supplies where I park.

I would never hurt their car, their property or anything like that--but inconvenience them, yes.

[ffm]

Moobans tend to have very little parking space. So if you want to avoid the hassle of parking space realted conflict with neighbours, just dont move in there. Find a home with its own parking space and direct access from public roads, then you will be fine. If you want community - and yes, a mooban is some sort of that - you need to make concessions. At least sometimes.

[Heng]

Sometimes that kind of easy access parking can come with security issues (that can be dealt with but may require more vigilance). But like all things, one's mileage will vary.

[wamberal]

Surely there enough big things in life to worry about, without spending time, energy, and resources worrying about car parking. Worry less, you will live longer.