On June 25th, according to a notice posted at the gate to Central Plaza (or Central Airport Plaza as most people will continue to call it for as long as the huge sign sits atop the building: so much for re-branding!) the car parking tickets they give out and collect at the gates will become a thing of the past and CPN will join Big C, Tesco and most of the rest of the world in giving up what must have been for most of its life, a completely pointless exercise. Carrefour was the first one to jump ship (maybe due to it's worsening financial performance here in Thailand) and was quickly followed by Big C and Tesco leaving the only openings for the army of out of work ticketers in CM at Central and Makro.

Now, in less than a week it will only leave Makro, who have at least a reasonably sound reason for keeping people on the gates as it's easy to see the possibility of some low life making a break for it in a Vigo loaded down with Pringles and cases of Spy hijacked from the car park.

So is it the economics of employing dozens of basic wage earners that's finally tipped the balance or did some upstart with an MBA (and no relations in the Security Guard business) finally persuade the Board that it was a waste of effort and well past time to let CCTV do the monitoring for stolen cars? If the former, then surely it marks the beginning of the end for the gas station attendants and perhaps a new attitude by the vastly over-manned stores of which Big C is a prime example.

You can't help but feel sorry for the legion of workers who only have a Batchelor degree and whose livelihood is now under threat and I bet that more than a few of us will be pumping our own gas by 2015.

That's some good insight, and good to known about Central Airport.

Just:

> You can't help but feel sorry for the legion of workers who only have a Batchelor degree and

> whose livelihood is now under threat and I bet that more than a few of us will be pumping our own gas by 2015.

I did NOT come to Thailand to pump myself! I think especially in this culture, the demand for full service will remain alive and well.

(Yes, I know there is a self service station near Katam Corner on the outside moat. But It Is Not Worth It! )

"If the former, then surely marks the beginning of the end for the gas station attendants"

Not in a month of Sundays!

Can you see hi-so Lil stepping out of her new Merc to get petrol all over her hands.....shoes.....heaven forbid.....the car?

Having spent many hours pumping gas on the night shift in London (better tips from the taxi drivers) when I was a lad, I'll agree with you there but I think the writing is on the wall - I'll just take longer than it did in the west.

I never did understand the purpose of those laminated cards, does anyone know the reasoning behind it.

And the best one, at the Airport Plaza if you go in on a bike, they scribble your number down on a scrat of paper and then reckon there will be a 100bt fine if you lose it.

I cant say I would stop on the way out to discuss the fine.....it would be revs up for sure

I lost a ticket (well, mislaid it amongst all the garbage that finds its way into the car) on a couple of occasions and they just waved me through.

I never did understand the purpose of those laminated cards, does anyone know the reasoning behind it.

And the best one, at the Airport Plaza if you go in on a bike, they scribble your number down on a scrat of paper and then reckon there will be a 100bt fine if you lose it.

I cant say I would stop on the way out to discuss the fine.....it would be revs up for sure

Once, driving out of Tesco, realised I didn't have my laminated card, so just gave the guard a wave as I kept going. totally threw him. A jaw dropping moment.

They could have kept all the staff going by simply collecting 5bt from every bike and car as they do around the markets and walking streets. So it becomes self financing.

Perhaps they are waiting for a farang to suggest that idea.

I never did understand the purpose of those laminated cards, does anyone know the reasoning behind it.

And the best one, at the Airport Plaza if you go in on a bike, they scribble your number down on a scrat of paper and then reckon there will be a 100bt fine if you lose it.

I cant say I would stop on the way out to discuss the fine.....it would be revs up for sure

It's to discourage theft of bikes.

I did NOT come to Thailand to pump myself! I think especially in this culture, the demand for full service will remain alive and well.

(Yes, I know there is a self service station near Katam Corner on the outside moat. But It Is Not Worth It! )

Ummmm, careful now, some of Chiang Mai's Gas stations of old are famous for the "full service" available in the washroom. No need to pump yourself for sure

Don't you hate it when you read a post, decide to reply, read the other comments then forget what it is you were going to write, even after reading the OP again!

Grrrr

Don't you hate it when you read a post, decide to reply, read the other comments then forget what it is you were going to write, even after reading the OP again!

Grrrr

Just one of the benefits of old age.

And alcohol.

Don't you hate it when you read a post, decide to reply, read the other comments then forget what it is you were going to write, even after reading the OP again!

Grrrr

Just one of the benefits of old age.

Or when you jump in to comment on post 3 then realise someone made the same pointor joke in post 4

Don't you hate it when you read a post, decide to reply, read the other comments then forget what it is you were going to write, even after reading the OP again!

Grrrr

Just one of the benefits of old age.

I forgot about that...

Oh, I just remembered something: Which shopping centre should drop the word Central from its name? Central Kad Suan Kaew or Central (Airport) Plaza? Songtheaw drivers generally like to know which one the uni-lingual falang wants to go to.

Regardless of what the marketing peeps at Central Group come up with, they are called Central ("Centrán"), and Airport Plaza.

Or go with Centran Kad Suan Kaew if you must, but Furlongs can't pronounce that.

With luck hopefully this will extend to the rest of the army of car park dwellers who add to the confusion of parking a car by blowing whistles and waving hands in a totally unnecessary fashion.

For those who have bikes, is that section now unsecured too?

I don't think it says anything about the car parks not being patrolled or the bike part not being guarded, it just says no more tickets. You will probably see the usual number of people wandering about waving their arms around in a random fashion (although many of these are just shoppers who have lost their silver Vigo or Honda City amongst the mass of identical models).

CPN are rigid in their control on printed material and ads - it can only be billed as "Central Plaza, Chiang Mai Airport". This would take years of re-enforcement, even if they removed the huge sign that says "Central Airport Plaza" from the top of the building. The penalty for getting this wrong in your ad is being shackled to one of the loudspeakers during a Slim Up promotion, or so I'm told.

Can,t wait for Promenada Mall to open this year. Right near my home and my Thai wife is going to open a coffee shop there with 100% organic coffee from Doi Inthanon. Has nothing to do with Central and Dutch partnership. That beibng said a new Central Paradise Mall will open next year at the intersection of the super highway and road to Mae Rim.

Sorry Airport Plaza, to crowded and no parking when they have an event.

Cheers,

Randy

Sorry Airport Plaza, to crowded and no parking when they have an event.

It's so bad my wife doesn't like to go there even though it means a chance to shop.

I have never in my entire life pumped gas...lol. Never.

Did screw the cap back on my bike once.

I have never in my entire life pumped gas...lol. Never.

Did screw the cap back on my bike once.

Bet you hate having to get off your bike.

Regardless of what the marketing peeps at Central Group come up with, they are called Central ("Centrán"), and Airport Plaza.

Or go with Centran Kad Suan Kaew if you must, but Furlongs can't pronounce that.

My fur is not long (see avatar). Does this mean that the locals would understand my pronunciation?

I have never in my entire life pumped gas...lol. Never.

Did screw the cap back on my bike once.

Bet you hate having to get off your bike.

Butt is near permanently welded!

I have never in my entire life pumped gas...lol. Never.

Did screw the cap back on my bike once.

Bet you hate having to get off your bike.

Butt is near permanently welded!

Er...to the bike i mean, not together.

Just for added clarification.

Ooops..

HAHAHA!!!

Butt is near permanently welded!

Er...to the bike i mean, not together.

Just for added clarification.

Ooops..

HAHAHA!!!

Aaaaah Eek, you must have read my mind .... Glad you made that clarification.

Its is a true shame for all those in their second and third years at university studying for the 'handing out and collecting tickets' degree.

Those still in their first year should hopefully be able to make the switch to the 'collecting shopping trollies' course without too much extra tuition.

"If the former, then surely marks the beginning of the end for the gas station attendants"

Not in a month of Sundays!

Can you see hi-so Lil stepping out of her new Merc to get petrol all over her hands.....shoes.....heaven forbid.....the car?

No she'll get her "boy" to do it for her!!!

But yeah I can see that happening - getting petrol all over the place that is.