I have been noticing of late a Thai man in a light brown uniform with some Public Servant embellishments on patrol up and along Meaung Jareon Rd. I have seen him on several occasions now righting up tickets and sticking them on the windshield of cars that are illegally parked. I think it is great cuz these cars are holding up traffic big time. But beware as this guy appears to be really enjoying his work. I have not noticed Parking police anywhere else in Chiang Mai or elsewhere in Thailand.

Does anybody know anything more about these 'brown bombers' ? Is it a new thing or have I been driving around blind to thier presence up until now ?

I guess I just want to let you guys know and if there are any other regularly patrolled areas then please advise all.

Not really a new policy but lately I see some good changes on places where Thai bars are located, like Big C Hangdong on the second ring road. The police is more actif that's for sure.

You are driving around blind to their presence!

I regularly see cars and bikes clamped around town, especially on busy roads such as around the moat and Changphuak Road.

The GF always goes on about the time she stopped for 2 mins on Changphuak Road and got her bike clamped, the BIB would not take payment there and then, she then had to take a tuktuk to police station, pay fine, then tuktuk back to her bike and wait for an hour to have the clamp removed!

I get reminded EVERY time we see the policeman who clamped her!

You are driving around blind to their presence!

I regularly see cars and bikes clamped around town, especially on busy roads such as around the moat and Changphuak Road.

The GF always goes on about the time she stopped for 2 mins on Changphuak Road and got her bike clamped, the BIB would not take payment there and then, she then had to take a tuktuk to police station, pay fine, then tuktuk back to her bike and wait for an hour to have the clamp removed!

I get reminded EVERY time we see the policeman who clamped her!

Good for the police for doing their job and count your GF lucky for not being charged with an attempted bribe on top of her illegal parking. There's nothing worse than a driver who parks illegally and holds up lines of traffic. I've even seen a Thai park on a street blocking traffic, jump out of his truck, and go into a business, intentionally leaving traffic snarled. That is irresponsible and selfish.

Parking tickets and clamps are also quite common in Bangkok.

Edited November 15, 201213 yr by TheVicar

You are driving around blind to their presence!

I regularly see cars and bikes clamped around town, especially on busy roads such as around the moat and Changphuak Road.

The GF always goes on about the time she stopped for 2 mins on Changphuak Road and got her bike clamped, the BIB would not take payment there and then, she then had to take a tuktuk to police station, pay fine, then tuktuk back to her bike and wait for an hour to have the clamp removed!

I get reminded EVERY time we see the policeman who clamped her!

Good for the police for doing their job and count your GF lucky for not being charged with an attempted bribe on top of her illegal parking. There's nothing worse than a driver who parks illegally and holds up lines of traffic. I've even seen a Thai park on a street blocking traffic, jump out of his truck, and go into a business, intentionally leaving traffic snarled. That is irresponsible and selfish.

Parking tickets and clamps are also quite common in Bangkok.

Oh please, you are joking!....."count your GF lucky for not being charged with an attempted bribe".......only a few weeks ago down south I was stopped for no reason in my car.......what did he say to me and the GF?

"You need to do something for me".......while the BIB was scratching the back of my driving licence discreetly, but we both know what he meant...after the GF started counting out 20 baht notes in the car and him looking embarrassed (and me giving it the gormless falang 'what have I done?' look) , he eventually waved us on!

Please ignore the OPs statement

"I guess I just want to let you guys know and if there are any other regularly patrolled areas then please advise all. "

Do the right thing and keep your mouth shut. Trafic is bad enough with out illegal parking.

Hmm...been there, done that, and had stopped and parkedmy motorcycle for only a few minutes. The west side of this major thoroughfare (Tops) (market) has very few signs cautioning 'no parking'.

I paid 700Baht a decade ago after a tuktuk ride to the police station which was then further up towards Mae Rim.

Seems the police must be in hiding to respond so quickly while lugging their yellow 'shoe'. Not sure if more signs are up now, but I was parked near the turn-in to the supermarket; the cop pointed out the barely discernable 'no parking' sign well up the road near the market.

Guilty as charged your honor! Live and learn.... BTW, how much was your Thai wife's penalty?

You are driving around blind to their presence!

I regularly see cars and bikes clamped around town, especially on busy roads such as around the moat and Changphuak Road.

The GF always goes on about the time she stopped for 2 mins on Changphuak Road and got her bike clamped, the BIB would not take payment there and then, she then had to take a tuktuk to police station, pay fine, then tuktuk back to her bike and wait for an hour to have the clamp removed!

I get reminded EVERY time we see the policeman who clamped her!

Did you even read my OP ??? I said it was NOT a police officer. It was a parking infringment officer in a different uniform. Some people are unbelievable.

Good for the police for doing their job and count your GF lucky for not being charged with an attempted bribe on top of her illegal parking. There's nothing worse than a driver who parks illegally and holds up lines of traffic. I've even seen a Thai park on a street blocking traffic, jump out of his truck, and go into a business, intentionally leaving traffic snarled. That is irresponsible and selfish.

Parking tickets and clamps are also quite common in Bangkok.

Go Home!

Good for the police for doing their job and count your GF lucky for not being charged with an attempted bribe on top of her illegal parking. There's nothing worse than a driver who parks illegally and holds up lines of traffic. I've even seen a Thai park on a street blocking traffic, jump out of his truck, and go into a business, intentionally leaving traffic snarled. That is irresponsible and selfish.

Parking tickets and clamps are also quite common in Bangkok.

Go Home!

It's obvious why you have no farang neighbors, and likely no Thai ones either.

Vicar, you seriously think the police are going to prosecute someone for trying to give them a back hander? I would love to see the day, but this is Thailand, not the west. It doesn't work like that here. Back handers form part of the police salary, like a commission payment to a salesman back home.

The parking police are all over.

Nearly always the parking restrictions described on the traffic signs are only in Thai, so it's not always clear to people who can't read Thai when it's OK to park. If you own a car, you'll also know how difficult it is to find a legal parking space around the Tha Pae, Charoen Muang and Loi Kro area.

Nearly always the parking restrictions described on the traffic signs are only in Thai, so it's not always clear to people who can't read Thai when it's OK to park. If you own a car, you'll also know how difficult it is to find a legal parking space around the Tha Pae, Charoen Muang and Loi Kro area.

If you live here, you should learn to read Thai.

If you're a tourist, it's unlikely you will have a car to park.

I got the tickets about 4 times in Nimmanhaemin area(which I have to catch songtaew to pay the 400bahts fine near Ping River station) so there's no surprise police are active in some area.

Nearly always the parking restrictions described on the traffic signs are only in Thai, so it's not always clear to people who can't read Thai when it's OK to park. If you own a car, you'll also know how difficult it is to find a legal parking space around the Tha Pae, Charoen Muang and Loi Kro area.

There are more areas where it is difficult to park. problem is drivers don't like to walk a bit or pay 20 baht for a parking lot.

What surprises me is the parking sign with the indication no parking between 15.00 and 18.00 h.

On some roads nobody seems to respond while on other roads (almost) every one does.

Edited November 16, 201213 yr by Joop50

I got the tickets about 4 times in Nimmanhaemin area(which I have to catch songtaew to pay the 400bahts fine near Ping River station) so there's no surprise police are active in some area.

well...that serves you dam_n well right!

you have to be deaf, blind and dumb (haha maybe you are?) in the Nimmen/Huay Khaew area. The BIB; as you are fully aware patrol the area in their personal police tuk tuk, halo-ing a 10 minute warning everywhere to get your car/bike/truck whatever off the road around 4pm prior to rush hour.

so in fairness to them, you have your chance...so take it or suffer the denver boot

Nearly always the parking restrictions described on the traffic signs are only in Thai, so it's not always clear to people who can't read Thai when it's OK to park. If you own a car, you'll also know how difficult it is to find a legal parking space around the Tha Pae, Charoen Muang and Loi Kro area.

If you live here, you should learn to read Thai.

If you're a tourist, it's unlikely you will have a car to park.

Thanks for the advice.

Nearly always the parking restrictions described on the traffic signs are only in Thai, so it's not always clear to people who can't read Thai when it's OK to park. If you own a car, you'll also know how difficult it is to find a legal parking space around the Tha Pae, Charoen Muang and Loi Kro area.

There are more areas where it is difficult to park. problem is drivers don't like to walk a bit or pay 20 baht for a parking lot.

What surprises me is the parking sign with the indication no parking between 15.00 and 18.00 h.

On some roads nobody seems to respond while on other roads (almost) every one does.

A solution many Thais use is a temple car park. There's usually no fee, but I've seen a few recently charging.

we have our new morality police here and he will be handing out fines for unexplained moments of joy and fun

CM is just too busy and has way too many smoke-belching songthaews/tuk-tuks and no metro. It'll only get worse as it continues its insatiable growth, ever more farang are drawn in (along with Koreans/Chinese), and people get richer, hence more vehicles. I think it's time to get out of Dodge, but please don't tell me to go home.

Illegal parking is mercilously enforced, with some understandable and few exceptions: outside 7-11s and markets, for the rich, bureaucrats, tour buses, minivans, army, and students.

I think it's time to get out of Dodge, but please don't tell me to go home.

GO HOME; life in Thailand is about trying to be positive....most farang have had up to the neck with negatives from farangland, ask yourself why are you here, why are we here? life is short........there is a headstone in England up for grabs, engraved on it says "it was good while it lasted"

not condoning that statement for him in hindsight but its one to live by.............

You are driving around blind to their presence!

I regularly see cars and bikes clamped around town, especially on busy roads such as around the moat and Changphuak Road.

The GF always goes on about the time she stopped for 2 mins on Changphuak Road and got her bike clamped, the BIB would not take payment there and then, she then had to take a tuktuk to police station, pay fine, then tuktuk back to her bike and wait for an hour to have the clamp removed!

I get reminded EVERY time we see the policeman who clamped her!

Good for the police for doing their job and count your GF lucky for not being charged with an attempted bribe on top of her illegal parking. There's nothing worse than a driver who parks illegally and holds up lines of traffic. I've even seen a Thai park on a street blocking traffic, jump out of his truck, and go into a business, intentionally leaving traffic snarled. That is irresponsible and selfish.

Parking tickets and clamps are also quite common in Bangkok.

+1 Hope to see more "meter maids" in the future!!!

I think it's time to get out of Dodge, but please don't tell me to go home.

GO HOME; life in Thailand is about trying to be positive....most farang have had up to the neck with negatives from farangland, ask yourself why are you here, why are we here?

Oh dear, Irony is indeed lost on the short of sight.

You are driving around blind to their presence!

I regularly see cars and bikes clamped around town, especially on busy roads such as around the moat and Changphuak Road.

The GF always goes on about the time she stopped for 2 mins on Changphuak Road and got her bike clamped, the BIB would not take payment there and then, she then had to take a tuktuk to police station, pay fine, then tuktuk back to her bike and wait for an hour to have the clamp removed!

I get reminded EVERY time we see the policeman who clamped her!

Did you even read my OP ??? I said it was NOT a police officer. It was a parking infringment officer in a different uniform. Some people are unbelievable.

The guy was probably a "tessagarn". They are municipal employees and usually do low level security duties such as parking enforcement or security at events organised by the municipality or revenue collection due to the municipality . They are in every city and usually bumptious police wannabes.

I think it's time to get out of Dodge, but please don't tell me to go home.

GO HOME; life in Thailand is about trying to be positive....most farang have had up to the neck with negatives from farangland, ask yourself why are you here, why are we here? life is short........there is a headstone in England up for grabs, engraved on it says "it was good while it lasted"

not condoning that statement for him in hindsight but its one to live by.............

I'm sure that was the motto of the dead farang who died in his motorcycle crash (taking someone with him) at the age of 56 when he was drunk/stoned out of his mind and crashed into the Canal barrier. You're a deadbeat. The trouble with deadbeats is they cause trouble (and even death) for others.

Edited November 17, 201213 yr by TheVicar

Let's please stop the tit-for-tat commentary, and keep it on topic, which is parking police in CM....

I don't see the problem with enforcing parking laws. I wish they really did that here more and also on the minivans taxi's and buses. Now they only seem to do that during rush hour. Its actually then one of the few times certain choke point move faster then during the rest of the time.

I really hate all that blocking of roads using lanes that are not for turning left and holding up all the traffic that needs to go straight. A lot could be won (time wise) if things were sorted out.

But it wont happen i know that for sure.

I think it's time to get out of Dodge, but please don't tell me to go home.

GO HOME; life in Thailand is about trying to be positive....most farang have had up to the neck with negatives from farangland, ask yourself why are you here, why are we here? life is short........there is a headstone in England up for grabs, engraved on it says "it was good while it lasted"

not condoning that statement for him in hindsight but its one to live by.............

so were suppossed to wear rose colored glasses? if you can go through life not only saying it, but feeling it, my hat's off to you sir. a worthwhile and impressive achievement! sounds like your on acid.

the rest of us humans need to acknowledge and complain about some of the negatives.