Bizarre Experience At Villa Market.

[guzzi850m2]

The only think that's bizarre is that your friend felt the need to inconvenience lots of other people, even though it was his fault that he lost the ticket, and not theirs. He needs to learn to be a bit more considerate in his behavior. He's lucky no-one got out of their cars to sort him out. Bound to happen one day if he's prone to this sort of behavior.

I agree, who wants to shop there anyway, overpriced big time but as I am a dog for expat food, I used to go there and check for good/hard to find offers. Once I wanted to buy a PC magazine there but the free included CD was missing so I told the staff that I will pay 1/2 price and buy the magazine. The manager was called and after a friendly discussing about the missing CD I walked away without the magazine. I tried to explain to her that if you go to a Mercedes-Benz dealer to pick-up you new ride and the doors are missing you want a lower price but it was like talking to a brick wall.

Never been back since.

[ReyBuono]

Did your friend think that the workers who man the booths may have to account for shortfalls in their tickets and pay out of their own pockets?

[lemoncake]

The only think that's bizarre is that your friend felt the need to inconvenience lots of other people, even though it was his fault that he lost the ticket, and not theirs. He needs to learn to be a bit more considerate in his behavior. He's lucky no-one got out of their cars to sort him out. Bound to happen one day if he's prone to this sort of behavior.

I agree, who wants to shop there anyway, overpriced big time but as I am a dog for expat food, I used to go there and check for good/hard to find offers. Once I wanted to buy a PC magazine there but the free included CD was missing so I told the staff that I will pay 1/2 price and buy the magazine. The manager was called and after a friendly discussing about the missing CD I walked away without the magazine. I tried to explain to her that if you go to a Mercedes-Benz dealer to pick-up you new ride and the doors are missing you want a lower price but it was like talking to a brick wall.

Never been back since.

I have to disagree with you there.

Because if you speaking to a brick wall, it makes perfect sense why its not getting through, but when you speaking to a living, breathing person, whats his/her excuse?!

[OMGImInPattaya]

If he would have let you through, for free, how many farangs would be there the next week, pulling off the same stunt? I dont even use that store, but if I found a free inside parking area, I would always use it, even to go lay on the beach!

There is one...and right on the beach for you...it's called Central Festival Beach Mall...I often park there when I while away a day at the beach...and it's completely free

[Locationthailand]

We Farang do act petty at times... One finger pointing forward and three point at those responsible. Next...

[lemoncake]

If he would have let you through, for free, how many farangs would be there the next week, pulling off the same stunt? I dont even use that store, but if I found a free inside parking area, I would always use it, even to go lay on the beach!

There is one...and right on the beach for you...it's called Central Festival Beach Mall...I often park there when I while away a day at the beach...and it's completely free

Are you sure its free? i am pretty sure there is a limit like 2-3 hours, in fact i am certain have limit

[guzzi850m2]

I have to disagree with you there.

Because if you speaking to a brick wall, it makes perfect sense why its not getting through, but when you speaking to a living, breathing person, whats his/her excuse?!

Honestly I can't remember, it's just one of those things you have to accept if you live here and don't get too upset about it, it's not worth it and in the end of the day I can only laugh about it.

[Potosi]

Ripped off by a shitty business, that's ok. It's the rules. If he had to pay 240 Baht in taxes to a government of a country, now that would be outrageous.

[espinoza]

It is frustrating no doubt, BUT do you really think a cashier or guard cares if you come back or not? If you do not come back it is even better for them, less work.

They have this rule and perhaps they need to hand in the tickets, to avoid the hassle of having to explain why 1 ticket is missing, it is only natural to demand the payment for it.

I will say though, 240 baht being such a small amount, that i would not even bother start a debate and more over ask to call the police, because 240 could have easily turned into 24000 .

Also i do not think the loss of 1 customer would make that much different to a supermarket like Villa, especially when they think you just a tourist and your explanations go into one ear and out the other.

240 bath is not a small amount in Thailand. It`s one day salary for this guard.

[Fgis]

The weird one is the one who expect that they will change or adapt their policy for him :-)

Did you just arrive in the country ? You are thinking just like a newbie !

[jimmybkk]

Sorry but your friend is a bit of an arse if you ask me. The only person who did anything wrong in this whole situation is HIM. And 240 Baht as the price to pay for being careless is not so bad.

From what I've read your friend is: a) Careless for losing his ticket; Selfish for holding up the drivers that were queuing behind him instead of parking up and dealing with it in a way that would not inconvenience others; c) Arrogant for thinking himself worthy of some special dispensation based on the bags of groceries on his back seat: d) Stupid for thinking that one tenant of a mall has some kind of control over the car park; e) Blind to the fact that if it was his car that was stolen and the guard told him "I let the guy leave without a ticket because he had groceries from Villa on the back seat" you (on his behalf) would not be on here making noise about how stupid the system is... f) Shortsighted because he's turning his back on a store that he likes enough to spend 300,000 Baht in and which has absolutely nothing to do with the problem he has experienced

It seems to me your friend is shooting himself in the foot over this one...

[Tolley]

No wonder the attitude of many Thais towards foreigners in Pattaya is so poor.

They get paid very little to be abused by people who believe it is their god given right to ignore rules that everyone else has to follow.

The only bizarre thing about this whole episode is that the OP chose to start a thread on it and expect us to side with him. Only in Pattaya........

[nontabury]

I understand that some people would try to take advantage,if they knew it would be possible to try and conn the guard,however it might have been better if this was allowed to happen occasionally,the guard would surely take note, if a person was using this excuse frequently,and then of course,it would be understandable for the company to demand an excess charge.

Wonder how many people who are in agreement with this companies policy, have ever operated a business themselves?. at the end of the day,this company have lost a good customer ,admittedly only one,but they can soon add up.any company who are prepared to lose even one customer over such a trivial amount,instead of allowing a bit of discretion,does not deserve to remain in business.

[canuckamuck]

In what western country can you get away without paying for parking when you lose your ticket?

In Thailand though I would have just slipped the guard a few baht and likely that would be the end of it.

[richard_smith237]

The tickets in these malls and supermarkets serve two purposes...

1) Theft prevention. (theoretically) You cannot leave the car-park without the ticket with your licence number written or printed on it, or proving the car is yours.

2) Prevention of long term parking ensures free spaces for customers.

Only out of shortsightedness would someone fail to recognise the flaw in letting people leave easily without the ticket.

Your friend might perhaps complain if he can never find a space at the car-park because its used by office people etc.

Perhaps the charge for lost tickets ensures people are more careful not to loose their ticket.

It all makes sense to me and this is not one of those Thai idiosyncrasies that appear fundamentally flawed - Your friends logic however does appear fundamentally flawed, he may need to get a grasp on the bigger picture.

[Semper]

In what western country can you get away without paying for parking when you lose your ticket?

In Thailand though I would have just slipped the guard a few baht and likely that would be the end of it.

Well, the guard did ask for some money......

[OMGImInPattaya]

If he would have let you through, for free, how many farangs would be there the next week, pulling off the same stunt? I dont even use that store, but if I found a free inside parking area, I would always use it, even to go lay on the beach!

There is one...and right on the beach for you...it's called Central Festival Beach Mall...I often park there when I while away a day at the beach...and it's completely free

Are you sure its free? i am pretty sure there is a limit like 2-3 hours, in fact i am certain have limit

The mall on Beach Road is still completely free for unlimited time with no validation required...the one in north pattaya on Second Road is 2-3 hours free with validation.

[chris2004]

They acted correctly. It was your friend who lost his ticket, therefore he has to pay the fee. What's the problem. Why should they bend the rules for the friend's mistake.

[Rionoir]

The only Bizarre thing about this is the farang's self-important reaction to the situation. He should be freaking grateful that the fine was only 240 baht... most other places have MUCH higher fees for losing your ticket, and a few shopping bags in the back seat isn't going to get you out of it EVER. Try losing a ticket in Chicago sometime - he would really get his undies in a bundle when he sees the fines there.

[seadoo]

As a shop owner in The Ave the ticket and shop stamp is there to stop people parking their cars all day and heading to the beach or somewhere else and not spending anything at the shops within.

In fact before the shop stamp was enforced many people used to park all day and come back and say they lost their ticket.

Now if the ticket and shop stamp rule was not in place and the car park was full of cars that were parked there for visiting the beach or somewhere else and your friend (come on it's really you isn't it) couldn't get a parking space I guess you would complain about that as well.

What could have been worse for you/your friend is that the security refused to allow you to drive out of the car park until you could prove ownership of the vehicle because you didn't have a ticket with the vehicle's rego on it - they actually have the right to do this if they so choose and if they had elected to do that then that would have been more of an inconvenience.

But maybe because you were a farang they believed and trusted you that were not stealing a car and elected to impose the all day fee instead.

[COXYATCITY]

The silly thing is the fact that these businesses give out a ticket at all.

You drive into Big C or Lotus Tesco Superstore, a guy in a uniform hands you a ticket. When you leave you hand the same ticket to another guy in a uniform. It's nice to be employing two more people, but the purpose of the ticket round-robin escapes me to this day.

Perhaps the entire purpose of the procedure is to occasionally collect the 240 baht fine?

Could it be a security thing for the driver?

On entry you get the ticket and take it with you.

On leaving you hand in the ticket, no ticket, can't leave and if you are stealing the vehicle you are caught?

Not that much security but some?

That is the purpose of them in some car parks. If you don't have a ticket, you have to prove you are the car owner. But if it's a simple fine, then you could just steal a car and happily pay the 240 baht.

true ,my wife lost a card in Big C Pattaya Tai,(blame her as you do lol)she had to prove the car was hers at the office inside the store, but sadly they are not giving out cards anymore ,same as Tesco,, surely the guy at Villa should have only had to show his shopping and receipt with date and time on it,stopped shopping there not long after it opened,way overpriced,as to talking to security guards

[rott]

I think I should write how one visa run company lost me as a customer...

Well go ahead then, write one, don't just talk about it.

[Dameruby]

The Farrang was 100% wrong. No one else!

[DLock]

So, your buddy parks his car at "The Avenue" and flies home. 6 months later he flies back to Thailand, catches a taxi to "The Avenue", buys his shopping to re-stock the fridge, conveniently loses the ticket that showed he owed 47,000baht and then pays 240baht for a lost ticket and enjoyed 6 months secure parking.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

There are a thousand scams in the naked city...this was just one of them.

Tell your buddy he's a dick.

[Jingthing]

In solidarity with the ticketing incident indignity, I plan on staring at the ticketing guy there for at least five seconds with an ambiguous facial expression. It's the least we can do.

[PoodMaiDai]

Rules are rules, and your friend should know better.

The only "rule" is don't get caught doing whatever it is you're doing unless you have the money to pay your way out of it.

[joepattaya1961]

I'd have responded exactly as the OP's friend: furious, frustrated, angry and ........., but as many posters state here: Lose your ticket, you pay the full amount.

[montereyjp]

Why is this even worth posting? Loosing a parking ticket is the same anywhere in the world, loose ticket pay full price. I always make sure i keep my parking tickets secure so i do not have pay full price... And at 240 Thb super cheap compared to more develop countries. In the US it can go as high as 100 USD in the more affluential areas of major cities....

[expatsupreme]

omg another grumpy falang, it is not 2000 bth, only 300 bht, just pay and shut up, and yes the boss will check the sale statements at the end of the year and he will say, OMG WE LOST A FORTUNE BECAUSE THAT GUY IS NOT SHOPPING HERE ANYMORE

Tesco has same quality food, just move there, nobody cares, I never buy here anyways

[Phil Conners]

It may well be that the security guy is held liable by his boss for the payment for each ticket issued. I think the op can not have been in Thailand long time if this surprise him. Besides, as many have already pointed out, this is the same all over the world.