Mee Chok Plaza

[TheScribe]

Some works going on in Mee Chok Plaza behind Rimping. It's taken out a lot of parking, now almost impossible to find a place. Ever more development and less and less parking seems like a ripoff for existing tenants and customers.

Anyone know what's going on there?

Edited May 31, 2013 by TheScribe

[Dante99]

They are putting in a multi-level parking structure.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Park at Rum Chok (behind Mee Chok), plenty of parking there.

or wait one month then

Park at the new Tesco Superstore across the road, acres of parking there.

[shepsel]

Parking at Romchock is a viable option, but remember Monday and Tuesday evenings the entrance near Meechock is blocked because of the night market taking place on those evenings.

Meechock Plaza was poorly designed for entering and exiting as well as parking. I hope the same architect has not been hired for designing the entrances and exits and parking facilities at the Promenada, Central Festival, or Maya complexes.

[Greenside]

I wouldn't think an architect had any input into the traffic arrangements for Maya. Let's see:

• Enter from the Superhighway LH lane 25m from the most consistently clogged up junction in the city.
• Enter from the LH turn lane in Huay Kaew Rd and any slowdown will force cars wanting to actually get onto the Superhighway to try to move into the two right hand lanes somewhere up around the market.
• Exit onto HK Rd into an almost permanent line of traffic waiting at the lights - no right turn of course. Some people will surely try to get across both lanes to turn into Nimmenhamen. Good luck with that...
• Exit onto the Superhighway - not only is the traffic almost continuous during three phases of the lights but anyone heading into town, Nimmenhamen, or up to CMU and Canal Road will have to U-turn, either at the first gap (illegal and there's no pull in) or down at the first set of lights past the GrandView which is another busy junction with only room for 8 cars before the RH lane of the highway becomes blocked.
• Cars wanting to U-Turn legally in the gap opposite the GrandView which now often have to wait through three phases of the lights at Rincam will now have virtually no opportunity to do so when traffic from Maya is leaving because they will all go like hell to get out before they have to wait for another 6 minutes as well.

Maybe I'm missing something and time will tell but it looks like a recipe for disaster, traffic wise. Also, there's talk of the Think Park site being re-developed as a condo which can only make matters worse. Anyone figured out how (should they ever attract a major international size event) traffic from the New Convention Centre will make it to the downtown hotels and restaurants all hoping to get fat on the business? Thought not...

Edited May 31, 2013 by Greenside

[elektrified]

Parking at Romchock is a viable option, but remember Monday and Tuesday evenings the entrance near Meechock is blocked because of the night market taking place on those evenings.

Meechock Plaza was poorly designed for entering and exiting as well as parking. I hope the same architect has not been hired for designing the entrances and exits and parking facilities at the Promenada, Central Festival, or Maya complexes.

Only one entrance is blocked on Monday and Tuesday. There are 2 entrances.

[cjars]

Saw a thai sign saying chatuchak market was opening opposite rim ping, but the place looks more like a makro than an indoor market. Perhaps mistaken ?

[elektrified]

Parking at Romchock is a viable option, but remember Monday and Tuesday evenings the entrance near Meechock is blocked because of the night market taking place on those evenings.

Meechock Plaza was poorly designed for entering and exiting as well as parking. I hope the same architect has not been hired for designing the entrances and exits and parking facilities at the Promenada, Central Festival, or Maya complexes.

If you think it is difficult to enter, park and exit at Meechok now, wait until the Tesco across the street opens! The queue of cars waiting to U-turn to get into the parking lot of Tesco will be out towards the intersection. It will be a complete nightmare. Many people will probably park at Meechok and walk over rather than attempt to queue up to make the U-turn. Great planning.

Edited May 31, 2013 by elektrified

[elektrified]

Saw a thai sign saying chatuchak market was opening opposite rim ping, but the place looks more like a makro than an indoor market. Perhaps mistaken ?

That plan was scrapped about 18 months ago. Tesco is going in.

[brommers]

I posted a week ago that a five storey parkade - south African word - is bring constructed. This will take at least three months.

It is impossible to find parking after 10am meaning I cannot buy my much needed booze along with the groceries. Using parking at the market behind Meechok Plaza is not practical with a full trolley and so I have reluctantly switched to another branch.

The mini Rimping at JJ Market is fine for the occasional top up but not for a monthly full blown monthly one.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[masuk]

Save a lot of hassle and it's 15 minutes to Makro at Mae Rim, or other Makros around town. I shop there mainly because of the problems already discussed with parking at Mae Cho. If I want alcohol free shopping, then I go at 0830 and put up with the chanting over the Rimping PA system. Later they have rather pleasant classical music.

Parking at the back of the market next door is OK, and food inside is very cheap.

As a matter of interest, in the hotter parts of Australia, customers will not use supermarkets which do not have 90% shade cloth in the outside parking areas. The supermarkets get the message quite rapidly. I'm talking about real shade cloth, not the 'orrible black material used here.

[DavidMavec]

hello mister

you not like? go back your country can.

otherwise not complain. thailand not same same your country.

[MilesCh]

Recently moved from nearby Rimping near Robinson to close to MeeChok which is a disaster parking-wise at it's best prior to construction, so I simply avoid shopping there. Will spend more time at local markets and other stores as they are located. And I'm also avoiding other businesses there such as The Bus restaurant which was thoroughly enjoyable. Two nights took 3 Thai friends to dinner looking for Pizza only to discover there is no pizza available (at least in the evening). Last night went to a Japanese restaurant and at 10:05 pm attempted to drive out to make a U-turn and return towards the river and the exist was closed out so had to drive out the wrong way and down a kilometer before returning at a U-turn place and then wait for the traffic light. No thank you!

[fredge45]

Another place to avoid. When the sales volume of the businesses drops enough the stores will either move or pressure the developer to open things up.

[elektrified]

hello mister

you not like? go back your country can.

otherwise not complain. thailand not same same your country.

Wow. Useful info.

[elektrified]

Recently moved from nearby Rimping near Robinson to close to MeeChok which is a disaster parking-wise at it's best prior to construction, so I simply avoid shopping there. Will spend more time at local markets and other stores as they are located. And I'm also avoiding other businesses there such as The Bus restaurant which was thoroughly enjoyable. Two nights took 3 Thai friends to dinner looking for Pizza only to discover there is no pizza available (at least in the evening). Last night went to a Japanese restaurant and at 10:05 pm attempted to drive out to make a U-turn and return towards the river and the exist was closed out so had to drive out the wrong way and down a kilometer before returning at a U-turn place and then wait for the traffic light. No thank you!

No pizza in the area except the Thai pizza place next to Moobaan Tanawan. The pizza is terrible there to say the least.

[elektrified]

Another place to avoid. When the sales volume of the businesses drops enough the stores will either move or pressure the developer to open things up.

+1

Tried to drop a friend off at the massage shop in the plaza only to get jammed in there with cars double-parked all along the parking area blocking other cars. People entering were honking horns and giving unfriendly looks trying to get through the gridlock. It took 15 minutes just to make the loop and get out of the parking lot. And after all that, no one was at the massage shop; open but no one there. Complete waste of time and energy. I will be avoiding the plaza for the time being.

Terrible, terrible planning.

Edited June 1, 2013 by elektrified

[khwaibah]

I stopped using Meechok 2 years back for all the above reasons..

[brommers]

You will be pleased to know that they are today installing full roofing, in metal not shade cloth, over the outside bays at the rear of the plaza. Pity that each new roof section has its legs firmly planted in the parking bays and so will further reduce the number of bays available.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[onthedarkside]

2 bickering posts removed.

[amykat]

I love Mee Chok Plaza, and manage to take care of about 90% of my life's needs there. If only they had a school and a hospital, I would never need to go anywhere else I think! Maybe Big C Extra and a few other places, a gas station, every few months.

But the parking has gotten ridiculous. The other so-called options for parking, like at the new Tesco or behind at the local market, really suck as options, unless you are just doing small shopping. I usually buy quite a lot of stuff, and cannot carry 10 Rimping bags or more to these other locations if my car was parked there. I never go to the Mon, Tues, markets because of parking problems ...and basically don't go to Mee Chok at all after about noon, on those days.

I was so shocked the other day, because I went to Rimping at about 10 am, and never saw so many farangs (95% men) shopping there in my life, I guess everyone is going early these days? I hope the new parking situation will make it much better because it is a geat place to get many things done.

On the other hand, if you go very early, which I really like to do actually, Rimping isn't totally stocked up for the day so many things I like to buy there, aren't available unless you hit it up mid-day or so.

I can't imagine what is going to happen with traffic in this area ...I live just across the road from Rimping, and one day just to make the circle, from my place, around the light, stop at the vet to pick up my dog, and make the u-turn to come back to my house, took almost an hour!! Only 5-10 minutes was actually spent at my stop. I think this U-turn is going to become super dangerous and I hope (but doubt) some kind of light will be put there. There is so much building going on around this intersection, new condos, new shophouses, new Tesco, etc, I just can't believe how this is giong to work, traffic-wise.

[Trujillo]

Rimping is a specialty market, with commensurate prices. If you want some special sausages, for example, it's a good place to go. As for most of the other goods, you can either get them at the wet market (at significantly less cost) or at any of the chain markets -- Tesco, Macro, etc (at significantly less cost). Given this, shopping at Rimping is only for a few luxury items, which means you can go there by scooter. You can always shoehorn a scooter in somewhere there.

The traffic situation is indeed deplorable, and once the new Tesco is open; and the Unique and the Next 1, 2, 3 condos are finished, that area may well be internationally recognized as one of the worst in the world for gridlock.

On a side note, it is interesting city planning to see that the Superhighway was designed to pass under the Chiang Mai -- Maejo Road. Probably 90 percent of people do not continue under the CM-MJ road; they turn to go toward Maejo. If the road design had been to put the underpass on the CM-MJ Road, traffic would definitely have been better (and access to the markets would have to have been reconfigured early on).

[elektrified]

Rimping is a specialty market, with commensurate prices. If you want some special sausages, for example, it's a good place to go. As for most of the other goods, you can either get them at the wet market (at significantly less cost) or at any of the chain markets -- Tesco, Macro, etc (at significantly less cost). Given this, shopping at Rimping is only for a few luxury items, which means you can go there by scooter. You can always shoehorn a scooter in somewhere there.

The traffic situation is indeed deplorable, and once the new Tesco is open; and the Unique and the Next 1, 2, 3 condos are finished, that area may well be internationally recognized as one of the worst in the world for gridlock.

On a side note, it is interesting city planning to see that the Superhighway was designed to pass under the Chiang Mai -- Maejo Road. Probably 90 percent of people do not continue under the CM-MJ road; they turn to go toward Maejo. If the road design had been to put the underpass on the CM-MJ Road, traffic would definitely have been better (and access to the markets would have to have been reconfigured early on).

I disagree. Some items are actually cheaper at Rimping than at Tesco, Big C, Thai Market, etc. There is no science to the system here. Some things are cheaper at one place while some more expensive than others. It's hit and miss. But Rimping has very good promotions, and 2 for 1 offers all the time, etc. We find some items there much cheaper than at the other places.

As for the condos under construction, it will be interesting to see if they can sell them or not. One of them is asking 59,000 THB per m2. That would be about 2 million THB for an appx 32 m2 concrete box condominium. My closet in my home in Los Angeles was just a little less than 30 m2!

[AnotherOneAmerican]

There is nothing cheaper at Rimping.

The 2 for 1 offers are all products approaching their 'sell by date', and usually taste off.

Shop at the new Tesco, walk across to Rimping for the one or two speciality items you want.

Edited June 2, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican