Yes another case where the "needs" of "organized" transport trumps the needs of the traveling public has become apparent, and it's getting worse.

When exiting the mall on the beach road side, hoping to easily catch a baht bus south towards Walking Street, pretty much the entire area of the mall is taken over by parked trucks and taxis, totally BLOCKING access to the actual baht BUSES. Most of these hopeful charters are sitting EMPTY, just blocking, not serving.

Their reasons are obvious. They want rich charter fares. No problem with that. BUT blocking access for the vast majority of people who do want a ride on a BUS is a problem.

Yes you can solve it. Walk north or walk south. But's it is bloody annoying. Of course nothing will be done as the needs of the greater public are far from the minds of the powers behind these phenoms.

Walking might be annoying but maybe it's not so bad for your health...

Aren't you the restaurant expert of this forum ? What do you do after eating ?

:-)

Plenty baht buses just beyond the wall of parked up vehicles. You just need to walk a bit further out and flag one down in any of the 2 remaining lanes.

When the Beach Road widening hits Central/Soi 9, it will be bloody pandemonium!

I've already stated you can walk away from the large area of blockage.

That isn't the point.

The point is this "organized" transport system thinks they have the right to block an entire block in front of the mall, blocking access in that area to baht bus boarders.

Who gave them them that right? Why is their right more important than the general public?

I've already stated you can walk away from the large area of blockage.

That isn't the point.

The point is this "organized" transport system thinks they have the right to block an entire block in front of the mall, blocking access in that area to baht bus boarders.

Who gave them them that right? Why is their right more important than the general public?

U worry too much,enjoy your retirement mate,continue your brilliant food reviews,and act more thai, cha cha

i thought you have been here life forever!

still not used to the madness of it all?

In Bangkok, the police lease out the area in front of hotels and shopping centers to professional tourist scammers, posing as taxi drivers....

Is this happening here too?

In Bangkok, the police lease out the area in front of hotels and shopping centers to professional tourist scammers, posing as taxi drivers....

Is this happening here too?

It should be a punishable crime to tell tourists the Grand Palace is closed. The fact they can loiter and scam right outside the main palace boggles the mind.

I've already stated you can walk away from the large area of blockage.

That isn't the point.

The point is this "organized" transport system thinks they have the right to block an entire block in front of the mall, blocking access in that area to baht bus boarders.

Who gave them them that right? Why is their right more important than the general public?

Who denies them of that right? Is there a law that prohibits double parking and waiting for customers in front of malls?

I've already stated you can walk away from the large area of blockage.

That isn't the point.

The point is this "organized" transport system thinks they have the right to block an entire block in front of the mall, blocking access in that area to baht bus boarders.

Who gave them them that right? Why is their right more important than the general public?

Who denies them of that right? Is there a law that prohibits double parking and waiting for customers in front of malls?

The precedent had been set at The Avenue. Not so many at the 'low-end' malls and supermarkets though so I guess if all those pesky farang lame dupe overpaying tourists went away, so would the OP's 'issue'.

But moving on from glib, know-it-all answers that fairly rile the OP, since I haven't seen any taxi's ANYWHERE in Thailand get moved on in accordance with some published city ordnance that prevents stalking, it isn't going to change.

The crankiest taxi drivers I know right now are those taking a fare TO Suvarnabhumi as they are ordered to wait in line maybe up to 4 or 5 hours to get a fare back TO Bangkok. Som nam na for those that seem quite happy to sit for 4 or 5 hours on some lower Sukhumvit soi, their hook baited with a cardboard sign that states "Airport only 800 baht".

There are some that take a chance and hover around the top-end of departures as if they are just out stretching their legs before driving back to the Arrivals pen but it's quite well policed... only black-plate limo, illegal tour operators and shysters have the rights to stalk victims in that area.

Avoid beach rd. like the plague !!!!!!!

You can be thankful to the tourist who think oh it's only 10$ for a taxi ride, so cheap back home it would cost ten times more bla bla bla and these people are so poor bla bla bla (spotted a baht bus with custom rims the other day, they for sure must be starving )

LDOPs ruin every place they go to

You can be thankful to the tourist who think oh it's only 10$ for a taxi ride, so cheap back home it would cost ten times more bla bla bla and these people are so poor bla bla bla (spotted a baht bus with custom rims the other day, they for sure must be starving )

LDOPs ruin every place they go to

LDOP. Good one! Pattaya culture in a nutshell.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=LDOP

I've already stated you can walk away from the large area of blockage.

That isn't the point.

The point is this "organized" transport system thinks they have the right to block an entire block in front of the mall, blocking access in that area to baht bus boarders.

Who gave them them that right? Why is their right more important than the general public?

I'd think that it should be a concern of the mall management (Central Festival, I'll assume because I can't imagine taking a baht bus from Royal garden to Walking St.) and the management should do something to assure people have reasonable access to the businesses inside. Perhaps discussing this concern with them might prove fruitful.

On the other hand, I'd probably take that very short walk past the entrance where these vehicles are waiting without feeling any annoyance and be grateful that I don't live in Phuket, where it seems a 10-baht option doesn't exist.

It's not really a concern for the mall because the blockage is for people LEAVING the mall.

In Bangkok, the police lease out the area in front of hotels and shopping centers to professional tourist scammers, posing as taxi drivers....

Is this happening here too?

It should be a punishable crime to tell tourists the Grand Palace is closed. The fact they can loiter and scam right outside the main palace boggles the mind.

It appears to be a race to see who is #1 in terms of corruption, Thailand or Nigeria. They constantly talk about corruption but do almost nothing about it. Why? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

It's not really a concern for the mall because the blockage is for people LEAVING the mall.

You can make it their problem by pointing out that this blocking of access prevents you and your friends from coming to the centre. Just needs a few people to make this call over a few weeks and the penny may drop. Also a few complaints about the exorbitant cost of the ones there may also help.

So who has the number for centre management. Preferably for someone who speaks English or any European language.

Their reasons are obvious. They want rich charter fares. No problem with that. BUT blocking access for the vast majority of people who do want a ride on a BUS is a problem.

Thais have many admirable qualities; however, consideration for others is one of their short commings. The BB drivers simply don't care....

It's not really a concern for the mall because the blockage is for people LEAVING the mall.

So it`s only an exit -- not an entrance. I've never seen that setup before, but OK.

Apparently people must use the services of these vehicles and that`s why they converge there, but it's clear you feel that the number of them is unnecessary and excessive. How would you propose it's managed to assure that only the correct number of vehicles wait for customers there? (Not meant as a challenge -- just curious as to what a realistic solution would be.)

It would seem to me that one should simply view the area immediately in front of CF as a taxi stand, much the same as the situation on Second Road behind CF, and simply walk a few meters beyond the taxis to take a baht bus.

I do that all the time when leaving CF, and quite frankly never gave it a thought.

Life is far too short to get one's blood pressure elevated over something like this.

A few meters? Nope. Last night they were blocking every possible stopping space for the entire block. Nothing about blood pressure. If you're talking about walking INTO traffic to board a bus in a place they are not supposed to every stop ... whatever.

It's not really a concern for the mall because the blockage is for people LEAVING the mall.

So it`s only an exit -- not an entrance. I've never seen that setup before, but OK.

Apparently people must use the services of these vehicles and that`s why they converge there, but it's clear you feel that the number of them is unnecessary and excessive. How would you propose it's managed to assure that only the correct number of vehicles wait for customers there? (Not meant as a challenge -- just curious as to what a realistic solution would be.)

To provide a customer service there is no need for a baht bus ever to wait outside a shopping mall. They pass at a rate of about 10-20 per minute so plenty available to provide service the only reason they park there is for their own benefit to try and snare customers at a charter rate rather than the usual 10 baht.

To provide a customer service there is no need for a baht bus ever to wait outside a shopping mall. They pass at a rate of about 10-20 per minute so plenty available to provide service the only reason they park there is for their own benefit to try and snare customers at a charter rate rather than the usual 10 baht.

Indeed.

Anyone who knows the system knows any empty bus can be chartered and it's not even unusual for people to HIJACK already populated buses (that is so obnoxious but yes it happens). I think they've taken over Central because by blocking access to the buses they hope to sucker some of the naive and more moneyed newbies that are somewhat concentrated there. To a naive person it would look like that's the transport option there -- charters. Also of course people the charter pushers imagine anyone holding any kind of shopping bag MUST need a taxi.

A few meters? Nope. Last night they were blocking every possible stopping space for the entire block. Nothing about blood pressure. If you're talking about walking INTO traffic to board a bus in a place they are not supposed to every stop ... whatever.

How is it that you know that this space is not legitimately reserved for taxis?

Additionally, given the myriad of complaints that you have voiced concerning nearly every aspect of using baht buses, I am puzzled as to why you simply don't stop patronizing them.

How is it that you know that this space is not legitimately reserved for taxis?

...

Nobody more powerful than them is stopping them so that counts as "legitimacy" in this corrupt city, doesn't it?

Other than that, I'm not sure what you're suggesting. Are you suggesting the mall owners are complicit in the way this has developed? How could that be? The mall owners don't OWN the street, do they? I don't see how that really makes any difference anyway.

In any case, I don't think it serves the greater public well though to completely block the ENTIRE block.

How is it that you know that this space is not legitimately reserved for taxis?

...

Nobody more powerful than them is stopping them so that counts as "legitimacy" in this corrupt city, doesn't it?

Other than that, I'm not sure what you're suggesting. Are you suggesting the mall owners are complicit in the way this has developed? How could that be? The mall owners don't OWN the street, do they? I don't see how that really makes any difference anyway.

In any case, I don't think it serves the greater public well though to completely block the ENTIRE block.

No, nothing so sinister in my query. Taxi stands are a staple in many places - airports, bus terminals, hotels, and even malls in some places - and they are often closer to exits than the bus loading areas.

I think that you are assuming that the curbside space in the front and rear of Central Festival is not so designated because you view it as inconvenient. On the other hand, I suspect that folks coming out of CF with multiple packages find the fact that there are taxis close by to be rather convenient for their purposes.

It's not really a concern for the mall because the blockage is for people LEAVING the mall.

+1

How is it that you know that this space is not legitimately reserved for taxis?

...

Nobody more powerful than them is stopping them so that counts as "legitimacy" in this corrupt city, doesn't it?

Other than that, I'm not sure what you're suggesting. Are you suggesting the mall owners are complicit in the way this has developed? How could that be? The mall owners don't OWN the street, do they? I don't see how that really makes any difference anyway.

In any case, I don't think it serves the greater public well though to completely block the ENTIRE block.

No, nothing so sinister in my query. Taxi stands are a staple in many places - airports, bus terminals, hotels, and even malls in some places - and they are often closer to exits than the bus loading areas.

I think that you are assuming that the curbside space in the front and rear of Central Festival is not so designated because you view it as inconvenient. On the other hand, I suspect that folks coming out of CF with multiple packages find the fact that there are taxis close by to be rather convenient for their purposes.

All that's needed for convenience is 2 or 3 so called taxis (cars, trucks). This is NOT Bangkok. We do not even have REAL taxis here. If we had REAL taxis there would be a greater demand for such a taxi stand. Last night, they took over the entire block. I've seen that before. I think that's the trend. People weren't visibly boarding even ONE of them. But they WERE hassling everyone to use them. It's up to you if you feel a need to make excuses for a ridiculous policy and greedy real estate takeover, fine, but again this does NOT serve the public and that is obvious to anyone observing this "stand" for even five minutes. Does the one charter customer they might OCCASIONALLY get overrule the inconvenience caused to many, many, many more people who just want to get on a bus?!? Like I said, it's not even a passive service they offer. There is AGGRESSIVE hawking of the masses of people who obviously just want a BUS. No doubt to me some naive intentended bus customers are being hustled into being charter customers. That in my view, stinks.

Best solution I have found is not only to avoid Beach Road but also Pattaya.

I left Pattaya in April 2001. Been back only 2-3 times since to see an old buddy.

Problem completely and permanently solved... for me. Your mileage may vary.

Transportation is in almost all countries in the hands of the Mafia. Thailand is no exception. Look at the vast numbers of buses needed to bring people from Bangkok to Industrial estates. Try to propose anything to change that and you run the risk of an early dead. As long as Thailand is rules by the local Cosa Nostra nothing will change. Politicians, Tuk Tuk drivers, police they all have a stake in the loot.