Problem with guy parking in front of my restaurant

[jackr]

Get hold of the people that issues parking fines (cops, I spose) and 'bung' him to keep putting one on there.

Offer to pay for parking elsewhere?

[fcgprg]

I think the only long term solution to this is to work with the guy . Any other way will only cause long term problems for your business.

I know it is not the way we would do it in the west but here you will never win by not talking it through it is not a farang you are dealing with so the logic is not the same.

Look how it started a coach after you complained to the police he moved it for 5 minutes then put it back plus other vehicles so it really made it worse for you.

[Bill97]

I think the only long term solution to this is to work with the guy . Any other way will only cause long term problems for your business.

I know it is not the way we would do it in the west but here you will never win by not talking it through it is not a farang you are dealing with so the logic is not the same.

Look how it started a coach after you complained to the police he moved it for 5 minutes then put it back plus other vehicles so it really made it worse for you.

Yes work with the guy, he needs a friend, buy him a beer, give him a free meal, his family too. All this petty escalation will end badly.

[Bung]

Don't know if its been mentioned already but driving through town last night I noticed people that had witches hats, chairs with string tied between them, restaurant advertising banners and the like who had them in front of their businesses had no cars in their spots. I think people respect that when they do it. You could try that and if you see him if he moves them go and put them back.

I think signs advertising your restaurant are best as it is obvious you are doing it for business reasons.

[britgent]

Simple just have a few of these anti tank obstacles knocked up and chain them together so he can't move them as a single unit.

.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6A using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited August 14, 2013 by britgent

[pokerkid]

Some people still arnt quite getting it... Bringing race into it and things... I'm sure race is a very small factor... But this guy is a problem for everyone around. I am right next door to a big hotel owned by a Thai, he had to take this guy to court. A few years ago he was parking in front of my Thai neighbors restaurant... And its not just his bus, its any vehicle he can... When his bus isnt here, its car, when thats not here its his pickup... Anyways, over the last 2 days Ive been able to beat him to the punch, yesterday morning I put cones out there and left them all day and over night, today I got a sign put out there that I attached to wheels so I can move it. This will all be illegal tomorrow after the holiday, but I will see what happens. I see he has the vehicles parked down the road today, which is where he should park everyday because they arnt blocking anything, its just a long wooden fence.

Looks like you are doing the right thing for the moment, lets see what his next moves will be

Putting cones to block a public street is the right thing? It is just another act that indicates he thinks he owns or has some right to control the road and which pisses a lot of people off.

obviously you are not a business owner in Thailand.

[RaysFan]

So, hes parked out there right now, I read the sign again, its actually no parking from 1500-1800... So hes illegal as of 2 minutes ago. Previous times when calling the police at this time they have come after about 30 minutes and just asked him to move his vehicle, which he does for about 5 minutes... Police refuse to write him a parking ticket.

One thing I have thought of... Not sure if I can get in trouble for this or if the city even keeps track... But in the middle of the night just painting the curb red and white... There is red and white directly to the left and right of this one open spot, so it wouldnt look unnatural.

Another thing, I dont use this spot for customer parking, I actually am lucky enough to have a small parking lot behind my restaurant (extremely rare in CM). I have my employees park their scooters there in the evening (well before this guy started parking here) to encourage others to park scooters here.

[Sticky Rice Balls]

hmmm good idea, a barrel full of water would do well.

Yes FULL of electric eels!!!!! and mornay as well if they have them at the pet store- baby-plastic ducks too s thais love cute stuff--then without warning--zaaaaaaaaaaaaap!!!!!! blamo! pffft!!1---zouch! kazaam! ow!!!!

[YoungBrit]

I read the sign again, its actually no parking from 1500-1800... So hes illegal as of 2 minutes ago.

So after 1800 he can park there all evening. O dear. I hope you can a peaceful desired end to this.

Edited August 14, 2013 by YoungBrit

[harrry]

I read the sign again, its actually no parking from 1500-1800... So hes illegal as of 2 minutes ago.

So after 1800 he can park there all evening. O dear. I hope you can a peaceful desired end to this.

Exactly what I said way back.

[kimincm]

If I've got this right you're not happy he parks his vehicle/vehicles illegally for 3hrs a day,21hrs legally,3hrs you're looking for a fight you can't win,suck it up,cop it,it's not even parking for your customers,where are you coming from????????

[DaamNaam]

Park your own small vehicle(s) there, cars, scooters, or a samlor.

The only solution. No confrontation as well. Perfect.

[KRS1]

some of you really just dont get it, no one knows the restaurant exist when the bus is parked in front because you cant see it.

[harrry]

some of you really just dont get it, no one knows the restaurant exist when the bus is parked in front because you cant see it.

If he makes friends with the neighbours like he is doing now it won't exist for long.

[DaamNaam]

some of you really just dont get it, no one knows the restaurant exist when the bus is parked in front because you cant see it.

No one owns the roads. As long as its the legal time then anyone can park there. End of story.

Take Captain Robs advice and park your own vehicle there instead, too easy.

If your looking for a fight you came to the wrong country.

[DaamNaam]

Don't know if its been mentioned already but driving through town last night I noticed people that had witches hats, chairs with string tied between them, restaurant advertising banners and the like who had them in front of their businesses had no cars in their spots. I think people respect that when they do it. You could try that and if you see him if he moves them go and put them back.

I think signs advertising your restaurant are best as it is obvious you are doing it for business reasons.

I have got out of my car and moved witches hats and chairs several times. They have no right to do it.

As the late great Bob Marley once sang "get up stand up, stand up for your rights". Unless they are mafia or pull a shotgun on you, then move.

Edited August 14, 2013 by DaamNaam

[amykat]

Some of you are missing the point here... during the legal hours of parking on the road... sure, the spot is free game, I dont own the road. But on week days after 330 pm its illegal to park on the road. And my business happens to open at 5... so really as long as hes gone by 5 im happy. Ive explained this to him many times. He somehow sees this as my problem, not his. I like the idea of parking my own vehicle there but at this time I only have 1 car... maybe I will purchase a cheap scooter and just leave it there permanently. ... not sure if he would just park in front of it though. .. people like this man... its just amazing. No regard for anyone at all. And yes they are Buddhist. ..

Sent from my GT-I9500

See post 27, buy a large Buddha House, dress it up really nice and make sure its looked after daily by your staff(water and cordial for Buddha)

Police will never ask you to move it, neighbors will come and pray daily and the bus guy will not be able to park there.

Make sure though, you get monks to come and bless it and place Buddha facing in the correct direction.

You will be amazed at the amount of respect you will have from the neighbors

PS. Another option is buy one of those blow motors, hard to explain the ones which blow up a doll which stays outside swinging.

If unsure what i mean, let me know, will make a picture

But where exactly does the spirit house, (buddha house) go in this case? On the sidewalk, facing the parking area... or in the street? I think I don't understand how this would work ? Or are you joking around? I have never seen these stuck in public places ...or areas I think of as public, or maybe I have just missed seeing those, due to selective blindness? I'm thinking the OP is located around the moat somewhere or in an equal type location, and I can't say I have ever seen something like that?

[amykat]

Some of you are missing the point here... during the legal hours of parking on the road... sure, the spot is free game, I dont own the road. But on week days after 330 pm its illegal to park on the road. And my business happens to open at 5... so really as long as hes gone by 5 im happy. Ive explained this to him many times. He somehow sees this as my problem, not his. I like the idea of parking my own vehicle there but at this time I only have 1 car... maybe I will purchase a cheap scooter and just leave it there permanently. ... not sure if he would just park in front of it though. .. people like this man... its just amazing. No regard for anyone at all. And yes they are Buddhist. ..

Sent from my GT-I9500

See post 27, buy a large Buddha House, dress it up really nice and make sure its looked after daily by your staff(water and cordial for Buddha)

Police will never ask you to move it, neighbors will come and pray daily and the bus guy will not be able to park there.

Make sure though, you get monks to come and bless it and place Buddha facing in the correct direction.

You will be amazed at the amount of respect you will have from the neighbors

PS. Another option is buy one of those blow motors, hard to explain the ones which blow up a doll which stays outside swinging.

If unsure what i mean, let me know, will make a picture

But where exactly does the spirit house, (buddha house) go in this case? On the sidewalk, facing the parking area... or in the street? I think I don't understand how this would work ? Or are you joking around? I have never seen these stuck in public places ...or areas I think of as public, or maybe I have just missed seeing those, due to selective blindness? I'm thinking the OP is located around the moat somewhere or in an equal type location, and I can't say I have ever seen something like that?

[amykat]

Some people still arnt quite getting it... Bringing race into it and things... I'm sure race is a very small factor... But this guy is a problem for everyone around. I am right next door to a big hotel owned by a Thai, he had to take this guy to court. A few years ago he was parking in front of my Thai neighbors restaurant... And its not just his bus, its any vehicle he can... When his bus isnt here, its car, when thats not here its his pickup... Anyways, over the last 2 days Ive been able to beat him to the punch, yesterday morning I put cones out there and left them all day and over night, today I got a sign put out there that I attached to wheels so I can move it. This will all be illegal tomorrow after the holiday, but I will see what happens. I see he has the vehicles parked down the road today, which is where he should park everyday because they arnt blocking anything, its just a long wooden fence.

So, in other words, the guy parks some vehicle he owns, at all times in the spots, so that those spots are always available to him, when he wants to park the bus, or just needs parking for something?

I think, as some people here have pointed out, that since he has had a business here for 20 years, and isn't new to CM, that he probably has connections around the city, including some police, which is why the police won't be inclined to help you much, or HURT him much. Many CM people, have life-long relationships with other people in power here ...they went to PRC or Monfort together as kids, and these people are loyal to each other, and nobody is loyal to you, or gives a damn about the new farang business in town.

Have you discovered how, on what legal grounds, the hotel nearby won a court case against him? You should ..and then see if it is applicable to your situation. And what did your neighbor restaurant do to stop him parking in front of them, and can that work for you?

I don't think trying to befriend him will have any good results, as he will never consider you a "friend" ..he will just take your free food and drinks, and your time, if he feels like that is worthwhile to him, without feeling any need to reciprocate in kind. If you have been here long, you might notice that most Thais don't feel ANY need to reciprocate ANYTHING at all, no matter what they receive from the "farang" including people you marry and have kids with ...(I'm not saying ALL people here, but this is a common experience for many of us).

Even your neighbors, might SAY to YOU, that they hate this guy, but chances are, they like him much more than they like you! They might just say that to please you, and might have some frustrations about him, but I think, MOST likely, he is a well-known person with reasonable connections/family and they will always chose his side, over your side, since you offer them none of those things. I'm not saying he is some big hi-so person, but you don't need to be that, in CM for sure, to have reasonably good connections and family ties, that go back decades, or more, and give a person access to police, tax people, government people of all sorts, other business people, etc ...CM is essentially a very small town, where almost everyone knows everyone, to some extent.

I would also be very careful about how you deal with this, as far as suggestions that you do annoying things, possibly illegal things, like screwing with his tires or doing any damage to anything, as this could really backfire, and you might learn about all his friends and connections in a way you will regret. (Either legal ways, or also in "other" ways depending on which way this guy swings ..i.e. he is basically law-abiding person, or he has lots of mafia/criminal pals ...many people here have BOTH, and will choose according to the problem ...in fact I would say most connected people here have BOTH options readily available.) One really doesn't need to be obviously and obnoxiously rich in CM to have some power here ...there are plenty of people who, to me at least, seem pretty borderline middle-class, who have a lot of power here, due to their connections ...you just can't tell by looking!!

I wish you success in solving this problem!

[KRS1]

some of you really just dont get it, no one knows the restaurant exist when the bus is parked in front because you cant see it.

No one owns the roads. As long as its the legal time then anyone can park there. End of story.

Take Captain Robs advice and park your own vehicle there instead, too easy.

If your looking for a fight you came to the wrong country.

Not the end of story.

A bus is not the same as a car.

[DaamNaam]

some of you really just dont get it, no one knows the restaurant exist when the bus is parked in front because you cant see it.

No one owns the roads. As long as its the legal time then anyone can park there. End of story.

Take Captain Robs advice and park your own vehicle there instead, too easy.

If your looking for a fight you came to the wrong country.

Not the end of story.

A bus is not the same as a car.

Only if there is a sign saying no buses. A parking space is a parking space. End of story.

Just block the space with your own transport, done, no more grief.

[Trujillo]

Suradit69 said:

"So many brave people here at Thai Visa ... sitting at home behind their computers ... posting anonymously."

Uh....is Suradit69 your given name or family name?

To the people who keep saying the OP should have done "due diligence," I can only say, read the OP. This started after he had his business.

The recent post by the OP sort of tosses a spanner into the works -- "... I read the sign again, its actually no parking from 1500-1800...".

So the issue seems to be the three-hour window, not more.

For starters, the OP has mentioned that the times when he calls the police, and they come, the owner of the bus moves it for a short time (five minutes), after which he returns and the policeman is gone. Tell the cop he can have a free drink or something (a meal) if he comes back in 20 minutes and checks on the situation. If the bus is still there, then the policeman will feel disrespected. Keep repeating this. Then the onus is on the bus guy and the policeman to come to some mutual respect. Shift the frustration you have to the policeman who keeps getting disrespected by the bus owner. Then it's a Thai on Thai thing.

Clever, eh?

[rene123]

It would be ashame when in comes to get his bus that it got a few flat tires every morning.

Removing 4 valve stems is very effective and easier than puncturing a tire.

[fcgprg]

It would be ashame when in comes to get his bus that it got a few flat tires every morning.

Removing 4 valve stems is very effective and easier than puncturing a tire.

Doing either of these would then put the OP on the wrong side of the law .Remember the owner of the vehicle is not doing anything wrong out side of the 3 hour window.

[Sticky Rice Balls]

Whew...i jump on here daily to watch the saga unfold..has more drama than a lakorn soap opera--opps! my popcorns done--DING!

[SCARLETIBIS1]

It's amazing all the things that can go wrong when running a business. Anyhow, since this is not your country, I would first ask if you can buy this guy one beer. try to be as nice as possible, maybe give him some food, and politely tell him you are helping thais and his bus is hurting your ability to help thais. ok, say that doesn't work. I wonder if you can pay for some new construction on this road. maybe a new sidewalk, not sure. if needed, of course. then prolong the work for a long time.

calling the police when you are foreigner is not good. remember, you love this country and will do anything to make anyone happy. you are making him happy via parking spot. so find the happy medium and keep up with yoga and deep breathing exercises.

Being nice in Thailand is a huge mistake. One would have to assume that the person you are talking with is also nice. My experience is that if you find you have to ask someone to fix a problem here and that person IS the problem they will just tell you to fluck off. Lady across the street from me has 20-30 dogs. They bark 22 hours a day all day and all night long wailing, crying, barking etc. I politely asked here to do something. She said her dogs don't bark.

So, I thought ok, it must be those dam_n mushrooms I eat from the forest and that maybe I have just been dreaming for 6 straight months that I hear her dogs barking all night long so I literally stayed up all night one night and taped the dogs every hour. Next day I went to her with the tapes and her reply was, "well those aren't my dogs" "you made that up". And of course, the picture of her house with all the dogs in her yard wasn't her house either. When you deal with idiots you get idiot responses. Especially here it seems. Which probably makes me the real idiot in the first place thinking that being nice here can accomplish anything.

It doesn't. And of course common sense here is like trying to find a whore house in Bangkok-they don't exist I'm told. If I hadn't gone to her and been nice and polite and made a simple request her dogs would all be in Budda dog heaven now but since she knows me I assume if her dogs met an untimely demise she would blame me for it. Of course, I would never think of hurting her dogs.

Going to the police here is a total waste of time. We did it. We even went to the village chief. They said there was nothing they could do. I suggested to the colonel that if they fined the people who let their dogs run around the neighborhood 400 baht ea that they could make more money than chasing down the motorcyclists with no helmuts. He looked at me like I was nuts. Surprised he made to colonel. Someone up the ladder should look in to that.

Then again, does anyone know where I can buy some poison? I have some huge rats running around my house. LOL

Edited August 15, 2013 by SCARLETIBIS1

[KRaymond]

Who owns the public beaches?

Business often appropriate the land in front of their shop. I hate that too.

Again the issue is that according to the OP the driver is leaving his bus parked illegally overnight. The OP has no issue with the bus being their during legal hours as it does not affect his business and by all respects seems to be a reasonably minded person.

and Sorry Ray ray, I don't believe you one bit that you got physically beat up for telling someone not to use small pieces of paper during a test.

I also don't believe the anecdotal murder story of Kraitai boy.

Call me a skeptic but I don't believe hearsay or unsubstantiated stories full of fear propaganda.

It's ok if you don't believe me, I got no evidence left.

But fear and propaganda?

I don't fear the people of this country, but It's smarter not to create or escalate any problems and that goes the same to any country you live in.

I'm an expat in Thailand for almost 9 years, If I had fear of this place I'd leave and never come back.

In addition, my comment was not misleading. Believe it or not, I did get beat up for saying cheating on exams aren't good.

Hardly any common sense exist in this country and if you disagree, you're haven't been here long enough to realize.

My advice is not out of fear, it's called being smart. Say the guy wrecked the stupid bus. The owner of the bus is going to know and who knows, he might have a gun maybe not. He might have a group of friend who does. I was lucky I wasn't shot.

The internet, and even from this forum, you can't learn what it REALLY is until you go through it.

The creator of this thread clearly knows the legal time allowed and not allowed to park. He stated it himself.

[circusman]

MOVE !

[KRS1]

Who owns the public beaches?

Business often appropriate the land in front of their shop. I hate that too.

Again the issue is that according to the OP the driver is leaving his bus parked illegally overnight. The OP has no issue with the bus being their during legal hours as it does not affect his business and by all respects seems to be a reasonably minded person.

and Sorry Ray ray, I don't believe you one bit that you got physically beat up for telling someone not to use small pieces of paper during a test.

I also don't believe the anecdotal murder story of Kraitai boy.

Call me a skeptic but I don't believe hearsay or unsubstantiated stories full of fear propaganda.

It's ok if you don't believe me, I got no evidence left.

But fear and propaganda?

I don't fear the people of this country, but It's smarter not to create or escalate any problems and that goes the same to any country you live in.

I'm an expat in Thailand for almost 9 years, If I had fear of this place I'd leave and never come back.

In addition, my comment was not misleading. Believe it or not, I did get beat up for saying cheating on exams aren't good.

Hardly any common sense exist in this country and if you disagree, you're haven't been here long enough to realize.

My advice is not out of fear, it's called being smart. Say the guy wrecked the stupid bus. The owner of the bus is going to know and who knows, he might have a gun maybe not. He might have a group of friend who does. I was lucky I wasn't shot.

The internet, and even from this forum, you can't learn what it REALLY is until you go through it.

The creator of this thread clearly knows the legal time allowed and not allowed to park. He stated it himself.

out of curiosity did you say that to one person in front of the entire class?

[A1Str8]

Well, you have two choices.

First, you could do one of the things that others suggested above, such as to damaging the guy`s vehicle..flat tyres etc, but i advice you to

stay away from that. You could easily end up in trouble not just because its a crime but we all know that revenge would follow.

Also, keep in mind that you are not going to be able to solve the problem on the same level where it appeared.

So instead of acting like a caveman go with the second choice and do your best to solve it intelligently.

Yes, it is going to cost some money, but based on that you conduct business here and live here..i assume you know that.

The hotel next to you is a prime example: they know the game, they follow the rules of it and their problem got solved by doing so.

He was taken to court, obviously a few people were paid just to make sure everything runs smoothly...and what a surprise, the guy doesnt dare to

park there anymore.

Between the BiB would start to care about your problem immediately, as soon as you decided to be a bit generous with them in terms of currency.

I am not suggesting bribing anybody, what i am saying is: take legal action.