Problem with guy parking in front of my restaurant

[harrry]

I think it would be great if 300 or 400 Thai Visa members go into his tour bus company, and tell him they would Never Ever use his company, since he parks his vehicles in front of your restaurant.

Count me in.

As this is Thai Visa probably get about 500 farang resaurant and bar owners going in and telling him to park there and hoping they have soon one less competitor.

[NoshowJones]

Couldn't you just park a scooter in the middle of the spot so that there wouldn't be enough space for a bus?

How easy is it to move a scooter?

[Briggsy]

Contact a security guard company. Get a yaam.

[johnlandy]

I agree with captainrob, post #3. Just get a couple or more vehicles and beat him to the punch and park them in front. That way he'll have to find an alternative parking for his vehicles. And when he does, he might just keep parking them there - hopefully. I agree with another poster, lawyers are expensive and don't guarantee results.

Park your own vehicles there and he will report you to the police. When it is illegal for him it is illegal for you too

Edited August 12, 2013 by Rimmer
Advocating violence

[Loaded]

A lot of Thais would attempt to solve this problem by getting the guy on their side. It goes against the grain of being a confrontational and assertive farang, but taking him some kanoms or inviting him for lunch and then explaining how your business is suffering because customers can't park outside the restaurant, may elicit some sympathy. Avoid blaming him for this problem. Leave it there and see how he reacts. If he possesses krieng jai, he'll avoid causing you a problem in the future, if he doesn't (sounds like he doesn't according to the neighbour), you have 2 choices: accept it, or up the stakes.

The comments suggesting you should be more assertive and even confrontational indicate the authors are not leading particularly successful lives in Thailand if this is their belief and attitude.

Edited August 12, 2013 by Loaded

[scorecard]

He has a perfect right to park there. You have no control of the road in front of your business.

You missed this part? "Legally he is allowed to park there from 10am-330pm during week days and all weekend is ok". They are parking outside of the legal hours.

I like the idea of putting a few old cars in front with some clever advertising on them, all Ok during the hours when parking is allowed, but perhaps the OP could get fined for having them there during the 'no parking' hours.

But if that did happen (fined by the police for parking there during the 'no parking' hours) then the OP has more solid grounds to complain again to the police when the bus owner parks there during the 'no parking' hours.

Have you found some solid ground here? Really?

No, just a possibility.

[Suradit69]

Perhaps park your dog's turd in his letter box.

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

I assume that many of you who came to Thailand to retire are financing your stay from an inheritance or lottery win. It's difficult to picture some of you actually employed at grown-up work and saving for your retirement.

If the OP is running a restaurant, playing all sorts of childish pranks as petty retaliation or attempts at strong arm tactics isn't going to resolve the problem and will probably just escalate it. He's not likely to move, so some form of accommodation is going to have to be reached.

Ive talked to the neighbors about him and they all told me hes been in that shop for about 20 years and EVERYONE hates him and his family.....

Sounds like something that should have been done before setting up a restaurant across from a tour company with big busses coming and going, although the neighbors saying that everyone hates him sounds unlikely. Probably just telling the O/P what he was hoping to hear. If the guy stopped parking at the hotel after they went to court, that's probably the only solution. I doubt that playing childish tricks on him is going to get him to suddenly see the light.

Edited August 12, 2013 by Suradit69

[Rimmer]

Inflammatory post removed

[Hippidy He Ho]

Couldn't you just park a scooter in the middle of the spot so that there wouldn't be enough space for a bus?

How easy is it to move a scooter?

Not that easy when it is locked on to some secure.

[tingtongteesood]

He has a perfect right to park there. You have no control of the road in front of your business. If he is blocking a driveway he is parking ilegally otherwise tough. THe police may try to help you but in the end it is up to him. The only time he may have to move is if there is parking restrictions between certain times.

You really should read the OP properly before you comment, he has quoted the legal times already.

[harrry]

He has a perfect right to park there. You have no control of the road in front of your business. If he is blocking a driveway he is parking ilegally otherwise tough. THe police may try to help you but in the end it is up to him. The only time he may have to move is if there is parking restrictions between certain times.

You really should read the OP properly before you comment, he has quoted the legal times already.

but are they. as others have posted the restriction in most places is only 3 hours.

Maybe he can post a photo of the sign. No sign = park

[technologybytes]

Hmmm lots of opinions expressed here.

How about this for an opinion: Forget the whole thing, it's NOT your road. Buy a shitty old car and park it outside his shop because that's not his road either.

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

How do you prove the pictures were taken over a period of weeks?

Not hard to just stand there take a picture change the date and time on it and take another one on and on until you feel you have enough. Just be sure to check the dates to be sure he was there on them. Not sure if they would buy that but maybe worth a try. Even then if you are not the owner just the operator you may be wasting your time. I like the low pressure in the tires on a stinky bus idea myself.

I am not going to suggest you park a motor bike there or s car. I am going to ask why haven't you?

a copy of the local news paper in each one

[Rimmer]

Two Inflammatory posts removed

[seajae]

my wife bought a set of units near a university, they are new and each owner parks their car in front of their units. Unfortunately when we go to our unit often there is a car parked right across the front stopping us from getting into our units(access for the students is at the back), we know the young girl/guy that parks there, they are in the end set of units, we asked the units owners to get them to park elsewhere and she has told them but they often refuse to do so. My wife approached them without me when they firsat started doing it and they both threatened her and her daughter and mother, when I am around they hide, gutless cowards, but as soon as I am not there they start to mouth off. I am going to set steel poles into the road with chains, ones that can be locked in but removed to try to stop them, the unit has steps going down to the road/gutter so if a car is parked there no one can get into/access the front tiled area/doors and as my wife has a food business set up in the bottom front unit this really buggers up any customers that want to get in as well as us. If the steel posts dont work I am seriously looking at getting someone to pay them a visit and ask nicely, unfortunately there are a lot of ignorant, arrogant bastards in Thailand and no matter how nice you are they need to be pushed because they refuse to accept anyone elses rights apart from their own. Threatening my wife was my final straw but everytime they see me they run and hide which is pretty typical. This has nothing to do with liking the country and the people, it is purely due to their arrogance and lack of respect for other thais/people so I know how you feel.

[seajae]

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.

problem is they are lazy bastards and dont like walking to far, just look at how often they will park in the middle of the road to go into a shop when they can parl legally 20 feet away, if walking is involved thet just park where they want.

[ableguy]

He has a perfect right to park there. You have no control of the road in front of your business. If he is blocking a driveway he is parking ilegally otherwise tough. THe police may try to help you but in the end it is up to him. The only time he may have to move is if there is parking restrictions between certain times.

You sound like a nice bloke to know (not)

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Nonesense the post is talking common sense, the road is open for anyone to park there. Nothing ticks me off more than venders who put a couple of chairs in the road in front of thier shops to stop people parking on a public road, However I do sympathise hom, just tough.

[seajae]

I think it would be great if 300 or 400 Thai Visa members go into his tour bus company, and tell him they would Never Ever use his company, since he parks his vehicles in front of your restaurant.

Count me in.

As this is Thai Visa probably get about 500 farang resaurant and bar owners going in and telling him to park there and hoping they have soon one less competitor.

feel sorry for you mate, all that hate and only writing crap in here to help get rid of it, you really must be a shallow person and have my sympathy for your problems. Dont worry, cheer up, we are all here to help the poor down trodden ferang haters like you in here

[simosiam]

You could try to buy some motorbikes to rent and parking in front of your business, maybe you could get also some money from that or if you have a car just parking it there wiht a billboard for hire

[sikishrory]

I think it would be great if 300 or 400 Thai Visa members go into his tour bus company, and tell him they would Never Ever use his company, since he parks his vehicles in front of your restaurant

or 30 members making a booking with his company and then cancelling it at last minute when it's found out he is parking in front of my mates shop...

i saw on tv a skit where they fill up a pub with loads of customers and then when one guy comes and security tell him he can't wear those shoes inside he says ok let me get my mates then and empties the pub of about 40 people.

[SiggiCM]

in what town you have your restaurant?

[Ulic]

Spray bottle of brake fluid will blister the paint off in short order but you may be getting into a pissing match

you will not win. Paying the police and taking him to court sounds like the right thing to do, Talk to the hotel

to find out what the cost was and how long it took. Maybe use there lawyer as a short cut. He/they were

successful.

[hgma]

Buy scrap yard vehicles....park them indefenitly in the neighborhood.

problem solved.

[jcgodber]

This is the way most business deal with parking around where I live

[marell]

Rent the parking spaces out to someone else. Preferably someone with the right phone numbers on his speed dial.

[timewilltell]

Kennny N...... I believe that you are new to this, both business and Thailand. We ex pats, are not Thai, but we are in Thailand. One of the hardest things for expats , all of us, is to understand that they have a different set of rights and wrongs over here, than would be common sense in our minds. Following suit to this is the difficulty in our thinking that we need to inform them of what is right and wrong. This right or wrong is in our way of thinking, "right" or "wrong". The Thai you are talking too has lived a lifetime, to that point, doing things their way and the way all other Thais do and think. We , as expats, show a great deal of arrogance in [in their eyes and way of thinking] trying to point out right and wrong to them.

We come here , into this ball park, and choose to do business, the first thing that should come into our minds is that we are not smarter than them and must show them how to run a business. We do not set the rules of the game in this ballpark, but if we want to play their game of business, in their ballpark, we, [the outsiders are the dummies] if we think we can do it better and by our rules.

I do sincerely hope that you had a chance to live here in CM for a year or two before deciding to start a business venture. It is a diffeent world vs back home, in wherever land. I hope you do find the necessary adjustment and find your answer. If not I guess it will not matter if the bus is there or not.... Learn how to play then move on to coaching......Good Luck.

All very good but offers not a shred of solution. Maybe the solution is evasive. It certainly should not revolve around damage to his vehicles of any sort - as a foreigner you will be at the losing end of that one, one way or another. It won't help to park your own vehicles there illegally either so unless he comes to park during the hours when parking is allowed that will end up in you being fined.

If he is just a ignorant unapproachable person then either pay the police to harass him, of course he may be connected or at a last resort take the photos over a month as suggested the earlier poster - take them with a newspaper to record the date and then try the police or eventually the lawyers - but use them as a last resort as they are neither cheap nor particularly professional or trustworthy in many cases - get a recommendation.

Good luck, be prepared to be patient and keep cool and stay legal. He will have many more people he knows than you do so escalation is not a good idea.

[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

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

How is that some places charge for parking on public street like near Wororot market?

Are they just paying a 'fee' to somebody to operate a parking concession?

Edited August 13, 2013 by CobraSnakeNecktie

[Joe Mamma]

My idea would be to buy for your business a sign vehicle. Those cars and panel vans that have the huge signs. Here they are usually not digitized and this is a great way of breaking his 20 years of not pulling his own weight.

Park this permanently with a special permit?

[newermonkey]

I had the same problem, I live in a student town and a student was parking his car outside our coffee shop and stopping motorcycles from parking there (our main customers use motorbikes)

Also at night I could not park up my own car.

I bought some red cones and placed them allong the road, I got the council to put in a step in the road leading in to the coffee shop, we put up a tent board in the road that prevents cars, then we put a note on his car that read in Thai: " You cannot park your car here"

Up to now he has parked elsewhere and our frontage is now clear for customers. (he got the message)

Your guy sounds like a red neck type so I guess my solutions would not be strong enough for him.

You could pay the council and the police to paint red lines outside you cafe but that would stop you from parking there as well!! If you pay the police enough you might get permission to clamp his veichles!

"Dificult" please keep me posted.