Thai Parking ... what were they thinking?

[David48]

Thai Parking ... what were they thinking ...

Guys, we sometimes drive with trepidation on the roads here.

Seems like every time we take our own and that of our families lives in your hands and in the lap of the Gods.

They certainly have a relaxed attitude to driving ... but do you also see it with their parking style.

I think those white lines at TESCO are designed to be a guideline only.

Their ability to get their front left tyre on one line and their rear right on the other is legendary.

... and no-one seems to care.

This is from muchogra ... thanks ...

Any examples to share?

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[Tywais]

Won't be difficult for more examples, all I have to do is bring my camera out at BigC and point it anywhere.

[David48]

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^^ Maybe a separate challenge then is to have them all aligned ...

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[vtjforyou]

I never followed any line or rule and will never do !

[IMHO]

I suppose they were probably the thinking the same as me - angle parking makes more sense

[David48]

I suppose they were probably the thinking the same as me - angle parking makes more sense

How about a few photos of your customers car parking abilities?

[BookMan]

My favourite is how people park behind/in front of someone else blocking them in. They then lock their car, leave the gear in neutral, and the next person will push it of the way when they want to get their car out.

[Ron19]

[Ron19]

[David48]

My favourite is how people park behind/in front of someone else blocking them in. They then lock their car, leave the gear in neutral, and the next person will push it of the way when they want to get their car out.

... or, as in our case.

David48 and MissFarmGirl go off to make David48's licence at the local Transport Dept.

There early enough so get a 'standard' park.

Come back out in the rain ... yep ... parked in both sides.

But no problem ... the one car we can move has done the right thing ... handbrake off.

But not budging.

Yes ... the driver had left it in 'PARK' ...

We can't work the front cars as there isn't enough of a gap and because of the potholes, I can budge them enough ... despite my size.

So a pregnant MissFarmGirl, walks back through the rain to the Office to get a public announcement with the Rego number of the offending vehicle.

Waiting ...

Waiting ...

Nothing ...

There was one other Thai male and on seeing our predicament offered to help push a series of cars at the front to get enough wiggle room for us to get out.

Despite all the negative sentiments towards the Thais and not helping others ... I say everyone's experience is different.

So, to that nice Thai man who helped ...

We are out.

In the drizzle, I gently roll the cars back.

MURPHY'S LAW ... just as we exiting the lane, the car in front ... the one we could move ... the owner hopped in drove behind us out of the Carpark ...

Time wasted ... bout an hour ...

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[Spoonman]

I love the way the reverse park and then when they come out with a trolley full of <deleted> they have purchased proceed to pull car out of the park and block everyone from driving though whilst they load up.

[JoeThePoster]

Line or no line, what really matters is how close to the entrance you park.

[kotsak]

"Thai Parking ... what were they thinking "

Thinking? If only they could..

[Sealbash]

The Thai style of parking works extremely well for me.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[cooked]

As far as I'm concerned it's a miracle that they even make an attempt at parking. Part of this is due to poor engineering, the spaces are generally too narrow and are rarely angled, just to squeeze in an extra car. They then rent out the best places in front of the store entrance to car salesmen etc.

Generally a Thai, when he suddenly notices that he is passing in front of a house or shop he needs to visit, stops. Blocking traffic for ten minutes or so is no problem for him, and out here in rural Thailand it is just the same - they seem surprised to see a car on the road although they will generally, eventually, move over.

I run into the same delivery truck on the same bit of road 2 - 3 times a week doing this.

[wxpwzrd]

I don't think "lines" are taught in Thai schools. They can't drive within them, park within them or even stand in them...

[IMHO]

I don't think "lines" are taught in Thai schools. They can't drive within them, park within them or even stand in them...

Sure they do, but we are all constantly reminded that lines were meant to be crossed

[LawrenceN]

I suppose they were probably the thinking the same as me - angle parking makes more sense

Not just angle parking, though that would help. I was in the U.S. earlier this year. Rented a car right from the airport, and stopped at a mall on the way to my brother's house. I actually laughed out loud at the size of the parking space, having gotten used to what we have here in the LOS. Everything here is built "crowded."

[IMHO]

I suppose they were probably the thinking the same as me - angle parking makes more sense

How about a few photos of your customers car parking abilities?

Not so fair - my customers parallel park on the road

There's a few Tesco Lotus around TH that use angle parking outside, and largely you can't fault the way 99% of cars are parked in them. 1% still insist on trying to reverse in though

[Gsxrnz]

Using the typical Tesco angle parking as an example, the opposing rows are too close together, the slots are too narrow, and the angles are too sharp. I drive a Vigo and if there is one free slot and even if all the adjacent cars/trucks are parked perfectly (Ok, that's a rare event), I can't swing my truck into a slot - the steering and everything just works against it.

So I have to find a place with two vacant slots so I can get in. BUT.....if I park perfectly, and then somebody parks beside me, I have a bugger of a job getting out because everything is too tight. So guess what I do......I park exactly like the OP's picture.

This is Rome, baby!!

[David48]

I don't think "lines" are taught in Thai schools. They can't drive within them, park within them or even stand in them...

Sure they do, but we are all constantly reminded that lines were meant to be crossed

And to be honest ... I never wish Thailand to a mirror of Singapore.

... but sneak in a few photos ... be a good lad then ...

[IMHO]

I suppose they were probably the thinking the same as me - angle parking makes more sense

Not just angle parking, though that would help. I was in the U.S. earlier this year. Rented a car right from the airport, and stopped at a mall on the way to my brother's house. I actually laughed out loud at the size of the parking space, having gotten used to what we have here in the LOS. Everything here is built "crowded."

Yep, I lived in the USA for a few years while going to Uni - I still remember thinking "you could park two cars in this spot"... which Thai's would no doubt do if they made them that big here

[IMHO]

OK, so his left wheel is on the line.. but he's obviously spent some money on paintwork, and has a right to go shopping and not come back to door dents and scratches. You can't really blame him for the poor design of the parking space.

If this were me, I'd have properly straddled the line, and parked on more of an angle so everyone knew I fully intended to take up 2 spaces

[IMHO]

Using the typical Tesco angle parking as an example, the opposing rows are too close together, the slots are too narrow, and the angles are too sharp. I drive a Vigo and if there is one free slot and even if all the adjacent cars/trucks are parked perfectly (Ok, that's a rare event), I can't swing my truck into a slot - the steering and everything just works against it.

So I have to find a place with two vacant slots so I can get in. BUT.....if I park perfectly, and then somebody parks beside me, I have a bugger of a job getting out because everything is too tight. So guess what I do......I park exactly like the OP's picture.

This is Rome, baby!!

You're meant to drive in the direction of the arrows, and park front-in

[kotsak]

And of course parking at the special space marked with a wheelchair (because it's the nearest to the entrance) is for the mentally handicaped people...

[Gsxrnz]

Using the typical Tesco angle parking as an example, the opposing rows are too close together, the slots are too narrow, and the angles are too sharp. I drive a Vigo and if there is one free slot and even if all the adjacent cars/trucks are parked perfectly (Ok, that's a rare event), I can't swing my truck into a slot - the steering and everything just works against it.

So I have to find a place with two vacant slots so I can get in. BUT.....if I park perfectly, and then somebody parks beside me, I have a bugger of a job getting out because everything is too tight. So guess what I do......I park exactly like the OP's picture.

This is Rome, baby!!

You're meant to drive in the direction of the arrows, and park front-in

Thanks for the um......."helpful" comment.

[thrilled]

It's not only Thai's.I see people all over the world park badly

[wonder6281]

They park the way they do because they can. If they are happy then who cares about anyone else.

[Baerboxer]

And of course parking at the special space marked with a wheelchair (because it's the nearest to the entrance) is for the mentally handicaped people...

I'm sorry to say that also happens in the UK too. The large amount of selfish morons who park in the very clearly wheelchair marked spaces for the disabled just because they are nice and near the entrance and extra wide. Usually, if you point it out, this is for disabled people, the vacant look on their faces, coupled with total indignation that you dare speak to them, suggests they do have some mental issues.

In the UK, the biggest offenders, ime, were middle aged mums, fresh from the school runs, driving SUVs and always - "in a hurry, only going to be 5 minutes" - as if that made it all alright.

In Thailand it always seems to be couples - no children, no one disabled, no old people. Just middle aged, fit, healthy couples who want the nearest parking space to the entrance they can find, I have seen one or two security guys whistle and make them move - and good the the security guys!

[mesquite]

After years of being frustrated with the Thai's driving and parking, I decided to join them.

I no longer park. I just stop driving.