Parking

[1BADDAT]

The traffic in Pattaya has been really bad this year. And I think one of the major reasons it is so bad is because of parking, or the lack of it. Almost every street in Pattaya has cars lined up and down at all hours of the day and night. It really limits the available road space. People park halfway out in the road sometimes on narrow streets. I am constantly having to wait for cars because someone will just stop on the middle of the road and turn on their emergency flashers to run into a store or to wait for someone.

There are restaurants and businesses all over, but almost none of them have there own car park. I mean really, you would think the real estate in Pattaya was very expensive, because they leave no space whatsoever for car parks. There are no parking garages that i know of for people to pay for parking. They will let you park for free at Central Festival for a few hours, but there is no where to park overnight.

Why don't they make a real parking garage somewhere near walking street or on beach road? Why don't they write tickets for people that park illegally? They could make the streets much easier to navigate and they could generate lots of revenue. Instead the would rather hassle tourists over helmets.

[Pattaya28]

No Policing.

Thais will park where they want when they want. <deleted>

[KittenKong]

Parking isnt the problem. Double and triple parking are the problem.

[colinneil]

Moaning about selfish Thais parking in Pattaya.

Heres a better 1. On monday i was at the local hospital for my physio/electric therapy.

I have to be lifted on a gurney by hospital porters. Taken up the disabled ramp next to hospital staff car park.

When finished 2 ladies from physio pushed me outside. The disabled ramp was blocked by a nurses car.

They had to take me back then around the hospital to get to our car, took them nearly 15 minutes, because of 1 selfish brain dead nurse.

[Jessi]

Moaning about selfish Thais parking in Pattaya.

Heres a better 1. On monday i was at the local hospital for my physio/electric therapy.

I have to be lifted on a gurney by hospital porters. Taken up the disabled ramp next to hospital staff car park.

When finished 2 ladies from physio pushed me outside. The disabled ramp was blocked by a nurses car.

They had to take me back then around the hospital to get to our car, took them nearly 15 minutes, because of 1 selfish brain dead nurse.

We see this type of thing in Thailand all the time.

WHY? Because its all about me, me, me, me,

I got blocked in the hospital car park one day this (I cant use the word here) blocked 5 cars from moving.

I got security and they came with a trolly jack to move it in all it took about 1 1/2 hours.

I was very p1ssed off.

[mikebell]

I agree about restaurants being built without parking spaces. The Indian restaurateur near Soi 6 merely commandeers the space on Second road in front of his place. This is one place not on my visit list. Alongside 'his' no parking beacons are 15 metres of motor bikes for hire which also deny drivers legitimate parking spots. Then there are the laundry drying frames which are left out at night even with no washing on them.

The police are too busy causing traffic jams by ripping off tourist motor bike riders to worry about clearing obstructions.

[KittenKong]

I agree about restaurants being built without parking spaces.

Not just restaurants. Most new condo buildings seem to have parking spaces for only a tiny number of vehicles compared to the number of units in the building.

[thinkingman]

there is a large parking lot, or there was in March, to the right about 20 meters after Second Road on Soi 13/3. I forget the cost--maybe Bt 50 or100? but it is secured and plenty of space. I park there rather than get irritated looking for free parking space.

[Jessi]

I agree about restaurants being built without parking spaces.

Not just restaurants. Most new condo buildings seem to have parking spaces for only a tiny number of vehicles compared to the number of units in the building.

I also think part of the problem is that there are a lot more Thai's driving cars now than just skipping around on the bikes.

[johng]

There are no parking garages that i know of for people to pay for parking. They will let you park for free at Central Festival for a few hours, but there is no where to park overnight.

There are a couple of places

The "Wat Chai" temple on South Pattaya road even have a lovely hardly used multistory carpark graciously providing shade to the first few floors of next door Center Condo !

And at Bali Hai pier there is the long awaited automated robotic parking palace 30 baht per hour 300 per day

[lonewolf99]

This is a global issue..not just Pattaya...Build build build but no thought to infrastructure first.

I was up in Vientiene about a month ago. - it is a nightmare - cars are parked on the pavement !!! and you have to walk on the road with madness prevailing with speeding motor bikes and cars.

Pavements / Sidewalks etc are a danger all over Thai towns. The kerb height is way too high, they are badly made and too narrow with Telegraph poles and electric poles in the middle of them.

Europe and the UK has lots of towns with multi storey car parking and pedestrian areas. The rest of the thirld world has no thought of ever doing this. Space is money. Hand carts, renting motorbikes etc on the streets would never happen elsewhere.

Do what I do - use a bicycle. If 50% of the fit and able did this there would be a damn site less problems...on a global scale.

[1BADDAT]

This is a global issue..not just Pattaya...Build build build but no thought to infrastructure first.

I was up in Vientiene about a month ago. - it is a nightmare - cars are parked on the pavement !!! and you have to walk on the road with madness prevailing with speeding motor bikes and cars.

Pavements / Sidewalks etc are a danger all over Thai towns. The kerb height is way too high, they are badly made and too narrow with Telegraph poles and electric poles in the middle of them.

Europe and the UK has lots of towns with multi storey car parking and pedestrian areas. The rest of the thirld world has no thought of ever doing this. Space is money. Hand carts, renting motorbikes etc on the streets would never happen elsewhere.

Do what I do - use a bicycle. If 50% of the fit and able did this there would be a damn site less problems...on a global scale.

I agree that using a bicycle has many advantages, but for me it has two major drawbacks.

1. Getting killed by a motorcycle, car, bus, water buffalo..etc...on the street.

2. I don't like to show up to anyplace dripping of sweat.

[NanLaew]

I came in the back entrance to the new-ish Homepro on Sukhumvit the other night. There must be parking for well over 1000 cars under that building... and none of it in use as the parking from the Sukhumvit side (store front) is more than adequate. They could fill that up with the munters from Bangkok at the weekend and run them into town in songtaews and taxis. But I reckon the standard, uninspired thinking will kick in and it will be turned into another, huge market selling more tat.... and the monthly car auction.

[ToddinChonburi]

If the police would just enforce traffic laws it would help a bunch but it sounds like the girls at the banks are working over time trying to get thai's to pay there car loans.

[1BADDAT]

I came in the back entrance to the new-ish Homepro on Sukhumvit the other night. There must be parking for well over 1000 cars under that building... and none of it in use as the parking from the Sukhumvit side (store front) is more than adequate. They could fill that up with the munters from Bangkok at the weekend and run them into town in songtaews and taxis. But I reckon the standard, uninspired thinking will kick in and it will be turned into another, huge market selling more tat.... and the monthly car auction.

I saw the same thing. It's MASSIVE! I have no idea why they built that garage so big. They must have some reason.

[vanassa]

I do agree with you, parking garage is one of our solutions.

[guzzi850m2]

Yes parking a 4 wheeler is a pain and one of the main reasons we mostly uses scooters downtown.

Lucky for us, we don't live that far from downtown so 10 min on the scooter and we are there, can take 30 min in the truck during weekends.

Yes a problem many places all over the world, in Hong Kong a private parking space can cost up to over 1/2 mill$!!

http://money.cnn.com/2014/10/09/real_estate/hong-kong-parking-space/

[johng]

News from PattayaWatchdog facebook page.

After 6 months of not paying rent ( under refurbishment ) to Pattaya City MP MEC co LTD lost its concession to run the robotic car park at Bali Hai pier.

so one less place to park ...not that it was a viable place to start with.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Never had a problem finding parking in Pattaya...been here 15 years and it's not really a problem...drive an SUV too. Between street, parking lots, and hotels (for a fee) never an issue.

[NanLaew]

Never had a problem finding parking in Pattaya...been here 15 years and it's not really a problem...drive an SUV too. Between street, parking lots, and hotels (for a fee) never an issue.

Agreed. It's the keeping moving that's almost impossible in Pattaya!

For parking, there's Central Festival, Royal Garden and The Avenue that all provide covered parking when I head 'down town'. Central is free, RG is one hour free (I think) and then a decent 5 baht an hour (I think) that can be extended with buying something (but it's so cheap I don't bother). Avenue has free 30 minute parking but getting an Avenue shop stamp gives you 5 hours free. Grab something from Starbucks, McDonalds, the pizza place, Au Bon Pain, Villa or any other shop and there you go. There's also the 50 baht lot on Soi 13/3 as mentioned earlier. If you present the parking ticket at the TQ, they take 50 baht off your tab (and the girls will call you hansum man). Either way, from any of those parking venues one can use a baht bus or m'cycle taxi to take you to your ultimate destination. Or you can walk. Or like the locals, you just stop driving alongside the car nearest the sidewalk nearest where you want to go, get out, lock up and walk away. Hazard flashers are optional.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Never had a problem finding parking in Pattaya...been here 15 years and it's not really a problem...drive an SUV too. Between street, parking lots, and hotels (for a fee) never an issue.

Agreed. It's the keeping moving that's almost impossible in Pattaya!

For parking, there's Central Festival, Royal Garden and The Avenue that all provide covered parking when I head 'down town'. Central is free, RG is one hour free (I think) and then a decent 5 baht an hour (I think) that can be extended with buying something (but it's so cheap I don't bother). Avenue has free 30 minute parking but getting an Avenue shop stamp gives you 5 hours free. Grab something from Starbucks, McDonalds, the pizza place, Au Bon Pain, Villa or any other shop and there you go. There's also the 50 baht lot on Soi 13/3 as mentioned earlier. If you present the parking ticket at the TQ, they take 50 baht off your tab (and the girls will call you hansum man). Either way, from any of those parking venues one can use a baht bus or m'cycle taxi to take you to your ultimate destination. Or you can walk. Or like the locals, you just stop driving alongside the car nearest the sidewalk nearest where you want to go, get out, lock up and walk away. Hazard flashers are optional.

Agree...I don't understand all the people always winging about parking in Pattaya...this is a semi-urban beach resort city two hours drive from a major metropolis of 10M people...of course there is going to be traffic congestion and parking issues, especially on weekends and holidays. These complainers must have lived out in the sticks where they came from to always be complaining about this.

As to traffic flow...sometimes it does gum up a bit...but except for holidays and the rush-hour, getting across town usually never takes more than 20 minutes or so...and getting to know the back-streets and alleys can be a real time-saver (Google Maps is your best friend). And if I do get stuck in traffic, I listen to podcasts or read the newspaper on my phone or tablet so it not really wasted time in any case.

[giddyup]

Parked my pickup yesterday for nearly 4 hours in the car park under Mike's Mall, plenty of spaces, total cost 40 baht (A$1.50). The Aussie friend who was with me said that would have cost the best part of $20 in Australia. Anyone who complains about the parking in Pattaya just doesn't know how good they have it.

[johng]

Parked my pickup yesterday for nearly 4 hours in the car park under Mike's Mall, plenty of spaces, total cost 40 baht (A$1.50).

There's a car park under Mikes shopping Mall ? I didn't know that !!

or is it somewhat like the basement at "Friendship"

[johng]

Agree...I don't understand all the people always winging about parking in Pattaya...this is a semi-urban beach resort city two hours drive from a major metropolis of 10M people...of course there is going to be traffic congestion and parking issues, especially on weekends and holidays. These complainers must have lived out in the sticks where they came from to always be complaining about this.

As to traffic flow...sometimes it does gum up a bit...but except for holidays and the rush-hour, getting across town usually never takes more than 20 minutes or so...and getting to know the back-streets and alleys can be a real time-saver (Google Maps is your best friend). And if I do get stuck in traffic, I listen to podcasts or read the newspaper on my phone or tablet so it not really wasted time in any case.

Before the "Yingluck" floods of Bangkok and subsequent temporary evacuation of what seemed like 10 M of the metropolis to the eastern seaboard and particularly Pattaya the traffic congestion and parking issues where ( to my view at least ) much less than they are now.....the other day it took me a full hour to get out of "Central Festival the Beach's" car park and another hour to get back home to Na-Jomtien.

[giddyup]

Parked my pickup yesterday for nearly 4 hours in the car park under Mike's Mall, plenty of spaces, total cost 40 baht (A$1.50).

There's a car park under Mikes shopping Mall ? I didn't know that !!

or is it somewhat like the basement at "Friendship"

Mike's Mall and Mike's Shopping Mall, I get them confused. Anyway, it's the second one as you come along Second Road after Royal Gardens.

[KittenKong]

News from PattayaWatchdog facebook page.

After 6 months of not paying rent ( under refurbishment ) to Pattaya City MP MEC co LTD lost its concession to run the robotic car park at Bali Hai pier.

If you made it up no one would believe it!

[OMGImInPattaya]

Agree...I don't understand all the people always winging about parking in Pattaya...this is a semi-urban beach resort city two hours drive from a major metropolis of 10M people...of course there is going to be traffic congestion and parking issues, especially on weekends and holidays. These complainers must have lived out in the sticks where they came from to always be complaining about this.

As to traffic flow...sometimes it does gum up a bit...but except for holidays and the rush-hour, getting across town usually never takes more than 20 minutes or so...and getting to know the back-streets and alleys can be a real time-saver (Google Maps is your best friend). And if I do get stuck in traffic, I listen to podcasts or read the newspaper on my phone or tablet so it not really wasted time in any case.

Before the "Yingluck" floods of Bangkok and subsequent temporary evacuation of what seemed like 10 M of the metropolis to the eastern seaboard and particularly Pattaya the traffic congestion and parking issues where ( to my view at least ) much less than they are now.....the other day it took me a full hour to get out of "Central Festival the Beach's" car park and another hour to get back home to Na-Jomtien.

"[T]he other day" sounds to me like it was during the Songkran holiday period...was it? That might explain the parking garage backup and congested roads to Na Jomtien. I don't think it's ever taken me more than 10 minutes to get out of Central (and usually less than 5) but again, I time my visits wisely...usually the morning on weekdays. To get from Central to my place at the end of Nern Plub Wan on the Darkside (about 8-10 kms) usually takes no more than 20-25 minutes (but can be 40 if Klang is really clogged-up).

[NanLaew]

Parked my pickup yesterday for nearly 4 hours in the car park under Mike's Mall, plenty of spaces, total cost 40 baht (A$1.50).

There's a car park under Mikes shopping Mall ? I didn't know that !!

or is it somewhat like the basement at "Friendship"

Mike's Mall and Mike's Shopping Mall, I get them confused. Anyway, it's the second one as you come along Second Road after Royal Gardens.

Yes, it's the big one with the huge carpark out the back on 2nd that is perpetually reserved for everything else but you! And it's also semi famous for coffin dodgers doing the half-pike from the pool on the roof.

But it does have a half decent underground car park that although quite dark and grimy, does have decent sized parking bays and isn't normally as full as RG's.

[Spaniel]

Never had a problem finding parking in Pattaya...been here 15 years and it's not really a problem...drive an SUV too. Between street, parking lots, and hotels (for a fee) never an issue.

Agreed. It's the keeping moving that's almost impossible in Pattaya!

For parking, there's Central Festival, Royal Garden and The Avenue that all provide covered parking when I head 'down town'. Central is free, RG is one hour free (I think) and then a decent 5 baht an hour (I think) that can be extended with buying something (but it's so cheap I don't bother). Avenue has free 30 minute parking but getting an Avenue shop stamp gives you 5 hours free. Grab something from Starbucks, McDonalds, the pizza place, Au Bon Pain, Villa or any other shop and there you go. There's also the 50 baht lot on Soi 13/3 as mentioned earlier. If you present the parking ticket at the TQ, they take 50 baht off your tab (and the girls will call you hansum man). Either way, from any of those parking venues one can use a baht bus or m'cycle taxi to take you to your ultimate destination. Or you can walk. Or like the locals, you just stop driving alongside the car nearest the sidewalk nearest where you want to go, get out, lock up and walk away. Hazard flashers are optional.

For parking in Royal Garden the first two hours are free but if you get your parking card validated at the service counter next to the fountain they will give you another hour free. Additional time is 20 bhat per hour. No purchases required.

[1BADDAT]

I don't consider going to the mall to leave my car adequate parking. I would like to be able to park where I actually want to go.

One thing I have noticed lately is that the traffic in Naklua near Dolphin circle is horrible now because of parking. There is a show in the soi next to VIP plaza that all the busses are going to at once. There is nowhere to drop them off so they cue on naklua road waiting to turn. It's complete chaos. The police have starting to try and manage it but they are not doing enough. They should bAn tour busses from loading and unloading in the middle of the street. It's complete madness.