Many times I have attempted to park along the beach road (Thaweewong Rd) in Patong and been asked to pay 10 baht to park my motorbike. I've also been told that I could not even park in certain spots that are reserved for motorbike taxis.
This past week, I parked in front of a restaurant on Soi Sansabai where I wanted to eat lunch. I was told by a very rude man that I would have to pay him 20 baht to park there, even if I was dining at the restaurant. He was not in a uniform, nor was he wearing a name tag to identify himself as a parking attendant; he simply drove up on a motorbike.
This brings me to a couple of questions:
1. Do the taxi drivers run the parking along Thaweewong Rd, and are they licensed to charge for parking and/or send you away to park elsewhere?
2. When paying for goods or services in venues along Soi Sansabai, am I required to pay for parking in front of that business?
I look forward to your response.
Tourist, Patong
Thursday, January 7, 2010 1:02:03 PM
“Thaweewong Rd is a government road, so you can park anywhere you want. You can park in any government parking area. The fee for motorcycles is 4 Baht for the first hour, then 8 baht for the next hour. For cars, the fee is 10 baht for the first hour, and 20 baht for the next hour. Municipal staff (tessakit) wear khaki-colored uniforms. If someone else is asking for money for parking, please notify our staff in the area or at Patong Municipality offices.
Soi Sansabai is a private road, so they can charge you for parking as they see fit.
For more information, contact Patong Municipality (12/3 Ratchapathanusorn Road; Tel: 076- 344275, 076-344255. Web: patongcity.go.th/index.php).”
