Disability Parking Permit

[Big Boy]

Does anybody know how to get one of these permits here in Thailand? It isn't for me. It is for occasional use by Mrs BB. Sometimes she is fit as a fiddle, but from time to time she has breathing difficulties and significant knee pain, and needs to walk with a stick. At these times, life would be so much easier if we could park just a little bit closer.

I've been seeing the new spaces being created in Market Village, which would be brilliant for her when she's not well, but we just don't know how to go about it.

[PeteC]

This is a guess, but in things like this I think they would look to other countries and what they do. If so, the permits would be issued by some government office, perhaps motor vehicles or local city hall, after some kind of doctor statement is submitted concerning what the disability is. That's logic.....reality may be a 180! Pete

[Big Boy]

Yes, we went through it in the UK with my father. I've never actually seen a disabled permit on display here. Certainly those I've seen using the spaces are more Hi-so than disabled.

At times Mrs BB is in dire need, whereas other times she appears 100%. I don't think she'd have any problem getting the correct certification. Certainly when we visit many of Thailand's attractions, we tend to leave her at the car because she won't attempt the walk in case she becomes a burden.

[hhinner]

I may be wrong, but I don't think that Thailand has any official disabled driver rules, other than that buildings with parking spaces must provide parking for the elderly and infirm. Maybe ask at MV service counter on the ground floor? My thought is that you just tell the guard (if you can find one) that you need to use the disabled parking space.

[HHTel]

My experience when my mother is here is to inform the security who will move the barrier to allow me to park. Those without a barrier just opens it up for anyone to park. People here dont have a conscience about taking a space reserved for the disabled.

[Big Boy]

Hmmmm........ maybe I'll get Mrs BB to ask. The guards will probably be reserving those spaces for their mates - I can see them telling me to drop Mrs BB before parking the car.

I'll report back when the deed has been done. I'm not too hopeful though. I'd rather have some official hoops to jump through.

[Nereus]

I have the same problem. I have to use a walking stick and if there is a guard or whatever, I just wave my stick at them and mostly they will remove the barrier. Only a couple of times have I had to get out of the car and chase a particular guard whom thought that he knew better!

There is one old guard at a BigC supermarket that I go to that insists on helping me out of the car and walks me to the shop entrance!

I have seen the disabled stickers several times on cars, but just where to get them is a mystery. In Oz your doctor writes out a permit, which has to be taken to another government department that issues the sticker.

Have you asked a doctor? I have not as I have not been to a doctor for several years, but it would be a good place to start. Failing that, just get out of your car with your most fearful expression and move the barrier yourself!

[Big Boy]

Mrs BB goes to the bone clinic on Friday - I tell her to ask there as well. Different doctor for the breathing problem - next appointment not until next year.

[Nereus]

Just a point to be aware of with disabled parking bays. There are some of them that if you do not park your car right in the centre of the bay, some ignorant ****hole will squeeze in alongside of your car.
There are a couple in Bangkok that I will not use because of this. One day I came back to my car to find it just about impossible to open the drivers door, as some ****hole had done just that.

If the bay has a structural pillar alongside it I use that one and just keep the drivers side clear, or the passenger side if you need that side clear. I have also had another one where some poor cripple that cannot walk 4 or 5 metres has had to park right in front of my car, so blocking me from leaving. And you can be sure that there will not be a guard to be found when that happens to push the offender out of the way.

[Nereus]

The following may be of some use, Big Boy. Maybe you can get somebody in the UK to send you some.

http://www.mobilitysmart.cc/car-accesso ... ckers.html

Also, and I cannot find a link, elsewhere somebody has posted that there is a form that you can get from the DLT, which you take to your doctor to fill in. Don't know what happens next, but assume that you take the doctor signed form back to the DLT to get the sticker.

edit: here is another local one. Maybe too big though. edit: now I see it ships from the UK!

http://www.fishpond.co.th/Health/200mm- ... 9558232949

edit: and this one: http://www.monotaro.co.th/g/00271615/

[Big Boy]

Actually, that's a really good idea. It would probably only cost 100 Baht to get a sheet full manufactured here. I'll go down the other routes first, but might get some made if all else fails.

[Nereus]

The first one on here would be good. I know just where to put it!

http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_nkw= ... noapp=true

[Big Boy]

LOL, yes maybe get a sheet of them printed too, to stick on offender's windscreens.

[Big Boy]

Mrs BB asked the routine at the MV Information Desk this morning. It's as some have already suggested, make the guard on duty aware of the disability.

[Nereus]

Mrs BB asked the routine at the MV Information Desk this morning. It's as some have already suggested, make the guard on duty aware of the disability.

I used one at MV last week. There was no guard to be seen, but there was one out of several without any barrier.
Actually, I do not go there very often but when I do I have never seen a guard in the parking area and just move the barrier if there happens to be one.

Yesterday I parked in one at BigC in Bangkok. Somchai was sitting on a chair between my car and next to a post. Started up and drove off being completely ignored, despite giving him a toot with horn. Got about 10 meters and a couple of people starting waving their arms about and pointing at the front of the car. I stopped and a young bloke bent under the car and pulled out one of those plastic barrier cones!
Evidently the thing was in front of my car and I did not see it, having approached from the rear.