Can anyone tell me why all of the parking lots at various store/shopping centers have attendents that hand you a card on entering, and take it back when you exit??

 

There doesn't seem to be any checks of any kind, and they certainly don't check to see if you made a purchase. This does create several thousand jobs in Thailand, but the cost of all these attendents could lower the prices in the markets???

 

All Tesco, Big C, Carefour, and Makro that I have visited have several on duty at all times. Lots of baht!!

The reason is so you have to present the card in order to get out. If you don't have the card, you could be a car thief. This is why you should take the card into the store with you and not leave it in the car. If you should lose your card they will ask you to produce proof that the car/motorbike is, in fact, yours.

If you don't have the card, you could be a car thief.

Drive in with an old, beat up hunk of junk. Get the card. Drive out with a brand new stolen BMW.

Drive in with an old, beat up hunk of junk. Get the card. Drive out with a brand new stolen BMW.

 

It is not a perfect system, but that is the thought behind the card.

The cost that these companies are spending for these parking lot attendents has to be rather large...there must be a cheaper way to prevent car theft...or there is another reason that all of these folks are handing out cards.

The cost that these companies are spending for these parking lot attendents has to be rather large...there must be a cheaper way to prevent car theft...or there is another reason that all of these folks are handing out cards.

 

These parking lot attendants are probably making about 6000 baht a month with 2 days a month off. Not an outrageous amount of money for a shopping mall or supermarket to pay.

On the face of it, the card system works. I don't recall ever reading anything about anyone having his car stolen from one of these parking lots. But I can't help but wonder if I still wouldn't be reading anything if there was no such thing as the card system. I'm wondering if the card system really does anything at all.

 

It's not only the security guards at shopping malls, but what about the numerous 'usesless' guards at all the villages around town.

There's never a check and even the cctv systems don't record and are only shown.

 

Many times I wondered about an automatic system that gives a unique card once entering a parking lot. The license plate is recorded and linked to the card.

If you want to leave, you put the card in the card-reader, the cctv records the license plate, the system links license plate and card, the gate opens en the link will be removed.

 

Next please!!

 

Major problem: Especially Thai do have the nasty habit of finding a way around every system.

..........even the cctv systems don't record and are only shown.

 

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This is not true of all condos.

 

This morning I visited Tesco Lotus here in Ubon...and all of the parking lot "huts" had all the windows plastered closed, and a lone attendent standing by the entrance saying "no more cards. Go ahead and park."

 

So here in Ubon at least, they are eliminating the parking attendents, and probably saving a little money...and in this economy every baht counts!!

 

The exit was unstaffed, and there was a sign on the hut but it was all in Thai.

I like the system in Los Angeles much better. You simply pull up to a restaurant, give a guy you never met your keys (car, house, etc.) so he can drive off and park it. Oh, and it only costs $5.

 

Next day your car is stolen and your house broken into..........

This morning I visited Tesco Lotus here in Ubon...and all of the parking lot "huts" had all the windows plastered closed, and a lone attendent standing by the entrance saying "no more cards. Go ahead and park."

 

So here in Ubon at least, they are eliminating the parking attendents, and probably saving a little money...and in this economy every baht counts!!

 

The exit was unstaffed, and there was a sign on the hut but it was all in Thai.

The same with the Tesco in S. Pattaya and the one in Rayong. Maybe since Central doesn't use that old system Tesco decided to save a little money and do away with it.

I like the system in Los Angeles much better. You simply pull up to a restaurant, give a guy you never met your keys (car, house, etc.) so he can drive off and park it. Oh, and it only costs $5.

 

Next day your car is stolen and your house broken into..........

 

That scam has been around for years. That's why the house key is detachable on my key ring so that a mechanic or attendant only gets the key to the car.