Nonthaburi resident faces threats over parking dispute

A Nonthaburi resident faced verbal abuse and threats after parking his car in front of his own house for the first time in 12 years.

The 53 year old resident, Sila, shared his story with the media, highlighting the inconsistency in parking rules within his community.

Sila arrived home around 10pm and found multiple cars parked on the opposite side of his house, blocking his ability to reverse into his driveway. Deciding to park in front of his house instead, he believed it wouldn’t cause any issues since many others in the neighbourhood did the same. However, the next day, he was met with harsh criticism and threats. Sila was accused of improper parking and even threatened with violence.

“I was told, ‘I made it nice for everyone, and you park like this? I’ll blow everything up!'”

Sila was perplexed as to why he was singled out while others could park freely.

Over the next few days, Sila tried to park his car in front of his house again to avoid blocking his driveway. Despite this, he faced continued hostility from a neighbour who posted a video on social media, cursing and threatening him. This neighbour, who lives at the end of the street, claimed to now park their car inside their property, although Sila had seen them park outside just two days before.

Attempting to resolve the issue, Sila reached out to the neighbour through social media, but the response was dismissive and aggressive. The neighbour warned him to stay away or suffer the consequences. Sila expressed his frustration about the parking situation, stating that people with disabilities and elderly residents were particularly targeted with verbal abuse.

No constructive solution

Sila found the situation increasingly untenable, especially since he often had to honk to get the car blocking his driveway moved. While this led to some tension, the neighbour eventually stopped parking their car in front of his house. On one occasion, Sila overheard neighbours discussing his house’s parking problems, which prompted him to invite them to discuss any issues directly with him. Despite this, no face-to-face conversations took place.

In addition to the parking issues, Sila also admitted that his household sometimes dried clothes in front of the house but insisted it did not obstruct the road or prevent cars from passing. Following the escalating conflict, Sila reported the situation to the local police station in Sai Noi. He mentioned that previous complaints about parking had been met with the suggestion to buy a new house.

Sila called for government intervention to address parking issues in affordable housing areas. He argued for clear regulations on whether residents could park in front of their houses to prevent conflicts. He expressed a desire for a solution that would ensure fairness and consistency, hoping that relevant local officials would take notice and act to resolve the ongoing parking disputes in his neighbourhood, reported KhaoSod.