The pickup truck bashing incident involving a hot-headed house owner who smashed up a car parked across her driveway by another motorist should not be regarded as an isolated case involving two conflicting parties. The case reflects how enforcement of our laws is so farcical.
Boonsri Saengyoktrakan, a resident in the Seri Villa housing estate in Prawet district, made headlines this week when she, with help from her sister, took an axe and metal pole to the pickup, whose driver had gone shopping at a market without considering the blocking of access to and from someone's home.
Ms Boonsri's attempts to attract the driver's attention by beeping her own car horn repeatedly for half an hour failed.
News reports said Ms Boonsri, now nicknamed the "axe lady", had suffered this kind of problem for some 10 years since the area attracted numerous market operators. Her house is surrounded by five bustling markets.
Cars blocking her driveway are just one of the problems she has faced with state agencies seemingly incapable of helping her.
She told the media she had decided to take her elderly and ailing mother to a rest home for fear that she would not be able to leave her house in the event of an emergency.
She also said the markets brought sanitation problems, with solid waste being dumped all around and rats invading her home.
She has filed lawsuits against the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Prawet district office for dereliction of duty.
The glare of the media attention prompted Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang to rush to the scene where the pickup smash-up took place. He immediately ordered every district to conduct inspections of markets to determine if they meet city regulations.
In the case of the "axe lady", the BMA sent thesakit inspectors to her house to stop her driveway being blocked.
Indeed, the axe case has opened a can of bureaucratic worms as the problem has dragged on for many years. It underlines the lack of efficiency on the part of law enforcers in tackling the problems.
- News report: 'Most' Bangkok markets illegal
Tanasit Metpanmuang, chief of Prawet district office, insisted the authorities have tried to solve Ms Boonsri's problems.
He said, according the law, markets can be built and operated at the side of straight roads at least 160 metres long and 20 metres wide. The district chief was adamant the road in the Seri Villa housing estate fits that category.
However, most do not pass sanitary standards and none have been granted operating licences. But this lack of licences has raised suspicions about irregularities and tea money. There are reports that some market operators may have dodged tax.
The Bangkok governor has vowed to crack down on any officials accepting kickbacks.
Mr Tanasit's claims raises eyebrows as he failed to mention zoning and carrying capacity, supporting infrastructure such as parking space, and noise control measures.
A large number of city residents to a certain degree have experienced the kind of problems faced by Ms Boonsri. These problems are not limited to busy markets, but also occur around popular restaurants and entertainment venues.
A few years ago, an angry home owner in the Sam Sen area who scolded a driver who parked his vehicle in a similar manner to the smashed-up pickup was seriously injured when the driver shot her in a fit of rage.
The fact is there are many such markets. The Bangkok governor has ordered all 50 district offices to inspect some 364 markets across the city to ensure compliance with the law. There must be several thousand across major cities nationwide. Like those in the axe case, some are illegal, with poor or zero management. Not to mention safety problems since some market operators blatantly breach building codes.
It's time for real and concerted action, not just a knee-jerk reaction.