Khaosan Road vendors back down on threat to defy pavement ban

[snoop1130]

Khaosan Road vendors back down on threat to defy pavement ban

By Kornrawee Panyasuppakun 
Tha Nation

 

 

Khaosan Road, a couple days ago a bustling street with foreign tourists and hawkers both day and night, was a bit lonely on Thursday without signs of street food stalls, clothing stalls or tattoo booths on its sidewalks.

 

“It was like a deserted street,” Nutcha Aree, a vendor who had been trading there for over 14 years, told The Nation. She said that after an evening talk with city hall’s Deputy Governor Sakoltee Phattiyakul the night before, Khaosan Road Street Vendors Association had decided to back down from its threat to continue encroaching on the sidewalk pavement during the day. 

 

The vendors would from on Thursday until August 6 stop selling on the sidewalk both day and night. Discussions will continue regarding what will be allowed after that date.

 

Until then, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will seek “cooperation” from the Metropolitan Police Bureau, which earlier refused to block traffic entering the road, from 6pm until midnight to allow for the city’s plan to turn the street into a night market. 

 

On Wednesday, which marked the beginning of the ban on pavement trading, more than 70 per cent of vendors defied the ban, prompting officials to threaten to fine them up to Bt2,000 for violated the Public Cleanliness and Orderliness Act 1992. 

 

According to Nutcha, vendors asked Deputy Governor Sukoltee to reconsider zoning and allow them to continue pavement trading. “We were willing to cooperate to help make Khaosan a scenic street, but the zoning and ban would affect image and trading,” she said. 

 

“Khaosan doesn’t have that much variety of items to offer. I think grouping food with food, or clothes with clothes would strip Khaosan of its diversity and charm,” she added. 

 

Also, many vendors said the 9 metre-wide and 400-metre-long street was too small to accommodate the 260 stalls proposed by the BMA, let alone thousands of tourists, especially when officials planned to reserve one side of the street for ambulances and fire engines.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30351318

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-8-2

[mok199]

how can you improve on ''organized chaos''..

[overherebc]

53 minutes ago, mok199 said:

how can you improve on ''organized chaos''..

?

[sammieuk1]

Wow what an improvement you can clearly see the McDonalds' as the poor traders are home counting their noodles.? 

[jonclark]

Clearly the dinosaurs at the BMA have no idea what the young western backpackers that made Khao San the place it is/was want.

 

Typical gentrification from a group of beuracrates that could not find their own <deleted> with a map..but know what the rest of us all want.

 

 

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, overherebc said:

?

The introduction of Pakistani Daleks?

 

[overherebc]

10 hours ago, bluesofa said:

The introduction of Pakistani Daleks?

 

Any more racist comments and you will be 'EXTERMINATED'

??

[bluesofa]

36 minutes ago, overherebc said:

10 hours ago, bluesofa said:

The introduction of Pakistani Daleks?

Any more racist comments and you will be 'EXTERMINATED'

Ha ha! I can only say one thing:

 

[overherebc]

6 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Ha ha! I can only say one thing:

 

The man was a genius.

Thanks for posting that.

[jvs]

11 hours ago, jonclark said:

Clearly the dinosaurs at the BMA have no idea what the young western backpackers that made Khao San the place it is/was want.

 

Typical gentrification from a group of beuracrates that could not find their own <deleted> with a map..but know what the rest of us all want.

 

 

Yes,how to kill tourism 5.0

[bluesofa]

Just now, jvs said:

Yes,how to kill tourism 5.0

Half-time score: How to kill tourism: 5 Loss of face: 0

 

[colinneil]

It is all about money, Sakoltee obviously does not get his cut from the street traders, so kick them out.

Replace them with 260 traders who have already contributed to his retirement fund.

[sikishrory]

" Also, many vendors said the 9 metre-wide and 400-metre-long street was too small to accommodate the 260 stalls proposed by the BMA, let alone thousands of tourists, especially when officials planned to reserve one side of the street for ambulances and fire engines. "

 

Forget about this one and make a new one somewhere with more space that is not miles away from the skytrain route.

Only thing is then the tuk tuks won't have you trapped and at their mercy far away from the better areas of Bangkok like Silom or Sukhimvit.

The place is a complete tourist trap anyway. I have no idea why people go there.

 

Edited August 3, 2018 by sikishrory

[johng]

27 minutes ago, sikishrory said:

The place is a complete tourist trap anyway. I have no idea why people go there.

Because they are tourists ????

[greeneking]

If this really is a photo from 2 days ago then I observe:

the street was pedestrianized a few years back and has not been much used by tuk tuks and taxis since.

The space saved by removing the stalls seems to now have these vehicles, too many of which blocked the ends of the road before waiting for customers.  Most taxis would not use their meters even when parked outside the police station.  If they are to be allowed to park up it will be more boring, more annoying but perhaps give someone a better revenue stream.

Why does the city plan to make it a night market?  It already is a night market.

Also they have only just finished regulating and zoning the food sellers.

I am no lover of the road, but many are and its best left how it was.

[johnc925]

8 minutes ago, greeneking said:

If this really is a photo from 2 days ago then I observe:

the street was pedestrianized a few years back and has not been much used by tuk tuks and taxis since.

The space saved by removing the stalls seems to now have these vehicles, too many of which blocked the ends of the road before waiting for customers.  Most taxis would not use their meters even when parked outside the police station.  If they are to be allowed to park up it will be more boring, more annoying but perhaps give someone a better revenue stream.

Why does the city plan to make it a night market?  It already is a night market.

Also they have only just finished regulating and zoning the food sellers.

I am no lover of the road, but many are and its best left how it was.

Agreed..

 

Commerce and Culture squashed with the stroke of a pen.. nice move guys .. its called "gap analysis, financial impact analysis, and stop gap/migration planning ... 

[rtr4]

Congratulations Mr. Sukoltee. Finally you managed to ...... one of the most iconic place in Bkk. Good Job! 

[Tradewind777]

WHat a retrograde step. They need their heads read!

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, Tradewind777 said:

WHat a retrograde step. They need their heads read!

No need to change the colour. Blackheads should be fine.

 

[JennaBurrows]

Sanitizing the life out of the city. 

 

First Sukhumvit, all the vendors cleared, pop up bars, nighttime street vendors cleared around Nana, Soi 38, Siam. The area is dull as dishwater these days. 

 

Now moving onto Khao San Road, and then they are going to attempt to 'clean up' Chinatown. 

 

Unbearable and depressing to seem the ruin the city like they are. Gentrification at it's worst. 

[JennaBurrows]

7 hours ago, sikishrory said:

" Also, many vendors said the 9 metre-wide and 400-metre-long street was too small to accommodate the 260 stalls proposed by the BMA, let alone thousands of tourists, especially when officials planned to reserve one side of the street for ambulances and fire engines. "

 

Forget about this one and make a new one somewhere with more space that is not miles away from the skytrain route.

Only thing is then the tuk tuks won't have you trapped and at their mercy far away from the better areas of Bangkok like Silom or Sukhimvit.

The place is a complete tourist trap anyway. I have no idea why people go there.

 

 

Except they've already been banned from Sukhumvit and Silom too (except privately owned Patpong night market). Banned by the same officials too. Soi 38 on Sukhumvit, where you got some of the best street food in the city banned too. 

 

Just unbelievable. 

[bristolgeoff]

a friend is going for the first time to thailand will stay in khaosan rd.she probadly stayed because of the st life at night and  some at the day time.her reason was she wanted to have some fun.told her all gone now,if she knew this maybe she would not have booked a room or stay there..the amount of trade that will be lost for the people in that area  will be huge.santize the area was not a good move

[JennaBurrows]

This is the dude Governer Sakoltee Phattiyakul unelected and destroying Bangkok - here shown being released from jail. Oh the irony.