Khao San Road: It's as quiet as the grave after order is brought to "landmark" Bangkok street

[webfact]

Khao San Road: It's as quiet as the grave after order is brought to "landmark" Bangkok street

 

Bringing order: It's as quiet as a cemetery

 

Thai Rath once again went to Khao San Road and posed the question: Was bringing order to the famous landmark street a good idea?

 

They pretty much answered their own question after talking to tourists and traders who gave a resounding "No way!"

 

Their headline said that Khao San had been turned into a graveyard of quietness during the day when footpath trading is banned.

 

Traders have only been able to set up stalls from 6pm to midnight.

 

Before

 

Before tourists flocked to the area as it was vibrant from 9am until 2am.

 

Now Thai Rath said the tourists are confused. News has spread on social media. Those looking for the flavor of Thailand at the area's street food stalls are disappointed.

 

People hoping to browse in the once familiar markets are finding nothing but city tumbleweed.

 

After

 

It is a landmark no more.

 

Traders are feeling the pinch and running into debt as they don't have the time to make a decent living or the same amount of customers any more.

 

The Bangkok authority have promised to look into the matter but the future of Khao San Road is doubtful to say the least.

 

The price of bringing order looks like the end of the road for Khao San, they lamented.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-09-04

[Just1Voice]

Killing yet another world famous BKK attraction.

[Samui Bodoh]

"...Was bringing order to the famous landmark street a good idea?.."

 

No. It was not.

 

This is a prime example of the Junta's fun-sucking, 'life-killing' agenda that values 'order' over fun. While I have not seen it recently, I had a friend who visited and declared it "as fun as an Army base but without the ambiance".

 

What has been accomplished? One of Bangkok's prime tourist attractions has been degraded and demoted to a historical relic. All the traders who use to make a living there now do not. The 'atmosphere' of the area has reached the 'paint drying' level.

 

What a stupid, stupid move.

 

Yet another example of the great joy brought to you by the Junta...

 

 

[anon789561]

“I had a friend who visited and declared it "as fun as an Army base but without the ambiance".

555 that’s funny 

[OneMoreFarang]

I hope they open everything again so that all those backpackers will go back to that soi.

Otherwise they would roam around town in other areas and that obviously has to be avoided.

[ReMarKable]

Do not complain.  The Thai government is just seeking unity.  Agree with what they do or suffer re-education holiday.

[sammieuk1]

Khao San road is as quite as a grave and its now the only place for the Chinese can now guarantee an exit stamp on departure?

[JimmyTheMook]

Wonder if the move was to rid the area of the stank assed backpackers.

[darksidedog]

It would be nice to think that the powers that be, actually had the foresight to understand what they are doing and its consequences.

One of the most visited destinations effectively finished by the need to try to make things clean and orderly.

Which no one visiting there wanted.

[anon789561]

5 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I hope they open everything again so that all those backpackers will go back to that soi.

Otherwise they would roam around town in other areas and that obviously has to be avoided.

They didn’t close the cheap guest houses which is why many head there as I did as a teenager 20 odd years ago. I ended up roaming and still am. Sorry if I got in your way somewhere 555

[mommysboy]

How was it disorderly before the ban?  Is Khao San road meant to be a residential area?  Are the much more respectable shop- keepers happy now?

 

 If you wanted to point the finger it would surely be at the bars who pump out eardrum shattering music, while their customers spill on to the street. But nobody does accuse, because 99% of normal people realise that's what the area is all about.  What next, ban farting at a bean eating contest?

[StayinThailand2much]

46 minutes ago, webfact said:

Their headline said that Khao San had been turned into a graveyard of quietness during the day when footpath trading is banned.

Pesky foreigners have left...

[ThreeEyedRaven]

Well there's another big bunch of votes the current mismanage-rs of the country just lost, IF we ever have an election that is, of course.

They seem to have the opposite of the Midas touch, in that everything they get involved with turns FROM gold TO crap.

Edited September 4, 2018 by ThreeEyedRaven

[sanemax]

20 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

It would be nice to think that the powers that be, actually had enough intelligence to understand what they have done.

One of the most visited destinations effectively destroyed by stupidity and the need to try to make things clean and orderly.

Which no one visiting there wanted.

I think that was the point .

They didnt want masses of street vendors and the hippy king of foreigners that it attracted .

They want "clean & orderly" , rather than dirty and chaotic .

[mommysboy]

8 minutes ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

Well there's another big bunch of votes the current mismanage-rs of the country just lost, IF we ever have an election that is, of course.

They seem to have the opposite of the Midas touch, in that everything they get involved with turns from gold to crap.

Obviously been taking lessons from UK Gov?

 

Seriously, though when puritanism takes hold, it's surprising how popularity goes up in some countries.  I dare say the General will have it in hand.

[Esso49]

29 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I hope they open everything again so that all those backpackers will go back to that soi.

Otherwise they would roam around town in other areas and that obviously has to be avoided.

Agreed,  in fact they should be bused back from all over

[Vacuum]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Traders have only been able to set up stalls from 6pm to midnight.

I read it was changed to 4pm.

[CanuckThai]

Reminds of a condo/house sale, the buyer has a punch list of repairs or price negotiation.   Thailand is almost ready for the new owners....

Edited September 4, 2018 by CanuckThai

[Vacuum]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Traders have only been able to set up stalls from 6pm to midnight.

Backpackers will starve to death. Can they (or their relatives) sue the government?

[NCC1701A]

what is wrong with order from chaos?

 

[holy cow cm]

1 more down, and the rest to follow. The road map to make Thailand like a boring Singapore is well on its way. Street food Vendors - Patpong - Nana - Soi Cowboy - RCA - Chatuchack - any congregation anywhere will be next to die. They already killed the fun beer gardens at Central World during certain times of the year, so adding to the list will be the massage parlors with the girls behind the glass, I suspect the full moon parties will be stepped on more than what they are now, and then the dampening murder of Songkran water festival, then leaving all that's left are the ignorant Chinese tourists who really don't know anything here except come in mass droves and make an area intolerable to be in the same vicinity with them. . 

 

Quite the Master Plan. The Killing of Thailand.

[yellowboat]

YOu would think that given how much the junta loves money, they would just leave it alone.  Looks like they want it to go the same way as the Democracy Plaque.   Lovers of all things good and Thai they are not.  

[connda]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

It would be nice to think that the powers that be, actually had enough intelligence to understand what they have done.

From watching their actions over time, it seem that they have no concept of 'action and reaction' or 'cause and effect.'  They seem hell-bent on implementing a stark, monochrome military orderliness where a vibrant, colorful culture once thrived.  That's very narrow-minded and short-sighted as autocratic military rulers oft times are as they wield the sword of law and order in a display of punch-drunk power.  In other words, they have control of the hammer and everything now looks like a nail:  All nails must be driven into the ground; no nails may remain upright. 

Edited September 4, 2018 by connda

[Genericnic]

Pretty soon, Thailand will be as interesting as Singapore. ☹️

 

David

[varun]

No surprise - this is what happens when you let monkey-brained Somchai's take decisions that defy all logic.

Shoot-self-in-the-foot mentality..and then they wonder why the tourists are not coming.

 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2018 by varun

[Bayrat]

fake news.  went there last weekend and as busy as ever. 

[yimlitnoy]

Now it is Khaosarn Road.  Yes the killing of Thailand.

 

Somebody is destroying the old Makkasan Fort, Sukhumvit road, Patpong and Convent...  Soon they will only have the Chinese visiting and trying to find a way to send all the food from Thailand to China.  Why food is now so expensive, have you seen the price of beef in supermarkets?  My wife is now visiting Canada and she says that beef is so cheap there.  We can only afford the chicken, I have chicken from Monday to Friday cooked in many ways.

Edited September 4, 2018 by yimlitnoy
precision

[bosun]

In a city of 10 Million where huge infrastrure projects continuously disrupt the lives of countless thousands who really cares?.. except a few, living in the past, oldies on tv of course. The street vendors will find other locations as they have had to do all over this ever changing city.. the local cops may get a bit less tea money and surely the backpackers will benefit from not tripping over each other to discover the “real” Bangkok .

[spidermike007]

Another example of the extraordinary lack of vision and leadership within Thailand today. Are they really trying to turn the country into a sanitary place, with the same sort of boring, monotonous, lifeless, vanilla, lack of street life we see in the West? If so, they are doing a good job. 

 

In my opinion the street life here is what makes some areas special. Cleaning up the vendors on Sukhumvit, was a good move in the right direction, as the congestion walking down the sidewalk was too much. But, this? What have they cleaned up? What is the improvement supposed to be? Does anyone even know?

 

Was it an attempt to get rid of the backpacker crowd? What was it?

[natway09]

They killed Singapore the same way. It used to be a great fun place where water always found it's own

level. Now you have to break the bank to go there.

Maybe if the Boss built another bloody train which stopped there ,,, nah I better stop now