Will Bangkok’s mission to clear footpaths ruin street-food paradise?

[snoop1130]

 

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has been trying to solve the problem of street stalls stealing footpath space from pedestrians for decades, but with little result.

 

This challenge is a tough one because street stalls don’t just benefit the vendors but are also used by most Bangkokians. Street vendors, usually low-income earners, don’t have to worry about rent, so they can earn a living selling their products/services at very modest prices. Their customers, meanwhile, appreciate the affordability and easy access to food and products. All they need to do is stop off at their favorite stall on their way home, or to the office or school.

 

Street stalls are ubiquitous in Bangkok’s crowded areas. Foreign tourists are often fascinated by the diverse range of delicious, yet cheap street food available in the Thai capital. However, despite all the benefits, there are downsides too.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-03-08

 

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[OneMoreFarang]

14 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Street vendors, usually low-income earners, don’t have to worry about rent

Really?

Try to take your own cart to the street where other vendors are present.

They will explain to you very quickly that above is not true.

 

It will never happen that there won't be street vendors. There is just too much money to be made for all those influential people.

 

[proton]

Salt, sugar, msg, rats and roaches running about cooking often poor quality food in old palm oil served on not very clean plates and bowls. Not my idea of paradise.

[HammerGuy]

5 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has been trying to solve the problem of street stalls stealing footpath space from pedestrians for decades, but with little result.

 

This challenge is a tough one because street stalls don’t just benefit the vendors but are also used by most Bangkokians. Street vendors, usually low-income earners, don’t have to worry about rent, so they can earn a living selling their products/services at very modest prices. Their customers, meanwhile, appreciate the affordability and easy access to food and products. All they need to do is stop off at their favorite stall on their way home, or to the office or school.

 

Street stalls are ubiquitous in Bangkok’s crowded areas. Foreign tourists are often fascinated by the diverse range of delicious, yet cheap street food available in the Thai capital. However, despite all the benefits, there are downsides too.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-03-08

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

I know sometimes it gives you the bølløck ache walking in & around the walk because of the street vendors but bangers Street food is blimmin delicious 😋 

[HammerGuy]

5 hours ago, proton said:

Salt, sugar, msg, rats and roaches running about cooking often poor quality food in old palm oil served on not very clean plates and bowls. Not my idea of paradise.

Oh well if it's not for your liking "old chap" you don't have to eat it do you!

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Really?

Try to take your own cart to the street where other vendors are present.

They will explain to you very quickly that above is not true.

 

It will never happen that there won't be street vendors. There is just too much money to be made for all those influential people.

 

There is nothing wrong with street vendors unless they are forcing people off the pavements and on to the roads like on lower Sukhumvit odd Soi's a few years ago. Let the food vendors go where there is wide pavements and there should not be a problem.

[webfact]

Bangkok’s street stall showdown: Pedestrians vs Vendors
by Mitch Connor

 

Photo courtesy of CuddlyNest

 

The age-old saga of Bangkok’s bustling streets versus its iconic street stalls continues, with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) at the forefront of a new regulation to solve the decade-long issue of street stalls encroaching on pedestrian paths.

 

A resident of Bangkok’s Udom Suk area lamented her daily struggle as a pedestrian, echoing the frustrations of many.

 

“Footpath warfare is real. I end up walking on the road instead.”

She sighed, pointing to the ubiquitous stalls crowding the pavements.

Yet, amidst the chaos, there’s hope. The BMA’s proposed regulation seeks to strike a balance between preserving the livelihoods of street vendors and reclaiming space for pedestrians. Under the draft, vendors must register, with strict income thresholds ensuring assistance for those truly in need.

 

However, not all are on board with the plan. Yada Pornpetrumpa, representing the Khaosan Street Stall Club, voices concern over the income ceiling, fearing it may spell doom for vendors in lucrative areas.

 

Yet, for vendors like Noi, the stakes are high. With dreams of retiring to her hometown, the bustling streets of Bangkok are her lifeline.

 

Deputy Bangkok Governor Jakkapan Phiewngam assures that the BMA’s efforts aren’t a death knell for vendors. Instead, they offer a chance for coexistence, with designated areas and negotiated rents easing the transition, reported Thai PBS World.

 

From the inauguration of hawker centres to the meticulous inspection of potential sites, the BMA marches forward, undeterred by challenges. As Jakkapan asserts, the mission to regulate street stalls is vital for the city’s infrastructure and hygiene.

 

In related news, BMA has initiated a comprehensive project to refurbish the city’s antiquated pathways. The objective is to create robust and user-friendly pathways that cater to the needs of pedestrians, particularly those with disabilities and wheelchair users, as per the announcement made by Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt on November 30.

 

The renovation project has already taken off, with work underway on the sidewalks lining both sides of Udomsuk Road in the heavily populated district of Bang Na.

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-03-09

 

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[Rampant Rabbit]

Govt has  failed since forever, witness  many roads with no pavement  at  all forcing pedestrians onto the road entirely. Poor  planning by city planners

[ikke1959]

Let them pay for using the footpaths and make strict rules, but as we all know there will be no enforcement, except for foreigners, that is why it is a mess all over the country

[ExpatOilWorker]

Remove the street stalls and side walks will become a race track for motorcycles.

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, proton said:

Salt, sugar, msg, rats and roaches running about cooking often poor quality food in old palm oil served on not very clean plates and bowls. Not my idea of paradise.

Freedom of choice, eat street food or go find a posh restaurant, stop this banning stuff. 

[Ben Zioner]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The renovation project has already taken off, with work underway on the sidewalks lining both sides of Udomsuk Road in the heavily populated district of Bang Na.

They did also some improvement in the heavily copulated area of lower Sukhumvit.

[ChrisY1]

2 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Let them pay for using the footpaths and make strict rules, but as we all know there will be no enforcement, except for foreigners, that is why it is a mess all over the country

Actually...most street vendors do pay a fee....whether that fee makes it to the revenue department would be doubtful....and if someone encroaches on their site, look out as all hell will break loose!

[klauskunkel]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

All they need to do is stop off at their favorite stall on their way home, or to the office or school.

double-parking the car in order to slurp some noodles

[Classic Ray]

I would rather enforcement action be taken first against the people who block footways with advert poles and utility pipes. 
 

The vendors pay a bribe/rent daily to local officials for the space, where I lived the BMA banned sales on Mondays to clean up.

 

I expect in some areas restaurant and shop owners complain about the competition from untaxed and unleased vendors.

[Grumpy one]

15 hours ago, proton said:

Salt, sugar, msg, rats and roaches running about cooking often poor quality food in old palm oil served on not very clean plates and bowls. Not my idea of paradise.

Roast Rat stuffed with Roaches and Rice, sounds like it should be on the menu  😋

[bamnutsak]

Millions of working-class Bangkokians need to eat, they need fast and universal access to cost-effective food. That's what the current system is set up to do.

 

 

The gradual creation of more indoor/open-air food courts would, IMO, be a good idea.

 

 

 

 

[actonion]

15 minutes ago, Grumpy one said:

Roast Rat stuffed with Roaches and Rice, sounds like it should be on the menu  😋

Roaches and Rice  is ok,  its the  unwashed hands of the vendor after having a dump etc. that concerns me more, public wash rooms are  very few throughout Thailand

[PETERTHEEATER]

21 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Really?

Try to take your own cart to the street where other vendors are present.

They will explain to you very quickly that above is not true.

 

It will never happen that there won't be street vendors. There is just too much money to be made for all those influential people.

 

I wonder what that money collected by local officials periodically  from each vendor is used for if not rent? 😋

[Srikcir]

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

problem of street stalls stealing footpath space from pedestrians

Yes that can be a problem but the photo doesn't show that issue. Vendors are not setup on the sidewalk or footpath but likely on a property owners' setback area adjacent to the public sidewalk right-of-way and probably pay rent to setup. 

[Pouatchee]

On 3/8/2024 at 5:00 PM, snoop1130 said:

This challenge is a tough one because street stalls don’t just benefit the vendors but are also used by most Bangkokians. Street vendors, usually low-income earners, don’t have to worry about rent, so they can earn a living selling their products/services at very modest prices.

 

years ago, prayut asked 7/11 to come up with affordable menus, which they did. 7/11 has a very extensive set of meals that cost on average 45bht and can rival any food stall's quantities per serving. the food is quite delicious, 7/11 will 'wave' it for free and compared to street food -- is clean. i have on more than one occasion been quite sick due to street food. if i have the choice between a safe place to walk and street food... i know what i will choose.

[jvs]

On 3/9/2024 at 7:13 AM, Ben Zioner said:

They did also some improvement in the heavily copulated area of lower Sukhumvit.

Soi 4 right?lol.

[freeworld]

On 3/9/2024 at 7:00 AM, hotchilli said:

Freedom of choice, eat street food or go find a posh restaurant, stop this banning stuff. 

Exactly, they have ruined soi 38 in Thonglo, used to be a very popular area for good streetfood.

[Stocky]

Hong Kong, Malaysia & Singapore just moved the street carts into food courts and hawker centres, why is this such a problem for Thailand?

[richard_smith237]

22 minutes ago, freeworld said:

On 3/9/2024 at 7:00 AM, hotchilli said:

Freedom of choice, eat street food or go find a posh restaurant, stop this banning stuff. 

Exactly, they have ruined soi 38 in Thonglo, used to be a very popular area for good streetfood.

 

I agree... that the Street-Food vibe in Soi 38 was ruined....   BUT, its didn't have to be ruined... 

There could have been a specific area set aside for 'street food'...  

 

The issue of course is that street vendors choke up the pavements making them overcrowded and a hassle to walk through. 

 

There is plenty of scope for thailand to use 'spare land' for area's for street food....  But, as always someone will want payment. 

As it was, the hawkers would pay a little to the local BiB to allow them to operate on the street - this same concept could be carried to operate in a hawker centre etc... 

 

 

[impulse]

17 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

There is plenty of scope for thailand to use 'spare land' for area's for street food....  But, as always someone will want payment. 

I'm always amazed they don't use the empty lots where they just tore down a building and it'll be years, even decades, before they start construction on the next one.  I see so many of them from the BTS, even on the busiest roads.  Can't see them from the sidewalk because they install a tin fence.  Seems like it would be cheap to go in, pave the lot with 50cm x 50cm pavers that can be removed in a year or so and install a few teardown pay toilets (a'la Chatuchuk 5 baht dealies).   Set up removeable tents and folding seats and you've got a street market.

 

Even if the vendors have to move every few years when the projects kick off...  I'd think the payout would be months for the little work and reusable fixtures.

 

[FruitPudding]

Just let them ruin Thailand, who cares?

[FruitPudding]

On 3/9/2024 at 9:35 AM, actonion said:

Roaches and Rice  is ok,  its the  unwashed hands of the vendor after having a dump etc. that concerns me more, public wash rooms are  very few throughout Thailand

 

Yeah, and they use their hand to wipe if a bum gun isn't available. 

[Dolf]

Street food is never much good. 

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

I'm always amazed they don't use the empty lots where they just tore down a building and it'll be years, even decades, before they start construction on the next one.  I see so many of them from the BTS, even on the busiest roads.  Can't see them from the sidewalk because they install a tin fence.  Seems like it would be cheap to go in, pave the lot with 50cm x 50cm pavers that can be removed in a year or so and install a few teardown pay toilets (a'la Chatuchuk 5 baht dealies).   Set up removeable tents and folding seats and you've got a street market.

I'm always amazed by people who really think that the BMA can take over privately owned, taxed land, pave it, install bathrooms, tents and tables and turn that private property into businesses for someone else without permission?   Could you explain how they could do that?