Elevated Walkways

[BngkkB]

Street Vendors make it almost impossible to walk down most streets in Bangkok. Fact of life. Down by Siam Center they tried putting up planters where the Street Vendors have been for a long time and offered the Street Vendors another area just off the main street to ply their trade. The Street Vendors do not like that idea as there is not enough foot traffic in the new area.

Most street Vendors set up illegally.

There is talk about adding 50 Km (I beleive that is the total length talked about), of elevated skywalks around Bangkok. From what I have read the main reason for wanting to add these elevated walkways is becuase the regular sidewalks are over run with street vendors making if difficult for pedestrians to get around.

My questions are: Once all the pedstrians stop using the regular sidewalks and move up to the elevated walkways, wont the street Vendors follow them?

Or will it be illegal for the street vendors to ply their trade on the elevated walkways as it is for them to set up shop on street level walkways?

Of course the elevated walkways won't have to worry about food vendors? If it's impossible to set up fully working bar with lights, music and woman on the sidewalks at night and have them gone by morning it would be impossible for them to walk up a flight of stairs and do the same thing?

What am I missing?

[kpmsprtd]

You are missing nothing, my friend. You have the wonderful, full-of-life nighttime streets of Bangkok to enjoy. You only tire of it because you are probably a long-term resident. I, on the other hand, live in Anytown, California, where most streets are nearly dead both day and night. Yes, on my rare visits to Bangkok, I begin to get frustrated with not being able to move on the sidewalk (e.g. Sukhumvit between Soi 4 and 7), but I deal with it, knowing that the alternative--the empty streets of Americana--is cold and sterile.

[TheLaughingMan]

Not missing anything, Thailand is the "hub" of not making any sense and ass backwardsness. Why enforce the law and remove the street obstacles when they can just spend millions to build an entire second walkway?

[pauljones]

The current footpath is blocked illegally because Thai officials treat it as their own private property and rent it out.....to hell with the pedestrians/taxpayers.

How will the business owners at ground level feel when their customers are forced to take the overhead detour?

I have an idea. Instead of spending 50 billion on a new walkway in the air, how about enforcing the laws. That shouldn't cost a thing. Duh.

[craigt3365]

You are missing nothing, my friend. You have the wonderful, full-of-life nighttime streets of Bangkok to enjoy. You only tire of it because you are probably a long-term resident. I, on the other hand, live in Anytown, California, where most streets are nearly dead both day and night. Yes, on my rare visits to Bangkok, I begin to get frustrated with not being able to move on the sidewalk (e.g. Sukhumvit between Soi 4 and 7), but I deal with it, knowing that the alternative--the empty streets of Americana--is cold and sterile.

This topic is already running in three threads:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/452022-bangkok-super-skywalk-project-to-be-delayed/page__p__4289193__hl__elevated+skywalk__fromsearch__1#entry4289193

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/447527-group-blasts-bangkoks-super-skywalk-project/page__hl__elevated+skywalk

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/445671-bangkok-to-spend-bt15bn-to-build-super-skywalk/page__hl__elevated+skywalk

So I think we will close this one for now....