Bangkok To Crack Down On Unauthorized Street Vendors

[webfact]

Bangkok to Crack Down on Unauthorized Street Vendors

BANGKOK: -- The Deputy Bangkok Governor has ordered law enforcement authorities to crack down on unauthorized street vendors at bus stops, BTS stations and on pedestrian bridges.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Wallop Suwandee has ordered all city law enforcement officers to maintain order and cleanliness by cracking down on unauthorized street vendors, particularly at bus stops, BTS stations, crosswalks and on pedestrian bridges.

The merchandisers are asked to set up their stands only in the designated zones.

The ordinance will be enforced vigorously. This includes parking in no-parking zones. The city law enforcement officers will be working with the police to ensure order in Bangkok.

Wallop has also warned Bangkokians that unapproved street signs and banners will be torn down in accordance to the city cleanliness act.

-- Tan Network 2012-05-02

[RupertIII]

Any chance that this could include unauthorized motorcycles on the pavements?

[Crushdepth]

"Again".

[Payboy]

Hmmm an election for governor must be around the corner.

[konfuzed]

wait pavements are for pedestrians to walk?

This is a novel approach. Maybe it really is Miracle Year in Amazing Thailand...

I really would like all motorbikes to just follow road rules and stop thinking that because they are small normal road rules don't apply to them...

[laurentbkk]

Thats a good news , I heard that news for the last 20 years ...and nothing has changed .. so why it would change now ? Thais dont care about laws as they think they are above any laws , you see that in their mentality everyday. sorry but that is only some stuff I observed on daily basis. Many people dont wear safety belt in cars besie the laws , talk on their phone beside the law etc ...etc ... So for street vendors , it look quite exotic for the tourists but when you try to walk on silom road or sukhumvit at 6pm ... you can hardly walk because of the street vendors.

[zydeco]

"Again".

Yes, "again".

[sparebox2]

Thats a good news , I heard that news for the last 20 years ...and nothing has changed .. so why it would change now ? Thais dont care about laws as they think they are above any laws , you see that in their mentality everyday. sorry but that is only some stuff I observed on daily basis. Many people dont wear safety belt in cars besie the laws , talk on their phone beside the law etc ...etc ... So for street vendors , it look quite exotic for the tourists but when you try to walk on silom road or sukhumvit at 6pm ... you can hardly walk because of the street vendors.

Something have change.

Now the vendors can go to get a job and being paid 300 baht/day, so they have no excuses to hog pavement anymore.

[FreedomDude]

Brilliant idea! That will increase the (real) unemployment rate in the country to about 30%.

But seriously...I'd like to see the country increase efforts to legitimize fees collected for selling on the sidewalks. I know, it won't happen in OUR lifetime, but they could at least start moving in that direction. Public availability of records is important. Every inch of Bangkok's sidewalk space could be mapped out online and marked as to what amount of money is being collected and who is paying. Total revenue should match the quarterly government revenue reports. Just thinking outside the box.

[siampolee]

Hopefully this will include the Beggars in Brown (B.I.B.) too who delight in requesting funds from innocents for non existent matters deemed to have been hazardous to public order.

Now is ''Beggar'' spelt with an E or a U ?

Edited May 2, 2012 by siampolee

[rheinwiese]

Nothing will happen whatsoever.

The guys with the hands in the cookie jar will see to that.

Remember the vendors at Siam Square last year?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/449193-bangkok-siam-square-vendors-fight-chulas-plant-pot-project/

[heiwa]

take away vendors take away the atmosphere of bangkok. what a lot of boring old farts. keeps inflation down also - feeds the workers. of course hunger is not something incumbents care about with them making sure khao is expensive.

Edited May 2, 2012 by heiwa

[erre191]

Could we get this done in Pattaya, please. Every road and small soi is blocked by hundreds of vendors, food stands, food carts etc. ER

[Lifer]

Crackdowns and hubs. Is there more crackdowns or hubs? Anyone keeping track?

[how241]

They need to the same in Pattaya. The vendors block the small soi so badly that even one car coming down makes a big traffic jam.

[AleG]

Any chance that this could include unauthorized motorcycles on the pavements?

It's my understanding, and I'm not being snarky, that is not illegal for a motorbike to drive on the sidewalk.

[sunray69]

take away vendors take away the atmosphere of bangkok. what a lot of boring old farts. keeps inflation down also - feeds the workers. of course hunger is not something incumbents care about with them making sure khao is expensive.

Totally right, that way people will only have Siam Paragon !

[trainman34014]

Just another way to announce 'fees' are going up for the street vendors.

[kkup]

These guys help make thailand what it is. I say keep the atmosphere. They are just trying to earn a living, a small one at that.

Maybe they should take a look at the root of more serious problems, like the corruption in gov/police force What! don't be stupid.

All this does is give cops more amo to charge higher payouts from these lil vendors, poor buggers, the circle continues.

How about doing something more constructive like starting a campaign to make the roads a safer place, FORCE people to go for driving tests and a mandatory amount of driving lessons, throw in some education about the effects of alcohol when driving.

Seems like all these "crackdowns" revolve around new ways for the police to make extra cash.

[kawaiimomo]

Looks like many people here thinks those street vendors operate illegally while most of them are actually paying a monthly fee for having the stall in the streets (fee for the government, not for the police). I believe this crackdown is on vendors not selling in the proper place, and I agree with most of you about many of the places where they sell are not really appropiated sidewalks, but according to the existing laws it is ok for them to perform their business there as long as they pay their fees and shutdown on mondays for the street cleaning.

BTW, It's surprising to see so many negative comments about the street vendors (not concretely in this topic), I wonder how many of the members who criticize the food stalls are actually their customers.

[transam]

Thats a good news , I heard that news for the last 20 years ...and nothing has changed .. so why it would change now ? Thais dont care about laws as they think they are above any laws , you see that in their mentality everyday. sorry but that is only some stuff I observed on daily basis. Many people dont wear safety belt in cars besie the laws , talk on their phone beside the law etc ...etc ... So for street vendors , it look quite exotic for the tourists but when you try to walk on silom road or sukhumvit at 6pm ... you can hardly walk because of the street vendors.

Something have change.

Now the vendors can go to get a job and being paid 300 baht/day, so they have no excuses to hog pavement anymore.

So, who's going to give them ALL a job at 300bht a day, YOU ?

[belg]

with the usual tea money for the BIB as a quick fix, the crackdown is already solved on paper

[Curt1591]

Thats a good news , I heard that news for the last 20 years ...and nothing has changed .. so why it would change now ? Thais dont care about laws as they think they are above any laws , you see that in their mentality everyday. sorry but that is only some stuff I observed on daily basis. Many people dont wear safety belt in cars besie the laws , talk on their phone beside the law etc ...etc ... So for street vendors , it look quite exotic for the tourists but when you try to walk on silom road or sukhumvit at 6pm ... you can hardly walk because of the street vendors.

Something have change.

Now the vendors can go to get a job and being paid 300 baht/day, so they have no excuses to hog pavement anymore.

So, who's going to give them ALL a job at 300bht a day, YOU ?

My aunt had an employee she was paying 400 baht per day, a few years back. She quit to sell juice from a cart. She could easily double her salary.

Edited May 2, 2012 by Curt1591

[ginjag]

are the unauthorised ones that move around daily, difficult to get money from, because of no money to collect, clean up the area, till someone else comes along and is willing to pay, I say if they are not on the road or not on the path, leave them alone, they are keeping the family fed.

[RogueLeader]

"city cleanliness act."

Any chance the same act is going to deal with the horrendous rat and roach infestation on Rama I near National Stadium? Or is there concern about the rats' ability to pay bribes to eliminate competition?

[Pib]

"Again".

Yes, this is the scheduled semi-annual crackdown....and the govt means it this time!!!! (giggle, giggle)

[Nigel1500]

These guys help make thailand what it is. I say keep the atmosphere. They are just trying to earn a living, a small one at that.

Maybe they should take a look at the root of more serious problems, like the corruption in gov/police force What! don't be stupid.

All this does is give cops more amo to charge higher payouts from these lil vendors, poor buggers, the circle continues.

How about doing something more constructive like starting a campaign to make the roads a safer place, FORCE people to go for driving tests and a mandatory amount of driving lessons, throw in some education about the effects of alcohol when driving.

Seems like all these "crackdowns" revolve around new ways for the police to make extra cash.

Why is it that westerners move to another part of the world to get away from western society, only to demand that their new "home" change, adapt, organise, in a way that is just like the world they've left behind? I love Thailand, just the way it is, street vendors, motorcycles on the pavement, chaos and all.

[heiwa]

These guys help make thailand what it is. I say keep the atmosphere. They are just trying to earn a living, a small one at that.

Maybe they should take a look at the root of more serious problems, like the corruption in gov/police force What! don't be stupid.

All this does is give cops more amo to charge higher payouts from these lil vendors, poor buggers, the circle continues.

How about doing something more constructive like starting a campaign to make the roads a safer place, FORCE people to go for driving tests and a mandatory amount of driving lessons, throw in some education about the effects of alcohol when driving.

Seems like all these "crackdowns" revolve around new ways for the police to make extra cash.

Why is it that westerners move to another part of the world to get away from western society, only to demand that their new "home" change, adapt, organise, in a way that is just like the world they've left behind? I love Thailand, just the way it is, street vendors, motorcycles on the pavement, chaos and all.

If it's too loud your'e too old. Japan did away with the street vendors - look how sterile that place became - it became the same as the West - devoid of any atmosphere - never mind if they do really mean it this time - go to Cambodia, Laos or Burma. Edited May 2, 2012 by heiwa

[TomTao]

Any chance that this could include unauthorized motorcycles on the pavements?

It's my understanding, and I'm not being snarky, that is not illegal for a motorbike to drive on the sidewalk.

As I understand it, from what I was told when I got my motorbike licence a short while ago, the road laws here in Thailand are the same as are used in Britain, Australia and New Zealand, during the presentation by the traffic police before the licence exam, it is not legal for a motor bike to be driven on the footpath, all those motorbikes on the footpath are breaking the law, it just needs some cops who are more interested in enforcing the law than collecting tea money to do the job they are paid for.

Edited May 2, 2012 by TomTao

[transam]

These guys help make thailand what it is. I say keep the atmosphere. They are just trying to earn a living, a small one at that.

Maybe they should take a look at the root of more serious problems, like the corruption in gov/police force What! don't be stupid.

All this does is give cops more amo to charge higher payouts from these lil vendors, poor buggers, the circle continues.

How about doing something more constructive like starting a campaign to make the roads a safer place, FORCE people to go for driving tests and a mandatory amount of driving lessons, throw in some education about the effects of alcohol when driving.

Seems like all these "crackdowns" revolve around new ways for the police to make extra cash.

Why is it that westerners move to another part of the world to get away from western society, only to demand that their new "home" change, adapt, organise, in a way that is just like the world they've left behind? I love Thailand, just the way it is, street vendors, motorcycles on the pavement, chaos and all.

If it's too loud your'e too old. Japan did away with the street vendors - look how sterile that place became - it became the same as the West - devoid of any atmosphere - never mind if they do really mean it this time - go to Cambodia, Laos or Burma.

Did they have a welfare or unemployment system in place for their actions ? LOS has nothing.