Roadside Fried-Banana Vendors Blamed For Traffic Jams; Snack Buyer's Will Be Fined Bt500

[chooka]

So lets put this into perspective.

If I am on the road and I see someone buying or selling some fried bananas, and decide to take a photo of the offender, then send the photo into the police and they will immediately conduct a nationwide hunt for these master criminals?

Why not just ban the roadside vendors in the first place and save all the bother? I mean, it can’t be too difficult to find these vendors, just give them a caution and tell them to move on.

Keep logic out of it

You would have thought that with a police box on every major intersection, it would be easy to see a shop !!!

I thought these Police Monkeys would have like bananas?

It would be easy to see a vendor but the difficult part is waking up the BIB inside the boxes. Can't see much when they are asleep.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Vendors going car to car hardly impede traffic. They need to develop rules for all the food stalls. There seems to be nothing keeping the food stall operators from blocking sidewalks and streets. Also, there needs to be some regulation of hand-cart vendors who block traffic when they move their hand-carts. I guess someone at that police station doesn't like fried bananas, but it's kind of pointless to blame these vendors for obstructing traffic.

Edited November 27, 2012 by zaphodbeeblebrox

[spermwhale]

What I'd like to know is how can the police devise a fine system out of the blue? Or are there rules on the books that call for fining vendors selling to cars 2,000 each and motorists 500 baht for buying from them. In that case, why isn't the law being enforced citywide?

However, if there is no law in the books, it's scary to think that the police can just decide on their own to create a new law and fines -- obviously illegal if that's the case.

Any legal experts reading this for feedback?

[seahorse]

Buyer's beware, then?

[Colabamumbai]

Is Jingluck going to tell us that this was one of her achievements?

[orosee]

Or for a monthly contribution business as usual. Why don't they clear the pavements on Sukhumvit? You can't walk more than 6' without having to wait for someone coming the other way.

But that's half the fun of living in Bangkok. Why come to a crazy city if you don't like crazy cities. Go live somewhere normal where the streets are clear.

I do, I only visit that cesspit when I need to go to the embassy

Does your wife know that you're visiting the cess pits when you're "seeing the embassy"?

Edited November 27, 2012 by orosee

[laurentbkk]

so in that case why not removing ALL street food vendors , so the car drivers can avoid to stop in the middle of the road to go and buy a noodle soup , pedestrian can finally walk on the pavements which are always full because of those food stalls. I dont think the banana sellers have something to do with traffic jam , I have heard stupid things here but this one is in the top five. There are simply NO rules about street food vendors as it seems they can do whatever they want ... try to walk on silom road or sukhumvit pavements by 6pm . Its a total anarchy .

[wcoast]

When I first read this I thought it was one of those tongue in cheek fake stories..now I see its a banana up the creek story.

[FOODLOVER]

This is by far more overreaching by this administration! It is obvious that there is intimidation due to the fact that these bananas are yellow! A slippery slope.

[MaxLee]

Hold hold on, let me get this straight. So does it mean that I among hundreds of buyers am getting fined from buying a snack from a supposedly unlicensed banana fritter sellers??? You mean US BUYERS????

[Briandajew]

It would also seem Mr. Plod is breaking the law in his use of Hotmail for non Personal uses!

Terms of Use - From Microsoft! (I think we should all e mail the fool with some rather large JPEGs and see how long it is before his account is closed.

PERSONAL AND NON-COMMERCIAL USE LIMITATION.

Unless otherwise specified, the Services are for your personal and non-commercial use. You may not modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, create derivative works from, transfer, or sell any information, software, products or services obtained from the Services.

[Monkeyrobot]

Let's make a protest, we will need some black shirts to stir up trouble. We need our fried bananas. Those anti banana people are trouble makers.

[chooka]

Hold hold on, let me get this straight. So does it mean that I among hundreds of buyers am getting fined from buying a snack from a supposedly unlicensed banana fritter sellers??? You mean US BUYERS????

What else can I say apart from yep? I noticed the headline didn't say "Crackdown" A Crackdown on people buying fried bananas.

Edited November 27, 2012 by chooka

[jcw]

What I'd like to know is how can the police devise a fine system out of the blue? Or are there rules on the books that call for fining vendors selling to cars 2,000 each and motorists 500 baht for buying from them. In that case, why isn't the law being enforced citywide?

However, if there is no law in the books, it's scary to think that the police can just decide on their own to create a new law and fines -- obviously illegal if that's the case.

Any legal experts reading this for feedback?

Anyone know this answer?

[FOODLOVER]

It's always the mules and or the users that get caught. Never the big banana.

[Bella BKK]

I love fried banana....yumm yum!

[Monkeyrobot]

I love fried banana....yumm yum!

I love fried banana....yumm yum!

I am with you.

[Rimmer]

double entendre post removed

[monkeycountry]

So lets put this into perspective.

If I am on the road and I see someone buying or selling some fried bananas, and decide to take a photo of the offender, then send the photo into the police and they will immediately conduct a nationwide hunt for these master criminals?

Why not just ban the roadside vendors in the first place and save all the bother? I mean, it can’t be too difficult to find these vendors, just give them a caution and tell them to move on.

Because the vendors pay bribes to the police to be allowed to sell. The customers are now targetted as they do not YET pay bribes to the police.

[Moruya]

Incoming news.

Police captain and ear medicine magnate Chalerm Yoobamrung today announced that some 90,000 police troups, red volunteers and other assorted boot boys would be deployed in the city in an attempt to deal with the fried banana scourge. "Bananas are yellow" he explained. "They have no business being sold on the streets and will be dealt with fairly by razor wire and tear gas"

[MikeOboe57]

What I'd like to know is how can the police devise a fine system out of the blue? Or are there rules on the books that call for fining vendors selling to cars 2,000 each and motorists 500 baht for buying from them. In that case, why isn't the law being enforced citywide?

However, if there is no law in the books, it's scary to think that the police can just decide on their own to create a new law and fines -- obviously illegal if that's the case.

Any legal experts reading this for feedback?

If the police can decide which government to support by coming out in full force to stifle a demonstration and which government to let hang high and dry by simply disappearing from view, they can easily set up the fines for new offenses.

Besides, these fines only serve as basis to calculate the amount of tea money required to get off the hook.

edit: double quote deleted

Edited November 27, 2012 by MikeOboe57

[overherebc]

What would the fine be if you were caught buying the bananas and then fed them to an elephant, I think that one is still on the books ?

[Globeman]

Hub of fried-banana vendors ...

Brilliant!! The hub joke never gets tired!! What school of wit did you attend to become such a funny man?

[FOODLOVER]

Hub of fried-banana vendors ...

Brilliant!! The hub joke never gets tired!! What school of wit did you attend to become such a funny man?

Hub of sarcasm.

[softgeorge]

Hub of fried-banana vendors ...

Brilliant!! The hub joke never gets tired!! What school of wit did you attend to become such a funny man?

ooh, some little puppy definately didn't get his end in last night.

[mrtoad]

Hotmail and Facebook - you would think they would have a bib.com domain by now.

[mrtoad]

Hub of fried-banana vendors ...

Brilliant!! The hub joke never gets tired!! What school of wit did you attend to become such a funny man?

Thailand Hub of Comedy Club??

[maapaa]

That area has horrible traffic jams, but banana vendors aren't the cause of it. They are selling there because the traffic is gridlocked during the day.

The 500 baht fine for people buying bananas is interesting. That area is on the way from Khao San Road to the city center, so lots of tourists who won't know about the 500 baht fine.

But tourists won't use a car. They are walking or using a taxi (without buying while on the taxi).

[kevvy]

the government has to make money someway to pay for the rice scheme

[Orac]

the government has to make money someway to pay for the rice scheme

Government???