Telephone booths must comply with laws: Bangkok Administration

[webfact]

Telephone booths must comply with laws: BMA
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- There are now as many as 12,324 illegal telephone booths in Bangkok. Many of them are placed too close to bus stops, while some carry advertisements, which is not allowed by law.

Wasan Meewong, spokesman for Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra, said yesterday the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will ask telephone-booth owners to fix the problem. "If they don't comply, we will have to remove the booths," he warned.

The BMA has instructed all its district officers to work with police in regulating motorcycle-taxi stands, too.

"These stands must not block traffic or footpath space," Wasan said. He added that police would be asked to ensure that motorcycle-taxi drivers do not ride down pavements as this could endanger pedestrians.


-- The Nation 2013-08-27

[Pimay1]

"These stands must not block traffic or footpath space,"

Seeing is believing.

[Thai at Heart]

Of course no one was around while these 12,000 illegal booth were being constructed?

[Songhua]

The booths can be fixed with a bulldozer but he'll need something bigger to move the motorcycle taxis.

[noitom]

Of course no one was around while these 12,000 illegal booth were being constructed?

And they are all TOT branded , so the big guys knew where to put them.

[Pimay1]

This will get about as far as the one listed below.

BMA warns vendors: keep streets clean or face ban
Tanatpong Kongsai
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) spokesperson Tridao Apaiwong yesterday warned that although the city allowed street vendors to sell goods on the footpath every other Monday, it reserved the right to implement the street stall ban every Monday if the vendors failed to keep the area clean.

[Thai at Heart]

Of course no one was around while these 12,000 illegal booth were being constructed?

And they are all TOT branded , so the big guys knew where to put them.

If they moved everything that wasn't meant to be on the pavement in Bangkok wouldn't that mean you could possibly walk around?

In essence, does Bangkok have the most cluttered pavements in the world?

[NongKhaiKid]

Of course no one was around while these 12,000 illegal booth were being constructed?

If officialdom can't see illegal holiday resorts being built I'm sure it was so easy to slip all these telephone booths past them

[Thai at Heart]

Of course no one was around while these 12,000 illegal booth were being constructed?

If officialdom can't see illegal holiday resorts being built I'm sure it was so easy to slip all these telephone booths past them

If they could be bothered to walk 1km a day t they would walk into hundreds of them

[yourauntbob]

"These stands must not block foot traffic"

I think what he was trying to say, "these stands must not crowd out other stands that pay bribes"

[RickeyParkany]

"He added that police would be asked to ensure that motorcycle-taxi drivers do not ride down pavements as this could endanger pedestrians."

..pulled the punch, already...in my world, a motorcycle driving down the sidewalk DOES endanger pedestrians...once the pedestrian is hit: THE DANGER'S OVER!!! this is cultural, extremely passive voice construction even masks clear & present danger as a mere possibility, so cute how hard it is for any of us to escape your own culture... ;-} rap.

Edited August 27, 2013 by RickeyParkany

[bubba]

He added that police would be asked to ensure that motorcycle-taxi drivers do not ride down pavements as this could endanger pedestrians.

I will believe that one when I see it. I cannot count how many times I have nearly been hit by motorcycles that were driving down the footpath. I have also had a motorcycle knick me, knocking a bag of groceries from my hands, and the glass jars inside were broken when they hit the pavement. I only had a scratch on my arm and some broken groceries from that one, but it could have been worse. And it's not just motorcycle taxis who ride on the footpath - it seems a very common practice of many motorcyclists. I have even seen uniformed McDonald's delivery drivers doing it, and one would think that McDonald's corporate safety and liability would at least do something. It is a very dangerous yet common practise in Bangkok and apparently the police do nothing about it.

Edited August 27, 2013 by bubba

[pisico]

"These stands must not block traffic or footpath space," Wasan said. He added that police would be asked to ensure that motorcycle-taxi drivers do not ride down pavements as this could endanger pedestrians."

What? Pedestrians are in danger in the footpaths?

BIBs have other priorities: they are busy cracking down on Nitrous Oxide filled balloons vendors. That is illegal: you hear?

Who hasn't even seen Royal Police officers riding motorcycles on the footpath?

This culture is reactive and not even catastrophes impact the sense of urgency or duty in government's officials (at any level) to correct systemic problems.

A flood is forming up North (again) but they are busy down in Bangkok making sure that telephone booths "must comply with the law."

If Joe Blow, a vendor of day old pork skewers, sees this inaction: will he comply with any laws? Tea money does wonders any day.

[HoudiniXLogic]

Well about <deleted> time they removed those phone booths. Half of them havent been working properly since forever. I guess I'm the only one who uses these things when my cell phone runs outta credit, but its usually only the ones in outdated shopping centers that seem to still work (and I use that term VERY loosely).

As for motorcycles on the pavement, well F me, I'm guilty of that too to a certain extent. Nothing more annoying than having to balance a scooter in traffic behind a dirty muffler. Sorry mister farang, you'll be pissed at me, but I'm sure theres other issues more deserving of your wrath

[madmitch]

My take:

TOT have said that as no one uses public telephones any more they want them removed as they are not making a profit.

Someone in the BMA suddenly spots a way to make a positive press statement.

Result: TOT get the phones removed by the BMA for free, BMA use some of their budget to find a phone removal contractor with backhanders all round.

Win-win for everyone.

[sms747]

it seems a very common practice of many motorcyclists. I have even seen uniformed McDonald's delivery drivers doing it, and one would think that McDonald's corporate safety and liability would at least do something. It is a very dangerous yet common practise in Bangkok and apparently the police do nothing about it.

The Police do it as well, I believe it's not actually illegal but would make no difference if it were.

[Mampara]

"These stands must not block traffic or footpath space,"

Seeing is believing.

What about the motorcycles? do they not dangerously block the "foot paths" more so than the telephone booths? what about the food stalls that are so near the bus stops do they not dangerously block the footpaths with the fire's and hot oil that they use? what about the street hawkers that block the "foot paths" so much so that people must walk in single file or are forced to walk on the road? what about the Vans that block the bus stops forcing the busses to stop on the outside lane thereby causing traffic jams, and putting commuters at risk? surly these are the most important things to do something about? after all they are dangerously disrupting the public. Will the powers do something about this? NO they wont, WHY because these are the voters for them, and most of them belong to "Rent a Mob"

[Cuban]

Are these still cost effective in this cellphone era ?

[upena]

"He added that police would be asked to ensure that motorcycle-taxi drivers do not ride down pavements as this could endanger pedestrians."

I have photos of Thai Police riding on pavements. Who will stop them?

[Pimay1]

Let me get this straight. TOT which is a government entity has broken the law of the land 12,324 times. And this is only in Bangkok. Amazing Thailand.

[yourauntbob]

Wasnt there some sort of "crackdown" a few months back about motorbikes driving the wrong way or on foot paths. After the "crackdown" I am sure this no longer exists.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/618802-crackdown-on-traffic-offenders/

[tingtongteesood]

Can we stop motorcycles and cars parking on the pavement forcing people to walk in the roads ? Can we stop drivers blocking the left turn lane because they are dumb a%$#)*^s ? Can we stop street sellers from blocking access so that you don't have to walk in the road to get around them ? etc. etc.

[Mampara]

Can we stop motorcycles and cars parking on the pavement forcing people to walk in the roads ? Can we stop drivers blocking the left turn lane because they are dumb a%$#)*^s ? Can we stop street sellers from blocking access so that you don't have to walk in the road to get around them ? etc. etc.

no we cant because they all belong to "Rent a mob"

[Mampara]

Well about <deleted> time they removed those phone booths. Half of them havent been working properly since forever. I guess I'm the only one who uses these things when my cell phone runs outta credit, but its usually only the ones in outdated shopping centers that seem to still work (and I use that term VERY loosely).

As for motorcycles on the pavement, well F me, I'm guilty of that too to a certain extent. Nothing more annoying than having to balance a scooter in traffic behind a dirty muffler. Sorry mister farang, you'll be pissed at me, but I'm sure theres other issues more deserving of your wrath

Ferang, Felang, isn't this some kind of fruit? why do Asian people refer westerners to by this name? How would the Asian's feel if the westerners called them "Ducks" because of their protruding front teeth?

[marell]

Comply with laws? C'mon guys, let's not get carried away.

[lee b]

And this is only coming out now...WHY ???

[winstonc]

Of course no one was around while these 12,000 illegal booth were being constructed?

ofcourse they were all watching thailand winning gold after gold at the olympics....