Bangkok City Hall launches program to bring order to street stalls

[webfact]

Bangkok City Hall launches program to bring order to street stalls



BANGKOK, 20 August 2014 (NNT) - The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has launched a program to smarten up some of the city’s streets by bringing order to the many pavement vendor stalls.

The Chief Advisor to the Bangkok Governor, Dr. Wallop Suwandee, on Wednesday visited the city’s Ramkhamhaeng area where he had earlier asked vendors to remove all illicit structures from the streets and pavements by August 22.

Dr. Wallop said he found that the vendors had cooperated and now avoid doing business on the footpaths during the daytime.

He said that, when all the pavements are free of vendors and stalls, city officials will work on leveling the surface in order to facilitate normal pedestrian traffic.

In addition to Ramkhamhaeng, the BMA is launching a similar program on Sukhumvit Road as well as in areas surrounding the Grand Palace and parts of Rama 4 Road in the center of Bangkok.

Dr. Wallop has invited vendors from all areas to discuss the plan while asking the public to help keep an eye on the clean-up operation and to report any inappropriate actions by city officials in order to ensure the effectiveness of the program.


-- NNT 2014-08-21

[bkkjames]

The last sentence is a definate step in the right direction.

[Sena Dave]

Dr Wallop ??

WALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOPP

[Pib]

I wish them good luck in this endeavor but since it affects street vendors livelihoods...location that the vendors consider prime selling locations....it will take some "continuing" enforcement to keep them away. "Continuing enforcement" is where a lot of initiatives fall apart in Thailand.

[chotthee]

"Dr. Wallop said he found that the vendors had cooperated and now avoid doing business on the footpaths during the daytime."

Else what? Send in the army snipers?

[bkkjames]

"Dr. Wallop said he found that the vendors had cooperated and now avoid doing business on the footpaths during the daytime."

Else what? Send in the army snipers?

you seem a bit obsessed with this , 3rd topic similar response ?

[Benmart]

"Dr. Wallop said he found that the vendors had cooperated and now avoid doing business on the footpaths during the daytime."

Else what? Send in the army snipers?

I fail to see the relevance or basis.

[dinger]

The good Doctor stated that the vendors are in compliance and now avoid doing business on the footpaths during the daytime. Does that mean business as usual after dark?

[ratcatcher]

"Dr. Wallop said he found that the vendors had cooperated and now avoid doing business on the footpaths during the daytime."

Else what? Send in the army snipers?

Actually, a couple of red shirt mercenaries with hand grenades would be more effective? Donchathink?

[ChrisY1]

I like the sign above them..."Welcome" 69......would that be a vendor service??

[Kalebiran]

The good Doctor stated that the vendors are in compliance and now avoid doing business on the footpaths during the daytime. Does that mean business as usual after dark?

yes. Enforcement is non existent . have you ever seen an official, police or security forcibly remove a vendor on a sidewalk? it just doesnt happen. Sometimes you have to climb over sellers to get to an ATM. Pathetic law enforcement. you wouldnt know that Bangkoks footpaths are quite wide, try and walk along the sidewalk opposite Siam Paragon after 5 pm. ****ing impossible.

[3NUMBAS]

a 2feet walking space is no good esp when lizard men are crawling along and cables and pipes are blocking the walking space as well and bags of goods and seats and chairs and hookah pipes and beggers, its a jungle out there

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I just hope when the BMA moves in later to fix up the actual pavement, they keep up their fine practice of laying down sidewalk paver tiles directly onto beds of loose sand with no sealing or base material, so that as soon as the next big rains come, the water undermines the tiles, they start tilting and tipping, and eventually get broken up and become trip and fall hazards again.

Which of course means, the same contractor probably gets to come a year or two later and get paid once again for doing the job a second or third or fourth time -- that could have only needed to be done once if it had been done correctly the first time. Think of it as the full employment act for BMA public works contractors.

[dinger]

Try walking down soi 11, sidewalks non existant. And staying at a hotel, don't let them up grade you to a delux room, those are the ones in front right on the street. No sleep until at least 4am. and all of the noise isn't coming from the regular bars

Edited August 21, 2014 by dinger

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Staying in hotels on Suk Soi 11, especially unless you're very high up, and expecting to get a good night's sleep are probably two things that don't go well together.

Most people staying on Suk Soi 11 as tourists probably aren't expecting or planning to get a good night's sleep!!

[surangw]

like trying to herd cats

[3NUMBAS]

maybe they should ban the lizard men as they block the walking space whatdya think ?? nobody can get past them

[thaipod]

Officials will work on leveling the surface for normal pedestrian traffic. what does that mean? . Now pavements will be ripped up and be a complete mess for the next couple of years.

[Naroge]

"He said that, when all the pavements are free of vendors and stalls, city officials will work on leveling the surface in order to facilitate normal pedestrian traffic."

Great! Have been waiting for this for years. Hope it really happens.

[USNret]

Officials will work on leveling the surface for normal pedestrian traffic. what does that mean? . Now pavements will be ripped up and be a complete mess for the next couple of years.

More like: Rip up the pavement, then find there is no more money for the project. Prepare to walk through a muddy mess for the next 5 years.

Nothing could improve my impression of Bangkok more than leveling the sidewalks. You can't go 2 steps without tripping over a missing brick, or a metal bracket sticking out, or uneven pavement. This probably bothers me more than the incessant vendors.

[DonThaiToMe]

I live on lower Suk, and it has never bothered me. Timewise walking a couple of blocks you might "gain" 1 or 2 minutes with open pavements.

But what bothers me the most is that this is a part of the Bangkok life/experience. Whitout the vendors Bangkok wouldn´t be Bangkok!.

There are MUCH more important tasks to take care of in my opinion