BMA reorganizes street vendors across Bangkok’s major flea markets

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BMA reorganizes street vendors across Bangkok’s major flea markets

BANGKOK, 3 November 2014 (NNT) - The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) disclosed that it would be regulating sidewalks in the Bobae and Tha Chang flea markets starting on November 4th.

Advisor to the Bangkok Governor Pol. Maj. Gen. Wichai Sangprapai disclosed that vendors in the mentioned areas will have to strictly abide by the rules by not overcrowding sidewalks. Around 400 vendors in total are estimated to be selling their merchandise in these two markets.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Wichai stated that under the new law, the vendors will have to operate their stalls at two different shifts. The morning shift will begin from 9:00AM to 3:00PM and the vendors are required to occupy only one side of the pavement. However, the late night shift will begin from 11:00pm to 5:00am and the vendors will be able to use up both sides of the pavement.

He also stressed that the vendors are required to choose only one particular shift to run their stalls, and are only allowed to occupy 1 meter of the footpath’s width and length space respectively.

Meanwhile, the BMA will also be reorganizing the pavement areas at the Tha Chang and Tha Tien piers on November 20th. Vendors in these areas will be prohibited to sell their goods at all times during the day and at night in a bid to regulate foot traffic in the ‘Rattanakosin island’.


-- NNT 2014-11-03

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When asked why, " the late night shift will begin from 11:00pm to 5:00am and the vendors will be able to use up both sides of the pavement", the official said that because no customers are around after 1 am, the public would only be inconvenienced for 2 hours and the sellers make up for it by sitting around for 4 hours with nobody to sell their goods to. It all seemed fair.