Bangkok's Khlong Thom 'Dark Market' set to become latest casualty of junta's cleanup

[bangrak]

Street trading is the heart of Asian trading. Malls are American and too expensive

When THAT is what you would call 'street trading', could we please have your definition of Al Capones' main activity? Thank you!

[bangrak]

Another Bangkok sewer closed. Prayuth surely has a plan to help the poor Thais hustling out a living here to fins alternative locations and/or work.

Maybe Prayuth doesn't want them to have 'an activity', but to WORK, though this might be a very hard concept for millions of Thais, all interested in 'having a job', and making money with it, but NOT AT ALL in having to WORK for it...

In Thailand, even with basic skills, when you want to, and do so, over longer periods of time, in a trustworthy way, WORK, I mean, you are NOT, or you don't remain POOR (except when you drink, take drugs, gamble, have mistresses, buy too big too much for your own budget, etc., but this all also applies to the better-off ones, and all over the World)!

[The manic]

Well Al Capon sold whisky. Nothing wrong with that. He was a hero to many.

[The manic]

Not a sewer but a community of Thai. You are a foreigner and a snob and should not be preaching against the people of Thailand. If you do not like street markets you are in the wrong country.

[oxo1947]

Thank You Junta for putting 1000 people out of work . or telling them they can go across town where no one will find them.--BKKdreaming

Yes they really should just let them carry on braking the law shouldn't they Dreaming ?

I mean they would if it was in New York, London or Hong Kong etc....people would just be allowed to set up stalls in the street and disrupt traffic etc

Anywhere else in the world it would be OK---its only this mean old Junta that is spoiling things by actually starting to enforce the laws, isn't it.

[The manic]

There are lots of bad laws that should be broken. Thus it ever was. But foreigners pontificating about authoritarian edicts by a non elected government is sickening. They would have betrayed Ann Frank in the name of law and order.

[NeverSure]

Thank You Junta for putting 1000 people out of work . or telling them they can go across town where no one will find them.--BKKdreaming

Yes they really should just let them carry on braking the law shouldn't they Dreaming ?

I mean they would if it was in New York, London or Hong Kong etc....people would just be allowed to set up stalls in the street and disrupt traffic etc

Anywhere else in the world it would be OK---its only this mean old Junta that is spoiling things by actually starting to enforce the laws, isn't it.

This isn't any of those places. It's Thailand.

600 police to stop an "illegal" activity? And who is going to stop the police from their illegal activities?

THIS is a bow to the rich people in Bangkok who own the buildings in the vicinity but NOT the streets. This is a crush to the little guy by the big guy and nothing else.

Otherwise why would the junta make this a big priority before cleaning up the police and Customs and education and really important things?

What has the junta really done other than get some chairs off a beach, make a few drug and gambling busts and kick tiny business owners out of town?

[HaleySabai]

Others believe that the name "Dark Market" derives from the fact that some items sold there came from robberies and thefts, such as motorcycle and car parts. This is another reason police crack down on the market and vendors - to try to reduce the chance of thieves selling stolen goods.

Should perhaps be called "hot" market,no?

[The manic]

There are so called 'thieves' markets in all major capital cities where the provenance of good is unproven. Always great places.

[English_M_in_Bkk]

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I go there every weekend I am in BKK and there are only 2 sellers with used Automotive parts and I never saw anyone with motorbike parts ,

maybe they are there at 3am but not when I was there.......

Thank You Junta for putting 1000 people out of work . or telling them they can go across town where no one will find them.

The Railroad market out at Seacon square is OK, but its far from anywhere ,

Anyone know of another "Junk" market like Klong Thom ? even in another city ?

Do you only like illegal activities in Thailand? Is this why you're staying here? Do you think Thailand needs copied, fake, stolen, dangerous, illegal goods, let's add prostitution and drugs to it, to be an attractive place for 'tourists'? For sure there are 'small guys', barely, making a living from it (instead of any decent 'job', making them sweat at work to earn a decent living), but dirty, wealthy, people making a fortune out of it? Is that your vision of Thailand? Then you might be one of the many (Farangs) many of my friends and myself would like to see out of this country, and never coming back! Thailand has so much more to offer, but, in that, I'd agree with you, sooo much has been corrupted by the shockwaves of materialism insiduously introduced by the US here, there might not be a way back to better times, it might be too late. And shame on you when you contributed to that perversion of a beautiful nation then!

Kind of ironic that you go on about the shock-waves of materialism, when what they are doing is clearing Bangkok of the interesting and unique markets and places like this, and replacing them with the same boring corporate malls you find all over Bangkok.

And how do you go from a night market to prostitution and drugs?? Big leap there. If isn't some dull, safe boring corporate shithole then it must be a den of drugs and vice???

[oxo1947]

What has the junta really done other than get some chairs off a beach,

make a few drug and gambling busts and kick tiny business owners out of town?----Neversure

I think that comment written from your little house in America really does sum up just how out of touch you are with Thailand, .---the Thailand that you have often expressed that you would never live in. however continue to write 10,000+ post about

I take it by the few beach chairs you are referring to the of 100s millions of baht in bar /restaurants/ hotels that have been torn down, because they were illegally allowed as long as the past governments received lagress. Even something as non political as "Trip advisor" can recognize that.

The problem, with respect, is not the rules set by the junta,

it is the illegal transfer of titles to land that have taken place.

As far as all the information I have seen says no business has or has ever has had

the legal right to operate commercially on the beach http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/

or are you referring to the palatial homes set in national parks--

Likewise the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation under

the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has demolished resorts, homes

and plantations built illegally inside national forests.

Oh no its the "little man on the street who always got a good break & never had to pay bribes before the Junta stepped in that you are defending...

Around Bangkok the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is also taking a

hardline approach to Thailand law enforcement, ordering street vendors to clear the

sidewalks for pedestrian traffic, at least during daylight hours.

reported as being strictly enforced,

pay-offs to local police no longer resulting in the famed “Thai blind eye” .

Are you really so naive Neversure that you thought no one was being paid of to allow these illegal venues.? & that they are big business.

I would advise you to try to remove your head from your orifice ----however I feel that it has been up there so long, it couldn't stand the daylight.

[Thai at Heart]

Was there anything legal about any of it?