Bangkok: One of Bangkok’s biggest street markets, “Khlong Thom”, is closing down in the face of the city administration’s firm stance that footpaths belong to pedestrians – not street stalls.

Fans of Khlong Thom have till tomorrow (Sunday) to re-visit their favorite shopping zone.

Starting from Monday, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will deploy 600 police, soldiers and municipal police to ensure street hawkers no longer ply their trade from footpaths.

Khlong Thom is famous not just for incredibly low prices but also its surprisingly vast array of products. While most items on sale are secondhand, some are rare and luxury. Shoppers thus usually have fun looking for the best bargains as they dig into piles of products on street stalls.

The nine streets that make up Khlong Thom market are Charoenkrung, Worajak, Sua Pa, Plabplachai, Mahachak, Yommarajsukhum, Chao Kaorop and Srithammathirat in the Pom Prab Sattru Phai district of Bangkok. There are between 2,000 and 3,000 vendors in the zone.

Authorities have insisted that the Khlong Thom market must stop its operation because its bustling trade activities have adversely affected local residents as well as people who need to go to a hospital in the zone, causing noise and disruption of traffic.

The BMA has also explained that it does not ignore its decision’s impacts on vendors as it will help them relocate their stalls to authorized markets.

“It may be tough for them in the beginning. But after a while, they will be able to adjust and realize that the move is good for all sides,” an advisor to the BMA says.

600 cops and soldiers to shut down a glorified flea market ?? sounds like overkill to me !

Doesn't sound at all excessive considering up to 3000 vendors, 600 is a reasonable force deployment in the face of 3000 people at minimum. I'd imagine a lot of the work will be talking to people so it will expediate the process hopefully.

Is this the place they also call the "flashlight" market? If so it's a mess but I have mixed emotions.

Obey!!