'Don't I have the right to use this sidewalk?' pedestrian asks
By Coconuts Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- While street food is one of the best things Bangkok has to offer, the chaos it creates on the sidewalks isn’t.

An unhappy pedestrian brought up the forever-issue of street vendors occupying sidewalks on Pantip yesterday by posting images the ordinary scene of other walkers forced to step into traffic because there’s so space on the sidewalk for them.

“Don’t I have the right to use this sidewalk?” the anonymous user asked.

The photos were reportedly taken on Soi Sukhumvit 16. [read more...]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co//2015/03/11/dont-i-have-right-use-sidewalk-pedestrian-asks


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-03-11

But, but... they are poor people with families to feed...

15 years ago from my hotel:

I like street food and it is one of the things that makes Bangkok unique. I have to say my safety and life are more important. Surely there are places it is appropriate and then there are places it's not. This is surely not! And there are way to many places like this. It only exists because of payments to crooked cops. The vendor profits, the cop profits and we as the public pay the price in more ways than one. I hope people take a stand against this. But in Thailand money is number one, sooooo.

get the army in ...they over rule the cops ....be a good thing to make the cops honest for a change

It's 'safer' to walk on the road anyway.

It's not like it's km after km of sidewalk. I don't mind bits of sidewalk (urgh, I mean pavement!) with street food on it as I love street food and it's a minor inconvenience

I can understand the difficulty for people though

I assume the carts had to get permits and things though?

What are sidewalks for? They're for pedestrians walking beside the road. Now that this incredible feat of brain work is settled, what is there to do with the street vendors? Every body loves the street vendors. Is there not a solution which accommodates both pedestrians and street vendors? Also, how many of these street vendors are VAT and tax registered?

In the G7 country where I come from, the large cities auction off a limited allocation of street-vendor spots which invariably end up controlled by a street vendor mafia.

Stop moaning. At least you have the choice to use sidewalk ( IF AVAILABLE)

I dont, cannot walk but never moan about it.

You must lead a very sad boring life, if that is all you can moan about.

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It's not like it's km after km of sidewalk. I don't mind bits of sidewalk (urgh, I mean pavement!) with street food on it as I love street food and it's a minor inconvenience

I can understand the difficulty for people though

I assume the carts had to get permits and things though?

Tea money / corruption now has a new name 'permit'.

Stop moaning. At least you have the choice to use sidewalk ( IF AVAILABLE)

I dont, cannot walk but never moan about it.

You must lead a very sad boring life, if that is all you can moan about.

everyone should have the right to use the sidewalk safely especially the old, infirm, mothers with small children, disabled and blind - to name but a few.

the blocking of pavements in thailand may be cultural but it is also anti-social, selfish and unnecessary. take a walk down asoke you will see they have specific areas for vendors to set up their stalls so they dont block the pavement, it works very well.

this could be achieved in many areas of bangkok enabling the vendors to trade, shopper to shop and those wanting to use the pavements able to do so unhindered.

its not rocket science.

But, but... they are poor people with families to feed...

15 years ago from my hotel:

bkk DSCN0293.JPG

Yeah right, and some of them make over 10000 a day...

Stop moaning. At least you have the choice to use sidewalk ( IF AVAILABLE)

I dont, cannot walk but never moan about it.

You must lead a very sad boring life, if that is all you can moan about.

Sorry to hear about your condition, but you're bloody wrong on this.

It IS a valid issue.

Just because it doesn't concern you anymore personally is totally irrelevant.

You try to lecture and give a morality guilt trip -- but the world isn't only about you and disabled people, is it?

I would say disabled accessibility is another very big issue in Thailand and I would fully support Thai people working to improve that.

I also support the concept of opening up sidewalks to pedestrians.

I do walk a lot and very very often have no choice but to walk in the street which of course greatly increases my personal risk as well as all others who do walk the streets.

Call us street walkers if you wish ... we matter too!

Yes, i find it very annoying when i cant take to the side walk with the motocyc when the road is blocked with traffic, vendors are very selfish

I guess its exciting for tourists to get their "street food", but on a daily basis I must walk on the road around the stalls not only that I have to walk in all the liquids they splash in the gutter and down the drain. My wife cannot use the pram either. Surely they can make areas for them to set up with proper sewage and running water.

Pavement for the people!

Jingthing . You are wrong , you say it dont affesct me anymore. !!!HUH!!

i CANNOT GET MY WHEELCHAIR ON THE SIDEWALKS. Because they are to bloody high/ full of holes loose/ uneven slabs.

In short they are not safe to use walking or in a wheelchair.

Safer on the road, asyou are not a wheelchair user, you are not qualified to comment.

Yes let sellers use them , as they are not fit for anything else. Rant over do have a nice day

Jingthing . You are wrong , you say it dont affesct me anymore. !!!HUH!!

i CANNOT GET MY WHEELCHAIR ON THE SIDEWALKS. Because they are to bloody high/ full of holes loose/ uneven slabs.

In short they are not safe to use walking or in a wheelchair.

Safer on the road, asyou are not a wheelchair user, you are not qualified to comment.

Yes let sellers use them , as they are not fit for anything else. Rant over do have a nice day

You sound bitter. That's understandable.

Of course it effects you if you are trying to get around without a vehicle.

That's why I specifically mentioned disabled accessibility.

Believe it or not I think about that very often when I see disabled people out and about and specifically when I am walking thinking as hard as it is for me, this would be IMPOSSIBLE for a disabled person.

Thailand has a lot of work to do on these issues for everyone.

Suggesting we don't have a right to complain because you have it much harder ... consider that's kind of stupid.

IF Thailand did improve the sidewalks so that ambulatory people could walk on the sidewalk instead of going into the road, surely that would mean at least a somewhat smoother path for the disabled.

Jingthing . You are wrong , you say it dont affesct me anymore. !!!HUH!!

i CANNOT GET MY WHEELCHAIR ON THE SIDEWALKS. Because they are to bloody high/ full of holes loose/ uneven slabs.

In short they are not safe to use walking or in a wheelchair.

Safer on the road, asyou are not a wheelchair user, you are not qualified to comment.

Yes let sellers use them , as they are not fit for anything else. Rant over do have a nice day

Think in your position i would be looking for a way to convert a sedgeway or something similar, i was once wheelchair bound almost 2 years so can imagine how it feels.

Bottom line in modern Thai culture pedestrians are ranked somewhat about soi dogs. If that.

Bottom line in modern Thai culture pedestrians are ranked somewhat about soi dogs. If that.

Yeap

Probably because they don't have enough money to buy a motorbike or a car

Bottom line in modern Thai culture pedestrians are ranked somewhat about soi dogs. If that.

Yeap

Probably because they don't have enough money to buy a motorbike or a car

That is why motorbikes ( i love them) rank lower as cars.

Bottom line in modern Thai culture pedestrians are ranked somewhat about soi dogs. If that.

Yeap

Probably because they don't have enough money to buy a motorbike or a car

True. That's what Thais think. Personally I can afford but don't want.

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JINGTHING. Again you are wrong !!! You speak i am bitter.

Read any post of mine, and you will not see/detect any bitterness.

Or better still ask the tv members who know me/visit me.

I havenever once spoken any bitterness, i have accepted my disability, and get on with life best i can

Ask the ones who no me , onwards and upwards thats me, never wallow in self pity or bitterness.

As i said before you are not wheelchair bound, so not qualified to comment.

Hey people take care a dangerous world out there. Best wishes to all Colinneil

OK sorry. But I don't appreciate morality lectures about no right to complain about something real just because some people have it much worse.

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It's not like it's km after km of sidewalk. I don't mind bits of sidewalk (urgh, I mean pavement!)

Thank you ...

The answer is to build properly regulated hawker food courts as in Singapore ...

But it will never happen - they don't know how to regulate or organise anything - that's why they have food stands higgledy-piggledy blocking the PAVEMENTS.

I think in the side sois it would be perfectly acceptable to have one sidewalk free of clutter and made wheelchair-friendly while the other side can be used by foodcarts.

Don't get me started on bikes riding on the sidewalks that do exist!

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Jingthing . You are wrong , you say it dont affesct me anymore. !!!HUH!!

i CANNOT GET MY WHEELCHAIR ON THE SIDEWALKS. Because they are to bloody high/ full of holes loose/ uneven slabs.

In short they are not safe to use walking or in a wheelchair.

Safer on the road, asyou are not a wheelchair user, you are not qualified to comment.

Yes let sellers use them , as they are not fit for anything else. Rant over do have a nice day

But let's get the vendors off the sidewalk, fix it so you can use it and get you off the dangerous road.

Please don't be so negative we are on your side.

I walk on the road most of the time, it's safer than turning your ankle on a loose tile & ending up arse over tit on the pavement.

I walk on the road most of the time, it's safer than turning your ankle on a loose tile & ending up arse over tit on the pavement.

Understand that. That's a related problem ... actual smooth sidewalks IF they are EVER cleared.

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