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

[Keesters]

Wheel chairs are another issue. The topic is about people being able to use a footpath that was built and designed for pedestrians. I feel people have a right to complain when they cannot use the public structure for what it was intended for. That is exactly why they call it a footpath not a food stall path.

Sorry but people in wheelchairs have as much right to the footpath/sidewalk/pavements as those who are able bodied. We are all pedestrians because we are not motor vehicles which belong on the road. So the discussion is about wheelchair users as well. I find your comment very offensive to those in wheelchairs.

can you please explain what exactly you find offensive on Callaway' post?

"Wheel chairs are another issue"

They are part of the same issue. A wheelchair bound person has as much right to comment here be part of the fight to keep or not keep street vendors. We are all people, all pedestrians. A wheel chair is a disabled persons feet. They are a part of the issue.

[luk AJ]

Wheel chairs are another issue. The topic is about people being able to use a footpath that was built and designed for pedestrians. I feel people have a right to complain when they cannot use the public structure for what it was intended for. That is exactly why they call it a footpath not a food stall path.

Sorry but people in wheelchairs have as much right to the footpath/sidewalk/pavements as those who are able bodied. We are all pedestrians because we are not motor vehicles which belong on the road. So the discussion is about wheelchair users as well. I find your comment very offensive to those in wheelchairs.

can you please explain what exactly you find offensive on Callaway' post?

"Wheel chairs are another issue"

They are part of the same issue. A wheelchair bound person has as much right to comment here be part of the fight to keep or not keep street vendors. We are all people, all pedestrians. A wheel chair is a disabled persons feet. They are a part of the issue.

you cannot quote parts of a post. If you read the next sentence it clearly refers to people being able to use a foothpath which of course includes disabled people. But this post is not about disabled people so off topic.

[Keesters]

Wheel chairs are another issue. The topic is about people being able to use a footpath that was built and designed for pedestrians. I The feel people have a right to complain when they cannot use the public structure for what it was intended for. That is exactly why they call it a footpath not a food stall path.

Sorry but people in wheelchairs have as much right to the footpath/sidewalk/pavements as those who are able bodied. We are all pedestrians because we are not motor vehicles which belong on the road. So the discussion is about wheelchair users as well. I find your comment very offensive to those in wheelchairs.

can you please explain what exactly you find offensive on Callaway' post?

"Wheel chairs are another issue"

They are part of the same issue. A wheelchair bound person has as much right to comment here be part of the fight to keep or not keep street vendors. We are all people, all pedestrians. A wheel chair is a disabled persons feet. They are a part of the issue.

you cannot quote parts of a post. If you read the next sentence it clearly refers to people being able to use a foothpath which of course includes disabled people. But this post is not about disabled people so off topic.

You are not quoting correctly. He said:

"The topic is about people being able to use a footpath that was built and designed for pedestrians."

So the topic is about pedestrians and not wheel chairs!!!! Rubbish, discriminatory.

People in wheel chairs are pedestrians too. So they are relevant to this topic and have as much right to talk about their needs re footpaths as the able bodied. So on topic as long as the disabled keep to the subject of footpaths. Is that clear now?

Edited March 12, 2015 by Keesters

[maidee]

only in thailand, right

[luk AJ]

Wheel chairs are another issue. The topic is about people being able to use a footpath that was built and designed for pedestrians. I The feel people have a right to complain when they cannot use the public structure for what it was intended for. That is exactly why they call it a footpath not a food stall path.

Sorry but people in wheelchairs have as much right to the footpath/sidewalk/pavements as those who are able bodied. We are all pedestrians because we are not motor vehicles which belong on the road. So the discussion is about wheelchair users as well. I find your comment very offensive to those in wheelchairs.

can you please explain what exactly you find offensive on Callaway' post?

"Wheel chairs are another issue"

They are part of the same issue. A wheelchair bound person has as much right to comment here be part of the fight to keep or not keep street vendors. We are all people, all pedestrians. A wheel chair is a disabled persons feet. They are a part of the issue.

you cannot quote parts of a post. If you read the next sentence it clearly refers to people being able to use a foothpath which of course includes disabled people. But this post is not about disabled people so off topic.

You are not quoting correctly. He said:

"The topic is about people being able to use a footpath that was built and designed for pedestrians."

So the topic is about pedestrians and not wheel chairs!!!! Rubbish, discriminatory.

People in wheel chairs are pedestrians too. So they are relevant to this topic and have as much right to talk about their needs re footpaths as the able bodied. So on topic as long as the disabled keep to the subject of footpaths. Is that clear now?

no

[Keesters]

Wheel chairs are another issue. The topic is about people being able to use a footpath that was built and designed for pedestrians. I The feel people have a right to complain when they cannot use the public structure for what it was intended for. That is exactly why they call it a footpath not a food stall path.

Sorry but people in wheelchairs have as much right to the footpath/sidewalk/pavements as those who are able bodied. We are all pedestrians because we are not motor vehicles which belong on the road. So the discussion is about wheelchair users as well. I find your comment very offensive to those in wheelchairs.

can you please explain what exactly you find offensive on Callaway' post?

"Wheel chairs are another issue"

They are part of the same issue. A wheelchair bound person has as much right to comment here be part of the fight to keep or not keep street vendors. We are all people, all pedestrians. A wheel chair is a disabled persons feet. They are a part of the issue.

you cannot quote parts of a post. If you read the next sentence it clearly refers to people being able to use a foothpath which of course includes disabled people. But this post is not about disabled people so off topic.

You are not quoting correctly. He said:

"The topic is about people being able to use a footpath that was built and designed for pedestrians."

So the topic is about pedestrians and not wheel chairs!!!! Rubbish, discriminatory.

People in wheel chairs are pedestrians too. So they are relevant to this topic and have as much right to talk about their needs re footpaths as the able bodied. So on topic as long as the disabled keep to the subject of footpaths. Is that clear now?

no

Why? Or are you being plain obstinate as well as *****.

Give me one good reason why the disabled are not allowed in this thread to talk about their problems with vendors on footpaths the same as able bodied people can.

[ggt]

Maybe instead of threating to throw punches at the news media...a press conference could be called to report on punches being thrown at the street vendors...

[Mr Somtam]

Sidewalks on Sukhumvit in Thonglor are very wide and not blocked by vendors. So what happens?

They become secondary roads for motorcycles running up and down them to avoid having to weave through traffic.

Given the choice between the vendors and the motorcycles, I will choose the vendors. You don't necessarily have to walk out into the street, you just walk under their canopy (most of the time).

That said, a compromise might be that when the vendors tie up the sidewalk, they put up one of those temporary barricades that carves 4 or 5 feet out of the road to make it safe for pedestrians to walk around them. This would obviously not work everywhere, but would be a reasonable solution for some places.

Just put up small poles so mocys and cars can't go on the pavement... Logic.... Pffffff......

[Keesters]

Sidewalks on Sukhumvit in Thonglor are very wide and not blocked by vendors. So what happens?

They become secondary roads for motorcycles running up and down them to avoid having to weave through traffic.

Given the choice between the vendors and the motorcycles, I will choose the vendors. You don't necessarily have to walk out into the street, you just walk under their canopy (most of the time).

That said, a compromise might be that when the vendors tie up the sidewalk, they put up one of those temporary barricades that carves 4 or 5 feet out of the road to make it safe for pedestrians to walk around them. This would obviously not work everywhere, but would be a reasonable solution for some places.

Just put up small poles so mocys and cars can't go on the pavement... Logic.... Pffffff......

As long as the gaps between them are wide enough for wheelchairs, prams and baby strollers. Good idea. Wonder how long they'd last.

[thaitorrent1]

Buy a car cheap Somchai !

[Keesters]

Buy a car cheap Somchai !

And what has that got to do with this thread? Even car drivers walk. Walk from where they parked the car to the place they are going to. And just park your car on the road next to where vendors are on the sidewalk and see what happens.

[jacko45k]

No, the sidewalk is owned by someone who takes rent from the stall holders.

In the case of businesses the sidewalk and 2 lanes out into the road are also their property and can be used as extensions to their business space.

Raised pavements on corners are owned by gangs of motorcycle taxi drivers who lounge around there and force you to walk in the gutter where you belong.

[dragonfly94]

The place will always be a third world dump if the authorities can't or won't control pavements, traffic laws, lottery prices, mangy soi dogs everywhere, rubbish tipping, corrupt Policemen and other officials, and over turning election results with the army. The country is a basket case, should have been colonised then they might have had some idea.

[joesanunu]

Greedy city officials rent the footpaths. Want to sell porn or fake Rolex, copy movies....? Pay a bit more..

These clowns also have 500 disfigured Cambodian beggars all over town diverting donations to the poor into their greedy pockets.

Then we have their cigarette butt/ littering scam, the fake students doing their fake TAT survey, Tuktuks, scamming taxies, and professional scammers

paying off these creeps.

They will exploit every square centimetre of footpath if allowed.

[kingalfred]

No, the sidewalk is owned by someone who takes rent from the stall holders.

In the case of businesses the sidewalk and 2 lanes out into the road are also their property and can be used as extensions to their business space.

Raised pavements on corners are owned by gangs of motorcycle taxi drivers who lounge around there and force you to walk in the gutter where you belong.

"gutter" is where these vendors think we belong.But they are the gutter vendors of Bangkok!

[Keesters]

No, the sidewalk is owned by someone who takes rent from the stall holders.

In the case of businesses the sidewalk and 2 lanes out into the road are also their property and can be used as extensions to their business space.

Raised pavements on corners are owned by gangs of motorcycle taxi drivers who lounge around there and force you to walk in the gutter where you belong.

"gutter" is where these vendors think we belong.But they are the gutter vendors of Bangkok!

And the gutter is where they throw all their rubbish, peelings, off cuts, etc. Filthy people.

[Mr Somtam]

Streetvendors should be on the STREET, read the word...

[Keesters]

Streetvendors should be on the STREET, read the word...

They got that name because that is where they were. Not that they were entitled to be there because of the name.

Let's find a more appropriate name for them. I could think of quite a few.............but I couldn't repeat them here.

[Mr Somtam]

Eh, sidewalkvendors? Vendori pavementi?

[natway09]

I do not know what all the fuss is about.

If they clear the vendors out you have to dodge the motorcycles & tuk tuks

[Mister Fixit]

What are they called? Hawkers, same as any other country ...

[Boksida]

[Thian]

Sidewalks in Thailand are terrible anyway. I have to look up and down ALL the time. There are also very sharp metal trafficsigns who are too low or pins from umbrella's. Also when we wear our good clothes we don't want them to be ruined by splashing oil or dripping aircondrains.

Just send all those vendors off the sidewalk, make new pavement, powerwash all the filth off the streets, catch the rats and Bangkok would be some much better.

Even at spots where there is a yellow line on the sidewalk where vendors have to stay behind it is terrible. They just put boxes on the walkway, make their tables longer so the legs stay behind the line, put their skewered hotdogs all overhanging their table so it is still narrow.

Streetvendors are very selfish. We now go to the malls by car, better sit in the car for an hour and arrive clean and good mooded. It's just a big shame that it had to come this far, i hope the General just sweeps all pavements clean very soon or we will go to Singapore for shopping.

[ttthailand]

it appears Thai Visa has adapted well to Thainess. This photo has given me a good laugh... Thank you Boksida

When in Rome

Edited March 30, 2015 by ttthailand

[NoshowJones]

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.

Everything you say is spot on except your last sentence. Name me a country in the world where money is not number one. Thailand is not unique in this.

[Jingthing]

The place will always be a third world dump if the authorities can't or won't control pavements, traffic laws, lottery prices, mangy soi dogs everywhere, rubbish tipping, corrupt Policemen and other officials, and over turning election results with the army. The country is a basket case, should have been colonised then they might have had some idea.

Most of us probably can't afford to live in Singapore. Face it Thailand may be a dump but we chose to live here. Uh oh!

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Thian]

The place will always be a third world dump if the authorities can't or won't control pavements, traffic laws, lottery prices, mangy soi dogs everywhere, rubbish tipping, corrupt Policemen and other officials, and over turning election results with the army. The country is a basket case, should have been colonised then they might have had some idea.

Most of us probably can't afford to live in Singapore. Face it Thailand may be a dump but we chose to live here. Uh oh!

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Singapore has great sidewalks but only in the centre where all the big malls are. Outside that area it's just as crappy as thailand with the same prices. Sidewalks there are also occupied by the shops.

I do like streetvendors but only when they stay away from the walkways. Especially the vendors who hawk with pushcarts are annoying. Or ones who dare to come into restaurants to sell me earrings or lottery tickets or roses. I really can't understand why those restaurantowners let them annoy their customers who are eating. It also doesn't happen in the malls so it is possible to get rid of them.

But what is the main problem behind all this? Why the police (or even the army) can't sweep the sidewalks clean and keep it clean? What are they scared of?

[muffy]

No . Next question .