So long, Sukhumvit 38, and thanks for all the street food

[webfact]

So long, Sukhumvit 38, and thanks for all the street food
By Coconuts Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- Bangkok's tourists and drunks will need a new source of khao ka moo after one of Sukhumvit Road's most famous street food hangouts closes next year.

A guidebook highlight and neighborhood staple, the food stalls of Soi Sukhumvit 38 say they've been given nine months to clear out to make way for another unremarkable wonderful condominium project.

One food vendor told Bangkok Post the landowner died late last year and now his family is selling it to a developer. City Hall told them to move, but they were given a stay of execution until February. [read more...]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/05/25/so-long-sukhumvit-38-and-thanks-all-street-food


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-05-25

[Cuchulainn]

Another block of flats. Hooray!!!

[lee b]

How many more condos does bkk need? Are all of the existing ones filled to the max?? Really sad

[krisb]

It's private land, that's how it goes sometimes.

[DLang]

Good.

Now clear the pavement thoroughly, and keep it clean. A few rubbish bins, trees, and actual space to walk.

[SoiBiker]

Good.

Now clear the pavement thoroughly, and keep it clean. A few rubbish bins, trees, and actual space to walk.

Seriously?

A sad loss to the area. Cheap, tasty food and a nice place to hang out.

[SoiBiker]

Eaten there many times. Never got ill.

Never found it dirty, either.

[tingtongfarang]

Was a regular customer in soi 38 some years ago, thing that bugged me mostly was the hiso thais stopping in their hi end european cars and ordering food from the car window, they would wait till the food was cooked and handed back into the car window blocking the street and causing chaos, also pumping exhaust fumes into the faces of people eating at tables.

[ubonjoe]

Several off topic posts that were derailing the topic into another topic of discussion and the expected replies to them.

[hextac]

Good.

Now clear the pavement thoroughly, and keep it clean. A few rubbish bins, trees, and actual space to walk.

Have you thought about living in Singapore?

[Greer]

This is very sad, I hope they can find alternative locations, as otherwise this is a big blow to their family income and support.

...not to mention a big blow to those of us who have regularly bought food there.

[rijit]

Yep v v sad indeed, another little bit of old school Bangkok going. Spent many a hapi evening hanging there. someone mentioned singapore b4, well hello Bangkok!!!

Edited May 25, 2015 by rijit

[rijit]

Good.

Now clear the pavement thoroughly, and keep it clean. A few rubbish bins, trees, and actual space to walk.

Really,, sounds a touch boring,,

[DLang]

Good.

Now clear the pavement thoroughly, and keep it clean. A few rubbish bins, trees, and actual space to walk.

Really,, sounds a touch boring,,

Plenty of exciting places in Bangkok. Also plenty of filthy slum streets full of poor people eating low quality food among the sewer-rats.

Bulldozing one and replacing it with a footpath that people can use to walk along, as opposed to in the middle of the road, is a plus.

[SoiBiker]

Good.

Now clear the pavement thoroughly, and keep it clean. A few rubbish bins, trees, and actual space to walk.

Really,, sounds a touch boring,,

Plenty of exciting places in Bangkok. Also plenty of filthy slum streets full of poor people eating low quality food among the sewer-rats.

Bulldozing one and replacing it with a footpath that people can use to walk along, as opposed to in the middle of the road, is a plus.

You've clearly never been to Soi 38.

[rijit]

Good.

Now clear the pavement thoroughly, and keep it clean. A few rubbish bins, trees, and actual space to walk.

Really,, sounds a touch boring,,

Plenty of exciting places in Bangkok. Also plenty of filthy slum streets full of poor people eating low quality food among the sewer-rats.

Bulldozing one and replacing it with a footpath that people can use to walk along, as opposed to in the middle of the road, is a plus.

Sounds like your living on the wrong continent.

[sprq]

Good.

Now clear the pavement thoroughly, and keep it clean. A few rubbish bins, trees, and actual space to walk.

There IS space to walk. There is very little vehicular traffic on this street so the vendors do not impede anybody from safely and easily walking past. Have you even been there? I doubt it. Soi 38 is a great example of a safe and relaxed street market with good food, and it will be a great loss.

[HerbalEd]

Bangkok is making the same mistakes made by Singapore. That is, destroying another cultural tradition and experience that makes BKK so special for tourists ... and Thais ... with yet another high rise.

[sprq]

Good.

Now clear the pavement thoroughly, and keep it clean. A few rubbish bins, trees, and actual space to walk.

Really,, sounds a touch boring,,

Plenty of exciting places in Bangkok. Also plenty of filthy slum streets full of poor people eating low quality food among the sewer-rats.

Bulldozing one and replacing it with a footpath that people can use to walk along, as opposed to in the middle of the road, is a plus.

You've clearly never been to Soi 38.

Exactly my reaction. Doesn't know what he's talking about.

[sprq]

Bangkok is making the same mistakes made by Singapore. That is, destroying another cultural tradition and experience that makes BKK so special for tourists ... and Thais ... with yet another high rise.

That's true. But in this location it seems inevitable. The spot is not only at trendy Thonglor, it is bang slap next to Thonglor BTS station and therefore a prime location for a profitable residential development. I don't like the prospect at all, but it is a logical urban development. The mouth of Soi 38 is a great piece of old Bangkok lifestyle, but it could never last for ever, I now have to admit.

[tingtongfarang]

I remember soi 38 being voted the best street food location in bkk for a few years running, whenever visitors asked about good street food i directed them to soi 38.

[SoiBiker]

Maybe the vendors could move down to W District?

[DLang]

Good.

Now clear the pavement thoroughly, and keep it clean. A few rubbish bins, trees, and actual space to walk.

There IS space to walk. There is very little vehicular traffic on this street so the vendors do not impede anybody from safely and easily walking past. Have you even been there? I doubt it. Soi 38 is a great example of a safe and relaxed street market with good food, and it will be a great loss.

Thanks for the laugh.

The place is a cr@phole. The quicker it's cleared the better. Cheap 'food' will still be available at many other filthy, rat-invested pavements, so your loss shouldn't be too hard to rectify.

Clear the lot.

[turk56]

That sucks! I once ate there back in 99.

[tingtongfarang]

Good.

Now clear the pavement thoroughly, and keep it clean. A few rubbish bins, trees, and actual space to walk.

There IS space to walk. There is very little vehicular traffic on this street so the vendors do not impede anybody from safely and easily walking past. Have you even been there? I doubt it. Soi 38 is a great example of a safe and relaxed street market with good food, and it will be a great loss.

Thanks for the laugh.

The place is a cr@phole. The quicker it's cleared the better. Cheap 'food' will still be available at many other filthy, rat-invested pavements, so your loss shouldn't be too hard to rectify.

Clear the lot.

I can only imagine you are confused and talking about a different location, i remember much of the custom soi 38 had as far as thais were concerned being quite well heeled if their mercs,bmw,s, european sports cars were anything to go by, also each evening quite a percentage of the customers were western tourists, it is also is not the cheapest street food available in bkk,

As for your rat infested pavement remark, i think that describes any city in thailand,

Soi 38 would be a great loss on the street food scene for thais and westerners alike.

Edited May 25, 2015 by tingtongfarang

[zakk9]

Bangkok is (was?) famous for its excellent street food, but along the stretch from NaNa to Ekamai, there's hardly anything left. Those long gone places used to be my regular lunch and dinner hangouts for years, now there's hardly any reason to visit the area. It's a sad development in what used to be a great area.

Edited May 25, 2015 by zakk9

[quandow]

I hung out there twice, saw the sun come up both times, that's part of why tourists come to places like Thailand. This will be a true loss as Bangkok assimilates into just one more crowded, dirty city with poor plumbing.

[ezzra]

This is how things work here in Thailand.. when it comes to eyesore they don't do shit for generation,

neglect and ignore, and when finally they do something, they go overboard with it, and throw

the baby with bath water like they did with the beaches in Pattaya and Phuket,,,,,,,

[razer]

New condos ... empty for years and years ... keeps prices high in low occupancy environment ... but a great way to unload a suitcase full of cash. Just a cynical opinion. Have to admit, with low occupancy it's quiet.

[Centrum]

Good.

Now clear the pavement thoroughly, and keep it clean. A few rubbish bins, trees, and actual space to walk.

Ha! for how long do you think?