D-Day to clean up Tha Prachan amulet market begins today, November 30

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D-Day to clean up Tha Prachan begins today



BANGKOK: -- A hundred of city officials, police and soldiers today began to clear Tha Prachan, one of Bangkok's busiest sidewalk amulet market in another bid of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to make a facelift of the place back to its oldie glory.

The move by the city administration came after it has successfully cleared Saphan Lek market and returned the Klong Ong Ang canal long crowded with stalls back its original state several decades ago, and made it a new tourist attraction for floating “krathongs” during the Loy Krathong festival.

The cleanup operation of sidewalk vending is also to fulfill the policy of the military junta to return sidewalk to pedestrians to walk safely.

The BMA has notified more than 300 sidewalk vendors of Tha Prachan market six months ago to move out by end of November as it will make a facelift of the place invaded by vendors several decades ago.

The operation today was directed by Pol Maj Gen Wichai Sangpraphai.

There was no resistance by vendors on both sidewalks of the Maharaj road in That Prachan as city workers began to dismantle makeshift stalls from the sidewalks.

That Prachan was once a popular market for locals and foreign tourists who came to shop as well as to experience the bazaar like charm of the area.

Earlier the BMA official said they had received numerous complaints by locals and pedestrians of the place’s crowded and unsightliness.

Sidewalk is designated as pedestrian walkway but it was swamped with makeshift stalls and street vendors leaving no room for pedestrians to walk.

Pedestrians ended to walk on the road, thus putting them at risk of being hit by cars and motorcycles.

Authorities have given several months notice to street vendors in the area stretching from Tha Prachan road through to Tha Chang area including the Maharaj road to clear off the area within November 30.

They will be relocated new places on Rama 2 and Bang Yai areas to do business.

But some Buddha amulet traders complained that their new location was far away from main pedestrian area.

They also were skeptical that the change would be sustainable as many have done so in the past.

One trader said customers are mostly people who come to this area for purchasing Buddha amulet.

Many will not go to Bang Yai City shopping mall since that is for another type of shoppers, he said.

He also said from their experience, most end up moving back to this area after a while.

He said most customers did not know where they could find the amulet market in the new place.

He also said they would have to pay for rent space and utility, all higher overhead cost with fewer customers.

It wasn’t realistic and they could not survive in the long term, another vendor said.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/d-day-to-clean-up-tha-prachan-begins-today


-- Thai PBS 2015-11-30

[WitawatWatawit]

And they thought they were bullet-proof!

[nidieunimaitre]

QUOTE: "they could not survive in the long term, another vendor said."

Invest in the purchase of the right amulet for success in business, problem solved.

[gerry123]

yes maybe but not Move along now proof

[Yoram]

QUOTE: "they could not survive in the long term, another vendor said."

Yeah, 99% of the staff they sell is fake, so yeah, if you build your future and business on selling

fakes on a footpath that belong to pedestrians, you will not survive for long.

[jacky54]

My BIL had an amulet for many things, not being stabbed, shot, lucky for money and for car driving. He got off a bus on the way to CM and got killed by a lorry!

[Lampang2]

If your product can't carry it's cost it's not a product.

Just an item.

[crazydrummerpauly]

100% in favour - totally fed up with having to dice it with traffic because shops and stalls think the bloody pavement if part of their real estate !!!

[steveyinasia]

"He also said from their experience, most end up moving back to this area after a while."....so it's a temporary move then?

[nidieunimaitre]

QUOTE: "they could not survive in the long term, another vendor said."

Yeah, 99% of the staff they sell is fake, so yeah, if you build your future and business on selling

fakes on a footpath that belong to pedestrians, you will not survive for long.

So you think that 1% is real?

Please define "real".

[Acharn]

QUOTE: "they could not survive in the long term, another vendor said."

Yeah, 99% of the staff they sell is fake, so yeah, if you build your future and business on selling

fakes on a footpath that belong to pedestrians, you will not survive for long.

So you think that 1% is real?

Please define "real".

Actually made by the people who were supposed to have made it, at the place where it was supposed to have been made, and at the time the real amulets were made. Has nothing to do with their effectiveness which is about the same as the diabetes cure American Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee sold.

[TheKnave]

Prayut is no Lee Kuan Yew. This sterilizing of Bangkok will just leave it drab, run down and depressing. At least Singapore is clean, if relatively boring.

Bit by bit, Bangkok is disappearing. Sad.

[nidieunimaitre]

QUOTE: "they could not survive in the long term, another vendor said."

Yeah, 99% of the staff they sell is fake, so yeah, if you build your future and business on selling

fakes on a footpath that belong to pedestrians, you will not survive for long.

So you think that 1% is real?

Please define "real".

Actually made by the people who were supposed to have made it, at the place where it was supposed to have been made, and at the time the real amulets were made. Has nothing to do with their effectiveness which is about the same as the diabetes cure American Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee sold.

I understand your point.

But I still would not qualify that 1% as "real".

Because amulets are fake, even if they are blessed by the pope (or Isara) himself.