Now the night market has gone, what's left on soi 38
STAFF WRITER



BANGKOK: -- Soi 38 has always held a place in many a Bangkokian’s heart for simply being “the soi with all the street food.”

From Pad Thai to Mango Sticky Rice to Bimimbap to Congee: whatever you could think of, they had it – with bargain prices and a collegiate atmosphere to match. From around 6pm every day, chrome tables would pop up and the smell of fried noodles, lime and chilli would permeate the air like nothing else.



But the eviction notice posted last year in a bid to make way for another new, gleaming development has seen the stallholders gradually shut up shop and foot traffic to the once-popular Thonglor night hang-out decline. Stalls officially have until the end of February to relocate their businesses, but the area is already a poor imitation of what it was mere months ago.

We visited during the day to try and get to the bottom of what is actually left on Soi 38 and what will remain once the last vestiges of street food stalls have vanished.

One thing’s for sure: it’s pretty quiet.

You can still spot the remaining dregs of the street stalls – closed shutters covered in maps showing new locations while a few empty chairs sit at empty tables. There’s a handful of smaller stalls still plying their wares, but they’ve already expressed concerns that their businesses will be affected now the majority of other shops have been forced to leave.

Full story: http://whatsonsukhumvit.com/now-the-night-market-has-gone-whats-left-on-soi-38/


-- (c) What's on Sukhumvit 2016-02-04

Proper sidewalks instead of being forced to weave among traffic...

Signe of the times, out with the old, in with the new, with land prices at mega premium around

those parts of Sukhumvit, no wonder why is the rush to put up another condo and make

a hundred millions of baht profits in the process.... money talks, sentiments walks...

I am not sure about this change at Soi 38, but often the Thai traders have established their businesses on land they do not own or have any lease contracts to use,

It is usually that the owners do not require the land for development during these times but when they do require, it is time for the traders to move on. Most often have enjoyed a "rent free" existence for enough time to generate a good sum that should allow them start a "legitimate" business on a legitimate site.

I am not sure about this change at Soi 38, but often the Thai traders have established their businesses on land they do not own or have any lease contracts to use,

It is usually that the owners do not require the land for development during these times but when they do require, it is time for the traders to move on. Most often have enjoyed a "rent free" existence for enough time to generate a good sum that should allow them start a "legitimate" business on a legitimate site.

"Rent free"? Where? I know of no outdoor business that does not pay some private person for the right to use public space. If the are on the sidewalk they are paying whoever owns the closest building, if no private owner, they are paying the police. "public" sidewalk space on lower sukhumvit averages 50,000 a month for about 2 square meters, paid to whoever owns the building in front. Not believe? just ask anyone.