Banned from sidewalk, vendors in Bangkok set up food carts on street

[webfact]

Banned from sidewalk, vendors set up food carts on street
By Coconuts Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- After City Hall evicted hundreds of street vendors in Pratunam area last month, a dozen reportedly gave the authorities the finger by occupying part of the road to set up their shops last night.

Twitter user kt_wt shared snapshots of the vendors outside Palladium shopping mall on Petchaburi Road as they tried their best not to break City Hall's order.

"They banned vendors on the sidewalk, so they just set up shops on the road. Be careful of hitting them if you drive past the area," wrote the caption.

The photos have drawn a variety of opinions from Thai social media users.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/05/16/banned-sidewalk-vendors-set-food-carts-street


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2016-05-17

[kotsak]

Nice.. The traffic was already f.u.b.a.r in that area, this will make it worse..

[rijit]

^^ Take a bus or a taxi.... V harsh just to up and take peoples incomes away. I`m wondering were any alternatives offered to people who had been there a long time?

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[FourAces]

Yep that is a classic example of Thai mentality "oh we aren't allowed to sell on the foot path now, Mai pen rai. we will just move our stall, away from the footpath to the road".

With no concept of what mayhem they will cause and how dangerous it is to do so.

Anyway the food will have a nice new seasoning, a combination of diesel/petrol exhaust, road dust and the Flem from the motorists, coughing that pollution and spiting it out the window as they drive by at 2kms per hour.

[pansi in fishnet stockings]

was walking the uncluttered footpath in penang the other morning. one small section was still wet from rain. slipped in it went over forwards. no major damage.

this would have never happened in bkk. too cluttered to get up a speed. so many obstacles you could grab something on the way down. sidewalks are not tiled smooth and slippery.

Edited May 16, 2016 by pansi in fishnet stockings

[Rykbanlor]

was walking the uncluttered footpath in penang the other morning. one small section was still wet from rain. slipped in it went over forwards. no major damage.

this would have never happened in bkk. too cluttered to get up a speed. so many obstacles you could grab something on the way down. sidewalks are not tiled smooth and slippery.

That may as well have been Turkish for all I took away from it.

[SoiBiker]

^^ Take a bus or a taxi.... V harsh just to up and take peoples incomes away. I`m wondering were any alternatives offered to people who had been there a long time?

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Because buses and taxis aren't affected by traffic?

Weird suggestion.

[Rykbanlor]

^^ Take a bus or a taxi.... V harsh just to up and take peoples incomes away. I`m wondering were any alternatives offered to people who had been there a long time?

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Because a Bus or Taxi will somehow cut more easily through traffic than a car?

I understand it may seem harsh, but it isn't like there aren't more convenient places to set up shop. Blame the Police or any other group who allow them to rent the space illegaly in the first place.

[kingalfred]

Urge foreigners to NEVER buy or eat so called "street food" in Bangkok. Its poison ! As well as encouraging more congestion on sidewalk,or,it appears on the actual road now!

[canuckamuck]

Running a food cart on the street with your back to the traffic? Seems like some folks have their eyes on a Darwin award.

[rugbyjacks]

Urge foreigners to NEVER buy or eat so called "street food" in Bangkok. Its poison ! As well as encouraging more congestion on sidewalk,or,it appears on the actual road now!

I've been here for 8 years and eat street food all the time. I've never had a problem with it.

The only time I ever got food poisoning here was after a steak and kidney pie from Molly Malone's!

I think the street vendors are what make Bangkok the vibrant and exciting city that it is!

If they keep going the way they are, we'll end up like Singapore!

[BKKdreaming]

I have seen Tables mounted on motorbikes so you have a place to eat off the sidewalk

this was on a side street with the Police canopy 15 foot across the street,

Thais want to eat , many do not have Kitchens at home ,

It will be nice when Thailand streets are as clean as North Korea and has no street vendors

[soalbundy]

as i said,this ban wont last a week

[AlQaholic]

Brilliant!

[Incobart]

But let's say Thanks to the cityhall that we finaly can walk sabaai there ...

[Kabula]

More negative comments from expats and tourists...

Which would you prefer with all the jobs being lost?

Traffic problems or more thefts, armed robberies and burglaries.

When people lose it all like their business and jobs they lose it.

When they are hungry with no money they have nothing to lose.

So, you will be their first target!

Think before you post nonsense.

Do you want another Venezuela?

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Little Singapore all grown up now...

[kennw]

Some food vendors have now set up further in Soi 4 Sukhumvit but they take up all the footpath so walkers have to use the road. Not good for families with small kids and babies in prams. Where is BMA?

[Jimbo2014]

After a few weeks they will be on the sidewalk and on the road both. Guaranteed.

[SoiBiker]

Clearing a bit of pavement space is not going to suddenly turn Bangkok into Singapore. Lets not over-react here.

[richard_smith237]

The issue as I see it is the consistent inconsistency and lazy enforcement of existing regulation.

This relaxed way of life is why many of us like it here, but it also contributes to many of the frustrations of living in Thailand and Bangkok.

Authorities have never done anything about the street vendors, instead choosing to turn a blind eye... as such a sense of entitlement settles into the street vendors... after all, they have been there a long time... its now their right to be there is it not ? - this is pretty much true of many activities in Thailand from riding motorcycles on the pavement to street vendors to cars stopping off or parking anywhere they like...

The knock on effect of moving the street vendors also effects everyone... the street vendors have to move conjesting another areas or they have no work and need to find alternative means to provide... crime with your noddles anyone ?

Singapore had the right idea, moving street vendors to centres.. area's of land which could be designated for an 'outdoor street food centre' but the cost of land in these area's is expensive, I guess the vendors would have to pay rent, which of course means passing on the cost to the customer... 40 baht noodles soon cost 100 Baht or more...

However, as a city on whole I wonder how much revenue is lost simply due to traffic conditions exacerbated by street vendors who block pavements and partially block roads in effect turning 2 lanes into one and 3 lanes into 2....

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

So... Not a single job has been created by the Junta but thousands of small business owners and employees have lost their livelihoods. Imagine the economic impact when you consider the lost of income to thousand of suppliers. Only the rich and prostitutes can survive. Economic meltdown will occur when they banned prostitution. Then turn the lights out in Issan.

Edited May 17, 2016 by Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere

[brewsterbudgen]

So... Not a single job has been created by the Junta but thousands of small business owners and employees have lost their livelihoods. Imagine the economic impact when you consider the lost of income to thousand of suppliers. Only the rich and prostitutes can survive. Economic meltdown will occur when the banned prostitution. Then turn the lights out in Issan.

Not much chance of a ban on prostitution - although some think it's banned already!

[Saenchai]

Urge foreigners to NEVER buy or eat so called "street food" in Bangkok. Its poison ! As well as encouraging more congestion on sidewalk,or,it appears on the actual road now!

Sorry but that's really a very crazy thing to say... I eat from them now more than 8 years, many times on a daily basis. I never, not once, had problems with my stomach or anything related to bad food.

And no, it's not because my stomach is so robust.

[greenchair]

Yahoo. Good on them.

I support the continuation of thai street vendors in every way.

These people are making an honest living for a hard days work.

Would the rich that want the pavements back rather they were selling drugs and stealing? ??

Three cheers to the street sellers, the absolute charm of thai culture and life. Suu Suu! !

3

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Who said the Junta is stupid? What they are doing is pure genius. Take away food vendors and they automatically reduce prostitution. No street food means less Thai girls on the street. A hungry Thai girl can be detrimental to your health.

[Eric Loh]

Critical thinking and innovative reaction at its best. Prayuth message is getting through.

[williamgeorgeallen]

So... Not a single job has been created by the Junta but thousands of small business owners and employees have lost their livelihoods. Imagine the economic impact when you consider the lost of income to thousand of suppliers. Only the rich and prostitutes can survive. Economic meltdown will occur when they banned prostitution. Then turn the lights out in Issan.

no need to ban prostitution as it is illegal already. thailand has more laws, rules and regulations than pretty much anywhere. but dont worry though most laws rules are largely ignored, along with the consequences of ignoring such laws and rules. just need to endure the odd crack down here or there then it is back to life as usual. i do love thailand so boring back in the west.

[brewsterbudgen]

So... Not a single job has been created by the Junta but thousands of small business owners and employees have lost their livelihoods. Imagine the economic impact when you consider the lost of income to thousand of suppliers. Only the rich and prostitutes can survive. Economic meltdown will occur when they banned prostitution. Then turn the lights out in Issan.

no need to ban prostitution as it is illegal already. thailand has more laws, rules and regulations than pretty much anywhere. but dont worry though most laws rules are largely ignored, along with the consequences of ignoring such laws and rules. just need to endure the odd crack down here or there then it is back to life as usual. i do love thailand so boring back in the west.

Only certain aspects of prostitution are illegal, but then this isn't the correct thread for that conversation (again!).

[mesterm]

Yep that is a classic example of Thai mentality "oh we aren't allowed to sell on the foot path now, Mai pen rai. we will just move our stall, away from the footpath to the road".

With no concept of what mayhem they will cause and how dangerous it is to do so.

Anyway the food will have a nice new seasoning, a combination of diesel/petrol exhaust, road dust and the Flem from the motorists, coughing that pollution and spiting it out the window as they drive by at 2kms per hour.

"Me first" mentality.