Has Samui seen the last of its walking street markets?

[webfact]

Has Samui seen the last of its walking street markets?



SAMUI: -- Last week Samui lost the majority of its Walking Street Markets, and it appears the only one that remains is the west end of Bophut walking Street Market that is only being allowed to continue due to it being held on private land at The Wharf.

Although no clear motive for the ending of the markets has been established or confirmed to the Samui Times it appears that this is a move made by the army who want to rid the island of stalls operating on public land.

It has also been suggested that the markets are only being temporarily suspended while the arm investigate to see if the vendors who benefit from the markets are making any contribution to the local economy in the areas they set up their stalls, such as making contributions to roads and education.

However it has also been suggested that the move has come about after local businesses complained that they were losing trade during the markets and the stalls held not benefit to the respective villages.

Other problems that could be causing the army to investigate are the road congestion the markets cause making it impossible for ambulances or fire engines being able to reach emergency situations and money disputes over who benefits from the rent of the plots.

The recent assassination of a local man of influence during the Bophut Walking Street Market is rumoured to have been linked to the revenue from the stalls.

Whatever the true reason it seems that any Walking Street Markets held on private land will be allowed to continue, those held on public roads are not.

The impact on tourism is yet to be seen, as many tourists choose Samui as a destination to enjoy the vibrant markets for shopping, socializing and enjoying local produce and local cuisine.

The impact of the vendors, many of whom have no other income than that gained by the markets will no doubt cause distress and possible repercussions of the markets are banned permanently.

Source: http://www.samuitimes.com/has-samui-seen-the-last-of-its-walking-street-markets/


-- Samui Times 2016-06-27

[Rooo]

The markets do not bring the tourists. They are relatively new.Now does that mean no more fairs in Nathon area on the beach road?

[ronaldo0]

Just means that those on the private land will be raking it in !!

While I can see the point that it may affect restaurants etc , as a bar/restaurant owner in the street just a few years ago there is no real problem as people eating 20-30 bht street food are not going to do it everynight in bophut . The drinks sellers selling cheap cocktails made with all sorts were a problem as people would think it was a bargain ( until the next day) and a lot of places that were just bars would be empty due to the seller being within 10 ft of their business entrance and with the crazy rental rates it would make these places suffer over time.

[Tchooptip]

I am curious to see the results, will for instance the Lamai walking market disappear?

Maybe I'm wrong but I doubt it!

[khunPer]

The markets do not bring the tourists. They are relatively new.Now does that mean no more fairs in Nathon area on the beach road?

Lots of tourists attend the Walking Street markets – especially Bo Phut Fisherman Village, but also others like Maenam, and Lamai Night Market seem aimed at tourists only – so even they are new, they do mean something to the island's tourism.

Before the Walking Street markets, tourists loved to shop in the, now almost gone, market stalls all way down Chaweng Beach Road – so it's not that markets are that new; merely same same, but different. Shopping Malls with brand name boutiques and chain restaurants, as Central Festival and the like, can be found all over the World and at almost same up-prices; it's the market stalls that makes it Thailand...

I don't know who organize Fisherman Village Walking Street, but in Maenam "China Town" it's the Head-of-Village, which I presumed made it a very legal market.

IMHO, I do believe market stalls is one, of several things, that bring tourists to the island – have a number of visiting friends, who look forward to the street markets...

[samuijimmy]

Post removed, not relevant to topic... (one was a duplicate post)

[Deli]

Overregulation likt in the CE and where it is unnecessary. I love the Lamai Sunday Market.

BKK heads are excellent in killing tourist's favorites: deck chairs, markets, beach bars... No wonder that Europeans stay away and <deleted> flock the roads, not spending money in local shops

Edited June 28, 2016 by ubonjoe

[robsamui]

"The markets do not bring the tourists". Of course not! Nobody is going to travel half way across the world in the anticipation of spending two hours in Mae Nam walking street on the one Thursday of their stay in Thailand.

But for 11 years now I have worked closely with a number of the island's major resorts and their general managers all say the same thing - every single one of their guests visits Fisherman's Village at least once during their stay. And they also tell me that since the walking street there has become a feature, guests' enquiries about getting to other walking streets have increased a hundredfold, even to the point that many resorts now lay-on regular shuttle buses to Mae Nam and Lamai for these occasions.

And that represents a significant amount of income coming into the local economy every week, whether it's put to beneficial public use or not.

There is more to all this than meets the eye. There can be no argument that stopping these walking streets will benefit the community - indeed it's not even been suggested. But what HAS been stated is equally ridiculous - that having them is a bad idea because 1) the congestion they cause blocks free passage of emergency vehicles and 2) there is no feed-through from the income generated into local services such as roads or education. (No. 3 can be ignored - local traders moaning about loss of income for a couple of hours every week.)

If both No.1 and No. 2 are true then some of the dull-witted, grasping, self-important local political managers need to be given a good kick from higher up in the local government chain - or bypassed altogether - and licence fees examined, traders' income and revenue monitored, alternative parking sourced and staffed, and then community-finance schemes put into place.

And the objection that these markets are on public land instantly poses the question - if so then why not cash-in and make the most of them to officially benefit the community, legitimately directing income generated to this end?

Whatever the current state of play, it is undeniable that a substantial amount of money is flowing into the Samui economy from these walking streets. Perhaps it might be suggested that PM Prayuth and his army might consider not simply shutting them down, but rather finding out what the actual income is, and then tracking down where it's really going, and why. And then perhaps overseeing setting up schemes to direct this towards the local schools and other social services, instead of continuing to let some of the local political big-wigs get bigger and even more wealthy.

Why kill the goose that's laying the golden eggs, simply because nobody seems purposeful or organised enough to put the golden eggs to good use?

R

Edited June 29, 2016 by robsamui

[evadgib]

Maenam will resume on Thu but in such a way that Emergency vehicles have access, according to a vendor / neighbour.

I quite enjoy it when we go but with such poor street lighting & pavements it's only a matter of time before a multi-victim accident occurs when some idiot on the ring road knocks over an entire family or group on their way to or from the market.

Only twice have I seen other families using torches to announce their presence on that road; both were parents with toddlers and a pushchair. The remainder seem oblivious to the danger.

Edited June 29, 2016 by evadgib

[samuijimmy]

Fisherman's village was/ is fully open this evening, according to my neighbour... who just got back.

Two road checks enroute between Ban Por and Bophut....

Have heard too, that Lamai will open as usual and also Maenam, as Evadgib says ^

[khunPer]

Fisherman's village was/ is fully open this evening, according to my neighbour... who just got back.

Two road checks enroute between Ban Por and Bophut....

Have heard too, that Lamai will open as usual and also Maenam, as Evadgib says ^

Think your neighbor is absolutely right, lots of vendor-pick-up-cars almost blocking the Ring Road to get in and clear the stalls – at Midnight; when one should believe the traffic jam is over...

Seem like the soldiers are loosing up, or loosing the grip on Samui. Restaurant tables are back in full loads all day long on Maenam Beach. And Sound Club is open til 4am, however reduced sound pressure level after 3am, so not that fun without the funky bass.

Heard from one of the locals, that the problems with Maenam Walking Street is not the soldiers – or someone use the situation for something – last Thursday nothing, so exciting to see if there will be some action next Thursday...

[The manic]

The crass destruction of people's markets is robbing Thailand of its character. Tourists really notice the absence of these markets in Samui, Bangkok and elsewhere and tell me it's dissapointing and makes the places more boring. I agree. Shopping malls are characterless western structures full non Thai expensive designer goods.

[TheLobster]

The market in Bangrak on a Saturday night is still going strong and very popular.

[khunPer]

Maenam China Town "walking street" back in business, setting up now at 4:30 pm today; little late, but probably due to it's been raining most of the day...

Seems like same-same business as usual, not different...

[Eric1949]

Overregulation likt in the CE and where it is unnecessary. I love the Lamai Sunday Market.

BKK heads are excellent in killing tourist's favorites: deck chairs, markets, beach bars... No wonder that Europeans stay away and <deleted> flock the roads, not spending money in local shops

Don't tell me, you are the one who runs the jet ski scams.

[samuijimmy]

According to my neighbour the Fisherman's Village Monday night market will be closed this week... perhaps some of the other markets, also.

 

Security concerns after the recent bombings around the south. 

 

 

[evadgib]

if that's the case they should perhaps look at the exodus from Bang Rak to KPG for this weeks full moon party, or the party itself.

[samuijimmy]

21 hours ago, samuijimmy said:

According to my neighbour the Fisherman's Village Monday night market will be closed this week... perhaps some of the other markets, also.

 

Security concerns after the recent bombings around the south. 

 

Apparently a change of mind, it's open this evening.... It's at "The Wharf" ... not as large as the Friday night zoo!