Khao San vendors to petition government on vending restrictions

[webfact]

Khao San vendors to petition government  on vending restrictions

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Khao San vendors yesterday called on the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to review its new regulations that will ban them from  street vending 24 hours, except from 6.00 pm to midnight on Thursday to Sunday.

 

They said they agreed with the BMA’s cleanup policy to place street vending in order, but the restriction or shortening of days and time for street trading would only affect their earnings, and the economy of the country at the end.

 

They claimed Khao San is a famous tourist spot and street vending here is a magnet and a charm that attract  tourist visits.

 

Leader of the vendors at Khao San, Mrs Yada Pornpetrumpa, president of the Khao San free street vendors’ group, all vendors did not oppose the city’s effort to regulate the area but any movement taken should listen to the affected people and have their participation.

She said in the past, city officials never allowed their representatives to join in the public hearing.

 

She added the group would formally petition relevant government agencies for relaxation of the city’s restrictions.

 

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/khao-san-vendors-petition-government-vending-restrictions/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-08-24

[harada]

This must be part of the strategy being formulated to attract tourists, restrict the one thing that attracts tourists to the area.

[Alive]

They'll clear the clothes vendors on the sidewalks but the drug sellers won't be affected.

 

Actually, I do believe they should clear the sidewalks to some extent but I'd also like the police to force some of those backpackers to bathe. They should build a large bathing pool in the center of the road where the backpackers that stink can soap up for cleaner city air.

[WorldTravellerMUC]

Hmm let's see what is next? While I agree that it may be annoying that some of the sidewalks are blocked in Sukhumvit or Silom, in Khao San Road this is not the case. And yes I believe also that the markets on the sidewalks are a tourist attraction!

 

To answer my intial question? Next? Prevent Thai food to be sold to Tourists, for safety and to avoid upsetting foreign stomachs every visitor should only eat the food-type of their country while visiting.....

[tifino]

 

the only way to have vendors conform to any sort of uniformity:

 

- build a railway line up the centre of the road

[sahibji]

khao san is a colourful place but if the vendors are going to cause chaos in terms of traffic etc then some measure of control is necessary. an alternative to consider will semi-permanent locations to house these vendors, with proper facilities like electricity and running water. malaysia calls these centres medan selera.

[DrTuner]

Just close it all, the Chinese are #1 and they only go where they are herded to in their blue buses. Never mind the evil farangs, go back where you came from.

Edited August 24, 2016 by DrTuner

[MissAndry]

I enjoyed the vendors in KS road. Sad it's all ending.

Seems the council for peace and happiness are trying to take all the fun out of Thailand.

[snoop1130]

Bye Buy: Khao San street sellers organize against BMA’s new vendor rules

By Coconuts Bangkok

 

Photo: Anthony Bouch/Flickr

 

The citywide war on street vendors continues, and Khao San Road has been targeted next. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has said that street vendors on the tourist street will only be allowed to sell Thursday through Sunday from 6pm until midnight.

 

Currently, they are allowed to ply their elephant pants, Leo tank tops, and annoying wooden frog noisemakers every evening except Monday.

 

A group of Khao San vendors has banded together to object to the regulations saying that, obviously, it will hurt their income and maybe affect tourism as well. Yada Pornphetrumpha is leading the group of vendors, who held a meeting at Wat Chanasongkhram School yesterday to talk about the new regulations.

 

Full Story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/08/24/bye-buy-khao-san-street-sellers-organize-against-bmas-new-vendor-rules

 

-- © Copyright Coconuts Bangkok 2016-08-24

[ezflip]

Shame if this does happen. I personally know 10 people who will loose their livelihood if this plans goes through. These are good people who only want to have a good business and make money for their future.

[jobsworth]

khao san road is a tourist attraction.

thai street vendors are a tourist attraction.

why does this country hate tourists so much?

 

[maoro2013]

This is SE Asia and people come here for this. What is the government trying to achieve? 

[Wilsonandson]

One small road seems to have many problems recently. Next stop Nana, then Pattaya, and on and on until they get their way. No tourism in Thailand. Well only for the select few. Thailand is turning into a hermit country, bit like North Korea but not as full on as Kim.

[digibum]

2 hours ago, ezflip said:

Shame if this does happen. I personally know 10 people who will loose their livelihood if this plans goes through. These are good people who only want to have a good business and make money for their future.

 

But this is the argument for everything.  Hey, they need to make money.  

 

I don't begrudge anyone trying to make an honest buck but street vending has just gotten so ridiculous.  First you have businesses that pay good money to have an actual shop, and then you have the people who take over the sidewalks in front of those shops, and then, in some places, you have a third layer of vendors who operate on the curbs and in the street.  

 

As with many things, Thais take a good thing and then suck the life out of it.  Is it nice to have a few street vendors being able to sell trinkets to tourists?  Yeah, sure.  

 

But then the next guy sees someone making money and he wants in, and another guy, and another guy, and another guy.  And they're all selling the same stuff.  And then someone decides, "Hey, I want to sell my noodles too, but nobody wants to buy if they have to stand around and eat so I need tables and chairs."  

 

In part, this is the mentality that keeps Thais poor.  If they put a strict limit on the number of street vendors on Sukhumvit or Khao San and those guys could actually make a decent chunk of change they could afford to move up the ladder a bit.  Send their kids to better schools or earn enough to have a shop instead of a spot on the sidewalk.  Instead, they flood the market with vendors so that everybody just makes enough to live on.  

 

[Thian]

Last years more and more (very) annoying vendors came to khao sarn road. You even can't see the real shops anymore.

 

The Indians like to go stand in your way so you can't avoid them without being rude.

 

The guys who sell those flying LED-thingys also are very annoying.  The motocytaxi's are very rude and just race through the crowd. In the other (new) part with all the terraces the real taxi's just push the crowd away with their car to deliver a backpacker at a hostel.

 

The brandname sportswear is all fake and costs even more than the real thing.

 

So yes, it's time for a good cleanup.

[nisakiman]

It would seem that this administration has aspirations to become like Singapore - clean, regulated, clinical and soulless. Everyone under the government's thumb, no room for eccentricity, no room for local colour (unless government approved).

 

For me, a great deal of the appeal of Thailand is the somewhat anarchic chaos that pertains in everyday life. The sheer randomness of what unfolds before your eyes.

 

But then I've never liked 'organised' or 'regulated'.

 

It destroys spontaneity and creativity, and you are left with a rather grey, uniform, joyless society where everyone has been forced to conform to what the 'experts' decree is best for us. In a word, boring.

 

I admit, a lot of people (particularly those indoctrinated with Western PC values) actually like to be told what to do and how to think, but I feel that over-regulation leaves the world a poorer place.

 

In conclusion, leave the street vendors be. They are what makes Thai life what it is.

[lamyai3]

10 hours ago, sahibji said:

khao san is a colourful place but if the vendors are going to cause chaos in terms of traffic etc then some measure of control is necessary. an alternative to consider will semi-permanent locations to house these vendors, with proper facilities like electricity and running water. malaysia calls these centres medan selera.

 

Khao San road has been a major tourist destination in South East Asia for decades now, and a major part of what defines it and draws people is it's vendors. It hasn't been a traffic thoroughfare for a very long time.

[RtotheC]

I'm pretty confident they are trying to kill tourism. 

[Thian]

8 hours ago, nisakiman said:

It would seem that this administration has aspirations to become like Singapore - clean, regulated, clinical and soulless. Everyone under the government's thumb, no room for eccentricity, no room for local colour (unless government approved).

 

For me, a great deal of the appeal of Thailand is the somewhat anarchic chaos that pertains in everyday life. The sheer randomness of what unfolds before your eyes.

 

But then I've never liked 'organised' or 'regulated'.

 

It destroys spontaneity and creativity, and you are left with a rather grey, uniform, joyless society where everyone has been forced to conform to what the 'experts' decree is best for us. In a word, boring.

 

I admit, a lot of people (particularly those indoctrinated with Western PC values) actually like to be told what to do and how to think, but I feel that over-regulation leaves the world a poorer place.

 

In conclusion, leave the street vendors be. They are what makes Thai life what it is.

 

Singapore is great! Large clean perfect foodcourts, clean perfect pavements, perfect public transport, no cheating or scamming, good bars/restaurants everywhere, loads of malls, everywhere safe, no dirty soidogs, great parks..

 

Much better than smelly kao sarn road with it's annoying salespeople and bent cops.

[RawboneFunksta]

It seems the general is trying to create a mini-Singapore, no markets, no vendors, soon everything that is fun about Thailand will be a memory and we will all be sitting in Burmese or Cambodian bars having conversations; 'remember when you could buy gang som on the street browse in Khlong Tom market for a new bicycle then hit the bars in Bangkok all for a couple of thousand baht?'

Edited August 25, 2016 by RawboneFunksta

[Thian]

1 minute ago, RawboneFunksta said:

It seems the general is trying to create a mini-Singapore, no markets, no vendors, soon everything that is fun about Thailand will be a memory and we will all be sitting in Burma or Cambodia bars having conversations; 'remember when you could buy gang som on the street browse in Khlong Tom market for a new bicycle then hit the bars in Bangkok all for a couple of thousand baht?'

 

So it's only the money what bothers you? Well there are plenty of much cheaper places on the world and you're free to travel....

 

Other people like clean streets and real shops, real police, real safe transport and streets...and are willing to pay a little extra for that.

[RawboneFunksta]

I did not say it was only money but if you don't like the hustle and bustle of vendors, street food and markets why not go to Singapore?

Huay Kwang, Klong Tom, Saphin Phut, Thonglor 38 were some of the most fun locations in Bangkok, now vanished, cleaned up, moved, quashed . . . why not try North Korea? I hear the police are spot on there!

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

keep the sidewalks for the tourists and citizens to walk on!! 

 

Why should we be forced to walk on the crowded roads where the drivers are more than happy to run you over knowing there is no accountability for their actions. 

 

I hope they eliminate all of the sidewalk vendors on Sukhumvit 11 as well. Good riddance.

 

I don't want to see anyone lose their livelihood but it's better than someone losing their life!!!

 

Make designated areas AWAY from the sidewalks where vendors can sell their wares legally instead of just paying the BIB for the privilege. 

 

 

[SABloke]

I' ve said this before and I'll say it again: Khao San should be converted into a walking street (no vehicles except delivery). The ridiculous pantomime that occurs everyday as the cops walk down from the station to Burger King and the vendors move their wares ala Moses and as soon as the cops pass the put the back out is entertaining, but stuoid nonetheless. And honestly harsly anybody drives down the road anymore.

Edited August 25, 2016 by SABloke

[Eric Loh]

Singaporeans are regretting much about the vanishing street hawkers and vibrant street markets. Even the government has came out to acknowledge that the modernization came with a heavy cost. Now the government is encouraging a street food renaissance and even Michelin Star award for street food. They also are organizing street markets a la Singapore style. What Thailand is doing is unplanned and does not have a blueprint what they intent to do after they evicted the street vendors. Some regulation and food safety laws must be maintained but over-doing leave room for regret in the future. They must plan. 

[djayz]

18 hours ago, digibum said:

 

But this is the argument for everything.  Hey, they need to make money.  

 

I don't begrudge anyone trying to make an honest buck but street vending has just gotten so ridiculous.  First you have businesses that pay good money to have an actual shop, and then you have the people who take over the sidewalks in front of those shops, and then, in some places, you have a third layer of vendors who operate on the curbs and in the street.  

 

As with many things, Thais take a good thing and then suck the life out of it.  Is it nice to have a few street vendors being able to sell trinkets to tourists?  Yeah, sure.  

 

But then the next guy sees someone making money and he wants in, and another guy, and another guy, and another guy.  And they're all selling the same stuff.  And then someone decides, "Hey, I want to sell my noodles too, but nobody wants to buy if they have to stand around and eat so I need tables and chairs."  

 

In part, this is the mentality that keeps Thais poor.  If they put a strict limit on the number of street vendors on Sukhumvit or Khao San and those guys could actually make a decent chunk of change they could afford to move up the ladder a bit.  Send their kids to better schools or earn enough to have a shop instead of a spot on the sidewalk.  Instead, they flood the market with vendors so that everybody just makes enough to live on.  

 

I hear what you're saying but a lot of people here earn a living this way. Not a lot, but enough to feed and support themselves and immediate families. If  people were to implement your suggestion i.e. regulate the number of stalls allowed to operate at any particular place, then only a few people would make good/more money. What about the rest of the vendors who wouldn't be fortunate enough to have a wee streetside stall? How are they going to make a living? Where are they going to go? 

 

In addition to this, competition is good. It keeps prices in check so that the less wealthy consumers can get a filling meal at a very reasonable price. 

 

Although I sometimes find it annoying having to weave my way around these stalls when I'm out walking, I generally find that they add a bit of character to a place and admire the owner's ambition to be "a business owner" (self-employed). 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2016 by djayz
Typo

[impulse]

18 hours ago, digibum said:

In part, this is the mentality that keeps Thais poor.  If they put a strict limit on the number of street vendors on Sukhumvit or Khao San and those guys could actually make a decent chunk of change they could afford to move up the ladder a bit.  Send their kids to better schools or earn enough to have a shop instead of a spot on the sidewalk.  Instead, they flood the market with vendors so that everybody just makes enough to live on.  

 

I agree with a lot of your post, but on the converse side of the argument are critical mass and competition.  If they limited it to a few vendors, tourists could breeze through all of them in a few minutes, and they'd get bored.  

 

There's a reason MBK and KSR and Suk are tourist draws. I've seen people get off a 12 hour flight and just dump their bags in their room to get out into the street markets as quick as they can.

 

The vendors that were allowed to stay could (would be forced to?) then jack up their prices, making the place even less attractive.  I say "forced to" because when the number of vendors paying the street rent go down, I can't see the rent per vendor staying the same.

 

Personally, I don't think these cleanups are about cleaning up the city as much as drying up the BIB's revenue sources.  I'd rather see them formalize a street rent structure that puts the rent money into the public coffers, limits the vendors to a safe number (but not a clear street), and still promotes festival atmosphere as opposed to a desperate looking attempt to pry money out of tourists.

[digibum]

8 hours ago, djayz said:

I hear what you're saying but a lot of people here earn a living this way. Not a lot, but enough to feed and support themselves and immediate families. If  people were to implement your suggestion i.e. regulate the number of stalls allowed to operate at any particular place, then only a few people would make good/more money. What about the rest of the vendors who wouldn't be fortunate enough to have a wee streetside stall? How are they going to make a living? Where are they going to go? 

 

In addition to this, competition is good. It keeps prices in check so that the less wealthy consumers can get a filling meal at a very reasonable price. 

 

Although I sometimes find it annoying having to weave my way around these stalls when I'm out walking, I generally find that they add a bit of character to a place and admire the owner's ambition to be "a business owner" (self-employed). 

 

 

 

What would happen is that those who couldn't get a stall would have to find a new line of business or find a less crowded place to sell their goods.  

 

I know that would lead to them making less money and some might not even be able to survive and would be forced out of the street vendor business entirely but that's how business works.  

 

The point is that people can either self regulate or be regulated.  Obviously things have gotten out of hand in several areas of the city and now the government is cracking down because those people chose not to self regulate.  They saw farang money and everyone, including the cops who sell the use of the streets, couldn't cap their own greed.  

 

I work for a company where one part of the businesses is organizing large events.  The guys who handle that part of the business sell out the hallways in the venues to vendors who are allowed to hawk their goods and services to people on their way to or exiting the events.  Every year they have at least one vendor who starts chasing down people and being obnoxious trying to sell their goods and the next day their booth is gone.   

 

Because the events themselves make so much money that if people stop coming to the events because they were being hassled by vendors the people in charge of that would shut down the entire vendor operation.  So in order to preserve the business and extra revenue it generates, the guys who sell the booths self-regulate.  They know it's better to lose the revenue from one booth than their jobs if someone higher up the food chain decides they're hurting the core business.  

 

We're not talking about bobbing and weaving a bit.  In many tourist areas the vendors own the sidewalks.  There literally is no way to use the sidewalk.  Tourists are forced to walk in traffic because the cops have sold every square inch of sidewalk and they can't check their own greed.  

 

I'm not against street vendors.  I enjoy a good bowl of noodles and buying trinkets as much as the next guy.  But sometimes you have to shake people up so they'll police themselves.  

 

And there are many, many tourist areas in Thailand where you don't see this same problem.  It's all in how it's policed. 

 

 

[digibum]

8 hours ago, impulse said:

 

I agree with a lot of your post, but on the converse side of the argument are critical mass and competition.  If they limited it to a few vendors, tourists could breeze through all of them in a few minutes, and they'd get bored.  

 

There's a reason MBK and KSR and Suk are tourist draws. I've seen people get off a 12 hour flight and just dump their bags in their room to get out into the street markets as quick as they can.

 

The vendors that were allowed to stay could (would be forced to?) then jack up their prices, making the place even less attractive.  I say "forced to" because when the number of vendors paying the street rent go down, I can't see the rent per vendor staying the same.

 

Personally, I don't think these cleanups are about cleaning up the city as much as drying up the BIB's revenue sources.  I'd rather see them formalize a street rent structure that puts the rent money into the public coffers, limits the vendors to a safe number (but not a clear street), and still promotes festival atmosphere as opposed to a desperate looking attempt to pry money out of tourists.

 

I'm not talking about having 2 street vendors on KSR.  But, like you said, it's about critical mass.  They've gone past it and there are no signs that they'll cap it on their own.  

 

I agree with your last statement.  The BiB should not be collecting rent.  And if the government can crack down on that and introduce an alternative space allocation, I'm sure it will be significantly better than what we have today.  

[Thian]

Have you guys ever been to Bali? Beautifull place but ruined by all the streetvendors who really won't give up.

 

I even had them following our tourbus many years ago to sell me the same old tshirt they tried to sell the stop before. When we went hiding for them in the bus they started knocking the windows all the time so we even had to close the curtains.

 

When you're on the beach they harass you every minute, when you act like you sleep they will even wake you up to sell you a towell the same as you're laying on.

 

It's just a matter of time before people stop going there, the same will happen to Kao sarn road if nothing is done. Then nobody makes money and those annoying vendors also run out of job.