What's the Motivation for Removing Street Vendors?

[eldragon]

What's the motivation for removing street vendors? Why is the government making a hard push to remove all of em by year's end? And what's the endgame? Is it cleanliness and sanitation? Is it all about tax dollars and people not paying on what they earn? Are they trying to create a different, more modern image for BKK? Or is it simply a move to bolster big, multinational business? Your thoughts?

Edited April 19, 2017 by eldragon

[brewsterbudgen]

It's been exaggerated. There is no plan to ban all street food. Just a plan to ensure footpaths are kept clear by restricting foodstalls that encroach on footpaths.

[NoshowJones]

I think you will find it is mostly to do with money in some way, the vendors who are not doing it now, if any, will have to pay more money to the BiB, or have to pay tax of some kind. Why is it mostly to do with the food vendors, and not all the other sorts there are.

I think there will still be food vendors, but only a lot less who will have prime spots without blocking the pavements, and will pay tax to the government and give brown envelopes to the BiB. They will find it more profitable because there will be less competition.

[Denim]

The motive is to get street vendors off the streets and into controlled markets and malls owned by the wealthy who will be able to collect rents and save their dwindling fortunes from bad investments in fancy air conditioned shopping malls.

Hardly rocket science. Just good business acumen backed up by gun power.

[swissie]

If they block the sidewalks, forcing pedestrians to use the (busy) street, they sould be "removed". No discussion.

I know dozens of sidewalks in Pattaya, that have been declared "business zones" by the street vendors. It just sucks!
Cheers.

[Kwasaki]

12 hours ago, eldragon said:

What's the motivation for removing street vendors?

My thoughts

Is it cleanliness and sanitation?........Yes....where do they wash their hands etc.

Is it all about tax......Yes.....Most or if not all pay no tax.

More modern image for BKK.? ........Yes.......I would think so.

Bolster big, multinational business?.......Dunno, not sure multinational.......More in getting market space areas built by gov or private owners so getting them to pay rent and pay attention to all of above.

[eldragon]

3 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

My thoughts

Is it cleanliness and sanitation?........Yes....where do they wash their hands etc.

Is it all about tax......Yes.....Most or if not all pay no tax.

More modern image for BKK.? ........Yes.......I would think so.

Bolster big, multinational business?.......Dunno, not sure multinational.......More in getting market space areas built by gov or private owners so getting them to pay rent and pay attention to all of above.

How many times have you seen handsoap at a Thai restaurant?

[Kwasaki]

5 hours ago, eldragon said:

How many times have you seen handsoap at a Thai restaurant?

My wife has a cafe'/ restaurant with those hand injected stuff for hand washing for customers and the place l go in my village which l call my Pub has too.

Bkk is a deleted dirty place anyway so good on the army cleaning toilet place up.

[eldragon]

On 4/20/2017 at 7:01 AM, Kwasaki said:

My wife has a cafe'/ restaurant with those hand injected stuff for hand washing for customers and the place l go in my village which l call my Pub has too.

Bkk is a deleted dirty place anyway so good on the army cleaning toilet place up.

They could have all the hand soap in the world, but if the employees won't use it, then it's the same as eating on the street.

[simoh1490]

Same reasons as for wanting to get motorbikes off the sidewalks, they want to return the sidewalks for use by pedestrians only. The problem is that street food vendors and motor cyclists begin to take liberties after a while. I guess nobody minds a little bit of infringement here and there but there are many sidewalks that have become an extension of existing businesses or where food vendors have set up tables and chairs and a bar etc and pedestrians can't walk there, forcing them to walk in the street. I have some sympathy with the new move, in some areas where the situation has got out of control.

[Ace of Pop]

As with those weekly One Day Markets ,say it's on a Tuesday,the Shopkeeper who gives a 7 day service basically looses a day's trade due to Romany Type market traders.Silly thing is nothing's ever cheaper , just a tradition more than saving.Perhaps that's behind thining out BKK Streethawkers. There is too many , no question.?


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[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, eldragon said:

They could have all the hand soap in the world, but if the employees won't use it, then it's the same as eating on the street.

No employees only my Wife & sister runs the small cafe' place and they let customers use the wash facility area and paper towels if they wish to. 

[eldragon]

No employees only my Wife & sister runs the small cafe' place and they let customers use the wash facility area and paper towels if they wish to. 

Pretty sure that's not the only restaurant in Thailand, and if you all wash your hands, then you're the exception to the norm.


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[Kwasaki]

4 hours ago, eldragon said:

Pretty sure that's not the only restaurant in Thailand, and if you all wash your hands, then you're the exception to the norm.

 

Not sure where we're going with this.

My Thai wife washes hands before handling food maybe that is an exception but other people running cafe's places alongside might not,  l guess they think germs get done away with in cooking. 

l always wash my hands before eating as a matter of habit maybe l'm an exception. 

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

There is a certain small group within the country that want to return the country to how they preceived the country was in the good old days. They have a vision of how the country should be, 12 values, 1932 plaque disappearing, coup and new constitution is all signs of how they want to use their present power to rewrite history and thereby control the future. There is an opinion piece about this in the Bkk post today. Clearing the side walks will bring Bangkok back to the old days when women wore long dresses and hats. It will remove the poor from the view of the rich. These superior creatures never eat street food and dont care what will happen to these street vendors. They are now back tracking because I think they realised they are loosing face and thats worse than the street vendors.

[samsensam]

On 20/04/2017 at 7:30 AM, eldragon said:

How many times have you seen handsoap at a Thai restaurant?

 

most of the time, actually i cant think of the last time i didnt...

 

 

[DSJPC]

this government keeps shooting itself in the foot!!!...good cheap street food has always been a HUGE attraction for tourists/foreigners...but T.I.T.!!!

[thecyclist]

Isn't that clear:They have been an intolerable hindrance to motorcycles.Motos had to constantly slow down when using sidewalks.Anything that interferes with speed is a no-no in Thailand.

[elgordo38]

They are having one of those "Yes We Can" moments. Over time things will soften up and the vendors will inch back in time. In 3 years it will be business as normal. New government maybe new rules. Life evolves. 

[stephen tracy]

It's to prevent public gatherings

[oldhippy]

On ‎19‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 3:52 PM, Denim said:

The motive is to get street vendors off the streets and into controlled markets and malls owned by the wealthy who will be able to collect rents and save their dwindling fortunes from bad investments in fancy air conditioned shopping malls.

Hardly rocket science. Just good business acumen backed up by gun power.

True, and also:

The HISO that run the country don't eat street food, so no loss to them.

These HISO are however inconvenienced by the street stalls when they drive their fancy cars in BKK.

 

[ujayujay]

Its a pain in the a.. Blocked Footpath in Thailands Touristspots. Not only BKK. Streetkitchen occupy without permission public Ground. Police are not acting as usual. This is the reason this behaviour to curb thru gouvermental Act.

[Thaidream]

The powers that be want to gentrify Bangkok and make it look like Singapore. They are forgetting one thing and that is the fact the street vendfors make their income from their sales. Take away the income and what do they become. Poorer than before and now they have time to really get angry, Most of these vendors come from Issan and there is no going back to the land becuase they support wives, children and parents from their food business.

Then there are the millions of Bangkokians who regularly use the street food vendor for breakfast, lunch and dinner as they are convenient and cheap. Where are these people going to eat- not in established restaurants for sure.

When you run the numbers- between street vendors; the workers who utilize the vendors and the tourists that love them- the HiSo and the powers to be are in a losing situation.

They will save face by pushing the vendors around for awhile but at the end of the the vendors won't be going away...

[oldhippy]

3 minutes ago, ujayujay said:

Its a pain in the a.. Blocked Footpath in Thailands Touristspots. Not only BKK. Streetkitchen occupy without permission public Ground. Police are not acting as usual. This is the reason this behaviour to curb thru gouvermental Act.

Thailand does not need footpaths. Only farang ever walk in the cities.

[Formaleins]

On ‎19‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 9:46 PM, possum1931 said:

I think you will find it is mostly to do with money in some way, the vendors who are not doing it now, if any, will have to pay more money to the BiB, or have to pay tax of some kind. Why is it mostly to do with the food vendors, and not all the other sorts there are.

I think there will still be food vendors, but only a lot less who will have prime spots without blocking the pavements, and will pay tax to the government and give brown envelopes to the BiB. They will find it more profitable because there will be less competition.

It has nothing to do with clearing foot paths, it is exactly as you say, it is about money, and in another way about power, hopefully, when the internal business in Thailand that needs to be sorted out over the next few months is finally put to rest, then maybe, just maybe some of these dogs will get there just deserts, it is on the cards, just depends on the strength of feeling and the willingness to take the risk.

[ThaiWai]

I remember seeing what the street vendors leave behind after coming home in BKK late one night.  Piles of garbage and waste food that towered over my head that was naturally infested with rats the size of fire hydrants.  If another outbreak of black plague ever starts it will be there.  

[Formaleins]

On ‎19‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 9:32 PM, brewsterbudgen said:

It's been exaggerated. There is no plan to ban all street food. Just a plan to ensure footpaths are kept clear by restricting foodstalls that encroach on footpaths.

Everything these idiots do is initially "Exaggerated" Until it becomes law! Let's see the idiot implementation of people not being able to ride in the bed of a pick up or not being able to use the rear seats of their cabs! Let's just see how long these despots are tolerated, before the ordinary people rise up and burn these scum on a pyre....where they belong! You cannot even use the old adage, no fool like an old fool, eventually it will be written that there is no fool like a Thai fool!

Edited April 22, 2017 by Formaleins

[Eli1]

On Thu Apr 20 2017 at 0:32 AM, brewsterbudgen said:

It's been exaggerated. There is no plan to ban all street food. Just a plan to ensure footpaths are kept clear by restricting foodstalls that encroach on footpaths.

About time.

[newatthis]

4 hours ago, Eli1 said:

About time.

I agree with that. I don't live in Bangkok, but here in Ayutthaya I'm getting tired of having to walk out into the middle lane of some three lane roads because the footpath is inaccessible and customers have parked their vehicles in front of these stalls. I realize that stall owners have to make a quid and it is convenient cheap food for the customers, however "footpaths" are thoroughfares for pedestrians. They are not shopping malls.

[kiwikeith]

On ‎19‎/‎4‎/‎2560 at 9:52 PM, Denim said:

The motive is to get street vendors off the streets and into controlled markets and malls owned by the wealthy who will be able to collect rents and save their dwindling fortunes from bad investments in fancy air conditioned shopping malls.

Hardly rocket science. Just good business acumen backed up by gun power.

This is the most feasible argument.

I noticed when in BK a few months back that the clothes sellers were of the streets around Pratunam.

Then they slowly returned, it seems that the shops they set up outside are the same people or family.

 

What would Thailand be without the street vendors, this will also escalate crime because of lost income.