China Town, Khao San Road areas to be transformed into organised street food areas

[webfact]

China Town, Khao San Road areas to be transformed into organised street food areas
By THE NATION

 

Khao San Road photo via: http://www.expedia.co.th

 

BANGKOK: -- THE GOVERNMENT is planning to transform Bangkok’s China Town and Khao San Road into well-organised areas for street food vendors.

 

“We will allow street stalls, as long as they comply with our regulations on zoning, stall designs, green packaging and hygienic standards,” Second Lieutenant Pornchanok Amphan, a spokeswoman for the Defence Ministry, said at a press conference yesterday. 

 

She said the decision had been made by the country’s fifth reform steering committee. 

 

For example, she said, stalls in the China Town, or Yaowarat, area should be in the style of Chinese pavilions, while stalls on Khao San Road should be designed as Thai pavilions. 

 

Food vendors in the two streets will also be required to receive training to ensure they conduct their businesses appropriately, she said. 

 

Since it came to power, the National Council for Peace and Order has pursued a policy to ban street stalls, describing their presence as a violation of pedestrians’ rights. If authorities get rid of all street stalls in Bangkok, more than 10,000 businesses would be affected.

 

However, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) denied reports that all street food in Bangkok would be wiped out.

 

Wanlop Suwandee, chief adviser to the Bangkok governor, said that the earlier report that the BMA would remove all street-food vendors was incorrect.

 

Wanlop said that the BMA did not intend to get rid of all street food and the statement was just a misunderstanding.

 

“We just intend to regulate the footpaths in Yaowarat and Khao San Road. We don’t at all intend to clear all street stalls,” Wanlop said. He added that the BMA would today hold a press conference to clarify the matter at Bangkok City Hall. 

 

The Nation reported this week that Yaowarat and Khao San Road would be the next targets for the pavement management operation and that street vendors would be cleared from the area. 

 

Street vendors have always been a debated topic in Thai society. While many believe the stalls make cheap food and products easily available, others find street stalls an inconvenience and even a threat to their safety. 

 

“When street stalls crowded the footpaths between Pratunam area and CentralWorld in the past, I had to walk on the street and risked my life,” a Bangkok resident said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312744

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-20

[bamukloy]

And so the back-pedalling begins.

 

I find idiots on motorbikes on the pavement more of an inconvenience and a safety issue.

 

 

[steven100]

Now this is a good idea .....   make it organized for folks can walk with relative ease and safety.

[nikmar]

"For example, she said, stalls in the China Town, or Yaowarat, area should be in the style of Chinese pavilions, while stalls on Khao San Road should be designed as Thai pavilions."

 

Are they going to be made of plastic?

[yellowboat]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Wanlop said that the BMA did not intend to get rid of all street food and the statement was just a misunderstanding.

Thailand seems to be the hub of "misunderstandings".  Most of the juntas actions seems to be rash and poorly thought out.  Will be the first to applaud them if they able to strike a balance like other Asian cities.  Taipei has good, clean street food as do some cities in China.  Singapore has its hawker centers that are good too.  

 

Just do not think Thais know much about Asia.   

[cunningstunt]

"China Town, Khao San Road areas to be transformed into organised street food areas"

Problem solved!

[wirat69]

3 hours ago, nikmar said:

" be in the style of Chinese pavilions, ......should be designed as Thai pavilions."

 

Are they going to be made of plastic?

More importantly will the added facade be able to be kept clean, dust and grime free???

[impulse]

Sadly, neither location is currently served by the BTS or MRT (though Chinatown is getting close), and the beauty of street food is the convenience of stepping out of your 3 or 4 or 5 star hotel and stumbling across it.  Not making a slog halfway across town to slurp up some 40 baht noodles.

[cunningstunt]

Sadly, neither location is currently served by the BTS or MRT (though Chinatown is getting close), and the beauty of street food is the convenience of stepping out of your 3 or 4 or 5 star hotel and stumbling across it.  Not making a slog halfway across town to slurp up some 40 baht noodles.

Edit

[webfact]

BMA denies evicting street-food stalls in China Town and Khao San

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) today dismissed a news report that it is prepared to evict all street-food vendors from China Town and Khao San road.

 

Instead it stated it is going to introduce zoning system to make them more orderly, more hygienic, and cleaner with regard to the safety and health of consumers.

 

This was revealed today by Mr Wallop Suwandee, advisor to the Bangkok governor.

 

Wallop’s comment came after a local news report that the city administration planned to evict all street-food vendors from Bangkok’s streets by the end of the year, with target on China Town and Khao San road first.

 

The report triggered public outcry, particularly from business operators as Bangkok was just ranked by CNN as having the best street-food in the world.

 

Mr Wallop dismissed the report as groundless saying the city administration never had such idea.

 

Instead there was a meeting with relevant government agencies on how to put all street-food stalls in order, particularly at  China Town and Khao San road.

 

He said the administration intended to make street-food more hygenic, clean and safe for the health of consumers.

 

He said street-food has become the way of  life of Bangkok people and it will never deminish.

 

But he stressed that the two places needed zoning.

 

He said Khao San road has boutiques, “Pad Thai” fried noodles, and Khanom Jeen and foot massage stalls.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bma-denies-evicting-street-food-stalls-china-town-khao-san/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-04-20

[Just1Voice]

Kill the street food - You kill Bangkok. 

 

[darksidedog]

Is this clarification of the issue then and not a major back-down by the authorities? It isn't getting removed, just better organized and hygiene focused?

That doesn't sound too bad, because the first reports of it all being ripped away would have been utter madness.

[Razzler1973]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Sadly, neither location is currently served by the BTS or MRT (though Chinatown is getting close), and the beauty of street food is the convenience of stepping out of your 3 or 4 or 5 star hotel and stumbling across it.  Not making a slog halfway across town to slurp up some 40 baht noodles.

There are people that stay in those areas, many, in fact. Street food there is convenient for them

[impulse]

55 minutes ago, Razzler1973 said:

There are people that stay in those areas, many, in fact. Street food there is convenient for them

 

Sure, great for them, no doubt.  But a lot more of them stay in the Suk and Silom areas- and other parts of BKK that aren't convenient to KSR and Chinatown, and with bigger tourist budgets.  

 

Chinatown and Khao San Road don't generally cater to those folks.  I see so many tourists hop out of the taxi from the airport, dump their bags in their 4 star Suk room and hit the street markets before they're even unpacked.   They'll be sorely disappointed.  Disappointed tourists generally choose a different destination for their next cash dump holiday adventure. 

 

Edited April 20, 2017 by impulse

[lamyai3]

I was wondering when the word misunderstanding would get rolled out. It usually happens here at the point when nothing other than some furious back pedaling will work, and it has the double benefit of exonerating the person who oversaw the mess by implying the blame lies with the misunderstander.

[oldcarguy]

there are really no open areas in Chinatown to put these "reformed" street food vendors ,

 

well there is the area where the Metro "hole" is being built , but I am sure the big money guys will have their fingers in that,

 

but maybe we need the "way back machine" so this never happened and it was all a bad dream

[Stargeezr]

I am glad to see that  the street venders  situation is being looked  into.  They are a hazard the way they

operate now,  and  it is dangerous in  some  of the places they set up.  Bangkok will always be Bangkok

and it  will  take a Nuke bomb to change  the city.  Street venders  are  a  very small cog  to Bangkok  and

other Thai Cities.

Geezer

[CLW]

So now all misunderstanding and backwards.
In the end just wait two more weeks and nothing you will ever hear or see about this...

[aaronshih2001]

Haha seem funny in BKK only people can get street food on china town n KhaoSan! Normal BKK citizen don't eat anymore? According to the statistic told 44% of local take street for for 3 meals everyday?


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