Bangkok street vendors ask PM for leniency over ban

[webfact]

Bangkok street vendors ask PM for leniency over ban
By The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Representatives of street vendors from Bangkok’s 50 districts called on Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha to allow them to continue selling food and goods on roadsides.

 

The representatives submitted a letter addressed to the prime minister via the Public Service Centre at the Permanent Secretariat of the PM’s Office at around 10am on Monday.

 

Rewat Chobtham, a leader of the group, said the measures by the government and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to put the Bangkok streets in order by relocating street vendors to designated areas and markets are too harsh.

 

Rewat said the measures are not fair to many street vendors because the government and the BMA allow street vendors to continue selling products on Yaowaraj Road in Samphanthawongse district and on Khaosarn Road in Phra Nakhon district on the grounds the two areas are tourist zones.

 

Rewat said the government should enforce the law with the same standard by allowing street vending in other districts as well. 

 

He said many other areas are also frequented by tourists.

 

He added that most of the BMA’s designated zones do not have enough customers to buy their goods and foods.

 

Rewat also noted that migrants could sell on the streets but Thai vendors are being pushed off the streets.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30317233

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-06-05

[retarius]

There's a ban on streetside vendors? Could have fooled me. Yes they went away for a while, but then came back as before, blocking the sidewalk, holding up the traffic, and the like. Ugh!

[Xobtsiwt]

I take the opposite view; yes, they sometimes exceed their welcome in areas where there are good profits to be made, particularly from tourists, but the majority of street vendors are small traders selling food for a small profit while providing a service to the public. 

Live and let live, I say. 

[CLW]

"Rewad also noted that migrants could sell on the streets but Thai vendors are being pushed off the streets."

Where did he get this from?
He must have been smoking some good stuff...

[Redline]

If they are not in the way, the food is clean, and they clean the road and sidewalk after, there is no problem.  But, this IS the problem

[thaibeachlovers]

8 hours ago, Redline said:

If they are not in the way, the food is clean, and they clean the road and sidewalk after, there is no problem.  But, this IS the problem

but, to look at the photo in the OP, they are obstructing the way, completely. I doubt there are any pavements in BKK so wide as they could be on them and not obstruct.

The only exceptions should be after a set time at night, as the only people around late at night would be going there for the pavement eateries, and regular shops will have closed.

Eg Sukhumvit Rd after 10 pm.

[Redline]

On 6/7/2017 at 1:43 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

but, to look at the photo in the OP, they are obstructing the way, completely. I doubt there are any pavements in BKK so wide as they could be on them and not obstruct.

The only exceptions should be after a set time at night, as the only people around late at night would be going there for the pavement eateries, and regular shops will have closed.

Eg Sukhumvit Rd after 10 pm.

Yes, there needs to be a real plan, but for some reason, that doesn't seem to work here.  The soi near my house is huge, so there is no problem yet.  They need to survey areas, and choose logical times and places.  Also holding those responsible for cleaning properly. 

[Thai Ron]

On ‎6‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 2:29 PM, Xobtsiwt said:

I take the opposite view; yes, they sometimes exceed their welcome in areas where there are good profits to be made, particularly from tourists, but the majority of street vendors are small traders selling food for a small profit while providing a service to the public. 

Live and let live, I say. 

On the surface of things that would appear to be a reasonable attitude but it's not that simple.

Much of the flooding that occurs in Bangkok each rainy season is due to the hardened fat and grease from street food vendors blocking the sewers. Entire districts being rendered impassable because of knee or waist high flash floods don't do anything to help the city reach its goal of being a key regional business center.

Oh, and the rats are disgusting too

[sawadeeken]

On 6/6/2017 at 2:29 PM, Xobtsiwt said:

I take the opposite view; yes, they sometimes exceed their welcome in areas where there are good profits to be made, particularly from tourists, but the majority of street vendors are small traders selling food for a small profit while providing a service to the public. 

Live and let live, I say. 

Yes, "Live and let live"...........

20 -30 years ago I was a bit bothered by vendors on the sidewalks......... More recent years my 'Thai' wife has family who came from their villages (past several years) and started selling 'Fried pork' on the sidewalks near where Thai workers worked. They got up to 6 different locations, all family.......... As a result there was 4 children of the family (first and only 4 in the family history) who were able to afford to 'GRADUATE' from UNIVERSITY...  I HAVE CHANGED MY PERSONAL VIEW OF 'STREET VENDORS' since learning more about the real benefits........  Now I am happy to share the sidewalks with them.......

But now the present 'regime' is chasing them off the sidewalks and back to their villages and are more  'pre-occupied with 'Tanks and Submarines' instead of helping (the poor) and deserving students........

I don't have hopes of any more students in that family making it to 'University'......... And I don't have much hope of the 'Thai Poor' rising up..........      Thank you PM.........

 

[sawadeeken]

Duplicate........... Sorry............

Edited June 10, 2017 by sawadeeken

[sawadeeken]

On 6/8/2017 at 4:33 PM, Thai Ron said:

On the surface of things that would appear to be a reasonable attitude but it's not that simple.

Much of the flooding that occurs in Bangkok each rainy season is due to the hardened fat and grease from street food vendors blocking the sewers. Entire districts being rendered impassable because of knee or waist high flash floods don't do anything to help the city reach its goal of being a key regional business center.

Oh, and the rats are disgusting too

I agree about the 'Rats'......... But the rest is 'Bull'..........

A bigger reason for flooding is that 'much' of Bangkok is so near to 'sea-level' that it is difficult for the water to disperse quickly and compounded by the other fact that money that has gone into 'personal pockets' rather than spent on drainage projects in sufficient amounts........... TIT