Sidewalk wars! Bangkok governor draws battle lines with banned Siam Square traders

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Sidewalk wars! Bangkok governor draws battle lines with banned Siam Square traders

 

Picture: Manager

 

BANGKOK: -- The governor of Bangkok has vowed to keep sidewalk traders out of Siam Square after they were chased out of the area.

 

Governor Asawin is determined to stick to the policy of zoning, banning traders selling their wares in the busy area of Bangkok.

 

The traders had formed a Line application group called ""Siam Comeback" in which they threatened to re-take control of their old pitches.

 

Thesakij (local administration) officials said the traders tried to seize parts of the sidewalks on two occasions earlier this month but were thwarted after threats were made of military intervention in the matter.

 

Manager reported that the public were in agreement with the ban and were happy to be able to walk in the area unencumbered by street traders.

 

Source: Manager

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-06-21

 

[MrJohnson]

Good luck with that. Will require 24/7 attendance of BMA staff to keep the vendor mafia out.

 

[wirat69]

Thought posting in Thai was banned in TVF... the editor could have added English subtitles to the video

 

  

[Redline]

Why should they follow the rules when no one else does?

[Moonmoon]

this sidewalk ban is a joke. JUst 6 months ago, the whole of Huai Khwang sidewalk was cleared up. jJust last month, the vendors are creeping back back again. The police are busy at the intersection on the main road catching motorcyclist. 

So surely there is talk about returning the pavement to the people and there is someone collecting tea money on the side allowing these vendors to come back again n again. 

 

They are so corrupted that they can't even do what they really want to do.

[hawker9000]

Follow the Chinese example.  Build an artificial platform of some kind, start militarizing it, and the entire area is yours by right...

 

 

[JayBird]

the only reason to walk the streets is to see the vendors.  Too polluted and hot to walk just for the sake of walking

[impulse]

On 6/22/2017 at 0:42 PM, JayBird said:

the only reason to walk the streets is to see the vendors.  Too polluted and hot to walk just for the sake of walking

 

I think they'd prefer we use the sidewalks to get from one air conditioned high rent mall to the next.  

 

I know I'd be a little miffed if I were paying Siam Square level rent and then seeing potential customers buying pirated versions (or even real ones) of what I'm selling, from the sidewalk vendors who haven't made any investment at all into the infrastructure, or paid any taxes to actually build and maintain the sidewalks they benefit from.

 

I love street vendors- well, most of them.  But they do make it tough on the shops they often block access to, and compete with on an uneven playing field.

 

[JayBird]

On ‎6‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 11:58 PM, impulse said:

 

I think they'd prefer we use the sidewalks to get from one air conditioned high rent mall to the next.  

 

I know I'd be a little miffed if I were paying Siam Square level rent and then seeing potential customers buying pirated versions (or even real ones) of what I'm selling, from the sidewalk vendors who haven't made any investment at all into the infrastructure, or paid any taxes to actually build and maintain the sidewalks they benefit from.

 

I love street vendors- well, most of them.  But they do make it tough on the shops they often block access to, and compete with on an uneven playing field.

 

From a business perspective: IF you can't compete with a 60 year old illiterate grannie trying to sell pirated DVDs on the sidewalk, then you have a bad business model :)

 

Yes, blocking access to the shops is bad, but I've never notice it get so bad you can't get into the shops... of course this could be addressed by fixing/building-out the sidewalks more... and pedestrianize all the shopping districts!