Bangkok’s Street Vendors to Relocate to New Designated Zones

As part of a plan headed by Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is preparing to establish over 30 areas to transform into food hawker centres, as a counteraction to unregulated street vendor stalls.

The move comes with Sittipunt insisting that Bangkok needs to delegate certain areas as permanent venues for affordable food, thus concurrently providing a space for street vendors to continue their business.

Previously, campaigns to clear out Bangkok’s pavements have led to the shutdown of popular markets like Khlong Thom and Saphan Lek. Throes of vendors along Silom Road, Siam Square, and Thonglor were sent packing as well.

So far, Sittipunt has already surveyed the area outside the Phran Nok Market in the Thonburi neighbourhood. The BMA has revealed that they were in talks to reserve the use of space underneath select expressways and several unused lots as potential locations for the new hawker centres.

Several private proprietors have also offered their land for use, though Sittipunt raised the possibility of overly high rent, stating the example of a storefront at the Platinum Mall in Pratunam that costs over THB70,000 simply to rent.

The announcement was fairly well-received, with President of the Bangkok Vendors Association stating that vendors are willing to move as they typically don’t like loitering in the same spot and are open to new locations so long as it won’t hurt their business.