City to clear more vendors

[reader]

Excerpts from Khaosod English

 

Sellers take to the streets to take back the streets for vending Tuesday at the Government House in Bangkok.

 

BANGKOK — Top city officials said they will continue to clear vendors from the capital’s sidewalks despite a groundswell of opposition from Bangkok vendors.

 

After frustrated sellers marched to demand the policy be rolled back and closed areas allowed to reopen, the provincial governor and his deputy said they will advance the campaign to new areas, including Chinatown.

 

“City Hall’s policy has made clear that vendors can not come back to areas that have already been regulated,” said Deputy Gov. Sakoltee Phattiyakul, who’s been tasked with leading the effort.

 

Marching on the Government House, vendors Tuesday complained that the city destroyed livelihoods with a heavy-handed approach that offered no satisfactory compensation. Sakoltee said efforts have been made to find new spots for those evicted, especially from the Asok and Memorial Bridge areas, with possible results by next week.

 

Over the years, as the city forced vendors from places they had long hawked their wares, it typically offered alternative spaces the vendors said were impractical and distant.

 

Vendors from throughout the city rose up this week after those on Khaosan Road recently won concessions by fighting the changes.

 

As for the ongoing dispute over selling there, Sakoltee said district administrators have already designated spaces for selling on the sidewalks and is registering those who would like to sell. He said those violating the rules will be banned and prosecuted.

 

His confidence doesn’t match the description of vendor representative Yada Pornpetrumpa. A day before Sakoltee’s comments, she said the zoning attempt had failed as there was not enough space for all vendors. A top local administrator on Thursday confirmed that the issue hasn’t been resolved.

 

“It’s a dispute between vendors and building owners,” said Apichart Saenmanot, head of the Phra Nakorn district’s code compliance officers. “If we just have vendors put their stalls up [on the sidewalks], it also wouldn’t be fair to the owners. They don’t want their shops blocked.”

.

Apichart said the new ban on daytime sales will still be enforced. Yada, who has been questioning the rationale behind this rule, said Tuesday that she might tell the vendors to ignore it next week and erect their stalls during the day.

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/09/06/unswayed-by-protest-city-hall-vows-to-evict-more-street-sellers/

[paborn]

Is it now possible to walk, unhindered, from Thaniya plaza down Silom to the Gay sois? t used to be an obstacle course.

[vinapu]

I for one, hate this new, somewhat  sanitized Silom, thank God there's still some color in the evenings and at nights

[paborn]

OK, I have to see it for myself. I love the slightly chaotic nature of Bangkok. But, really over the years, it could be a struggle to move.

[vinapu]

OK, I have to see it for myself. I love the slightly chaotic nature of Bangkok. But, really over the years, it could be a struggle to move.

that was  the beauty of Silom.

 

My nightmare is that one day some modernizer will order all those massage and bar boys and girls to hide behind closed door of their venue and then we will have nothing but empty pavement to admire - most of us have plenty of that at home.

[paborn]

Do you remember when millions of migrating Chinese Finch would perch on the overhead wires and defecate on the walkers? Ah, memories.  But, your right I don't want them all gone. Actually, it might be that when passing through I'm usually in my search for boy mode and a tad impatient.