Bangkok’s Colourful Street Life To Come To An End

[george]

Bangkok’s colourful street life to come to an end

BANGKOK: -- The end of an era for Bangkok’s street vendors is set to come as early as the end of this month, when, in the interests of civic order, vendors will be banned from selling their goods in all but specially designated points in the capital.

Announcing the move yesterday, Mr. Thanakorn Khunawuthi, director of the Office of Municipal Affairs, said that from 31 March, street vendors would be forbidden from displaying and selling their wares in any area other than the designated zones.

The move follows a moratorium on street trading in five special zones announced on 2 March, which bans street vendors from selling their goods near bus stops and footbridges. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) says that the measure seems to have been implemented successfully.

Mr. Thanakorn conceded however that some areas were still experiencing problems, most notably Minburi, where street vendors were resisting the moves. Although he said that the BMA would consider requests to designate areas as trading zones, he also warned that district chiefs would have to take responsibility for any continuing problems.

Local residents have often opposed the ban on trading, complaining that they no longer have anywhere to purchase food.

--TNA 2004-03-12

[huski]

Local residents have often opposed the ban on trading, complaining that they no longer have anywhere to purchase food.

some of the best food is from the carts, they will just move to side streets as supply and demand will not stop them.

[ASIC]

Yeah that's the right way to go. These people have no other income than what they make from street-vending. A lot of them even sleep in the street next to their carts. Let's ban the poor. Let's cover the slum dwellings with signboards. Let's shut them up with a 30 Baht medical checkup. Let's win the war on the poor. Thailand has no chicken flu, no drugs, and now no poor. HELLO! These people are making a decent living for themselves instead of running around prostituting themselves, stealing or taking ya ba.

As for designated zones? Why must everything be zoned now? Just another way for the men in brown to earn some under-table money. What's wrong with Thai politicians anyways? They get merrit points from the CEO if they keep recommending his own ideas to him? Go kiss ass somewhere else, I say!

Soon there will be nowhere to eat, nowhere to entertain yourself, nowhere to go, nowhere to hang out, no tourists, and I predict no jobs. Starving office workers as far as the eye can reach. I also predict the line of Thais at the foreign embassies will start stretching all the way onto the (vendorless) streets and around the corner.

And this idea surely would make the crime rate drop! Good thinking Dear Loser! But I guess we can just impose a curfew on the poor. Now that they don't have a vending cart to go home to, that would really make sense...

What a F***King stupid idea.

ASIC

[britmaveric]

Another futile attempt to impose silly restrictions. Some of the best food in Thailand comes from these vendors and its very inexpensive!

[Sandy]

Man, I've heard so much about the food from those carts. And i have been meaning to try some oneday...that sucks

[englishoak]

Yeah that's the right way to go. These people have no other income than what they make from street-vending. A lot of them even sleep in the street next to their carts. Let's ban the poor. Let's cover the slum dwellings with signboards. Let's shut them up with a 30 Baht medical checkup. Let's win the war on the poor. Thailand has no chicken flu, no drugs, and now no poor. HELLO! These people are making a decent living for themselves instead of running around prostituting themselves, stealing or taking ya ba.

As for designated zones? Why must everything be zoned now? Just another way for the men in brown to earn some under-table money. What's wrong with Thai politicians anyways? They get merrit points from the CEO if they keep recommending his own ideas to him? Go kiss ass somewhere else, I say!

Soon there will be nowhere to eat, nowhere to entertain yourself, nowhere to go, nowhere to hang out, no tourists, and I predict no jobs. Starving office workers as far as the eye can reach. I also predict the line of Thais at the foreign embassies will start stretching all the way onto the (vendorless) streets and around the corner.

And this idea surely would make the crime rate drop! Good thinking Dear Loser! But I guess we can just impose a curfew on the poor. Now that they don't have a vending cart to go home to, that would really make sense...

What a F***King stupid idea.

I Agree 100% .................. Toxin strikes again

What Thailand needs real bad is an Antidote !

Or a governmental enema as it sure is full of it.

[Up2U]

Bangkok’s colourful street life to come to an end

BANGKOK: -- The end of an era for Bangkok’s street vendors is set to come as early as the end of this month, when, in the interests of civic order, vendors will be banned from selling their goods in all but specially designated points in the capital.

The designated areas will stretch from the kerb to the wall of the nearest building, with possible extensions of at least one metre in either direction .....

[Davidcharles]

Absolutely ASIC you have said it all.......

All these mindless restrictions are the stuff of Revolution!!!

Beware Mr Prime Minister.........

[Harry Palmer]

Another futile attempt to impose silly restrictions. Some of the best food in Thailand comes from these vendors and its very inexpensive!

The food is not exactly prepared & sold in hygienic conditions, is it?

[possom]

if you dont want to eat it ,dont eat it ,i understand some people may be a bit delicate can you see the kitchens of those fancy restaurants ??? do they buy their ingredients from different markets ?????? street food is generally very good ,and as is being pointed out ,these people are simply trying to make a living , give the poor bastards a chance !!!!!!! this is thailand for gods sake !! street food ,colourfull markets ,exotic sights sounds and smells are part of the reason i call this place home . bangkok will be much the worse if these stupid ideas go through , i am just pleased i love in the suburbs where i will eat my hat if the" lot ken " dissapear ..

[PvtDick]

Street vendors' food is always very fresh. Each morning the buy what they need, and when they sell out, they go home for the day. Nothing is stored overnight. Most of the food sold is cooked at high temperatures (soups, stir-fries), so it is relatively safe.

I trust them a lot more than I do restaurant kitchens, where you can't see what goes on. That chicken leg you get may have been lurking in the back of their refrigerator for weeks.

[Harry Palmer]

Give me a kitchen that is regularly checked by health inspectors every time

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Give me a kitchen that is regularly checked by health inspectors every time

Horses for courses Harry.

[Dondi]

the street vendors is what makes Bangkok what it is , plus i really doubt this will happen.

Wasn't the bars mean't to all close at 12 or something?

exactly

[Debaryman101]

Wow I can't believe this, I have tried the food from the street vendors and well i'm here to type this post The Food is actually very good. I hope this does not happen but who am i to stop it.

Chok dee

[mijan24]

Harry harry please join the real world, how many "R" kitchens have you visited and I do not limit this to LOS - I do not hesitate to nominate Australia as belonging to some of the most disgusting you will run across & I mean run.

They say the proof is in the pudding, well in this case the proof is in turning on the lights when you return an hour after closing - to retrieve something you have left behind.

[whattodo]

The food is not exactly prepared & sold in hygienic conditions, is it?

I beleive that all street vendors carry a food and hygene certifcate.

Anyway its a crazy idea to move them to designated areas,whatever next

[Axel]

Interesting, we only think of eating.

How about all the other nice shops selling t-shirts, leathergoods, pictures of watches , pictures of DVD's etc.?

During last APEC, when all the stalls in Bangkok disappeared I found out for the first time that there actually are pedestrian ways, for example between Sukh. Soi 5 and 17.

[Harry Palmer]

Give me a kitchen that is regularly checked by health inspectors every time 

Horses for courses Harry.

Exactly. I only expressed my personal preference, at no time did I either support or condem the action.

[mijan24]

I used to go out with a Tall girl called Jean and everytime we passed the local "R" a lot of the patrons would call out "Hijean" I thought they were just being friendly.

Now I am starting to wonder if:

those patrons were actually trying to send me a health warning, or

was she really a lady boy called Gene, or

maybe she/he played the field and two of my fellow posters are trying to

send her a message by their flirting use of "Hygiene" and now "Hygene".

Maybe its time to start dining by candlelight to protect my identity and also my constitution - if you can't see it surely it can't hurt you.

I realise I am off the original subject a touch, but this young lass was very tall like an amazon - and:

when you were toes to toes your nose was in it,

when you were nose to nose your toes were in it, and

when you were in it you had no one to talk too.

I think she became a health inspector so be alert thailand needs lerts.

Mijan24

[The Gentleman Scamp]

I know I don't/can't eat most of it but I still think it is so so so stupid and pathetic that Mr.T and his cronies seem hellbent on turning Thailand into a western country.

Not to mention bang out of order.