Bangkok's new governor has to help grassroots business operators, such as street vendors and small entrepreneurs, compete with big businesses, experts said.

Chotisak Asapaviriya, president of SME Development Bank, a state bank which lends to local businesses, said Bangkok was a city of opportunity. However, the opportunity was not equally distributed. It was a place where `big fish eat small fish','' he said, citing a Thai proverb.

The banker was speaking during a forum on the Bangkok governor and the city's economic development, held by the Bangkok Post, Post Today and an alliance of ITV, GG News, Thammasat University's political science faculty, and the Bangkok Forum, a non-governmental organisation advocating public participation.

The city has 5.8 million registered residents, and another four million non-registered residents. Among them, 1.5 million are poor people who migrated from the provinces in search of work. Most make ends meet by selling food and goods.

Chotisak, Manop

Mr Chotisak said although stimulating the economy may not appear to be the governor's job, the city administration has the resources to help the grassroots economy grow. It could start by providing cheap rental space in fresh markets and giving idle land to young entrepreneurs.

``Without help, these small entrepreneurs can hardly survive. They have no choice but to rent costly space in a department store,'' he said, adding their entrepreneurship would end once they had no money to pay the rent.

Should the ``big fish eat small fish'' scenario go unchecked, companies, fresh markets and local business would disappear, he said. The governor could help boost vendor competitiveness by improving conditions and hygiene at fresh markets to make them more attractive.

Mr Chotisak said food vendors should not be regarded as a city problem.

``We have to admit food vendors are part of the city. We are the only country in the world with a map of food streets. Why not improve their hygiene standards so they can upgrade their business and residents can enjoy cleaner food and better surroundings?'' Chotisak, Manop Manop Bongsadadt, lecturer on architecture and town planning at Chulalongkorn University, said the governor should apply ``managerial skills'' to deal with street vendors.

Rather than letting vendors be extorted by mafiosi, the governor should encourage established street food vendors, such as those in Saphan Lueng on Rama IV road, to form cooperatives and manage areas themselves.

The city's duty was to ensure food vendors follow rules on hygiene and cleanliness.

Mr Manop, adviser to former governor Bhichit Rattakul, said the governor should do more to promote city tourism.

``The city has wasted opportunities by ignoring potential tourist attractions such as Chinatown, Phra Arthit road, Bangkok Noi. Better infrastructure, such as pavements and street furniture, and a little promotion are needed,'' he said.

The governor must also be a down-to-earth person. ``Low-income communities dislike a governor who stays in his office all day and asks district officials to do all the work.''

Piyabutr Jivaramonaikul, president of the Khao San Road Business Association, said the city administration under Samak Sundaravej was not interested in entrepreneurs' demands.

``Without Mr Samak's guidance or pressure, district officials fail to push projects that involve the central government or other state agencies,'' he said.

The association has been waiting over five years for the administration to expand pavements on Khao San road and get the Metropolitan Electricity Authority to move electric cables underground. The project started under Mr Bhichit but had made no progress since.

The association tried to call on Mr Samak at his office, but was turned down.

``We need a down-to-earth governor who can talk to people. The governor should come and see ordinary people on the street. We do not want a governor who stays in his office and has no time for people,'' said Mr Piyabutr.