City Hall's efforts to regulate the use of pavements is damaging one of Thailand's biggest tourism draws, an expert at Chulalongkorn University's Urban Design and Development Centre (UCDC) has warned.

"The government is trying to make street vendors disappear, despite the global recognition of Thailand's street food scene," said Adisak Guntamuanglee, an expert on urban planning at the UCDC.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) must find a better policy to manage space, or risk losing its tourism magnet status and hurting the local economy, Mr Adisak said in a seminar entitled "Brainstorming for Practical Rules for Street Vendors" held at Thammasat University.

Mr Adisak floated the idea of a so-called "co-eating space", a concept he said could possibly replace street carts that are seen by some as old-fashioned and unhygienic, while allowing food vendors to remain on pavements.

In several countries, pavements are designed with rest areas that can be used by street vendors, he said.

"Public spaces, including sidewalks, are not only intended for pedestrians," he said.

Mr Adisak said that certain places, such as the area underneath the BTS Skytrain station in Ari, should be declared off-limits to vendors as they are reserved for ambulances.

However, other areas with pavements that are wide enough to be split and designated as space for street vendors should be redesigned to make them attractive for both Thais and foreigners, he said.

The government will, however, have to invest more in sanitary and waste disposal systems to ensure food hygiene and prevent the vendors' activities from affecting the environment, he said.

"The BMA has the power to manage and address all these issues through better regulations. It can do more than just keep vendors off sidewalks," he said.

It is estimated that there are about 300,000 street vendors in Bangkok alone, 37% of whom are food vendors, said Poonsap Suanmuang of the Foundation for Labour and Employment Promotion.

"All they want is a space where they can earn a living. They are not asking for any financial support from the government, or anything else," she said.