Street vendors on Silom Road ordered to move out by June 1 have again asked the prime minister to intercede, and proposed a compromise - offering to delay setting up their stalls until 9pm in return for being allowed to continue trading at night.
In a bid to ease crowding and regulate trading on public streets, City Hall has ordered the traders, who would normally set up their stalls on the sidewalk on both sides of Silom Road about 7pm, to relocate to a new area provided for them by June 1.
The traders asked the prime minister to intercede in a petition submitted last Thursday. On Monday they again gathered outside Government House and submitted a second petition.
Traders' representative Suamphan Detsrimontri said the group wanted Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to overrule the order banning trading on Silom Road at night.
The refused to move out on June 1 because the new location provided by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration was not suited to their products, which had a uniqueness aimed at the Silom market.
The group was to meet officials at Bang Rak district office to discuss a mutual arrangement of the pavement and how best to solve the problems of pedestrian and traffic congestion.
The vendors are offering to set up two hours later each night, beginning sales at 9pm instead of 7pm and finishing at 2am the following day.
They also complain they did not get proper advance notice from City Hall, only a sudden announcement to remove themselves by June 1 at the latest.