About 500 traders at Chalermlarp Market in Pratunam area on Monday morning walked in protest past Government House to lodge an appeal with the Crown Property Bureau, which has recalled the market's land.
Verasak Susoravatwong, leader of the traders, said the Crown Property Bureau had recalled the land and called for bids for its use by a department store without notifying the traders in advance, thus depriving more than 1,000 vendors of land to live on and to make their living from.
Mr Verasak said the traders had earlier formed a company and submitted a proposal to develop the Chalermlarp Market, with 1,000 million baht on hand to set a model of a self-reliant community, but the Crown Property Bureau did not accept it for consideration.
Two traders died of shock and one was being treated in an intensive care unit as a result, he claimed.
The traders today gathered at Pantip Plaza in Pratunam area at 8am, marched to the Office of the Crown Property Bureau, and submitted a letter calling for it to review the decision to call for bids and to help the traders.
Mr Verasak said the Crown Property Bureau's offer to give each trader 50,000 baht and a trading space did not help the traders at all because the space was in a remote area not suitable for business.
The traders only wanted the Crown Property Bureau to ensure traders at the Chalermlarp Market have a proper space in which they could make a living, he said.