It's been going on for at least a decade and is illegal and risky, but there's almost nothing police can do to stop the fried-banana sellers zigzagging through traffic on Lan Luang Road in the old Dusit area of Bangkok.
THANKS A BUNCH: Deep-fried bananas are being sold within sight of the police booth on Nang Loeng intersection, even though their sale on the street is prohibited.
The pesky banana sellers are now a feature of Nang Loeng, where they strategically line the gaps between lanes and sell their tasty treats _ 20 baht for three battered bananas sliced in half _ to appreciative motorists. They almost always sell out of the bananas, openly hopping and weaving through traffic in front of a police booth.
Pol Lt Col Preecha Niamsuphap, Deputy Superintendent of Nang Loeng Traffic Police, admits law enforcement is problematic.
"There is suppression routinely," he said. "But police numbers nowadays are not enough to keep an eye on the banana sellers. They can't be stationed on every corner of the area where they sell them."
The popularity of the sugary snack has become so well known that Lan Lunag Road is also called Kluay Khaek (Indian banana) Road. Starting as a small family business in the mid-1960s, the number of kluay khaek vendors has grown along with the popularity of the dish, which is proudly claimed to have originated in Thailand, although the name suggests otherwise.
"You really have to try it for yourself; it's delicious," said one regular customer. "The flavours are so nuanced and varied."
The banana sellers nowadays roam the streets from Lan Luang intersection to Chakkraphatdiphong Road and the Man Sri intersection. They are employed by small banana shops and stalls that produce nothing but battered bananas wrapped in newspaper for sale. The Bangkok Post is reputed to be the best wrapping because of the high paper quality.
In 2007, Pomprap Sattruphai district erected signs along the roads threatening to fine sellers and customers, but to no avail. District officials argued that buying a bag of bananas caused traffic jams and hazardous traffic conditions.
Pol Lt Col Preecha said not only are the sellers breaching traffic laws, but also the 1992 Cleanliness and Tidiness of the Country Act. The sellers face a maximum fine of 2,000 baht and the customers 500 baht.
Both are equally guilty in Pol Lt Col Preecha's eyes.
"The fried-banana sellers will stop going in the middle of the street as soon as the buyers stop buying from them," said the policeman. "You can legally park your car nearby and buy them. It's safer for the sellers, buyers and other drivers on the same street."
Pol Lt Col Preecha boasts that law enforcement is strict, with 30-40 sellers arrested every month on average. However, the vendors disagree.
On one side of Lan Luang Road there are seven neighbouring fried banana shops where the street sellers distinguish themselves by aprons coloured red, white, blue, purple, grey, pink and green.
"There're no more laws like this," said one of the vendors when asked about enforcement. "It's more flexible now. The law has compromised for us."
One of the shop owners who claims to have been in business since the 1960s said they had an informal agreement with police to allow the street selling to continue.
"We have tags numbered one to three given to us by police," he said. "That means we have a maximum of three staff who are allowed to sell our product to our customers on the street."
Pol Lt Col Preecha denied there was any compromise for vendors who break the law.
He said it was difficult to control the street sellers as the problem encroached on various agencies and departments including Nang Loeng Traffic Police, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Environment Department, Dusit District Office and municipal officials.
He said they had had many meetings with the various bodies and the vendors where agreement was reached, but soon forgotten.
"We warn them about the punishment from each department but they deny they have made an agreement," Pol Lt Col Preecha said.
"They negotiated for less strict law enforcement and claimed that the staff who they hire to walk on the street are young people from the local community who they give jobs. We keep arresting those who sell their products on the street as the talks have not accomplished what they set out to do."
The shop owner who said he had been granted approval for three street sellers said many of his competitors were greedy.
"We do not sell a lot each day," he said. "We just sell enough to live on, and it is sufficient for us. Many shops here want to sell as much as possible. They hire loads of staff to wander around the area, including in the traffic."
He says when they are arrested they pay a fine of a few hundred baht and are straight back on the street.
"I agree with the authorities and wish to see serious law enforcement," he said. "We are all in the same business. One rotten apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch."
