New City Hall rules say that only “poor Thais” will be allowed to be street vendors in Bangkok and they will be barred from employing migrants.

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the new rules will take effect when the Royal Gazette publishes them.

Under the new rules, street vendors must have Thai nationality, hold government welfare cards, be paying instalments for houses built by the National Housing Authority and receive welfare allowances from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.

In addition, they must pay tax and their income must not be more than 300,000 baht a year.

Each vendor is allowed to have a sales assistant who must also be Thai. 

Vendors must ensure pedestrians have a space 1.5 to 2 metres wide to walk on. The area of each stall is limited to three square metres. Stalls must be on only the side of the pavement next to a road surface but must be at least 50cm from the road for safety.

There must also be a space at least 3 metres long at an interval of every 10 stalls as an emergency exit.