BMA rejects pleas not to clear Khao San footpaths

BMA rejects pleas not to clear Khao San footpaths

Vendors raise their fists as they make their way to City Hall where they complained about the regulation effective today barring them from trading on the pavements along Khao San and Ram Butree roads. Pawat Laopaisarntaksin
Vendors raise their fists as they make their way to City Hall where they complained about the regulation effective today barring them from trading on the pavements along Khao San and Ram Butree roads. Pawat Laopaisarntaksin

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has rejected calls by Khao San Road vendors not to clear them from the tourist street's pavements in a crackdown due to start today today.

Deputy Bangkok governor, Sakonthee Phatthiyakul, said yesterday that City Hall will deploy tessakij, or city inspectors, to enforce the ban.

Workers will also be sent to clear drains of rubbish to prevent flooding.

City Hall has listened to the vendors' opinions after they submitted their proposals, but City Hall could not act on them, Mr Sakonthee said.

He said the new rules do not attempt to eliminate street vending which is the street's major attraction, "but the regulation was for the sake of public safety".

Mr Sakonthree made the statement after more than 100 vendors converged on City Hall yesterday to submit a petition with Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang.

Street vendors on Khao San Road asked City Hall to review a district office order banning them from the footpaths.

They asked the BMA to put the ban on hold, and give them the chance to have a say in regulating street vending on footpaths.

They also asked City Hall and the government to come up with remedial measures to help vendors affected by the order.

The regulation banning hawkers from Khao San footpaths from today will affect 200 stall holders. They will be moved to allocated areas on the road itself or nearby.

Last year, the BMA launched a campaign to regulate street vendors in the Yaowarat area, known as Chinatown.

For Khao San Road, the BMA came up with an alternative plan by letting vendors trade on the street instead. Khao San Road will become a walking street from 6pm until midnight except Mondays. Vendors will be asked to move onto the road and the BMA will work with them to allocate spaces.

The vendors argued that setting up stalls on the road may put them and tourists at risk if it rains. The road would be flooded and electrical wiring around the stalls could be hazardous, they said. They also said the district office only notified them about the ban at very short notice.

Yada Pornphetrampa, a vendor spokeswoman, said the traders had presented their problems to City Hall, but were ignored.

She said vendors would continue trading as usual after the drain clearance and that City Hall would be held responsible if violence flares after that.

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