Sellers in Chatuchak Weekend Market gathered on Tuesday at Lan Khon Muang square near City Hall, demanding the suspension of a “slave” contract that raises their monthly costs by 55%.
The protesters submitted a complaint to Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, demanding action against what they claim is an unfair rental agreement, after learning on Dec 28 that they will be required to pay additional maintenance fees.
Effective from Jan 3, an additional 1,000-baht maintenance fee has been added to the 1,800-baht monthly rental fee they have paid since 2019. Their new 2,800-baht monthly rate represents a 55% increase.
To make matters worse, the vendors said they were given no option other than to sign the new contract, as they were told that non-payers would be fined and even potentially face expulsion from the market if they refused to sign.
The group also said they were unhappy about the current space allocation along the route after the owner recently reallocated a number of selling pitches on streets outside of some stalls.
The complaint submitted to City Hall consisted of three demands: The suspension of the Dec 28 announcement, return of the pitches and fair management that did not provide a specific benefit to any private investors.
The protesters also added that the vendors are willing to talk to the management team but would stand firm on the demand.
Suthorn Suwannaphanon, director of the Chatuchak Weekend Market, promised to submit their complaint to the market management team as soon as possible.
Opened in 1942, Chatuchak Weekend Market is one of the largest markets in Thailand, with more than 15,000 stalls and 11,505 vendors, divided into 27 sections.
City Hall took over management of the market in 2018 from the State Railway of Thailand.