Vendors evicted from ‘profitless’ Chatuchak zone
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Vendors evicted from ‘profitless’ Chatuchak zone

Amid plans to redevelop area, stallholders seek corruption investigation

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Local shoppers and tourists stroll through the popular Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)
Local shoppers and tourists stroll through the popular Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)

Vendors at the Chatuchak weekend market have petitioned Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt to investigate the management of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Market Office over its refusal to renew the contracts of 529 stallholders.

The BMA plans to develop part of the market for other purposes after finding it had failed to generate any income over the past five years, said Manoon Opasanon, chairman of the Chatuchak Market Volunteer Club.

He said each of the 529 stallholders paid a monthly rental fee of 1,400 baht and a common fee of 500 baht, totalling 1,900 baht, from 2019 to 2024. Their contracts had been renewed annually throughout the period.

However, they were told that the BMA Market Office said there was no record of any income from Section 30 where the vendors are located.

“We are concerned about corruption so we demand the government and the BMA investigate the case quickly,” he said on Tuesday.  

He said the vendors also submitted their complaint to the Supreme Administrative Court, which recently ordered the Central Administrative Court to accept it for consideration.

Petitions have been sent as well to the the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the management of the Chatuchak Market.

Mr Manoon said the group would also submit petitions to the Leader of the Opposition, Members of the House of Representatives and the Bangkok Council. They will ask them to investigate not only their case but also similar complaints at 11 other markets managed by the BMA.

The BMA Market Office said in a statement that its treasury department had issued receipts every time it received rental fee payments from vendors. It had also recorded the income for all stalls from sections 1-31 as well as the currently vacant areas around the Clock Tower.

The office said there might be a misunderstanding that there were no records of earnings from Section 30, where the 529 stalls are located. It did not elaborate but said it could provide accurate information to back up its decision if necessary.

Opened in 1942, Chatuchak Weekend Market is one of the largest markets in Thailand, with more than 15,000 stalls and 11,505 vendors.

City Hall took over management of the market in 2018 from the State Railway of Thailand.

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