Khao San road vendors dig in amid big BMA push
QUARRELS broke out between Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) officials and Khao San road street vendors, who as of today (August 1, 2018) are banned from setting up stalls at midday but permitted to do so at night, with the vendors doing so as usual right in front of the officials after the Big Cleaning event ended, Thai News Agency reported.
The vendors, led by Yada Phonpetrumpa, president of Khao San Road Street Vendors Association, yesterday submitted a petition to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to suspend the ban and order BMA to stop organizing the area until there is a clear resolution to the problem.
While the officials did not stop the vendors from setting up their stalls at midday, they did take photographs as evidence for legal action.
Phra Nakhon district chief Mr Phongsathon Siritham said his office had issued an announcement forbidding vending on Khao San road’s footpaths during the day from today onwards with this allowed as usual from 6 p.m. to midnight when the road is closed to traffic.
Khao San road is 402 meters long and 9 meters wide with the footpaths covering 3 meters. There are 198 daytime vendors and 161 at night, altogether 359 of them.
BMA has arranged 260 stalls , 2×2 meters in size, which is enough for the vendors in this area because some of them are selling both during the day and at night while others have more than one stall.
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Top: Khao San road vendors and BMA officials argue over the ban on midday vending. Photo: Thai News Agency
Below: Khao San road being cleaned today. Photos: Thai News Agency
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