Vendors have set up their
wares on the sidewalks leading to the parking lot in the Lan Po Market area.
Warunya Thongrod
Parking already was bad in the Lan Po Market area, but now at least
one nearby resident is complaining that sellers have taken over the
sidewalks leading to the parking lot.
A narrow street connects the market to its main parking area. The street is
so narrow only motorbikes can use it, but pedestrians at least had the
sidewalks. No longer. Vendors with tables, chairs and other items have
blocked the footpaths, forcing pedestrians to walk in the road.
Resident Sala Jaiyen said that not only poses a safety hazard, but brings
already slow traffic to a standstill as motorbikes cannot pass the walkers.
Sala would like Pattaya City Hall to look into the matter and solve the
problem.
Anupong Buddhanawarat, president of the city council’s social ruling and
peacekeeping committee, said he has collected information from the market
and talked to people on both sides of the situation. He now plans to take
the matter to Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh and ask him to come up with a
solution.
The next step would be to call in market vendors to City Hall for a meeting
to talk out a solution that would be fair and reasonable for both parties.
Anupong said the city is growing too fast, not leaving enough space for
everyone. He said officials have been aware of the matter, but often get
verbally abused whenever they try to address the situation.
Nonetheless, whatever the solution, it must be within the law, and everyone
there must obey the law.
