Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has managed to wrestle back 127 trading spots on street pavements in 35 districts from more than 18,000 pavement vendors, Mr Wallop Suwandee, advisory chairman of Bangkok governor, said on Monday.
However, he maintained that the City Hall did not just evict the vendors from street pavements, but arranged for new locations for the evicted vendors – although not all of them – so that they could carry on with their business.
For instance, the space below Pong Phraram expressway which can accommodate up to 800 stalls have been allocated for evicted vendors from Siam Square shopping district.
He noted that the city administration had given reprieve on several occasions to the vendors, but the reprieve came to an end on October 3 as all street pavements in Bangkok were declared off-limits to vendors around the clock. These include Petkasem road in Bang Khae district, Paholyothin road in Phya Thai district, Siam Square shopping district, Ratchaprasong intersection, Pratunam, Bang Rai, Silom and Sukhumvit road.
Street pavements should be used by pedestrians and not to be occupied by vendors who usually put up stalls or desks to showcase their products or to sell food, said Mr Wallop.
He added that the city administration aimed to take over street pavements in 48 districts out of a total of 50 districts within next August.
