New owner SRT to decide what to do with Chatuchak buildings

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) yesterday transferred administration of Chatuchak Weekend Market to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and a joint committee was set up to discuss what to do with buildings and stalls built by the BMA. 

Chatuchak Market and State Rail officials hosted a press conference following three hours of talks. 

SRT deputy governor Prasert Atthanant said the BMA had transferred the market to the SRT but couldn’t come to a conclusion in regard to the BMA properties. So a joint committee was set up to discuss this later. 

“The joint committee, to meet in one to two days, will determine if BMA properties will be demolished or whether they should be bought from the BMA. If the SRT sees the buildings as still being usable, they will assess the price and buy them... We would take into consideration the benefit to the majority,” he said.

Prasert said the issue wouldn’t affect market activities and would not lead to market closing because this was only a management transition. He said the SRT had hired two private companies to take care of security within the market compound and cleaning. 

Market director Arun Sricharoon said all buildings on the land, such as administration buildings and 8,000 stalls, belonged to the BMA. It was the BMA’s job to take care of them – but so far he couldn’t say what would happen before talks on whether the SRT will rent them. 

Metropolitan Police deputy chief Methee Kusolsang said 60 crowd-control police would be dispatched to guard areas around the market each day until February 29.

Prior to the conference, journalists were handed a brochure detailing the market’s administrative structure. It showed a committee headed by Prasert for oversight of the market made up of 10 sub-committees. They were for: lease contracts, income collection, legal matters, stall order, security and traffic, public relations, cleaning, garbage collecting and tap water, and electricity.

Some vendors camped outside the market administration building yesterday and presented flowers to Arun and SRT executives. 

Vendor representative Napaporn Malidaeng said they didn’t mind that the SRT had taken over the market but urged rail officials to listen to their suggestions because some vendors had been there for 30 years. They suggested the SRT renew rental contracts with vendors for another 30 years, that they collect rents at Bt650 to Bt1,000, and let vendors participate in the running of the market.

The SRT yesterday announced an extension to the application period for leasing stalls until January 15. Vendors wishing to continue renting stalls should go to SRT property management (tel 0-2220-4053) on the second floor of the Rodfai Club and show previous leases from the BMA, such as lease contracts or rental receipts, from 8.30am to 4.30pm by January 15. 

It was also reported that 8,000 out of 8,807 current vendors had so far submitted rental applications.