Bangkok street vendors ask PM for leniency over ban
Representatives of street vendors from Bangkok’s 50 districts called on Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha to allow them to continue selling food and goods on roadsides.
The representatives submitted a letter addressed to the prime minister via the Public Service Centre at the Permanent Secretariat of the PM’s Office at around 10am on Monday.
Rewat Chobtham, a leader of the group, said the measures by the government and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to put the Bangkok streets in order by relocating street vendors to designated areas and markets are too harsh.
Rewat said the measures are not fair to many street vendors because the government and the BMA allow street vendors to continue selling products on Yaowaraj Road in Samphanthawongse district and on Khaosarn Road in Phra Nakhon district on the grounds the two areas are tourist zones.
Rewat said the government should enforce the law with the same standard by allowing street vending in other districts as well.
He said many other areas are also frequented by tourists.
He added that most of the BMA’s designated zones do not have enough customers to buy their goods and foods.
Rewat also noted that migrants could sell on the streets but Thai vendors are being pushed off the streets.