Move to change Bangkok’s street food culture intensifies
The Tourism and Sports Ministry and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) are gearing up to launch the new face of street food in a bid to improve Bangkok’s street food culture.
Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul on Monday attended a meeting with BMA officials and other relevant agencies in an effort to raise the standards of street food in Bangkok especially with regards to food hygiene and pedestrian space for passersby.
Yaowarat Road in Chinatown will be the first venue where food vendors will be required to wear gloves and masks as well as undergo training in food handling and hygiene. They must also keep their restaurants clean and ensure that there is a proper dish washing system installed.
The BMA will coordinate with the Ministry of Commerce to keep street food prices at a reasonable level and have vendors display menus and prices in Thai, English and Chinese.
The deadline for overhauling street food culture is the end of this month.
The authorities will use the initial overhauled areas as models for elsewhere in the capital.