Across Bangkok, aromas of garlic, chilli and grilled meat drift from roadside stalls and carts, but tighter controls on vendors threaten livelihoods and the street food culture that defines the Thai capital.
Convenient, full of flavour and popular among locals and tourists alike, Bangkok’s street food is one of the city’s signatures – where sizzling woks and smoky charcoal grills turn boulevards and sidewalks into open-air kitchens from morning until late at night.
But many street sellers in the foodie paradise face an uncertain future, as the Bangkok government in recent years has moved to clear footpaths, improve order and relocate vendors from curbsides in packed commercial districts to designated market stalls.
“I am worried because we are here illegally,” said Looknam Sinwirakit, who was once fined 1,000 baht (RM122) for obstructing the street while selling 50-baht (RM6.10) fried glutinous rice cakes in the capital’s Chinatown.
One of Bangkok’s busiest tourist areas, the neighbourhood’s steady flow of customers is worth the risk of city fines, Looknam, 45, said.
“Vendors need to earn a living,” she said. “It’s not fair just to evict us, but if they tell us to (leave), then we have to.”
Nearby, durian seller Wong Jaidee, who has sold the strong-smelling fruit for more than two decades, said he also feared being made to move.
“I don’t have any backup plan,” the 56-year-old said. “Bangkok is a high-priced city and we may not be able to cope.”
Since 2022, the estimated number of mobile vendors in the city has fallen by more than 60%, with around 10,000 fewer now on the streets, according to data from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
While dozens have moved to informal markets and hawker centres – using a model similar to Singapore – many others have simply closed their business due to the stricter regulations or because they were no longer profitable, said BMA official Kunanop Lertpraiwan.
The municipality has mostly targeted vendors crowding main roads with heavy pedestrian foot traffic, while those on side streets and in areas popular with backpackers and other tourists were allowed more flexibility, Kunanop said.
“We give them time and communicate with them clearly,” he said, adding that some sellers were given several months to find a new location.
“It’s not like we will move them tomorrow.”
The city is pushing more vendors to set up shop in one of five hawker centres opened in recent years – the latest in April beside Bangkok’s popular Lumphini Park.
With rows of food stalls and picnic tables, the new hub so far houses around a dozen vendors who previously sold food on nearby streets.
They now pay 60 baht a day to rent a hawker stall. — AFP
