The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has introduced new regulations for street vendors across the city, limiting their activities to designated areas.
These regulations align with existing policies on managing public spaces, according to Jakkapan Phiewngam, Deputy Governor of Bangkok.
Previously, City Hall stated that only “poor Thais” would be allowed to operate as street vendors, prohibiting them from hiring migrant workers. Other requirements were also put in place.
To qualify for a one-year permit to work as a street vendor, applicants must be Thai citizens and meet at least one of the following criteria: possess a state welfare card, be purchasing a home through the Baan Mankong scheme, or receive welfare assistance from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.
In the second year, vendors must provide evidence that their annual income does not exceed 300,000 baht, supported by their income tax filings. Vendors who have never filed taxes will be given a one-year grace period before they are required to do so.
Vendors earning over the 300,000-baht threshold will lose the right to operate their stalls, though Jakkapan noted that the BMA would annually review this threshold, considering factors like inflation and economic conditions.
District offices will oversee vendor approvals, with priority given to those already registered in the tax system. In areas where demand surpasses available space, vendors will be chosen through a lottery.
The BMA plans to reassess designated vending areas every one or two years to ensure they do not interfere with street layouts or traffic flow, and to provide sufficient space for pedestrians to walk safely.
Specific rules ensure that stalls don’t obstruct public spaces like bus stops, footbridges, or entrances to public facilities. Vendors must maintain a pedestrian pathway of 1.5 to 2 meters wide, depending on street size. Each stall is limited to a maximum area of three square meters and must be positioned at least 50 cm from the road for safety.
Additionally, there must be a 3-meter gap after every 10 stalls to serve as an emergency exit.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt previously stated that the BMA aims to gradually reduce the number of street vendors by relocating them to designated areas, similar to Singapore’s hawker centers, to create cleaner and more organized vendor spaces.
While the BMA has no current plans to expand vending zones, it will continue to monitor existing areas to ensure compliance with the new rules.
Governor Chadchart also mentioned that approximately 10,000 street vendors have been removed from Bangkok’s streets in the past two years, and efforts to establish hawker centers are ongoing.
