City Hall is implementing measures to regulate street vendors, including checking their income, taxing them, and eventually banning hawking on pavements altogether.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt announced these measures after chairing a meeting on the orderliness of city surroundings on Thursday.
He stated that new regulations governing vending on streets and other public areas will be enforced soon. Vendors occupying permissible public spaces will be required to pay taxes where applicable. Even if their income is below the taxable threshold, they must register in the national income database and tax system.
Governor Chadchart explained that vendors who have been trading in public areas for over a year and earn more than 25,000 baht per month from their activities must vacate the space and seek other rental areas for their business.
Additionally, vendors must stay within their designated spots and ensure the streets are kept clean. Failure to comply could result in the cancellation of street vending permits in those areas.
“We want the city to be neat and tidy. In places where street vendors do not overstep their mark and trouble pedestrians, the permitted areas will remain open,” the governor said.
He added that the measures would be subject to a public hearing and modified if necessary before being published in the Royal Gazette.
Governor Chadchart insisted that street vending would be phased out over time, with vendors needing to move to commercial areas to conduct their trade. City Hall will seek cooperation from businesses to set aside low-rent areas for vendors. This approach aims to help vendors continue earning while allowing the public access to inexpensive food.
