Military Government Banishing Street Vendors From Khao San Road

Khao San Road’s famous street vendors will be kicked to the curb at the beginning of August as new regulations by the military government go into effect, in an attempt to clear Bangkok’s bustling sidewalks.

Initially, Khao San and Chinatown were two of the special districts spared from the city’s street vendor crackdown, but the new regulations signal a 180-degree reversal by the ruling junta.

In addition to Khao San, the new regulations will also remove street vendors from Ram Buttri, Tanao, and Sip Sam Hang roads.

Building owners in the Phra Nakhon area where Khao San Road is located will also have to keep sidewalks clear for passing pedestrians or face fines.

As for where the street vendors will relocate to, it’s still up in the air. In the past, government officials have offered vendors new locales to sell their goods, but oftentimes those new places are in hard-to-reach and much less popular areas.

Government officials argue that by clearing the street of vendors, safety and cleanliness will see a much-needed boost.

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