We are Asians. Be proud, be Asians. Why do we want to be like London or Paris? Isn't this just another reflection of inferiority complex? Fix things up to make them tidy, but keep the Asian flavors. Enough of McDonalds and Starbucks, and Western luxury chains that just take up space.
Yes it seems many rich people from developing countries spend time in the West and then get an inferiority complex and then return home and inflict a lot of needless damage on their own cultures. Most Western cities are boring, sterile, over regulated and too expensive for ordinary people. It is also all about contempt for the needs of poorer citizens and all about looking after the interests of the well connected rich.
funny thing is that some european citieas like london are becoming too expensive for the locals themselves so instead they fill up with wealthy foreigners
I have been living in Bangkok for over 20 years, this report is pretty much bullshit. A few markets which became overcrowded due to non-licensed vendors that wanted "part of the action" and who did not pay rent and did not clean-up after themselves, have been closed and moved to better locations. There is PLENTY OF STREET FOOD everywhere you go, no change at all. We are FAR away from becoming another Singapore, who no-one wishes to be compared. The food is MUCH better than Singapore and our prices are MUCH cheaper compared to Singapore.
I only know of a couple of issues on Soi Rambutri (Khao San Road) area. But I don't know what's up in much of the big mango. I feel it's an alarmist story but this source tends to be valid. It may be calling attention to the camel's nose under the tent.
As a bona fide Bangkok-born citizen who lived in the city for more than four decades, I think I'm qualified to say that the streets of the city for the past 10 years or so have experienced an avalanche of street hawkers and vendors. In the past, there are many great street chefs and specialized vendors who were the best at what they offered and very responsible to society and their customers. But today, many are just people who woke up one day and want to "make money" by selling the famous "pad thai" to tourists but they don't know shit about cooking or food hygiene or anything. And they just "squat" on any available space on the street they can find. Yes, street food has always been a part of the city and we appreciate it but not at such a crazy level. This problem has festered into a public hazard like how it is today. Vendors occupy the majority of walking spaces in nearly every areas of Bangkok. On some streets, pedestrians need to step out onto roads and risk their life getting hit by oncoming traffic to walk around vendors who set up their stalls and tables and chairs on the entire pavement without a care in the world or the trouble they caused other people. Is this a good thing? There are also "mafia" who collect money from vendors to occupy certain pavements. I wonder how they came to "own" our public streets? Many vendors have no conscience of the quality of food they serve, or cleanliness of ingredients or any sort of professional ethics. They only care about making maximum profits. They also do not pay any tax and do not contribute to society. While street food prices are not cheap anymore today, vendors always hide behind the stereotype that they are poor. With the number of people in Bangkok, some vendors make hundreds of thousands of baht a month, which is more than many bank managers make. Even if they are poor but they actually behave like irresponsible capitalists. Fresh ingredients such as vegetables and meat are laid plainly on the dirty pavement. Would you like to eat the "charming" food made from ingredients placed on a dirty floor? Vendors also "wash" their dishes and cutlery on the streets and sometimes with the same dirty canal water that residential toilet water drains into. Would you like to eat from dishes washed this way? Is it "charming?" Very hot stove and sometimes with large quantities of very hot oil in giant woks are placed unprotected on streets next to schools. Yes, vendors want to sell to school children but what if a child runs into the wok and get splattered with the hot oil and gets gravely injured and disfigured? Who will be responsible for this? The vendors? Leftover organic liquids and solids are poured into the city's sewers because so many vendors do not care about the hygiene of their customers or the city at large or the rights of other people either. They only care about their convenience and profit. This has caused a huge epidemic of rats and cockroaches that bring diseases. Many vendors are also mafia themselves and do not care that they occupy public walking spacings. They claim that they can do what they like because they already pay "rent" money. What the &*^%? The city's walkways belong to the pedestrians and the people of Bangkok and are not business spaces. Bangkok residents are happy that we are getting our walking spaces back like how it should be. With the growing tourism, visitors may see only the side of the charms of the "choas" of Bangkok. This is understandable. But you are only visiting. We live here. However, we Bangkok residents would like to have clean pavements and ample space for our children to walk safely to bus stops or cross the road. Street vendors are welcome if only some areas of the pavement are used and there must be cleanliness, public order and safety measures put in place. At the moment, the situation with street vendors has gone overboard and became something that is out of control. We do not want dirty and disease-filled streets and sewers because of irresponsible vendors who only care about making money. There needs to be a balance. So this street regulation by the authorities now is welcome and we hope that it will be completed. This has not been done in past years because of corruption of the police who collects the "undertable" money from vendors. So look at the situation through our eyes. Regulation is not socialism but a balance where street vendors have their place. Citizens of Bangkok have their space to walk on clean pavements. The food available on streets are clean, tasty and have a good standard. With a smaller number of vendors but vendors who are of good quality, they can make good profits and keep the street food prices low. That is the correct balance that I hope will be reached. But I am not certain because it seems that the policies at the moment are "a day late and a dollar short."
Good to hear from the perspective of a Bangkok local. Tourists will only be there for a short period of time whereas locals have to face the issues day in and day out. On a side note, would be great if you could paragraph your "essay" for easy reading.
Glad you took the time to speak from a living experience. If I were to set up shop in Canada, I would be forced to shut down within hours. It is illegal for children to sell lemonade from their front yards in Canada, it is illegal in Ontario to play hockey in the streets. If the Thai start telling themselves its the governments fault, they have to realize we all have rules, laws and regulations. They can be challenged, but if everyone is trying to sell FOOD !!!! without regulation, the risk out weighs the profits. On the other hand Thailand has a much worse problem, the sex slave trade. This is the majority of its tourist industry. This is the highest risk to the Thai people.
"If I were to set up shop in Canada, I would be forced to shut down within hours. It is illegal for children to sell lemonade from their front yards in Canada" And its wrong and all designed to keep normal people without capital from competing. You can have regulations but the extent western nations have gone to in regards to zoning, small business and self employment are oppressive. The tax system actually punishes self employment in Australia, your income taxes are exactly the same but you get none of the concessions larger businesses receive. Our streets have no vendors, no life and everything is overpriced shit because every business pays hundreds of thousands in rents to parasite developers with political influence. Thailand has a lot of opportunity to profit immensely from street vendors, they just have to innovate. Instead they are going to copy us, ban it all, lay down more concrete junk and roads for yet more cars in its place.
Thank you for the eductional wake up! Yes nobody wants to be ill on a vacation. The vendors need some higher standard of doing business. The elderly and sick can die from bacteria or salmonila poisoning. I wouln't eat at a filthy place.
Ha ha maybe the Thai people are not creating enough problems for the government, but if you put enough of them out of work, I'm sure that they will begin. Then the government can have some REAL problems to deal with, such as real crime and big problems, like we have in the West.
So you want the politicians to allow untaxed, unmonitored businesses to run on tax built roads, limiting the country's growth and constantly pulled down by poverty?
They have been doing this for years i just don't want to see them suffer. Besides the tourist love it and the average Thai depends on it it's cheap and affordable. The government could also hold them more accountable and collect taxes on their earnings just like they do here in USA for the most part.
and the formal sector supports the whole country. Your argument is weak. @Haka Lau, the government is trying. The documentary showcases governments solution "the mall street food" as a negative because it doesn't have the "atmosphere". Although that is how you move an informal sector into a formal business.
The money is made by the whole country. I dont get why i have to teach you basic business/economics. The money made through the banana sold on the street will go directly to only the farmer/seller. The money made through the banana sold in the mall will go to the farmer, the workers working in the mall, the owners of the mall, the tax on the banana will go to the government. I don't think i need to tell you where the money made by the government goes to. You can cry corruption as much as you want but still a huge part of it is put back into the country. If you keep letting the people sell bananas on the street, the government will never have money, the poor will always be selling bananas with no improvement to their future generations, the country will remain poor.
Most of my thai are living on daily basics day by day.the balance of rich and poor are so painful. The authority who edicated with queen English accent and well dressed in tie and suits who pointed out how to manage this city for clearness and tidiness was right in his hands!but whereelse these street vendors will be swept under the carpet.everey life are struggled to survive. Thailand have no social security like developed country. In this paw paw vendor case, my heart and tear are pouring for her.being a poor thai is such a crime and being a rich thai is such a wonderful privilege. She begs for a little sympathy making a living for her family and disabled husband. Mind you! My country has the widest gap between the rich and poor.when someone said thai monarchy is the richest in this world. l will say to them , they are liar!
I lived in Bangkok for 18 months, and the best, cheapest food I got was on Sukhumvit Soi 38, which was clamped down on a few years ago, sadly. It was flourishing with vendors selling a variety of food to farang an Thais alike. Now it's a ghost town. Progress? I think not.
I'm a 71 yr. old American male. I've live many places in my life even in Korea. If I only have learned one thing in life it is that nothing, absolutely nothing stays the same, everything changes. There's a very old Korean saying, even the mountain changes in 1000 yrs.. This is just the way of life on this earth.
If something needs to be banned it should be the street vendors in India, gave me terrible food poisoning/diarrhoea a lot of times, not Bangkok. Bangkok is great. Such a shame it happened.
Nadeem Ahmed: I also have visited Mumbai several times and had diarrhea problem. Last Dec I visited but never eat on street stalls. This is a powerful control then military or police control! When people get problem, they never eat on these stalls. The vendors have to pack up and go, since no enough customers.
Nadeem Ahmed that's food poisoning.... Doesn't everyone know to never eat vendor food in India? They are FILTHY. Most ppl have no indoor plumbing and shit on the streets
Nadeem Ahmed You said India street food made you sick 'a lot of times' ? Why did you continue to eat thier street food after the first time you got sick
@irish k you don't watch Mark Weins videos? He had done different street vendor videos in different cities in India. He probably travels with Loperamide. I was in Thailand in January 2018 after I did an Indochina tour. I carried anti-diarrhea pills with me but never needed to use them even after eating some street food in Bangkok. The hotel I stayed at a few blocks north of MBK Centre..there were some street vendors selling food there that I bought from. Cheap food that did not make me sick. Also check out Grrl Traveler India.. she did a street food tour of India last year.
When I go to Indian restaurants in London, I also get diarrhoea. It's not how modern the restaurant might be or city it's in, it's if they have proper food handling and hygiene practice.
Oh no, please don't be like Singapore, and getting more "sterile". Everything is becoming more regulated, that it has lost some of its cultural charms..
Just went to both countries, and I have to say Singapore is honestly so boring. Its so 'developed', the only thing to do there is eat, walk through giant malls, and look at boring buildings made to attract tourists.
As a Bangkok Residence all my life I am 100% with the Gov. here. Yes, street food makes Bangkok famous but it has to be regulated. I used to eat street food too until I got food poisoning and saw them dumping soup and such into the drain clogging sewage pipe and guess what? floods happen because of clogged pipes with grease and fat. There are many markets that have available spot for these vendors to go but some of them don't because they can just use footpath for free and make the most money. I am tired of not having an actual footpath to walk around without squeezing between hot noodle bowl on one side and charcoal grill on the other waiting to burn myself. Some of the comments noted that these sellers are poor, No they are not. just take a walk before they set up shops, brand new truck, and sometimes even Mercedes. That just my two cents, it might affect tourist but it is definitely making my daily life better. Quick tip if you still want to enjoy Thai street food, just go to local market, any local market. You get street food charm in a more organized manner.
Thank you. Ive been to BK twice. Where do they wash their hands? I saw a rat literally steal a guys sandwich on the side of the street. I had a friend get mono from street vendors in Vietnam. So CNN giving BK a "top street vendor city" award is a joke. It's a bunch of typical journalists who know very little about details and see everything only on the surface. Also, I've lived in China for 6 years, I know street vendors and they are all dirty.
Ok clogged pipes cause of greece and floodings because of it, must be true even in the west clogged oil is a problem. But them driving a mercedes is exagerated, there might be one or two. Hygiene is also very dramatized, unless its extreme its even better to be exposed to dirt here and there. Burning on a grill on one side and hot oil pan other? Exageratio? Ofcourse. I’ll have the vendors please.
I guess the rich people who own all the shopping malls have paid the police and military off handsomely to take out the poor street food vendor competition.
Only a westerner or tourists would say the regulation is going take away the charms of bangkok. I am Thai and knows the country enough to appreciate the regulation. Perhaps its not the best way of solving the problem of chaos, traffic, and general uncleanliness but atleast something is being done and in this country thats rare. Its bizarre for me that people actually want to keep the streets dirty because of "charm" and "exoticness". You're not the one living here and he one facing the problem that your charm and exoticness causes. You're here for a few months or a few years after you've retired and have nothing to do but spend your retirement money on a bargain.
You make a good point, but the outcome will probably be that both the street vendors and the pedestrians disappear, and the streets become pretty much exclusively used by motor vehicles.
Warit, you are dead wrong. I lived many years in developing countries, so that argument doesn't work. I will gladly take a bit of mess to have delicious street food. I truly wish the U.S. would FULLY embrace street food culture, and the human connection that comes along with it.
One of the bad side of the street food scenarios is that the street vendor just pour everything from waste water, fat, soup left over food you name it. This cause a lot of problem to the sewage system especially when it rain heavily and it's flood so quick. The story you got from them always be that the government bullied the poor but the reality screams the other side of their trade, the side they don't want to acknowledge or speak about. However, I never had any sickness related to the street food in my life. Dude with grey eyebrow really don't know shit about street food and safety. My points of the comment is that, those street food vendor CAN improve their trade by take good care of their waste and cleanliness then the gov. will have no argument against them.
im sure that they could easily solve the sewage problem by working together, saying, if you dont stop doing that we will ban street vendors over and over for a period of time then banning it in one street to make a example and show your serious if they dont listen always have worked in the past.
@@l3tho836 they didnt because the wanted them gone for mean wicked reasons, all this theater about the messy street vendor is a facade they , the aristrocrats are back with a vengence and they see us as trash the good old way we have to be out of their sight. we merely borrowed the cities while it was popular to live in the suburbs, now they want it back and they are taking it
Put these street vendors on major cities of 1st world countries then see how if those people are willing to put up the mess it creates on the streets.😂😂😂 Pfft...tourist
I was in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. All three are very modern but the charm of street vendors in Bangkok is was made it the most fun. Great eats of all kinds. That papaya salad looks delish.
They should not remove them, just bring them under law and let them operate. That's how they provide to the family. All politics.. This is why rich is getting richer and poor are getting poorer..
The question is why is the Australian media / public getting involved in the social and political issues of Bangkok? Another example of westerners trying to stick their unwanted head into the private affairs of Asian countries
Same! I spent some time working there a few years ago and the people were so friendly.. I've recommended it to everyone I know. Amazing country with even more amazing people!! If nothing else I hope they never lose that overwhelming friendliness.
Well that sucks. I much prefer to visit places with street vendors. I wish Australia had them, actually, but to me they are one of the best little things of travel
Bangkok Street Foods is the main reason i want flight back to Thailand, just to eat and hanging around, the foods is awesome, cheap and good. That's the main attraction for the tourist!
I think both sides (government and street vendors) have legitimate points. It isn't fair for outsider westerners to criticize the Thai gov that they cannot alter their city and how public spaces like streets and rivers are used. Street vendors and people living right by the river represent an outdated system of communal/civic design, where private space and public space can be right next to each other without any conflicts. But when a city like Bangkok grows into a large city, there are more people who have to share the same, limited amount of public space like street sidewalks and rivers. Everyday citizens of Bangkok need to have access to the banks of the river and the sidewalks, and its backwards for families to take up precious real estate space by a major river, etc... Don't try to support the street vendors by saying they are preserving the character of Bangkok. Plenty of other cities around the world has or have had street vendors. Its not that unique. Its probably a natural stage in the progression of human societies from villages to towns to cities to mega cities. When you criticize the Thai gov for trying to update the use of public spaces in their city, you're basically trying to hold them back in this natural progression.
The arrogance of western travelers never ceases to amaze me. There is no way they would put up with their own footpaths being so jammed with stalls that they had to walk in traffic but when the Thais want to do something about it they whine.
Rubbish! Western cities are sterile and sickly! You have something special, traditional and centuries old - crushing it makes no sense. Western countries are boring stinkholes. You guys have life!!! It should be allowed for.
When I was in Thailand in the 70's, I used to buy these kabobs from a street vendor. They consisted of chunks of meat and pineapple. They cost 25 cents each and I loved them. Never knew for sure what the meat was, but knew better than to ask. I just enjoyed them a lot. And no, mall food vendors are not street food vendors
Bangkok street is spontaneously beautiful messy and lively! It is hard to imagine there's no more traditional street food stalls. Please preserve the streetfood culture✌️😭
This happened in 2017 in my country, it's only logical to stop the madness that comes with the hindrances of illegal street occupation. I love street food from Asia...loved Viet Nam and Malaysia for this.
There’s a lot of comments from foreigners LoL. I’m Thai who lives in Bangkok since I was born. This report is untrue & it’s the idea of group which antis current government. There is NO WAY to really happen cuz Thai pple has the quote “Doing everything freely is real Thai” no order, no discipline. I don’t know how you guys define the word “street food” in BKK but many people need small shops on the footpath get away cuz it obstructs walking till sometime pple gotta walk on the main road. But around my area, they will always get back after a week of ridding. The same kind of food on the footpath, is in the building of every street & the price is same rate by the owner who pay renting. But I understand having shop on the street cuz renting in mall/store is very expensive & little profit, I gotta raise the price also. If every shop move in renting place, everything will be so high. That’s why it’s bittersweet for KrungThep pple ^_^ and it keeps on going.
Bangkok is making efforts to become a first world city. And that means over regulating nearly everything. Maybe they want to be boring, expensive and cleaner like Singapore.
honestly any place can be boring. it's the people u mix with that make the difference. Singapore expensive? yes cos u couldn't afford it. Clean? Maybe U haven't seen the dirty part of the city yet. Singapore used to have street food all over but they have been evicted into a cleaner, well-oganized known as hawker's centre(still generally affordable) Think Bangkok should have a few places for the street vendors to move into before chasing them away.
I can afford Singapore i travel to holiday inn or sentosa every 2 months but i still say its expensive. Singapore is a money head country but they dont know how to be happy.
Ernest Kwok The majority of Americans cannot afford to go to Singapore. It's a very expen$ive city and it's generally considered a first world city. It may be inexpensive for you but you're clearly in the minority. Additionally, it's a very rigid city state with many strict rules and regulations which is a huge turn off for most American vacationers.
I think it is a sad history... but the report is clearly partial and did not considered "another side" reasons and motivations. I saw something similar in other places...
practically all Asian countries have the same probs. that include India, Pakistian. The question is, is Thai government willing to help all those people affected....
Bangkok is one of the least pedestrian friendly cities I know. The pavements are narrow or non existent in many areas. Food vender stalls, are a dangerous nuisance.
I loved Bangkok before this change. One of my favorite things was to sit at one of those roll up bars, have a beer and enjoy watching and mingling with the people. There was a really good variety of tasty street food as well as the clothes vendors selling t-shirts, shorts etc. This change has made the tourist area just another boring city attraction whereas before the area was alive. I am now avoiding Bangkok for much of my holidays in favor of other places in Thailand that still allow the street vendors. The military government will hopefully realise what this change means to the tourists once the tourists are gone.
a step in the right direction. things will get worse before they get better. they should just adapt the hawker centre idea from singapore and just be done with it.
We already have that in most of our shopping malls. The street food charm are gone if you did that it's slower the food are no better than what serve down the streets and sometimes worse and also more expensive because of the rental fees. The only reason we did that is to seek refuge from hot sunny weather outside. Most still wouldn't exchange street food for the regulated version.
"I like this way " " I don't like this way" how about some respect for the locals ? after all it's their life and they are the one who live in it everyday for the whole life, we are just visitors. the 🌎 world doesn't have to spinning the way western people would like it to be. Keep it or lose it, people are changing and the world is changing. We are no body to point finger at them .. some time it's little " funny " how third world just not suppose to be better economic wise or stronger military wise for the western county or western media. I use to believe these kinda shows or news but i know people doing things or have point view for they own benefit or some reasons. have think about what you see and what you hear, nothing just simply as yes or no..
It's not about what westerners want at all. This is for poor people to buy and sell. They can't afford to set up a restaurant nor can they buy from a restaurant.
This is about Westerners wanting excitement and low prices from their low budget holidays and sex tourism. To the Thai government it's about modernising their society like the Westerners have.
Am I really the only one who sees the long term improvement in infrastructure? You might not understand it, but this will mean more profit for the city.
Omgeee! The holes in this report!! Lol.. 1. They start with saying that Bangkok street vendors are disappearing! The govt is getting rid of them all. 2. Cut to, city official stating it was residents who wanted the vendors gone. 3. Cut to, regulators on the street ensuring food safety, making sure cooks wear gloves when serving food. 4. Cut to “witness” visiting her fave food vendor, while he cooks and served with bare hands!! 5. Cut to lady saying she’s been serving for 20 yrs, and has been kicked out of her place of vending, so she goes where she’s not allowed?? Whet? 20 years being sneaky in the same business? I doubt it There are so many more! Better reporting next time.... 🤣
I've lived in Bangkok for 25 years and probably eaten street food daily. That's over 9,000 meals and I've been sick precisely zero times. Anyway, nice story without explaining why they think the government has really banned street food.
Bangkok is doing it right, i wish my vietnam would require the street vendor to wear gloves and hair net when serving foods. Kick them out or make them put on gloves when serving foods.
i have been there before, how do u think i got rich? have nothing and a refugee from vietnam, come to america live in los angles now, i would not eat there if they dont put on gloves.
dang0088 da What's more concerning about street food is the lack of clean running water. Without running water, hygiene is non-existent. Also the hot climate of Thailand spoils the food quickly. Quick stir-frying do not cook the meat and seafood thoroughly. I guess they just give the dirty dishes a quick dunk in a dirty bucket of water and give it a quick wipe in a non- too clean towel. I'm Asian and I shudder thinking about this.
Well what happened here in Taiwan is that street food is also disappearing which really limits the options to eat for low or average income people ... all cheap options are getting erased but salaries are not increasing
To be honest, If I want something clean, regulated, I would go to Europe, not to Bangkok.. Tokyo's tourism still alive because they keep their small local street vendor while being clean, not to ban them... You don't want dirty? you don't want chaotic street? Try to lift people's economy first... They will keep alive as poverty is still a problem in Thailand
Duangrit Bunnag the architect featured in this clip is right, Singapore has lost it charm with the tourist when the food vendor is being chased away. The charm of Bangkok will be no more if the street vendor is gone. The reason why people from Singaporean, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Malaysia are flocking to Bangkok is to experience the amazing street food culture that is unique. Chasing away the food vendor is as good as chasing the tourist away.
Not true. The only reason all these people flock to Thailand instead of Singapore,Malaysia and the other countries you mentioned is the Thai baht is cheap compared to the currencies of those countries and more importantly you have plenty of cheap guesthouses in Thailand. I have been visiting Thailand since 2003 when I retired and I agree with the government's decision . During the monsoon season ,Bangkok and other low lying cities are heavily flooded and the drained are clogged by plastic and other floating materials thrown. Every year , the army is called upon to deal with this problem . I think these irresponsible hawkers don't care or realize the misery and pain the inflict on their fellow citizens when such calamities occur due to their own carelessness. The ideal solution would be to provide clean and hygienic space for eating like in Chiang Mai and Krabi food market.
I've worked in food prep in various companies for over a decade. Watching the vendors work they have better food handling skills than a lot of people in big fast food chains or your average supermarket deli
or people (like myself) who live in bangkok and rely on street food to eat lunch and dinner. Sure, I could afford to pay 3x the price in a normal restaurant, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have that kind of money here. but fuck poor people right? they're just poor, they don't deserve to eat.
ive been to thailand many times and i fully understand that poor ppl will suffer, i just find it annoying how most ppl here are just talking about "street food is the thai culture and its one of the man reasons they go" - if the govt wants to improve the whole city by cleaning up their streets, i think it would be beneficial in the long term
Maybe because the locals can't afford a phone? That's why all the complaining comments are from westerners. Maybe if these people were allowed to run their business then they could go buy a phone and whinge then ey?
I have been to Bangkok and I certainly enjoyed the city as it is. Street food is nice and cheap as well not to mention that sellers are very friendly and accommodating. Yes there's a dream or initiative to transform it into a more high end or organized way but I believe that it's uniqueness as a "city" was the reason why it became the most visited place in the entire world last 2016. Yes, a developed and more organized version can attract tourists but if that's what tourists really want, they would rather go to London or Australia or some cities in Europe not Bangkok but we have already seen that tourists are attracted to the natural beauty of Bangkok. Let us not forget that when we appreciate the beauty of a forest for example, we don't look and appreciate its view only from a far. When we appreciate the beauty of a forest, we appreciate it as a whole. We appreciate its tree, insects and all elements living inside it. It's like love. When you love someone you love his or her flaws as well. It's appreciation. And I truly appreciate Bangkok as it is. Showing my love and respect to street vendors and people of Bangkok.. #LovefromManilaPhilippines
I love Thailand its one of the most beautiful countries on earth but what I really admired about Thailand was the vendors that sold tangerine juice and made it fresh its so so good. This is truly a huge shame since it reduces crime and poverty.
I'm with the Bangkok government on this one. I love Bangkok and the street food vendors are Bangkok's treasure, and I hate to see some of them lose their livelihood. But, a city is more than a tourist destination, and the daily lives of its citizens are significantly damaged by unregulated food vendors and hawkers, and infrastructure cannot be protected unless businesses see regulated. While this video seems critical of singapore's regulated hawker stalls, I think Singapore is cleaner, safer and orderly because of the regulation. I don't mind having to walk a few blocks on clean footpaths to get to a hawker centre and have lunch. On the other hand, westerners need to stop intervening in the workings of foreign governments. Imagine the mayor of Tokyo or a Japanese media personality coming to Denver and be critical of weed shops.
Aww poor you, so oppressed. That's ok, let white people pull out of every international aid and charity cause, because hey they look down at everyone. Shut the fuck up.
Well you apparently drank all the koolaid. Next time put down the cup and use your head before making ignorant statements about things you have no fucking clue about. This is about government scumbags getting more tax dollars to pocket and nothing to do with public safety or re-leaving congestion. You fucking idiot, nothing personal, just saying.
"the daily lives of its citizens are significantly damaged by unregulated food vendors " wait what? the food is perfectly safe to eat. there are literally 10s of thousands of both street food vendors and regular, regulated restaurants in Bangkok. If street food was harming people, why is it so popular with local thais? criticize the cleanliness and how it makes the streets dirty, I get it, but the idea that "ohhh the unregulated food boogeyman is hurting people' is just so false. I think you obviously don't live in bangkok (I do) or spend a lot of time with thai people, or you would know that the idea of street food being dangerous is simply preposterous.
Chiang Mai cleared out a lot of the sidewalk vendors between 2009-2012. I noticed the streets were much cleaner. you are able to walk easily. Usually the City Govt may build some off street nite markets where the vendors can sell food.
Get rid of all the street vendors, they clog the streets and set up in front where other businesses are paying tax`s. I bet if you went and set up a food stall in front of this street vendors house, they would get mad.
Did watch the video..That clothing business was helping that street vendor. If you don't own a restaurant. More people congregating in front of your business will increase sales.. Dah
what makes you think street food vendors don't pay tax? you know that all income is taxed, right? if street food vendors aren't paying it, then address that issue, don't ban all street food.
Well technically speaking most street food vendors dont make minimum tax quota in thailand anyways. So yes they are not paying tax. They are not banning street food, they are moving it out the street and into regulated areas. Moreover, street food vendors are illegal, they dont have work permits or anything. So i dont get how people are justifying the black market.
Because they're poor and it;s they're only source of income. And don't gimme this crap,here in The Netherlands the few vendors we have which do pay taxes and are heavily regulated are dissapearing too. Goverments world wide hate this type of business because they want to shove everybody into real estate. Soon Thailand will become boring like the west with every city having the same chain restaurants.People do like food carts,people do like food trucks but it's the goverments and municipalities who are bought kick them out with lame excuses everytime.
Singapore is like Disneyland! Artificial and staged. The real people of the country do not live in the city. It is expensive and focused on foreign workers and investors.
As a tourist one aspect why we decide to visit thailand its because of it street food we see from bloggers in videos,,, and the streetfoods we try.is amazinggg
I love thai food, may be they should relocate them, and not shut down. and if bangkok becomes like singapore, they will also become too proud and racist like singaporeans and there will only be discrimination between rich and poor.
When I go to bangkok, one of the reason is that I can stroll along the streets and try all this different delicious foods with cheap price and see them cook in front of my eyes is an amazing experience. It's a pity that it will go away
Sounds like the best way for the government to achieve its goal, while also giving street vendors something to look forward to is give more designated spots, while maybe enforcing rotations between vendors within these spots.
Now I think I understand it. It was the idea of the General who staged the coup to develop the waterfront. I wonder if he moght have an investment in this project? If you need an idea of how corrupt the Thai Military are, consider this: The Thai Navy has nearly 30 submarine Captains who are paid extra for Submarine duties. The problem with that, is the only submarine in Thailand is the "Yellow Submarine " which is a tourist attraction in Pattaya. If that doesn't convince you, how about the fact that there are 10,000 army colonels in Thailand, and most have never seen military service or worn a uniform, but have bought their rank?
millions die in bankok every year due to water , and air pollution. guess what they wash their hands, plates, food in? go on, guess........................................idiot
you give the bangkok government too much credit. They are corrupt, they are stupid, they even let people set up stalls which must be collapsed to let trains through. What a joke .............idiot
hard to believe that the most polluted place on the planet has clean water to wash their hands and put in food. MILLIONS, die in a year of environmental ingestion, in bangkok, ignore it, they are, you idiot
S Korea went thru same thing clearing illegal street vendors back in 1980s and 1990s. In the beginning, lot of locals hated it who were used to street vendors nearby their home or work places. But looking back now, it was needed to make city look clean. You can still see legally operated street vendors in the market designated for them. Thai government is doing right thing to make city look clean as population is growing in the cities. One thing that is different between S Korea and Thailand is that Thai rely much more on tourists income which S Korea isn't.
I was just there. There is still plenty of street food vendors. They are just not allowed on the main busy walk ways but you still have thousands to pick from
![Lethal Company Music Video 🎵 "Follow The Orders" [VERSION A]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QeooZB4Z7RA/mqdefault.jpg)
We are Asians. Be proud, be Asians. Why do we want to be like London or Paris? Isn't this just another reflection of inferiority complex? Fix things up to make them tidy, but keep the Asian flavors. Enough of McDonalds and Starbucks, and Western luxury chains that just take up space.
Yes it seems many rich people from developing countries spend time in the West and then get an inferiority complex and then return home and inflict a lot of needless damage on their own cultures. Most Western cities are boring, sterile, over regulated and too expensive for ordinary people. It is also all about contempt for the needs of poorer citizens and all about looking after the interests of the well connected rich.
cool
funny thing is that some european citieas like london are becoming too expensive for the locals themselves so instead they fill up with wealthy foreigners
kmanc - it's also happening in US upscale cities and high-end small cities.
Primarily the Chinese that the US Republicans gave our factories to.
yes, clean these places up. YUCK!!
I have been living in Bangkok for over 20 years, this report is pretty much bullshit. A few markets which became overcrowded due to non-licensed vendors that wanted "part of the action" and who did not pay rent and did not clean-up after themselves, have been closed and moved to better locations. There is PLENTY OF STREET FOOD everywhere you go, no change at all. We are FAR away from becoming another Singapore, who no-one wishes to be compared. The food is MUCH better than Singapore and our prices are MUCH cheaper compared to Singapore.
Most of that that have visited your little crab island once, would NEVER return. Singapore is for losers lah, Ha ha ha ha!!!
555555+ I can read from your "Singlish" (poor English grammar) just how uneducated you really are...5555+
I only know of a couple of issues on Soi Rambutri (Khao San Road) area.
But I don't know what's up in much of the big mango.
I feel it's an alarmist story but this source tends to be valid. It may be calling attention to the camel's nose under the tent.
As a Singaporean, it's hard to find a food shop with good and price worthy food.
I really hope that it stays that way or it could become a city without a soul.
As a bona fide Bangkok-born citizen who lived in the city for more than four decades, I think I'm qualified to say that the streets of the city for the past 10 years or so have experienced an avalanche of street hawkers and vendors. In the past, there are many great street chefs and specialized vendors who were the best at what they offered and very responsible to society and their customers. But today, many are just people who woke up one day and want to "make money" by selling the famous "pad thai" to tourists but they don't know shit about cooking or food hygiene or anything. And they just "squat" on any available space on the street they can find. Yes, street food has always been a part of the city and we appreciate it but not at such a crazy level. This problem has festered into a public hazard like how it is today. Vendors occupy the majority of walking spaces in nearly every areas of Bangkok. On some streets, pedestrians need to step out onto roads and risk their life getting hit by oncoming traffic to walk around vendors who set up their stalls and tables and chairs on the entire pavement without a care in the world or the trouble they caused other people. Is this a good thing? There are also "mafia" who collect money from vendors to occupy certain pavements. I wonder how they came to "own" our public streets? Many vendors have no conscience of the quality of food they serve, or cleanliness of ingredients or any sort of professional ethics. They only care about making maximum profits. They also do not pay any tax and do not contribute to society. While street food prices are not cheap anymore today, vendors always hide behind the stereotype that they are poor. With the number of people in Bangkok, some vendors make hundreds of thousands of baht a month, which is more than many bank managers make. Even if they are poor but they actually behave like irresponsible capitalists. Fresh ingredients such as vegetables and meat are laid plainly on the dirty pavement. Would you like to eat the "charming" food made from ingredients placed on a dirty floor? Vendors also "wash" their dishes and cutlery on the streets and sometimes with the same dirty canal water that residential toilet water drains into. Would you like to eat from dishes washed this way? Is it "charming?" Very hot stove and sometimes with large quantities of very hot oil in giant woks are placed unprotected on streets next to schools. Yes, vendors want to sell to school children but what if a child runs into the wok and get splattered with the hot oil and gets gravely injured and disfigured? Who will be responsible for this? The vendors? Leftover organic liquids and solids are poured into the city's sewers because so many vendors do not care about the hygiene of their customers or the city at large or the rights of other people either. They only care about their convenience and profit. This has caused a huge epidemic of rats and cockroaches that bring diseases. Many vendors are also mafia themselves and do not care that they occupy public walking spacings. They claim that they can do what they like because they already pay "rent" money. What the &*^%? The city's walkways belong to the pedestrians and the people of Bangkok and are not business spaces. Bangkok residents are happy that we are getting our walking spaces back like how it should be. With the growing tourism, visitors may see only the side of the charms of the "choas" of Bangkok. This is understandable. But you are only visiting. We live here. However, we Bangkok residents would like to have clean pavements and ample space for our children to walk safely to bus stops or cross the road. Street vendors are welcome if only some areas of the pavement are used and there must be cleanliness, public order and safety measures put in place. At the moment, the situation with street vendors has gone overboard and became something that is out of control. We do not want dirty and disease-filled streets and sewers because of irresponsible vendors who only care about making money. There needs to be a balance. So this street regulation by the authorities now is welcome and we hope that it will be completed. This has not been done in past years because of corruption of the police who collects the "undertable" money from vendors. So look at the situation through our eyes. Regulation is not socialism but a balance where street vendors have their place. Citizens of Bangkok have their space to walk on clean pavements. The food available on streets are clean, tasty and have a good standard. With a smaller number of vendors but vendors who are of good quality, they can make good profits and keep the street food prices low. That is the correct balance that I hope will be reached. But I am not certain because it seems that the policies at the moment are "a day late and a dollar short."
Good to hear from the perspective of a Bangkok local. Tourists will only be there for a short period of time whereas locals have to face the issues day in and day out.
On a side note, would be great if you could paragraph your "essay" for easy reading.
Glad you took the time to speak from a living experience. If I were to set up shop in Canada, I would be forced to shut down within hours. It is illegal for children to sell lemonade from their front yards in Canada, it is illegal in Ontario to play hockey in the streets. If the Thai start telling themselves its the governments fault, they have to realize we all have rules, laws and regulations. They can be challenged, but if everyone is trying to sell FOOD !!!! without regulation, the risk out weighs the profits.
On the other hand Thailand has a much worse problem, the sex slave trade. This is the majority of its tourist industry. This is the highest risk to the Thai people.
"If I were to set up shop in Canada, I would be forced to shut down within hours. It is illegal for children to sell lemonade from their front yards in Canada"
And its wrong and all designed to keep normal people without capital from competing. You can have regulations but the extent western nations have gone to in regards to zoning, small business and self employment are oppressive. The tax system actually punishes self employment in Australia, your income taxes are exactly the same but you get none of the concessions larger businesses receive. Our streets have no vendors, no life and everything is overpriced shit because every business pays hundreds of thousands in rents to parasite developers with political influence.
Thailand has a lot of opportunity to profit immensely from street vendors, they just have to innovate. Instead they are going to copy us, ban it all, lay down more concrete junk and roads for yet more cars in its place.
I was thinking the junta is clearing out street vendors so they can give that market space to their own cronies.
Thank you for the eductional wake up! Yes nobody wants to be ill on a vacation. The vendors need some higher standard of doing business. The elderly and sick can die from bacteria or salmonila poisoning. I wouln't eat at a filthy place.
Im pretty sure there are more serious fucked up things for the government to focus on than to 'clean' up the vendors
You put it mildly EJ
You mean the ILLEGAL government
Ha ha maybe the Thai people are not creating enough problems for the government, but if you put enough of them out of work, I'm sure that they will begin. Then the government can have some REAL problems to deal with, such as real crime and big problems, like we have in the West.
@@seguefischlin haha Thailand's official un-employment rate..
When bad laws and policies are thought of or passed it starts with the poor who are self employed and don't rely on business structure that is taxed.
Their kicking these vendors off the streets so that the big businesses in the malls can cash in on their losses. Socialism and dirty politics.
So you want the politicians to allow untaxed, unmonitored businesses to run on tax built roads, limiting the country's growth and constantly pulled down by poverty?
They have been doing this for years i just don't want to see them suffer. Besides the tourist love it and the average Thai depends on it it's cheap and affordable. The government could also hold them more accountable and collect taxes on their earnings just like they do here in USA for the most part.
Ze Hydra yes,the informal sector supports millions,fff off snakehead
and the formal sector supports the whole country. Your argument is weak.
@Haka Lau, the government is trying. The documentary showcases governments solution "the mall street food" as a negative because it doesn't have the "atmosphere". Although that is how you move an informal sector into a formal business.
The money is made by the whole country. I dont get why i have to teach you basic business/economics. The money made through the banana sold on the street will go directly to only the farmer/seller. The money made through the banana sold in the mall will go to the farmer, the workers working in the mall, the owners of the mall, the tax on the banana will go to the government. I don't think i need to tell you where the money made by the government goes to. You can cry corruption as much as you want but still a huge part of it is put back into the country.
If you keep letting the people sell bananas on the street, the government will never have money, the poor will always be selling bananas with no improvement to their future generations, the country will remain poor.
This pains my heart, I wish the best for papaya salad vendor lady.
Stay strong-
Most of my thai are living on daily basics day by day.the balance of rich and poor are so painful. The authority who edicated with queen English accent and well dressed in tie and suits who pointed out how to manage this city for clearness and tidiness was right in his hands!but whereelse these street vendors will be swept under the carpet.everey life are struggled to survive. Thailand have no social security like developed country.
In this paw paw vendor case, my heart and tear are pouring for her.being a poor thai is such a crime and being a rich thai is such a wonderful privilege. She begs for a little sympathy making a living for her family and disabled husband.
Mind you! My country has the widest gap between the rich and poor.when someone said thai monarchy is the richest in this world. l will say to them , they are liar!
it's easy for tourist to enjoy the chaotic scene for 1-2 days. but if you stay all along, you will aspire for some order in the city.
not true
I lived in Bangkok for 18 months, and the best, cheapest food I got was on Sukhumvit Soi 38, which was clamped down on a few years ago, sadly. It was flourishing with vendors selling a variety of food to farang an Thais alike. Now it's a ghost town. Progress? I think not.
I'm a 71 yr. old American male. I've live many places in my life even in Korea. If I only have learned one thing in life it is that nothing, absolutely nothing stays the same, everything changes. There's a very old Korean saying, even the mountain changes in 1000 yrs.. This is just the way of life on this earth.
If something needs to be banned it should be the street vendors in India, gave me terrible food poisoning/diarrhoea a lot of times, not Bangkok. Bangkok is great. Such a shame it happened.
Nadeem Ahmed: I also have visited Mumbai several times and had diarrhea problem. Last Dec I visited but never eat on street stalls. This is a powerful control then military or police control! When people get problem, they never eat on these stalls. The vendors have to pack up and go, since no enough customers.
Nadeem Ahmed that's food poisoning.... Doesn't everyone know to never eat vendor food in India? They are FILTHY. Most ppl have no indoor plumbing and shit on the streets
Nadeem Ahmed You said India street food made you sick 'a lot of times' ? Why did you continue to eat thier street food after the first time you got sick
@irish k you don't watch Mark Weins videos? He had done different street vendor videos in different cities in India. He probably travels with Loperamide. I was in Thailand in January 2018 after I did an Indochina tour. I carried anti-diarrhea pills with me but never needed to use them even after eating some street food in Bangkok. The hotel I stayed at a few blocks north of MBK Centre..there were some street vendors selling food there that I bought from. Cheap food that did not make me sick. Also check out Grrl Traveler India.. she did a street food tour of India last year.
When I go to Indian restaurants in London, I also get diarrhoea. It's not how modern the restaurant might be or city it's in, it's if they have proper food handling and hygiene practice.
Oh no, please don't be like Singapore, and getting more "sterile". Everything is becoming more regulated, that it has lost some of its cultural charms..
TheSunMoon u cant buy chewing gum!omg,no flush,u arrest lah!
Are you sure that the charm and messy can go together?
Just went to both countries, and I have to say Singapore is honestly so boring. Its so 'developed', the only thing to do there is eat, walk through giant malls, and look at boring buildings made to attract tourists.
EXactly.. Singapore is ruined for all time - a sterile shitter.. no charm.. boring .. dullard of a place..
TheSunMoon So you don't like clealiness?
As a Bangkok Residence all my life I am 100% with the Gov. here. Yes, street food makes Bangkok famous but it has to be regulated. I used to eat street food too until I got food poisoning and saw them dumping soup and such into the drain clogging sewage pipe and guess what? floods happen because of clogged pipes with grease and fat. There are many markets that have available spot for these vendors to go but some of them don't because they can just use footpath for free and make the most money. I am tired of not having an actual footpath to walk around without squeezing between hot noodle bowl on one side and charcoal grill on the other waiting to burn myself. Some of the comments noted that these sellers are poor, No they are not. just take a walk before they set up shops, brand new truck, and sometimes even Mercedes. That just my two cents, it might affect tourist but it is definitely making my daily life better. Quick tip if you still want to enjoy Thai street food, just go to local market, any local market. You get street food charm in a more organized manner.
Ever since learning about unlicensed vendors using gutter oil to cook, I'd be terrified of eating street food, hopefully that's just a Chinese thing.
Thank you. Ive been to BK twice. Where do they wash their hands? I saw a rat literally steal a guys sandwich on the side of the street. I had a friend get mono from street vendors in Vietnam. So CNN giving BK a "top street vendor city" award is a joke. It's a bunch of typical journalists who know very little about details and see everything only on the surface.
Also, I've lived in China for 6 years, I know street vendors and they are all dirty.
คนไทยมากมายที่คุ้นชินกับการขายของริมทางเท้า ชีวืตของคนค้าขายเยอะแยะชึ้นอยู่กับวิธีนี้ เมืองต้องปรับให้เข้ากับคน ไม่ใช่ให้คนปรับตัวเมือง ออกแบบเมืองให้รับกับความต้องการของคน อย่าไปคิดตามฝรั่ง อยากเป็นแบบเขา คิดเองทำเองดีกว่าครับ
Ok clogged pipes cause of greece and floodings because of it, must be true even in the west clogged oil is a problem. But them driving a mercedes is exagerated, there might be one or two.
Hygiene is also very dramatized, unless its extreme its even better to be exposed to dirt here and there.
Burning on a grill on one side and hot oil pan other? Exageratio? Ofcourse.
I’ll have the vendors please.
Any diarrhoea you had pales in comparison to the verbal diarrhoea you produce.
I guess the rich people who own all the shopping malls have paid the police and military off handsomely to take out the poor street food vendor competition.
Only a westerner or tourists would say the regulation is going take away the charms of bangkok. I am Thai and knows the country enough to appreciate the regulation. Perhaps its not the best way of solving the problem of chaos, traffic, and general uncleanliness but atleast something is being done and in this country thats rare. Its bizarre for me that people actually want to keep the streets dirty because of "charm" and "exoticness". You're not the one living here and he one facing the problem that your charm and exoticness causes. You're here for a few months or a few years after you've retired and have nothing to do but spend your retirement money on a bargain.
well said
Tourism represent -/+20% in 2014 of thailand GDP. Your country can't get enough of that sweet retirement money.
You make a good point, but the outcome will probably be that both the street vendors and the pedestrians disappear, and the streets become pretty much exclusively used by motor vehicles.
Chris W, Lol pedestrians aren't going to disappear...
Warit, you are dead wrong. I lived many years in developing countries, so that argument doesn't work. I will gladly take a bit of mess to have delicious street food. I truly wish the U.S. would FULLY embrace street food culture, and the human connection that comes along with it.
I love Bangkok organized chaos, it's unique its alive
LowLight psssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh somlia's organised chaos is much better !
Might just have to go to Hanoi or Phnom Penh.
agree
LowLight
I agree with you
Your mother was unique and alive too
One of the bad side of the street food scenarios is that the street vendor just pour everything from waste water, fat, soup left over food you name it. This cause a lot of problem to the sewage system especially when it rain heavily and it's flood so quick.
The story you got from them always be that the government bullied the poor but the reality screams the other side of their trade, the side they don't want to acknowledge or speak about.
However, I never had any sickness related to the street food in my life. Dude with grey eyebrow really don't know shit about street food and safety.
My points of the comment is that, those street food vendor CAN improve their trade by take good care of their waste and cleanliness then the gov. will have no argument against them.
ปริญ เคียนทอง good explanation
Anecdotal evidence is not representative of the overall statistical pool
im sure that they could easily solve the sewage problem by working together,
saying, if you dont stop doing that we will ban street vendors over and over for a period of time then banning it in one street to make a example and show your serious if they dont listen always have worked in the past.
Exactly, I felt like the government could've simply found a way to compromise and work with them instead of just eliminating them.
@@l3tho836 they didnt because the wanted them gone for mean wicked reasons, all this theater about the messy street vendor is a facade they , the aristrocrats are back with a vengence and they see us as trash the good old way we have to be out of their sight. we merely borrowed the cities while it was popular to live in the suburbs, now they want it back and they are taking it
Put these street vendors on major cities of 1st world countries then see how if those people are willing to put up the mess it creates on the streets.😂😂😂
Pfft...tourist
Badoodles we used to have that in the Pacific Northeest before Amazon, google and FB ruined everything.
Badoodles I didn’t see any mess... It not sterile like a mall. Singapore is bland on bland with nothing on it.
They fetishize poor conditions in smaller countries
I was in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. All three are very modern but the charm of street vendors in Bangkok is was made it the most fun. Great eats of all kinds. That papaya salad looks delish.
Could it be that there are just too many vendors?
I once saw a man screaming "it's a boy ! " I asked a local if that was a hospital. The local said , " no it's a brothel."
stupid comments
What are you trying to prove here?
hahaha I insist that, I am Thai
v ttd -I think your talking about Cambodia, that’s where all the pedophile go.
They should not remove them, just bring them under law and let them operate. That's how they provide to the family.
All politics.. This is why rich is getting richer and poor are getting poorer..
The question is why is the Australian media / public getting involved in the social and political issues of Bangkok? Another example of westerners trying to stick their unwanted head into the private affairs of Asian countries
Because a huge portion of Bangkok tourism is from Australia. A lot of Australians have come to care about the people and the place.
Amy Lorenzo < I am an America who is deeply patriotic. And I agree with you 100%.
All the Murcians triggered.. yep those are the ones haha
Baby Purn without knowing what harm they could do to millions of people
Hailey Brown worst cuisine ever
Food laying next to the train tracks as the train goes by, smh,
I loooooooooove Thailand and the people there!!!!!! 😀😀😀💜💙💚
Same! I spent some time working there a few years ago and the people were so friendly.. I've recommended it to everyone I know. Amazing country with even more amazing people!! If nothing else I hope they never lose that overwhelming friendliness.
illustrious1 ever been to Siam ?
George Are you talking about the area in the Puthum Wan district?
agree, both
Why thank you I never knew my country is this special.
huh, surprised they get most traffic at night. I avoid eating late because of acid reflux
Well that sucks. I much prefer to visit places with street vendors.
I wish Australia had them, actually, but to me they are one of the best little things of travel
Its bigger than just the street vendors, this is the issue that has gained traction in the press.
We are IF j11à
Are you sure that the charm and the messy can go together? -Vallop Suwandee
agree I live in Aust and food is hell boring
Leopold
Where can you have street vendors without blocking traffic? Thailand?
Bangkok Street Foods is the main reason i want flight back to Thailand, just to eat and hanging around, the foods is awesome, cheap and good. That's the main attraction for the tourist!
I think both sides (government and street vendors) have legitimate points. It isn't fair for outsider westerners to criticize the Thai gov that they cannot alter their city and how public spaces like streets and rivers are used. Street vendors and people living right by the river represent an outdated system of communal/civic design, where private space and public space can be right next to each other without any conflicts. But when a city like Bangkok grows into a large city, there are more people who have to share the same, limited amount of public space like street sidewalks and rivers.
Everyday citizens of Bangkok need to have access to the banks of the river and the sidewalks, and its backwards for families to take up precious real estate space by a major river, etc...
Don't try to support the street vendors by saying they are preserving the character of Bangkok. Plenty of other cities around the world has or have had street vendors. Its not that unique. Its probably a natural stage in the progression of human societies from villages to towns to cities to mega cities. When you criticize the Thai gov for trying to update the use of public spaces in their city, you're basically trying to hold them back in this natural progression.
Tradition is a tradition... I love Thailand cause they have a beautiful tradition even street foods too.....
The arrogance of western travelers never ceases to amaze me. There is no way they would put up with their own footpaths being so jammed with stalls that they had to walk in traffic but when the Thais want to do something about it they whine.
I would do more than put up with it. I would actively support it.
We would if they were selling delicious food at cheap prices.
Rubbish! Western cities are sterile and sickly! You have something special, traditional and centuries old - crushing it makes no sense. Western countries are boring stinkholes. You guys have life!!! It should be allowed for.
People complain here too. Conformity and gentrification is killing cities everyday. Prices going up with no end in sight.
When I was in Thailand in the 70's, I used to buy these kabobs from a street vendor. They consisted of chunks of meat and pineapple. They cost 25 cents each and I loved them. Never knew for sure what the meat was, but knew better than to ask. I just enjoyed them a lot. And no, mall food vendors are not street food vendors
Bangkok street is spontaneously beautiful messy and lively!
It is hard to imagine there's no more traditional street food stalls.
Please preserve the streetfood culture✌️😭
agree
There is .I was there 2 weeks ago
This happened in 2017 in my country, it's only logical to stop the madness that comes with the hindrances of illegal street occupation. I love street food from Asia...loved Viet Nam and Malaysia for this.
There’s a lot of comments from foreigners LoL.
I’m Thai who lives in Bangkok since I was born. This report is untrue & it’s the idea of group which antis current government. There is NO WAY to really happen cuz Thai pple has the quote “Doing everything freely is real Thai” no order, no discipline.
I don’t know how you guys define the word “street food” in BKK but many people need small shops on the footpath get away cuz it obstructs walking till sometime pple gotta walk on the main road. But around my area, they will always get back after a week of ridding.
The same kind of food on the footpath, is in the building of every street & the price is same rate by the owner who pay renting.
But I understand having shop on the street cuz renting in mall/store is very expensive & little profit, I gotta raise the price also. If every shop move in renting place, everything will be so high. That’s why it’s bittersweet for KrungThep pple ^_^ and it keeps on going.
i could have sworn i saw jackie chan in this video
Bangkok is making efforts to become a first world city. And that means over regulating nearly everything. Maybe they want to be
boring, expensive and cleaner like Singapore.
Payhole Everdouche Except that street food is a huge draw for the department of tourism.
honestly any place can be boring. it's the people u mix with that make the difference. Singapore expensive? yes cos u couldn't afford it. Clean? Maybe U haven't seen the dirty part of the city yet. Singapore used to have street food all over but they have been evicted into a cleaner, well-oganized known as hawker's centre(still generally affordable) Think Bangkok should have a few places for the street vendors to move into before chasing them away.
you mean unliveable like Singapore
I can afford Singapore i travel to holiday inn or sentosa every 2 months but i still say its expensive. Singapore is a money head country but they dont know how to be happy.
Ernest Kwok
The majority of Americans cannot afford to go to Singapore. It's a very expen$ive city and it's generally considered a first world city. It may be inexpensive for you but you're clearly in the minority. Additionally, it's a very rigid city state with many strict rules and regulations which is a huge turn off for most American vacationers.
I think it is a sad history... but the report is clearly partial and did not considered "another side" reasons and motivations. I saw something similar in other places...
True. It is sad that some people lost their livelihood but I found the report completely biased.
Wow that's really messed up! Taking away a special part of culture by doing this. Unbelievable! 🤦♂️
Not only in Bangkok but anywhere else in Thailand, I had the best food from street vendors. Traveling for a month never been sick.
practically all Asian countries have the same probs. that include India, Pakistian. The question is, is Thai government willing to help all those people affected....
Thank you. Your vid is very educational. And I can see that the world is now brighter and hopeful.
Bangkok is one of the least pedestrian friendly cities I know.
The pavements are narrow or non existent in many areas.
Food vender stalls, are a dangerous nuisance.
Then fuck off back home.
@@Nautilus1972 You got a big mouth boy, I'd like you to stand in front of me like a man and say that.
@@ianlavender7185 Piss off, bitch.
I loved Bangkok before this change. One of my favorite things was to sit at one of those roll up bars, have a beer and enjoy watching and mingling with the people. There was a really good variety of tasty street food as well as the clothes vendors selling t-shirts, shorts etc.
This change has made the tourist area just another boring city attraction whereas before the area was alive. I am now avoiding Bangkok for much of my holidays in favor of other places in Thailand that still allow the street vendors. The military government will hopefully realise what this change means to the tourists once the tourists are gone.
Just got back from Singapore and in the MRT they have signs with cartoon sperm characters encouraging the people to make babies lol
Kevs Stream Where ? On the streets ?
Inside most of the MRT trains and train stations.
I really feel for these genuine people God bless the self made men and women of earth.
a step in the right direction. things will get worse before they get better. they should just adapt the hawker centre idea from singapore and just be done with it.
We already have that in most of our shopping malls.
The street food charm are gone if you did that it's slower the food are no better than what serve down the streets and sometimes worse and also more expensive because of the rental fees.
The only reason we did that is to seek refuge from hot sunny weather outside.
Most still wouldn't exchange street food for the regulated version.
These people are just magic they are beautiful people
"I like this way " " I don't like this way" how about some respect for the locals ? after all it's their life and they are the one who live in it everyday for the whole life, we are just visitors. the 🌎 world doesn't have to spinning the way western people would like it to be. Keep it or lose it, people are changing and the world is changing. We are no body to point finger at them .. some time it's little " funny " how third world just not suppose to be better economic wise or stronger military wise for the western county or western media. I use to believe these kinda shows or news but i know people doing things or have point view for they own benefit or some reasons. have think about what you see and what you hear, nothing just simply as yes or no..
It's not about what westerners want at all. This is for poor people to buy and sell. They can't afford to set up a restaurant nor can they buy from a restaurant.
This is about Westerners wanting excitement and low prices from their low budget holidays and sex tourism. To the Thai government it's about modernising their society like the Westerners have.
if they remove street vendors they should at least pay them a bit for removing them so they’ll have money
Thai street food is clean. Should be nighttime for
the generals there!
They r nasty people
Am I really the only one who sees the long term improvement in infrastructure? You might not understand it, but this will mean more profit for the city.
Omgeee! The holes in this report!! Lol..
1. They start with saying that Bangkok street vendors are disappearing! The govt is getting rid of them all.
2. Cut to, city official stating it was residents who wanted the vendors gone.
3. Cut to, regulators on the street ensuring food safety, making sure cooks wear gloves when serving food.
4. Cut to “witness” visiting her fave food vendor, while he cooks and served with bare hands!!
5. Cut to lady saying she’s been serving for 20 yrs, and has been kicked out of her place of vending, so she goes where she’s not allowed?? Whet? 20 years being sneaky in the same business? I doubt it
There are so many more!
Better reporting next time.... 🤣
I've lived in Bangkok for 25 years and probably eaten street food daily. That's over 9,000 meals and I've been sick precisely zero times. Anyway, nice story without explaining why they think the government has really banned street food.
I think the Thai Government should go to Taiwan to know why is street food of this country legal and sanitary?
The green papaya lady is so sweet, her pushing her cart and hiding breaks my heart >.
she does not want to obey the rules though
Bangkok is doing it right, i wish my vietnam would require the street vendor to wear gloves and hair net when serving foods. Kick them out or make them put on gloves when serving foods.
There have to be some regulations on cleanliness. Having someone to don hats, aprons and gloves isn't asking much.
i have been there before, how do u think i got rich? have nothing and a refugee from vietnam, come to america live in los angles now, i would not eat there if they dont put on gloves.
dang0088 da What's more concerning about street food is the lack of clean running water. Without running water, hygiene is non-existent. Also the hot climate of Thailand spoils the food quickly. Quick stir-frying do not cook the meat and seafood thoroughly. I guess they just give the dirty dishes a quick dunk in a dirty bucket of water and give it a quick wipe in a non- too clean towel. I'm Asian and I shudder thinking about this.
gosh you're so self absorbed
dang0088 da DANG0088 IT. please dont go to Thailand
The Chef not only loves food but loves the guys as well.
i love bangkok
Phom rak Thailand
Well what happened here in Taiwan is that street food is also disappearing which really limits the options to eat for low or average income people ... all cheap options are getting erased but salaries are not increasing
To be honest, If I want something clean, regulated, I would go to Europe, not to Bangkok.. Tokyo's tourism still alive because they keep their small local street vendor while being clean, not to ban them...
You don't want dirty? you don't want chaotic street? Try to lift people's economy first... They will keep alive as poverty is still a problem in Thailand
Really well made video ❤️
This already happened in Hong Kong over 20 yrs ago. It is not the same Hong Kong.
Birthrate in Singapore is caused more by the cost of living and cost of raising kids rather than rules and regulations
Duangrit Bunnag the architect featured in this clip is right, Singapore has lost it charm with the tourist when the food vendor is being chased away. The charm of Bangkok will be no more if the street vendor is gone. The reason why people from Singaporean, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Malaysia are flocking to Bangkok is to experience the amazing street food culture that is unique. Chasing away the food vendor is as good as chasing the tourist away.
Not true. The only reason all these people flock to Thailand instead of Singapore,Malaysia and the other countries you mentioned is the Thai baht is cheap compared to the currencies of those countries and more importantly you have plenty of cheap guesthouses in Thailand. I have been visiting Thailand since 2003 when I retired and I agree with the government's decision . During the monsoon season ,Bangkok and other low lying cities are heavily flooded and the drained are clogged by plastic and other floating materials thrown. Every year , the army is called upon to deal with this problem . I think these irresponsible hawkers don't care or realize the misery and pain the inflict on their fellow citizens when such calamities occur due to their own carelessness. The ideal solution would be to provide clean and hygienic space for eating like in Chiang Mai and Krabi food market.
Dont worry the red light district is still around so Bangkok will not lose it's charm😂😂😂😂😂
@19:23 A very profound observation.
So sad, it brakes my heart
I've worked in food prep in various companies for over a decade. Watching the vendors work they have better food handling skills than a lot of people in big fast food chains or your average supermarket deli
most ppl complaining here about regulation are westerners who are scared of losing their "vacation spot"
or people (like myself) who live in bangkok and rely on street food to eat lunch and dinner. Sure, I could afford to pay 3x the price in a normal restaurant, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have that kind of money here. but fuck poor people right? they're just poor, they don't deserve to eat.
ive been to thailand many times and i fully understand that poor ppl will suffer, i just find it annoying how most ppl here are just talking about "street food is the thai culture and its one of the man reasons they go" - if the govt wants to improve the whole city by cleaning up their streets, i think it would be beneficial in the long term
Maybe because the locals can't afford a phone? That's why all the complaining comments are from westerners. Maybe if these people were allowed to run their business then they could go buy a phone and whinge then ey?
afromp I do not think tourists are the problem, the government in that country are just been to greedy.
There might just be another reason.
Turning Thailand into a big corporate-only game hasn't worked out too well for America over time.
I have been to Bangkok and I certainly enjoyed the city as it is. Street food is nice and cheap as well not to mention that sellers are very friendly and accommodating. Yes there's a dream or initiative to transform it into a more high end or organized way but I believe that it's uniqueness as a "city" was the reason why it became the most visited place in the entire world last 2016. Yes, a developed and more organized version can attract tourists but if that's what tourists really want, they would rather go to London or Australia or some cities in Europe not Bangkok but we have already seen that tourists are attracted to the natural beauty of Bangkok. Let us not forget that when we appreciate the beauty of a forest for example, we don't look and appreciate its view only from a far. When we appreciate the beauty of a forest, we appreciate it as a whole. We appreciate its tree, insects and all elements living inside it. It's like love. When you love someone you love his or her flaws as well. It's appreciation. And I truly appreciate Bangkok as it is. Showing my love and respect to street vendors and people of Bangkok.. #LovefromManilaPhilippines
Give them an area, where they can have the necessary hot and cold running water and toilets, so the can set up and pay tax`s.
Good reporting, well done!
Cheap...But No Quality..!
Lol.. you've clearly neverd traveld to Thailand
I love Thailand its one of the most beautiful countries on earth but what I really admired about Thailand was the vendors that sold tangerine juice and made it fresh its so so good. This is truly a huge shame since it reduces crime and poverty.
I'm with the Bangkok government on this one. I love Bangkok and the street food vendors are Bangkok's treasure, and I hate to see some of them lose their livelihood. But, a city is more than a tourist destination, and the daily lives of its citizens are significantly damaged by unregulated food vendors and hawkers, and infrastructure cannot be protected unless businesses see regulated. While this video seems critical of singapore's regulated hawker stalls, I think Singapore is cleaner, safer and orderly because of the regulation. I don't mind having to walk a few blocks on clean footpaths to get to a hawker centre and have lunch. On the other hand, westerners need to stop intervening in the workings of foreign governments. Imagine the mayor of Tokyo or a Japanese media personality coming to Denver and be critical of weed shops.
Yea it's like they think they're above the rest of humanity, looking down on us pitiful things.
Aww poor you, so oppressed. That's ok, let white people pull out of every international aid and charity cause, because hey they look down at everyone. Shut the fuck up.
Well you apparently drank all the koolaid. Next time put down the cup and use your head before making ignorant statements about things you have no fucking clue about. This is about government scumbags getting more tax dollars to pocket and nothing to do with public safety or re-leaving congestion. You fucking idiot, nothing personal, just saying.
Are you sure that the charm and messy can go together?
"the daily lives of its citizens are significantly damaged by unregulated food vendors "
wait what? the food is perfectly safe to eat. there are literally 10s of thousands of both street food vendors and regular, regulated restaurants in Bangkok. If street food was harming people, why is it so popular with local thais?
criticize the cleanliness and how it makes the streets dirty, I get it, but the idea that "ohhh the unregulated food boogeyman is hurting people' is just so false. I think you obviously don't live in bangkok (I do) or spend a lot of time with thai people, or you would know that the idea of street food being dangerous is simply preposterous.
for 28 years been eatting Thai street food north to south and never got sick and CNN is right its the best street food of the world
You guys can always come to Kuala Lumpur.. over there street food culture is still alive
was there for 2 weeks, ate nothing but street vendor's food and had local drinks, never got sick, was delicious, what a shame.
it's a tradition.nothing else needs said
sSKAa 1 so's female circumcision
George huh?
George meeeah so boring
a filthy tradition.
Chiang Mai cleared out a lot of the sidewalk vendors between 2009-2012. I noticed the streets were much cleaner. you are able to walk easily. Usually the City Govt may build some off street nite markets where the vendors can sell food.
Get rid of all the street vendors, they clog the streets and set up in front where other businesses are paying tax`s. I bet if you went and set up a food stall in front of this street vendors house, they would get mad.
The government has enough money.
virgendeguadalupe virgen Exactly. The government should relocate them so they can still earn.
Did watch the video..That clothing business was helping that street vendor.
If you don't own a restaurant. More people congregating in front of your business will increase sales.. Dah
The street vendors also attract a lot of people who end up supporting those businesses.
Those other businesses can also become a street vendor.
9:33
That's exactly why I would visit its charming chaos. The culture, the environment is amazing.
If I had a business and paid tax`s and a street food vendor, just set up shop in front of my business, I would get mad.
what makes you think street food vendors don't pay tax? you know that all income is taxed, right? if street food vendors aren't paying it, then address that issue, don't ban all street food.
Well technically speaking most street food vendors dont make minimum tax quota in thailand anyways. So yes they are not paying tax. They are not banning street food, they are moving it out the street and into regulated areas. Moreover, street food vendors are illegal, they dont have work permits or anything. So i dont get how people are justifying the black market.
Because they're poor and it;s they're only source of income.
And don't gimme this crap,here in The Netherlands the few vendors we have which do pay taxes and are heavily regulated are dissapearing too. Goverments world wide hate this type of business because they want to shove everybody into real estate. Soon Thailand will become boring like the west with every city having the same chain restaurants.People do like food carts,people do like food trucks but it's the goverments and municipalities who are bought kick them out with lame excuses everytime.
That egg noodle guy's food looks amazingly good.
I want Bangkok look like Singapore, Clean ,Very Clean
Rogue Sabana
Most of the vendors are becoming criminals.
like boring singapore?
Emily Brown Exaclty! I dont see many people visiting Singapore for Holidays. It's just the same everywhere.There is no place like Bangkok!
Singapore is like Disneyland! Artificial and staged. The real people of the country do not live in the city. It is expensive and focused on foreign workers and investors.
Street food is an important part of Thailand's charm. It is safe, good and inexpensive. It's a shame to see this.
Street food are a charm of BKK and with it disappearing it would loose its essence of what makes it BKK
As a tourist one aspect why we decide to visit thailand its because of it street food we see from bloggers in videos,,, and the streetfoods we try.is amazinggg
I love thai food, may be they should relocate them, and not shut down. and if bangkok becomes like singapore, they will also become too proud and racist like singaporeans and there will only be discrimination between rich and poor.
When I go to bangkok, one of the reason is that I can stroll along the streets and try all this different delicious foods with cheap price and see them cook in front of my eyes is an amazing experience. It's a pity that it will go away
#CNNISFAKENEWS
#RUSSIATODAYISFAKENEWS
Sounds like the best way for the government to achieve its goal, while also giving street vendors something to look forward to is give more designated spots, while maybe enforcing rotations between vendors within these spots.
Now I think I understand it. It was the idea of the General who staged the coup to develop the waterfront. I wonder if he moght have an investment in this project? If you need an idea of how corrupt the Thai Military are, consider this: The Thai Navy has nearly 30 submarine Captains who are paid extra for Submarine duties. The problem with that, is the only submarine in Thailand is the "Yellow Submarine " which is a tourist attraction in Pattaya.
If that doesn't convince you, how about the fact that there are 10,000 army colonels in Thailand, and most have never seen military service or worn a uniform, but have bought their rank?
John Peddubriwny TMB,The Thai military bank
Good point.
Street vendor food is a huge part of Asian culture.
cracking down on poor people and their way of life, they are getting Trumped
How is trump hurting small businesses?
Don't do it. They are the heart of the source of food identity
lets go to one of the most polluted places on earth, and eat their food. mmmmmmm yum
if people were dying of food poisoning, by the thousands in my country, it would be addressed, quickly
millions die in bankok every year due to water , and air pollution. guess what they wash their hands, plates, food in? go on, guess........................................idiot
polluted water, idiot
you give the bangkok government too much credit. They are corrupt, they are stupid, they even let people set up stalls which must be collapsed to let trains through. What a joke .............idiot
hard to believe that the most polluted place on the planet has clean water to wash their hands and put in food. MILLIONS, die in a year of environmental ingestion, in bangkok, ignore it, they are, you idiot
S Korea went thru same thing clearing illegal street vendors back in 1980s and 1990s. In the beginning, lot of locals hated it who were used to street vendors nearby their home or work places. But looking back now, it was needed to make city look clean. You can still see legally operated street vendors in the market designated for them. Thai government is doing right thing to make city look clean as population is growing in the cities. One thing that is different between S Korea and Thailand is that Thai rely much more on tourists income which S Korea isn't.
Singapore- was once having chaotic street vendors- Now it had housed them in clean cool buildings - called Hawker Centres-
5:13 can u imagine the police acting like your manager lol.
They are trying to become more and more first world ❤️
I was just there. There is still plenty of street food vendors. They are just not allowed on the main busy walk ways but you still have thousands to pick from