street food culture that defines the Thai capital<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\nConvenient, full of flavour and popular among locals and tourists alike, Bangkok\u2019s street food is one of the city\u2019s signatures \u2013 where sizzling woks and smoky charcoal grills turn boulevards and sidewalks into open-air kitchens from morning until late at night. <\/p>\n
But many street sellers in the foodie paradise face an uncertain future as the Bangkok government in recent years has moved to clear footpaths, improve order and relocate vendors from curbsides in packed commercial districts to designated market stalls.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am worried because we are here illegally,\u201d said Ms Looknam Sinwirakit, who was once fined 1,000 baht (S$40) for obstructing the street while selling 50-baht fried glutinous rice cakes in the capital\u2019s Chinatown.<\/p>\n
One of Bangkok\u2019s busiest tourist areas, the neighbourhood\u2019s steady flow of customers is worth the risk of city fines, Ms Looknam, 45, told AFP.<\/p>\n
\u201cVendors need to earn a living,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not fair just to evict us, but if they tell us to (leave) then we have to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nearby, durian seller Wong Jaidee, who has sold the strong-smelling fruit for more than two decades, said he also feared being made to move.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have any backup plan,\u201d the 56-year-old said. \u201cBangkok is a high-priced city, and we may not be able to cope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\nStreet food vendor Looknam Sinwirakit (left) preparing fried glutinous rice cakes from a cart in Chinatown, Bangkok, on April 29. <\/p>\n
PHOTO: AFP<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Since 2022, the estimated number of mobile vendors in the city has fallen by more than 60 per cent, with around 10,000 fewer now on the streets, according to data from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).<\/p>\n
While dozens have moved to informal markets and hawker centres \u2013 using a model similar to Singapore, where food vendors are grouped in designated locations \u2013 many others have simply closed their businesses due to the stricter regulations or because they were no longer profitable, said BMA official Kunanop Lertpraiwan.<\/p>\n
The municipality has mostly targeted vendors crowding main roads with heavy pedestrian traffic, while those on side streets and in areas popular with backpackers and other tourists were allowed more flexibility, Mr Kunanop said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe give them time and communicate with them clearly,\u201d he said, adding that some sellers were given several months to find a new location.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like we will move them tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city is pushing more vendors to set up shop in one of five hawker centres opened in recent years \u2013 the latest in April beside Bangkok\u2019s popular Lumphini Park.<\/p>\n
With rows of food stalls and picnic tables, the new hub so far houses around a dozen vendors who previously sold food on nearby streets.<\/p>\n\n\nA street food vendor preparing noodles at the newly opened Lumphini Hawker Centre in Bangkok on April 30. <\/p>\n
PHOTO: AFP<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
BMA encouraged them to relocate, and they now pay 60 baht a day to rent a hawker stall.<\/p>\n
Ms Panissara Piyasomroj, who has been selling noodles to morning runners in the park since 2004, said moving into the centre meant better conditions, including convenient access to water and electricity.<\/p>\n
Under a roof to beat the heat, the 59-year-old said her business had been \u201cupgraded\u201d and \u201clooks cleaner\u201d.<\/p>\n
But for other vendors, the prospect of moving from a familiar setting remains a concern.<\/p>\n
Ms Thitisakulthip Sang-uamsap, 67, has sold fried vegetable balls near Chinatown for more than 40 years and worries she could be forced to relocate.<\/p>\n\n\nStreet food vendor Thitisakulthip Sang-uamsap selling fried vegetarian snacks in Chinatown in Bangkok on April 30.<\/p>\n
PHOTO: AFP<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\u201cI live around here… if they ask me to leave, I won\u2019t be comfortable,\u201d she said, adding that she hoped the government would show empathy for older vendors earning little income.<\/p>\n
The crowded, bustling sidewalks and the smell of freshly grilled squid and other street treats are for many visitors a key part of Bangkok\u2019s charm \u2013 and a cheap, tasty meal on the go is worth the hassle of a blocked path.<\/p>\n
German tourist Oliver Peter said Thailand has one of the best cuisines in the world, noting his favourite, Pad Thai \u2013 the popular stir-fried rice noodles ubiquitous in Bangkok\u2019s streetside woks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be sad if they go away,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s part of the culture.\u201d AFP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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