New regulations restrict migrant employment and enhance pavement accessibility
PUBLISHED: 19 Sep 2024 at 16:10
New regulations from the City Hall stipulate that only “poor Thais” will be allowed to operate as street vendors in Bangkok, while also banning the employment of migrants and imposing additional requirements.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt has enacted a notice outlining these new rules, which will take effect upon publication in the Royal Gazette, according to a spokesperson for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
According to the new guidelines, street vendors must be Thai nationals, possess government welfare cards, be repaying loans for houses from the National Housing Authority, and receive welfare allowances from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.
Additionally, vendors must register with the Revenue Department’s annual tax system, ensuring their income does not exceed 300,000 baht annually after business-related expenses.
Each vendor is permitted to have a sales assistant, who must also be Thai. Moreover, vendors are required to obtain permission from the public health authorities.
In terms of public safety and accessibility, vendors must leave a pedestrian pathway of 1.5 to 2 metres, depending on street widths. Each stall is restricted to three square metres, must be situated only adjacent to the road surface, and maintain a minimum distance of 50cm from the roadway.
Furthermore, there should be a space of at least 3 metres for emergency exits at intervals of every 10 stalls.
