By the end of this year, most of Bangkok’s roads and pavements will be free from street food. The space will be returned to pedestrians and motorists as the Thai government tries to restore hygiene and order to the city’s streets and walkways.

So far, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has cleared 508 areas in the capital from street vendors. It plans to do the same to the remaining 175 locations in the next few months. While the efforts to manage Bangkok’s streets are welcomed by many residents, the ban on street vendors has badly affected others. A number of small sellers were forced to stop their businesses altogether because they had nowhere to continue.

In 2015, the district began clearing its roads and pavements from street vendors. According to the Network of Thai Street Vendors for Sustainable Development, the ban on street sellers has affected some 200,000 operators across the city and hurt the local economy. Its president Raywat Chobtham told CNA that tens of thousands of low-income earners who rely on the businesses will not be able to survive because there are not enough state-owned sites to accommodate them inexpensive commercial districts.

On Sep 11, the City Hall’s Law Enforcement Department said authorities are in the process of closing down the remaining 175 locations in Bangkok currently occupied by street vendors. However, City Hall will relocate some affected sellers to markets nearby and carry out the plan gradually to minimise the impact on vendors and the public.