They sell everything from noodle soup to sex toys, but Bangkok's famed street hawkers are now facing a crackdown as authorities in the fast-growing metropolis struggle to make space for pedestrians on the crowded pavements.
The move to relocate thousands of sellers from main roads to side streets or restrict touting to the night is part of a campaign to "reclaim the sidewalks" that comes as the ruling junta vows to "clean-up" Thailand's image.
Bangkok residents have long shared their streets with merchants, relying on them for cheap meals and household goods, while tourists are readily found haggling over knock-off handbags, T-shirts or cut-price DVDs.
The stalls that festoon many streets have come to define one of Southeast Asia's most vibrant cities, but are also prompting complaints from some Thais who decry them as hazards -- raising questions over how the bustling capital uses its public space.
http://news.yahoo.com/crackdown-bangkok ... 05060.html
Crackdown on Bangkok street stalls
Crackdown on Bangkok street stalls
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?