Bangkok Street Food Stalls Are Not Going Anywhere For Now – Street Food Ban Lifted. Bangkok street food noodles, Bangkok Thailand. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Bangkok Street Food Stalls Are Not Going Anywhere For Now – Street Food Ban Lifted

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Bangkok street food stalls are not going anywhere for now so street food lovers around the world can breathe a deep sigh of relief, cancel those direct flights to Phuket and Chiang Mai, and start salivating once again.

UPDATE: The situation appears to be changing all the time. We’ll be posting another story on this subject very soon.

It’s not often that we cover news here but we couldn’t ignore a story that we knew you’d be relieved to hear just out of Thailand and that’s the announcement yesterday that Bangkok street food stalls are not going anywhere – for now, anyway.

As you know, we’re street food lovers with footpath feasting a priority wherever we go. While we’re big fans of the street food in Phuket and Chiang Mai, Bangkok is undoubtedly Thailand’s best street food destination – even if we don’t think it’s the world’s best. For us, that title goes to Vietnam‘s cities, to Hanoi, Saigon, Hoi An, Hue… we could go on, but back to Bangkok.

Bangkok Street Food Stalls Are Not Going Anywhere – For Now

In case you missed the news that has consumed (sorry) the attention of media around the world this week, the government of Bangkok – the city that CNN recently named world street food capital for the second year in a row – announced that it was evicting its cherished street food vendors from the city’s footpaths, with local favourite Chinatown and tourist hotspot Khao San Road the latest targets in a recent campaign.

Stall holders who’d been feeding locals for 17 years on some of the most beloved street food streets, Thonglor, Ekkamai and Pridi Banomyong Roads, were advised to cease operations by 17 April, according to ABC News, which reported that 15,000 food vendors had received eviction notices, pointing out that many Thais relied on their $1-2 street food dish for a nutritious meal; one study estimated that two-thirds of Bangkok locals ate at least one street food meal a day.

Thailand’s The Nation news site reported this week that the chief adviser to Bangkok’s governor declared that “the street vendors have seized the pavement space for too long and we already provide them with space to sell food and other products legally in the market… Every street vendor will have to move out.” He gave a deadline of the end of 2018.

According to the Nation, the Governor’s spokesperson said that having successfully cleared the footpaths of food vendors in Siam Square, Pratunam and the flea market beneath Phra Phuttayotfa Bridge, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was “working to get rid of the street vendors from all 50 districts of Bangkok and return the pavements to the pedestrians”. He cited cleanliness, hygiene and safety as the main reasons.

Incredibly, and undoubtedly a sign as to how valued street food is by their readers, the story was covered by practically every major news outlet across the planet, from Bangladesh to Budapest, from The Guardian and Time to SBS and the South China Morning Post, and food sites such as SaveurEater and Daily Meal. Street food devotees expressed outrage, horror and shock at what they deemed a “tragedy” across social media.

Concerned about the loss of what we believe to be an integral part of Bangkok’s culinary heritage, culture and everyday life, we consulted Bangkok-based chefs to find out how they felt about the ban on the city’s celebrated street food stalls.

Chef Ian Kittichai, owner of one of Bangkok’s best restaurants, Issaya Siamese Club, and the Issaya Cooking Studio, helped his mother sell her curries from a cart on the street as a child.

“If indeed the enforcement is strict it could further hasten the death of certain types of Thai dishes, many that are already fading away as younger generations move away from the old food traditions,” Chef Ian said. “For Thais and Bangkok residents with less purchasing power, it will definitely impact their wallets and what they can afford to eat. It will also mean that the younger generations may not ever see or eat some of the old-style street food dishes.”

“Another consequence will be for the small Thai business owners who perhaps have a street food business – it will either potentially put them out of business or force them to take on more overheads, such as rent,” the chef said, however, he had also observed that footpath vendors in his area who were meant to have moved on by April 17 were still operating as before. “Some of these vendors have been at these stalls for generations, so I don’t expect people will go away quietly. Thais are also very resourceful, so where there is a will, there is a way.”

Bangkok-born chef Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn, owner of one of Bangkok’s best restaurants, Le Du, can often be found tucking into street food before and after restaurant service. Chef Ton lamented the potential loss of street food culture in words that can’t be repeated here.

“Food will become more expensive, we will lose some of our dishes, and tourist numbers will decrease,” Chef Ton said. “What they should do instead is better manage the street food stalls, tax everyone, and make things nice and organised.”

Australian-born chef Dylan Jones, who with his Thai chef wife Duangporn ‘Bo’ Songivsava, owns another of Bangkok’s finest restaurants Bo.lan, as well as funky street food eatery ERR, which serves up ‘Urban Rustic Thai’, admitted to having mixed feelings.

“For many years I’ve felt that the quality of street eats in Thailand, in Bangkok especially, has been on the decline, so for that reason I’m not upset,” Jones said. “But it is a very large part of the face of the city and I feel if we sanitise the streets too much it will end up feeling like Singapore.”

“Because of the decline in quality, I don’t think it will affect Thai cuisine that much, and actually it might have the reverse effect and force people back into their kitchens,” Jones said. “I think it will have an initial effect on the culture, but not a long lasting one. The Thais are a resilient group and they tend not to dwell on things for very long. They will move on and embrace whatever is next.” 

While the move was criticised far and wide – Thai food writer Korakot Punlopruksa told the ABC that “the street food of Bangkok is the blood of Bangkok… this is the charm, it is the fame, it is the identity of Bangkok” – chef David Thompson of Bangkok’s Nahm, considered one of the world’s best Thai restaurants, who has written a book called Thai Street Foodtold Good Food that he didn’t believe the operation would be successful, saying “There’s one thing you don’t do with the Thais, and that’s get between them and their food.”

Thompson and Kittichai were right. Thailand’s Tourism Minister, Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, stepped in yesterday to announce that Bangkok street food stalls are not going anywhere and in an official statement published on the Tourism Authority Thailand news site assured “international tourists and travellers that Bangkok remains (a) top destinations (sic) for street food.”

The army has also come to the rescue it seems. Yesterday morning, The Nation reported that Defence Ministry spokeswoman, Second Lieutenant Pornchanok Amphan announced that street food stalls would be allowed as long as they conducted their businesses appropriately and complied with zoning regulations, hygiene standards, green packaging, and stall design. She explained that “stalls in the China Town or Yaowarat area should be in the style of Chinese pavilions, while stalls on Khao San Road should be designed as Thai pavilions.”

If you’re not familiar with Thai politics and are wondering why the Defence Ministry got involved, Thailand has been governed by a military junta called the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) since a May 2014 coup d’état led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha, former Commander of the Royal Thai Army, now Prime Minister of Thailand.

The Nation also reported that the BMA did not intend to get rid of all street food, that “there had been a misunderstanding” and that they just intended to regulate the footpaths and introduce zones. At a press conference later that day, he acknowledged that street food was integral to the soul of the city.

Not only will street food vendors still be allowed in small alleys and designated areas, including special zones on Chinatown’s Yaowarat Road and Khao San Road, the BMA spokesperson said they also plan to promote Yaowarat and Khao San Road as major tourist attractions in Bangkok.

It’s worth noting that this wasn’t the first time that authorities moved to shut down stall holders. Street food vendors, some of whom had been operating for several generations, on Thonglor’s legendary street food spot of Sukhumvit Soi 38, were evicted last year to make way for a swanky new development. While some were offered space by a mall at nearby Ekkamai, their trade suffered greatly and they lost significant income.

Chef Dylan Jones, who agreed with the need for zoning, had a few more suggestions as to what should be done to improve the situation, including street food vendor’s income.

“I’d start by forcibly educating street food vendors about food safety, enforce licenses and conduct inspections, shutting down the dodgy ones,” Jones said. “I’d also raise the prices by at least 100%, meaning the vendors have a better quality of life and can also afford to use better quality produce. Right now food vendors are buying the cheapest quality produce and doing some pretty abstract things to it in order to turn a profit.”

Chef Kittichai said he also agreed with some of the measures.

“I understand the need for hygiene, easing congestion, and more organisation – these are beneficial for all Thais and tourists,” chef Kittichai said. “I am not sure of the best way to go about it, but there must be a way to gradually implement these principals and the majority affected to come out for the better.”

“Not all street food will go away,” Kittichai said. “There will always be street food in Bangkok – in the markets, in shophouses, in other less congested areas of the city. It may spark tourists to have to go to other parts of the city – but that is not necessarily a bad thing as there are many hidden gems in this huge city that do not get the media exposure that the obvious areas have been getting.”

For now it looks like Bangkok street food stalls are not going anywhere and our favourite Bangkok street food dishes aren’t either. Everything is right in the world once again. For today, anyway. Just to be safe, better book that flight to Thailand now.

Tips for Eating Street Food When You Travel to Bangkok

Now that we know that Bangkok street food stalls are not going anywhere, if you’re heading to Thailand and you’re not a regular street food diner, these are our tips:

Were you one of the street food lovers in despair at the news this week? Now you know that Bangkok street food stalls are not going anywhere, what are your thoughts? We’d love to hear from you.

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A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

14 thoughts on “Bangkok Street Food Stalls Are Not Going Anywhere For Now – Street Food Ban Lifted”

  1. One thing that few have mentioned is how, for most Thais, “street food” refers specifically to footpath vendors, whereas most foreigners also include markets and small shophouse kitchens in the street food category. So much of the best “street food” comes from those shophouse kitchens, and they’re certainly not going anywhere. However I think this article is a bit rose-tinted overall; the fact that Thai gov went into damage control mode after the story went viral doesn’t mean that the street vendor ban is being abandoned — it appears that only KSR and Yaowarat are getting a pass, for now. Hundreds, if not thousands, of vendors have been cleared over the past two years. I expect the ban to continue in much of the city, even if Yaowarat and KSR vendors get cute pavilions to sell out of.

  2. Hi David, I think Thais are as divided as foreigners as to what constitutes ‘street food’. It’s a much debated subject in the culinary world. Historically, aside from royal cuisine, home-cooking and pagoda food, all food in what we now know as Thailand, as in other parts of Southeast Asia, was sold in markets and on the street by roaming vendors. As towns and cities developed, the food sold in markets and on the street moved indoors, whether as a result of the vendor’s success, or in many places as a result of government intervention. Outside Thailand, during the French Colonial period, the French administration applied regulations to food vendors which saw vendors being forcibly moved indoors in some places. Restaurants, even modest restaurants, came late to Southeast Asia, despite the origin of so much of the the region’s cuisine being China, which was arguably the birthplace of the restaurant. So for many of us, Thai and foreign, ‘street food’ refers to specific dishes that are cooked in markets and on the street, whether they’re now cooked on footpaths or in humble shophouse eateries or in restaurants such as ERR.

    And, yes, the food sold in those shophouse kitchens is generally going to be superior to that sold curbside for a long list of reasons. If a cook can afford to pay rent they can probably afford to buy better quality ingredients, can afford refrigeration, and probably has higher standards of cleanliness and hygiene. Having said that, when we lived in Bangkok we frequented street food stalls ran by cooks who had skills comparable to chefs working in Bangkok’s best Thai restaurants. However, there have also increasingly been street food stalls selling a lot of manufactured crap.

    The story is hardly “rose-tinted”. I’d encourage you to take another read :)

  3. This news is very interesting. On one side, Bangkok street food tasting is one of must-do activities in Bangkok. It is not only about tasting the authentic Thai food but also experiencing the whole Thai experience, like buying food on the street and eating outside on a plastic chair on the pavement. When the government said, they will clear up the road, surely I was a bit upset. Street food there has incredibly great food, cheap prices and you can get it anywhere!

    On the other hand, it creates a chaos in the city, where in some part you won’t be able to walk and it doesn’t look that organise.

    Well, I guess as a tourist, it is a good news :p so we should just enjoy it!

  4. You said you are a wimp and can’t eat spicy food! lol…..I can’t eat it because it makes my nose run like water!
    While I can eat deep fried, I prefer it as little as possible.

    How easy will it be for me (and was it for you) to find street food that isn’t deep fried or hot spicy at all? In Bangkok, Chiang Rai and Luang Prabang? I prefer eating where the locals do, not in restaurants where the food may have been westernized.

  5. Hi Bob – I’m wondering where we said we can’t eat spicy food… I’ll have to correct that :) Terence and I adore spicy food and we actually have a very high tolerance for fiery chilli peppers too. Terence cooks very spicy Thai food all the time at home. It’s only in the north eastern Isaan region of Thailand where they throw about 10 of the tiny birds eye chillies in the papaya salad that we struggle a bit – but then even Thais, especially Central Thais can’t eat Thai food as fiery as the Isaan people can.

    I think you’ll manage. In Bangkok the Thai food is not as spicy/fiery as it is in the Northeast, North and South, so you should find plenty to eat that won’t cause those nose runs :) Chinatown is a great spot to focus your time as Thai-Chinese food is not very spicy, there is an abundance of places to eat, and the food is all good and hygienic because so many people pass through each day, stalls wouldn’t survive if it wasn’t. We have a post here with our Chinatown tips: https://grantourismotravels.com/2017/01/09/where-to-eat-in-chinatown-bangkok/

    A food tour is also an excellent thing to do on your first day, as the guide can introduce you to the cuisine, and they’ll take you to a handful of spots and share lots of tips along the way, and then during or at the end of the tour, they’ll recommend other spots you can try. You’ll find some of the tours we recommend at the end of this post but this one is excellent: https://grantourismotravels.com/2012/01/04/bangkok-food-tours-old-bangkok/

    Don’t hesitate to let us know if you have other questions we can answer :)

    There are plenty of options all over the region if you want to avoid deep fried food, from all the wonderful noodle soups (and there’s such a huge variety) to stir-fries and salads.

  6. Hi!
    Leaving for Bangkok in 2 days.

    Traveling solo and your link requires 2. Do you know of any excellent street food group tours I can join?

    Thanks!

    Bob

  7. Hi Bob!
    How exciting!
    This Old Bangkok food tour through Bangrak is a small-group tour and there is also a link in there to a Chinatown food tour, which again, is a small group tour.
    https://grantourismotravels.com/2012/01/04/bangkok-food-tours-old-bangkok/
    I recently tested out the Chinatown tour and it was fantastic. I’ll write that up soon.
    But they are both very different. I think I’d recommend the Bangrak tour for you as it takes in a couple of historical sights, too, and if you want to do two, then do the Chinatown also. Both are very reasonably priced for the amount of food they provide. The people who we’ve met on both tours have been interesting.
    Let me know how you go and would love to hear how you find the experience afterwards.
    Enjoy!
    Lara

  8. Hi Lara!

    The old Bangkok tour sounds perfect for my taste buds and my hotel is in Bangrak!

    But this also states minimum 2!

    I don’t think I want to do the Chinatown tour as I did a lot of that in Hong Kong. Want to experience authentic Thai food.

    Suggestions?

    Thank you.

    Bob

  9. Hi Bob, yes, for private tours a “minimum of 2” is required but you don’t need to book a private tour, you can do a join-in tour where you join a group. In that case, it means they will only go if they have 2 people, but their join-in tours are booked up all the time, so that shouldn’t be an issue. You just have to get in touch with them and find out.

    Chinatown in Bangkok is different to Hong Kong, as it’s Thai-Chinese culture, so while some dishes are similar, they are different. It’s still ‘authentic’. Like all Southeast Asian cuisines, Thai food is a fusion anyway, with influences from the Khmers, Mons, Malays, Burmese, Indians, and of course Chinese. However, as I also suggested that Old Bangkok food tour, which takes in Bangrak, the oldest part of Bangkok, is also excellent.

    Enjoy!
    Lara

  10. Hello again Bob, just spotted your follow-up and have responded. As I said, the food tours are a combination of private and group tours. As it’s high season, they should all have tours every day that you can join. If you’re having issues booking on the websites, because it’s asking for 2 bookings, that might mean the group tours are full so they can only offer a private tour or might mean they don’t have any on those dates and you’re the first to book. Hard to know. So, best to email them and tell them you want to do a join-in tour. Good luck!

  11. Hi Lara. Today is the day I kept free for a food tour and all state unavailable for Jan 21.
    I see no way to contact the Bangkok operator to see if they can fit in one person. Only get your guide contact in Europe and they would be closed now.

    Do you have contact email and phone?

  12. Hi Bob, sounds like they’re booked up as it’s high season and unfortunately I’ve just seen this – the operators’ names are at the end of each page, so I would just Google and look for whichever one you’re interested in but the Bangrak tour, which I think you’d like is ran by Bangkok Food Tours. They have lots of other good tours, too, if you have time tomorrow or another day: click through to their site as there is a phone number there. They might still be answering calls, being Bangkok, and they have morning tours they might be able to squeeze you on: https://www.bangkokfoodtours.com/

    Where are you heading next? Try to book your tours in advance, being high season and all. Bangkok Food Tours have a sister company in Chiang Mai that runs an excellent tour there that we’ve written about. You’ll find the write-up in our Chiang Mai section. In Saigon, we love Saigon Street Eats. Their Street Food 101 tour is amazing. There are a couple of great street food tours we love in Hoi An also.

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