Bangkok promotes a sustainable model to organize street vendors, offering permanent trading spaces and raising Thai street food to new standards with technology that strictly ensures transparency.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, together with LINE MAN Wongnai, officially announced the soft opening of the Hawker Center at Lumphini Park as a pilot space for upgrading street food.Thai street foodtoward international standards, focusing on cleanliness, hygiene, and vendor stability, while fully integrating restaurant management technology for support.
Governor Chadchart Sittipunt revealed that this project is new infrastructure for the city’s economy, designed to align with modern lifestyles. Bangkok invested in all utilities, from hygienic cooking zones to wastewater treatment and grease traps.
At the same time, Governor Chadchart said the project builds tourist confidence and provides vendors with more stable livelihoods. Bangkok has strict policies prohibiting the transfer or profiteering of trading rights to prevent cost burdens on consumers. Among the food stalls in the center, Governor Chadchart especially recommends the traditional-style deep-fried dough sticks and rice porridge stalls open in the morning.
Meanwhile, Veerapong Go, Managing Director of On-Demand Services at LINE MAN Wongnai, stated that the private sector’s main role is to introduce digital tools to help small vendors as part of Digitalize Thailand. They have installed LINE Pay QR Boxes at every stall, which provide instant audio alerts for incoming payments, addressing a key concern vendors had about fraud with fake slips.
Veerapong added that a strict vendor rights management system is also in place, requiring listed vendors to trade personally. They plan to introduce facial recognition technology for check-in to prevent unauthorized vendor substitutions or rights transfers. This collaboration has no fixed end date and is ready to expand to other potential areas in Bangkok.
The Hawker Center at Lumphini Park features over 100 popular local stalls, including Suan Lum Pork Blood Soup at Gate 8, Kolarn Braised Pork Rice, and Chicken Noodle Soup. The center operates in two shifts: morning (05:00–16:00) and evening (16:00–24:00).
This model may extend to other parts of Bangkok or special projects in provinces, similar to LINE MAN Wongnai’s previous successful mobile kitchen initiative that helped small vendors affected by floods in Hat Yai, aiming to sustainably secure livelihoods for small entrepreneurs nationwide.