Bangkok is actively inspecting street vendors in Phayathai and Bang Sue, stressing strict hygiene standards including grease traps and waste separation. Vendors are strictly forbidden from pouring oil or grease residues into drainage systems or at the base of trees. The city plans to promote "micro points" to regulate vendors outside concession areas to support merchants.
On 6 Nov 2026, Pornprom Na S. Wikitsat, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, conducted field inspections to monitor order and the regulation of street vendors on sidewalks in Phayathai and Bang Sue districts. He stated that Bangkok is advancing street vendor regulation according to the 2024 criteria for designated trading areas, raising standards in tidiness, hygiene, and environmental management. Vendors must meet qualification criteria, submit taxes legally, and comply with sanitation rules, such as installing grease traps for food preparation stalls. Additionally, Bangkok aims to standardize stalls, umbrellas, tables, and equipment for uniformity and neat appearance.
The concession approval process begins with district offices proposing areas to the Bangkok Metropolitan Committee, then submitting them to the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) for related consideration. Currently, 19 vendor sites have been approved citywide under Bangkok’s criteria. The city is conducting ongoing inspections to ensure vendors at these sites continuously comply with conditions.
For sites approved by Bangkok but pending MPB approval, the police focus on traffic impact, while Bangkok evaluates sidewalk usage and orderliness. Therefore, sites approved by Bangkok may require adjustments to address traffic concerns. The city has assigned district offices to coordinate with local police stations to discuss solutions case by case, aiming to clarify and expedite approvals and operations in each area.
Emphasis on no blanket approvals or rejections.
Regarding adjustments to vendor areas to balance regulation with community economic needs, Pornprom stated decisions will be case-by-case using vendor data and local demand analyses. For example, if an area supports 50 vendors but 70 apply, the city may explore nearby alternative spaces rather than immediately approving or rejecting without data support.
For vendors outside concession areas, inspections will be expedited to integrate them into the system. If a site fails to meet criteria and cannot improve within deadlines, it must be closed. Meanwhile, Bangkok is surveying "micro points," small vendor clusters of 3-4 merchants important to local lifestyles, to legally designate them as concession areas. Communication efforts include clear signage marking concession points and plans to develop maps showing their locations.
Phayathai and Bang Sue area data revealed.
Currently, Phayathai district has three concession points totaling 165 vendors: 1. Soi Phaholyothin 7 (65 daytime, 12 nighttime vendors), 2. Pradiphat Road outbound side (55 daytime, 12 nighttime vendors), and 3. Pradiphat Road inbound side (21 nighttime vendors). Non-concession areas include four sites with 108 vendors: 1. In front of Grand Tower Inn Hotel (6 daytime vendors), 2. Soi Phaholyothin 9 (19 daytime vendors), 3. Sali Ratwiphak Road (46 daytime, 4 nighttime vendors), and 4. In front of the Narcotics Control Board office on Din Daeng Road (23 daytime, 10 nighttime vendors). The district has cooperated with Government Savings Bank to refurbish vendor stalls and umbrellas in pink along the routes.
Bang Sue district has eight vendor sites with a total of 205 vendors (7 concession points with 150 vendors and 1 community food center with 55 vendors): 1. Prachuap Market concession on Techawanich Road (37 vendors), 2. Maneepiman concession on Prachachuen Road side (7 vendors), 3. Boon Luea Soi concession (15 vendors), 4. Tao Poon concession (24 vendors), 5. Bang Son Market concession on Krungthep-Nonthaburi Road (27 vendors), 6. In front of Regent Home Bang Son condo concession (23 vendors), 7. Next to Lotus Prachachuen concession (17 vendors), and 8. Community food center under Sapha Sung Bridge on Techawanich Road (55 vendors).
Pornprom reported that overall inspections found most vendors comply with hygiene conditions and measures, including waste separation, grease trap installation, and smoke vents into water tanks to reduce pollution. Vendors at concession points clearly display their operating licenses.
He emphasized key environmental directives forbidding the dumping of oil or grease into drains or at tree bases to prevent foul odors, drain blockages, and tree death. Vendors are urged to maintain cleanliness, and officials are instructed to promptly collect waste after business hours to avoid litter on sidewalks.
