Silom Road’s infamous night market might be the latest to bite the dust as part of City Hall’s ongoing cleanliness and order campaign.

 

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is hardening up its stance against vendors taking up the sidewalk of one of the city's busiest tourist streets, with the chairman of the advisor to the Governor of Bangkok, Vallop Suwandee, calling for all Silom vendors to clear out. 

 

Part of us wants to feel outraged along the lines of what we felt over Saphan Lek and Pak Klong Talad. But another part of us relishes the idea of actually being able to walk from BTS Sala Daeng to the much more exciting happenings of Narathiwas without losing an hour of our life. 

 

It's now one year since the BMA barred vendors from selling on Silom by day, but the total gridlock of pedestrian traffic has been a constant problem at night. Unlike at Pak Klong Talad, the move against the fake goods and tourist tat being sold on Silom follows genuine public outcry at the unofficial market's effect on traffic. 

 

Even the police are complaining, calling the area a haven for pickpockets, who thrive in these kind of congested areas of people brushing into each other.

 

The deadline for vendors to leave was originally yesterday (Jun 1) but the BMA's deputy permanent secretary, Jaakpan Pew-ngam, just announced that this has been extended till Aug 1. He also said that they are preparing a new space for vendors in Silom's Patpong area, as well as Thanon Ratchaprarop near Victory Monument.

 

Though Silom is one of the city's top business districts, it is also notorious for its night market selling illegal fake brandname watches and bags along with long-standing gogo bars.