Pattaya –
Vendors on South Pattaya Tai in front of the Chai Monkol Temple near Walking Street and Tukcom have been asking Pattaya City officials for over a month to change the legal market times for them to sell due to fewer customers.
After a major meeting yesterday, it appears their request has been granted, at least for now.
A meeting yesterday (March 5th) was held at Pattaya City Hall. About 85 vendors, most of them food cart vendors, met with the Pattaya City Deputy Mayor Wuttisak Riumkitkan. All of them wanted the opportunity to stay open “late”, especially to serve customers going to and from entertainment venues that have reopened, albeit as temporary “restaurants.”
Vendors said at the meeting that the current legal selling times on the side of South Pattaya Tai in front of the Chai Monkol Temple up to Tukcom is from 11:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, not many residents and tourists visit the market compared to pre-covid. Additionally, the hours had not taken into account the fact that entertainment venues were slowly easing restrictions and customers and staff were returning.
Vendors had tried for several weeks now to set up stalls at 6:00 P.M. for evening foot traffic which has attracted more people to the market. Pattaya City Law Enforcement, however, has chased them out from the area, shut them down, and even fined them. Law enforcement claimed vendors had blocked foot traffic in public areas and operated over the legal time.
Mr. Wuttisak stated at the meeting, “Pattaya City Law Enforcement has to do their job and are only following current orders in place and have done nothing wrong. However, we are temporarily changing legal selling times to allow 6:00 P.M. to 1:00 A.M. for two months following vendor requests as a test. If this trial is successful and doesn’t cause traffic or congestion issues, it may become permanent.”
The two-month trial should start nearly immediately and covers the area near the baht bus stop at the Second Road intersection to the Tukcom area, allowing dozens of street vendors to stay open late, pleasing both vendors and customers.
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