BMA accelerates project to formalise street food vendors
Singapore-inspired food hub set for early 2026 opening, moving vendors into regulated, purpose-built stalls
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is advancing its plan to formalise the city’s street food scene with the construction of the Lumphini Hawker Centre, a pilot project scheduled for completion in early 2026.
Located on Ratchadamri Road next to Lumphini Park, the construction began in June 2025 and is part of a wider BMA initiative to reorganise the city’s sidewalks, improve public safety, and ensure accessibility.
The BMA confirmed that the open-air facility is designed to house 88 vendors per shift, operating in two daily rotations: 5am to 4pm, and 4pm to midnight.
BMA spokesperson Aekvarunyoo Amrapala stated that the centre’s primary goal is to alleviate hardship for low-income earners while raising food safety standards. To achieve this, priority for stall allocation will be given to vendors previously displaced from the Sarasin Road area.
Eligibility for stalls is specifically restricted to Thai nationals who hold a State Welfare Card or have an annual income below 180,000 baht.
The push for regulation comes amid mixed public sentiment regarding street vending. A recent Nida Poll survey indicated that over 92% of Bangkok residents purchase from street vendors, confirming the practice’s role in the social fabric due to convenience and affordability.
However, the survey also found that 59% of respondents favoured allowing vending only on wide sidewalks, reflecting the ongoing conflict over public space.
Bangkok Post reported that the current initiative echoes a long-standing conflict over public space. A similar clearance campaign under former Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra in 2016 displaced over 10,000 vendors across 23 districts.
BMA officials maintain that the Singapore-inspired hawker centre model provides a necessary balance, blending regulation with shared facilities. The BMA is also simultaneously enforcing stricter rules in other parts of the city, limiting vending to designated areas to keep pavements clear for pedestrians.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
