Bangkok governor urged to address homeless & sex workers issue

Facebook page Hey, This is Thailand’s Footpath (เฮ้ย นี่มันฟุตบาทไทยแลนด์), demanded Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt address the issue of a footpath near the Airport Rail Link Makkasan Station being occupied by homeless people and sex workers.

The Facebook page shared a picture on Saturday, July 6, showing a clothes rack on the footpath opposite Asoke Skin Hospital. The caption read, “Footpath near Airport Rail Link Makkasan… They’ve built houses, and the footpath is very dirty. They leave rubbish on the footpath. Sex workers have been witnessed here too.”

The picture also showed three people, believed to be homeless, living at the spot. They used a plastic sheet to make a roof, and bedding was seen behind a tree. A pile of plastic bags was also visible.

Many netizens commented on the photo, demanding that Governor Chadchart address the issue. They argued that the footpath should be for public use, not for a specific group of people, even if they are homeless.

Some shared their own experiences of the area, while others tagged the 58 year old Chadchart’s official Facebook page and relevant authorities.

“I sometimes saw people burning rubbish at this spot. I reported the matter to the district office, but the authorities refused to solve it, saying the spot belonged to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).”

“We have to wait. Thailand’s footpath will be cleaned like other countries in 100 years.”

“Chadchart, have you ever seen this? Have you ever jogged around here?”

“Many problems of Thailand are shown in one picture.”

Channel 7 reported that the Railway Police Division was dissolved last year, leaving no one to take care of the area surrounding the railway track. More than 10 homeless people have taken over the area as their accommodation.

Residents in the area added that many transgender sex workers stand on the footpath at night, waiting for customers. They want the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration or the SRT to install lights to deter them from offering sex services.