Bangkok's street food tradition fades under vendor crackdown

For generations, scenes like this have shaped daily life in the Thai capital.

Roadside stalls have served as both kitchen and gathering place, feeding locals and visitors from morning until late at night.

Street vending here goes back decades, with families handing down recipes and sidewalk spots through the generations.

For many, this trade is more than a way to make a living—it is a key part of Bangkok’s identity.

Looknam Sinwirakit, 45, sells the snack for 50 baht and has already been fined 1,000 baht ($30) for blocking the street.

She says the steady stream of tourists and locals makes it worth the risk to stay

Durian seller Wong Jaidee, 56, stands by his cart in Bangkok, where he has sold the strong-smelling fruit for over twenty years.

He is one of many vendors who say they have no backup plan if they are forced to move. "Bangkok is a high-priced city and we may not be able to cope," he said.

An official from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) surveys a sidewalk along a main road in the city.

Since 2022, the number of mobile vendors in Bangkok has dropped by more than 60%. 

About 10,000 fewer sellers now work on the streets as the city clears footpaths in busy commercial areas.

The city has opened five of these centers in recent years, including the newest one, which opened next to Lumphini Park in April.

Stallholders pay rent and have access to electricity and running water.

Panissara Piyasomroj, 59, serves noodles at her stall inside the Lumphini Park hawker center. She moved there after years of selling to morning runners outside the park.

She calls the move an upgrade, with cleaner conditions, shelter from the heat, and steady utilities. For her, the change has brought more stability than loss.

Thitisakulthip Sang-uamsap, 67, puts fried vegetable balls into a bag near her stall in Bangkok’s Chinatown, where she has worked for over 40 years.

She worries about being asked to leave the neighborhood she calls home. Nearby, German tourist Oliver Peter watches the vendors and says, "It would be sad if they went away. It's part of the culture."