Bangkok street food culture to survive crackdown

Bangkok’s street food culture will survive a crackdown on vendors, Thailand’s tourism chief vowed Thursday, assuring travellers that a city renowned for its chaotic charm was not being remodelled into a Singapore-lite.
The City Hall stunned Thais and tourists alike this week with plans to bar the capital’s world-famous food stalls from all main roads to reclaim pavements for the public. On Thursday the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) pushed back against fears that Bangkok was being gentrified in the image of Singapore — a city that relishes orderliness but is often characterized as tame compared to its Southeast Asian rivals.
“We will keep our uniqueness. We won’t change our Yaowarat (Chinatown) into Orchard (road),” Uthasak Supasorn said, referring to a shopping district in Singapore with wide boulevards devoid of street life. “(The plan) is not to totally take away street food from Bangkok streets, but there are some reasons and some places that will be reorganized,” he added.

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