The end of an era is nearby for Bangkok's street vendors in Thailand and even as early as the end of this month, when, in the interests of "Civic Order", all street vendors and open-air road side food stalls on the streets of Bangkok will be banned from selling their goods in all but specially designated points in Thailand's capital.

Announcing the new "Civic Order" move from the Thai Government, Khun Thanakorn Khunawuthi, director of the Office of Municipal Affairs in Bangkok, said that from 31 March 2004, street vendors and food stalls would be forbidden from displaying and selling their wares in any area other than the specially designated zones.

The Bangkok Municipal "Civic Order" move follows a moratorium on street trading in five special zones announced on 2 March 2004, which bans street vendors in Thailand from selling their goods near bus stops and public footbridges. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) says that the measure seems to have been implemented successfully.

Khun Thanakorn conceded however that some areas in Bangkok were still experiencing problems, most notably Minburi, where street vendors were resisting the new "Civic Order" move. Although Thanakorn Khunawuthi added that the BMA would consider requests for supplementary designate special areas as trading zones, he also warned that district chiefs in Bangkok suburbs would be taken responsible for continuing problems and resistance from street vendors in their area..

Local residents in Bangkok are opposed the new "Civic Order" plans from the current Thai Government for the ban on trading and street vendors on the streets, complaining that they will no longer have nearby street corners to eat fast noodles or purchase their favorite Thai hawker food on the street corner in Bangkok, Thailand.