Few travellers pass through Thailand without a visit to Khao San Road, an infamous strip lined with street food stalls, cheap hostels, vendors hawking trinkets and clothes, and open-air bars that spill into the street. A backpacker magnet for decades, Khao San Road has long been the first-stop for many travellers arriving in Bangkok.
The notorious road is looking different these days following a new ban imposed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, which came into effect on August 1. The new rules require vendors to set up their stalls in controlled zones and only between the hours of 6PM to midnight, leaving the once constantly bustling strip quiet during the daytime hours.
More than 200 vendors have been impacted by the ban, with many protesting its negative impact on their income as well as the street’s distinctive appeal to tourists. Bangkok has already banned illegal street vendors in other popular areas of the city, including Siam Square and Pratunam.
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