Home > Life

Those food stalls you love about Bangkok are about to disappear from Bangkok

The world's best street food destination will be no more.

Yvette Tan

on April 18, 2017

Those food stalls you love about Bangkok are about to disappear from Bangkok

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Diego Azubel/Epa/REX/Shutterstock (8486783e) A Woman Grills Chicken Skewers at a Street Food Stall in Chinatown Bangkok Thailand 06 August 2015 Food Plays a Key Role in Asian Culture Often Regarded As the Outdoor Dining Capital of Asia Bangkok's Streets Offer a Wide Range of Dishes to Satiate Every Craving Food Stalls Abound the Capital Selling Snacks Salads Noodles Rice and Desserts Enticing the Palates of Local Thais and Tourists Alike at Highly Affordable Prices Thailand Bangkok Thailand Street Food - Aug 2015 Credit: Azubel/Epa/REX/Shutterstock

Bangkok's iconic bustling streets, lined with food vendors may soon vanish.

The government is moving to ban these food carts and makeshift clothing stalls from the capital's main roads, as part of a campaign to clean up the city.

"All types of stalls including clothes, counterfeit goods and food stalls will be banned from main city roads," Walop Suwandee, chief adviser to Bangkok's governor, told news agency AFP.

"They will not be allowed for order and hygiene reasons."

Officials have for weeks been forcing vendors out of Thonglor, one of the city's popular tourist districts, but the latest announcement confirms that the ban is city-wide.

Bangkok was earlier voted the world's best destination for street food by CNN, and is known for its wide variety of cheap food dishes served in stalls along the road.

Mashable Trend Report

Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means.

By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Thanks for signing up!

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Eye Ubiquitous/REX/Shutterstock (1905562a) Street vendor sells take away Pad-thai the national fried noodle classic dish. Bangkok Thailand Thailand Credit: Eye Ubiquitous/REX/Shutterstock

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Sakchai Lalit/AP/REX/Shutterstock (6706614b) A street food vendor displays a bowl of Bamee Jom Palang, or "Power Noodles", at one of the most crowded food stalls at Rotfai Market in Bangkok, Thailand. The vendor, whose specialty dish is the 12-inch long noodles, challenges buyers to finish eating the dish within five minutes. Those who can don't have to pay the 350 baht ($10) price. In cities like Bangkok, street food remains the heart and soul of local cuisine, sold day and night from carts and makeshift stands. The classic Bangkok night market has evolved from catering mostly to club-goers looking for a late-night eat to offering real shopping opportunities for the city's large, young and relatively affluent middle class Thailand Food Night Markets, Bangkok, Thailand Credit: Lalit/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Street food can cost as little as $1 in Bangkok.

Officials say the street food stalls clog the foot paths, littering the streets and blocking the way of pedestrians.

But for many, the city's street stalls are part of its main draw:

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

But this decision isn't new.

Bangkok had last year already started on its plan to clean up its streets -- evicting some 15,000 vendors from 39 public areas across the city last year.

A Bangkok resident who agreed with Bangkok's Metropolitan Administration (BMA) that the streets needed cleaning up, added that she believed another zone could be set up for street stalls.

"The BMA should set up a zone for the street vendors, so they can keep their jobs and preserve the charm of Bangkok's street food," Romdheera Phruetchon told The Nation.

"The people can benefit from selling, while the tourists can enjoy the unique street food of our city."