Bangkok is expected to see new walking streets to help stimulate the economy and improve people's livelihoods, says city governor Chadchart Sittipunt.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will consider areas that can be turned into a walking street in each district, Mr Chadchart said after a meeting with BMA officials on Thursday. The meeting discussed actions plans for implementing the governor's policies and their progress indicators.
Rental fees would be minimum or waived, allowing local vendors to sell their products at an affordable price, he said.
Officials are also looking into locations for street hawkers to make a living without having to encroach on pavements for pedestrians. Some 30 locations are pending approval from the BMA, he added.
- Explainer: What does Chadchart Sittipunt want?
"Because Bangkok is a city of sharing, the existing areas must be shared," Mr Chadchart said. "Many areas are well-managed to prevent obstruction of pedestrian traffic."
"Also, there must be areas for people to buy food at an affordable price and make a living, and they must be clean and suitable."
The governor said the administration had followed the Finance Ministry's land and building tax collection guidelines, but all taxes were not collected as the current database had incomplete information.
"If there’s more income, the BMA would have additional funds to carry out projects and help more people," he said. "The database has to be updated to ensure fairness for everyone."
