Chatuchak vendors petition over rents
A group of about 400 vendors at the Chatuchak market yesterday petitioned Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang to regain management control of the market.
The group, calling itself Chatuchak market vendor service cooperatives, representing about 10,000 vendors at the market, also asked governor Aswin to forward the petition to Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Known as the country’s most famous bazaar, the market was once managed by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) before being transferred to the landlord, State Railway of Thailand (SRT).
The group said its members have been suffering under the SRT’s management, which began in 2012. Pol Gen Aswin accepted the petition and promised to forward it to the PM.
Naruemol Saehun, 54, a representative of the group, said vendors have been forced to shoulder the cost of waste management totalling 369 million baht under a three-year contract.
The vendors are also required to pay 2,700 baht per square metre a month in rent compared to the average rental offered by landlords in surrounding areas of between only 1,100 baht and 1,400 baht per month, said Ms Naruemol.
That makes the rent at Chutuchak market the highest rate in the country, according to Ms Naruemol.
Under its management of the market, the SRT lacks a policy to support producers of so-called one-tambon, one-product goods and small- and medium-sized enterprises, which altogether account for 80% of all traders at the market, she said.
“Our observation is that in the past the SRT used to earn about 100 million baht a year from the BMA but now that it manages the market on its own it earn sonly 1.9 million baht in rent per month, or 22.8 million baht per year,” she said. The SRT had better allow the BMA to resume its management of the market so the SRT itself would be able to make more money, she said.
On average, each vendor is required to pay 3,600 baht for eight trading days a month, which is seven times higher than they that they used to pay under the BMa’s regime, when they paid about 470 baht, said Kachonsak Damrongthai, 55, another vendor. Despite the far higher rent imposed on the vendors, they were selling fewer products, so many have since left.