The threat to Asia’s street food

“Rickety plastic tables spread across pavements” are a familiar sight all over Southeast Asia, says The Economist – a testament to a culture of “street food” that sprang up to offer workers in fast-growing cities something “cheap, filling and convenient”. According to the UN, some 2.5 billion people worldwide eat street food daily – but that tradition is under threat in Bangkok. The authorities intend to crack down on street vendors, “on the grounds that they impede pedestrians, make a mess and attract vermin”. Others have “lost space” to the Thai capital’s booming property market. Bangkok isn’t the only city in the region seeking to “tidy up” its street vendors. Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta are also moving vendors away from congested areas. “Big mistake.” Street stalls may cause some “congestion and disorder”, but they’re central to the fabric of these cities – places where “office workers in pressed shirts” sit cheek by jowl with builders. Asia’s hawkers do not just provide food for the masses, they also “create a community”. Mess with them at your peril.