Vendor Complaint: Motorcycle Parking Encroaches on Road with Iron Fence

A vendor is raising objections after a motorcycle parking area operator installed a permanent iron fence on the roadside, forcing her to shift her drink stall more than a meter onto the street. When she inquired with municipal officials, she was told it was the parking operator's right. The dispute centers on the fence blocking access to her usual spot in front of Saraburi Hospital, and she claims she is also being charged 10 baht daily.

Footage shows an argument between municipal staff and the juice vendor over her stall encroaching past the designated boundary. The vendor explained that she had to move further out because the parking operator built a parking structure with an iron fence that blocked her access to the original spot. When she questioned the municipal officials, they said it was the parking operator's right to do so, sparking the conflict. The vendor also mentioned being charged 10 baht per day.

On July 23, a reporter visited the site in front of Saraburi Hospital, where traffic is heavy during morning and evening hours, causing significant congestion. Workers were installing an iron fence in the area where the vendor normally sets up shop, with steel supports preventing the fence from being folded to allow her stall. The parking facility features permanent construction with dense steel framework, metal sheet roofing, and compressed board insulation. The structure extends approximately 1 meter onto the road and projects an additional foot, spanning 20 meters in length and 2 meters in height.

The municipal government had previously designated this area as a casual vending zone for evening street vendors, with a marked line indicating where vendors could set up. However, with the parking operator's structures now encroaching onto the road, vendors must now set up even further into the street, worsening traffic congestion.

The motorcycle parking operator's manager stated that the parking area was originally a tent with steel poles, but officials noted the poles were encroaching onto the road. The operator then collected funds to build a permanent steel structure with a solid roof, spending approximately 40,000 baht. He claimed to have obtained permission from the hospital and municipal authorities before construction. Regarding the iron fence, he declined to say who authorized it but acknowledged the roof extends slightly beyond the boundary. He denied knowing about the 10 baht daily charge from vendors.

According to the person who posted the video, the incident occurred on July 21. Previously, the iron fence could be folded in, but two months ago, when the parking operator saw the vendor folding it to set up without encroaching, a physical altercation broke out. The operator then had steel supports installed to prevent the fence from being folded, forcing the vendor further onto the street. The parking operator now reports vendors to municipal officials for blocking the road, shifting blame despite having created the obstruction.