CityNew – Facebook social activism page Raks Mae Ping recently posted about their concern of the increasing numbers of jasmine flower sellers at traffic intersections, a new phenomena to be hitting our city streets. They mentioned that illegal sellers were now selling flowers at the Rachaphruek Road, cutting into income of flower sellers at Wat Phra That Doi Kham temple, also causing great traffic jams.
On December 14th, a few hours after the post went viral, the police visited Ratchaphruek Road to inform vendors that they required licenses to sell by the roadside. Today, the police returndd and found many still selling and arrested the vendors, imposing a 500 baht fine. The Land Traffic Act, police say, will be imposed in the future if the vendors do not move, which could have them facing up to 60,000 baht in fines.
Feedback on social media has been mixed. Many slamming both the group and the police for taking away livelihoods of locals. But many pointing out that these vendors were not local villagers, who traditionally sell through the auspiciousness of the temple, but are in fact professional vendors who have come from other provinces and therefore should be subjected to the law.
