The best photo to describe the helplessness of Thais left behind was taken last weekend.
The photo, which was posted by Facebook user Aom Arseeyeh, was used by local news to report on an incident at a market by the Hua Lamphong canal.
The photo was of 62-year-old shopkeeper, Pranee Leehuad sitting down on the street begging to continue working at the market.
Apart from posting the photo, Aom also posted several videos of municipal officials dismantling the market, which is also known by the name of ตลาดลาวคลองเตย or Khlong Toei Laotian Market.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced earlier that they will delay the dismantling of the market, which was supposed to take place in April, because of the lockdown.
But such generosity was short-lived. On Sunday night, they chose to dismantle many people’s last hope of making a living.
After a month of being unable to make a decent income, the reopening of fresh and flea markets as part of lockdown easing measures was the last lifeline for many stall owners.
BMA said they have been lenient with the shops since they were supposed to move out of there in 2018.
A contract has been signed for a developer to come in and improve the streets where the market is situated.
Deputy Bangkok Governor Sakontee Pattiyakul said on Monday that now is the best time to dismantle the market because the developer still has permission from the BMA.
A contract has already been signed and the market will have to be dismantled within 150 days anyway, he said.
There were 97 stalls at that fresh market.
The BMA said they negotiated with the shopkeepers to allow them to rent a place inside the new market for 170 baht per day.
Shop owners are saying, however, that they are situated way in the back of Klong Toei Market where there are fewer customers. Some areas are still under construction.
All I can say to the BMA is please have a heart. The outbreak, the lockdown and the economic downturn is already hurting these people. Maybe we can find a way to help the people subsidize their rent first?
Not all of them have received the 5,000 baht hand-out, which was poorly handled by the central government.
Why are the BMA’s priorities so warped that they would allow the golf courses and driving ranges to open but see fit to hurt those most affected by the outbreak?
I do not blame Bangkok’s governor Asawin Kwanmuang for this.
He is tremendously unqualified and the only reason he has his post is that PM Prayut used his Article 44 power to appoint Asawin as governor rather than go through a general election.
We already lost the Mahakan Fort community and Khao Sarn road to the BMA’s ill-conceived plan to turn Bangkok into another Singapore.
Should we expect leniency here from the one-time policeman turned governor?
Things are looking grim.
[Photo Credit: Aom Arseeyah]