The Bangkok government is imposing stricter regulations on street food sellers 'to phase out hawking' along the city's pavements.

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt announced on May 29 that street food sellers, including those below the taxable limit, will be required to register under an income database and tax system.

Those found to be earning more than 25,000 THB (533 GBP) a month will need to vacate their space in officially sanctioned vending areas and rent a commercial space to continue operating.

Governor Chadchart also warned the sellers to keep their spots litter-free. However, he faces an uphill struggle against the sellers, many of them resistant to change and with little civic responsibility other than scraping together their meagre daily earnings.

He said: 'We want the city to be neat and tidy. In those places where the street vendors do not overstep their mark and trouble pedestrians, the permitted areas will remain open.'

The regulations will undergo a public hearing and may be changed if necessary, before being published in the Royal Gazette.

The policy is part of a broader plan to eventually eliminate hawking on Bangkok's streets and encourage the vendors to conduct business in commercial areas instead.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has approved 86 vending locations for 4,541 vendors throughout the city. 

Of these, 55 have been officially announced as vending areas with 3,440 vendors, while the remaining locations were still undergoing inspection.

Meanwhile, there were 11,834 street vendors operating outside of the approved locations. 

The BMA said 105 zones will be removed this year, and vendors there will need to relocate.