Street food vendors who wish to ply their trade on Khao San and Yaowarat roads will be required to earn a certificate by attending a course on food hygiene and proper sanitation practices, Vallop Suwandee, chairman of the advisers to the Bangkok governor says.
He was speaking yesterday after a meeting between City Hall executives and representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports over street vending regulations on the two roads.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Health Department, is preparing a two-day training course for vendors on hygiene and food safety.
At the end of the course vendors must sit a test which they must pass if they want to go on plying their trade in the two popular locations, Mr Vallop said.
He did not elaborate on what would happen if they fail the test.
Mr Vallop said department officials were also busy writing a circular that will include a list of regulations vendors will need to adhere to.
One is that vendors would be required to have regular health check-ups with the results being sent to the authorities, he added. It is still to be decided whether the check-up would be annually or every six months.
Another regulation is that vendors would have to provide details about their food preparation areas, washing-up facilities, the number of employees they have, and food waste management procedures, Mr Vallop said. Vendors who use disposable food containers also need to provide a plan for how this waste is managed.
Authorities will also seek feedback about the regulations from tourists, he said.