The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will oppose any City Hall move to reclaim the right to run Chatuchak Weekend Market, the SRT governor says.
City Hall lost control of the market more than two years ago when the SRT refused to renew the lease on the 68 rai of land where the market is situated.
SRT governor Prapas Chongsanguan said yesterday that he would fight reported plans by city officials to ask the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to hand control of the tourist-packed market back to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
The SRT refusal to renew the lease in 2011 sparked a row between the BMA and the state railway operator, which believed it could make more money from it than the city did.
The SRT has successfully overseen the market since January 2012 so there is no need for the city to take it back, Mr Prapas said.
Many market vendors are happy being under SRT management, he added.
More than 80% of the 8,480 stall owners are happy with the improved facilities the SRT has provided without raising vendors' monthly rental charges, he said.
For 3,562 baht, including tax, they have more toilets, better lighting and improved security, following the installation of closed-circuit TV cameras, Mr Prapas said.
Most vendors have extended rental contracts until 2019. But 1,189 have not and 618 of them are currently embroiled in legal disputes with the SRT.
“We cannot listen only to the voices of these 618 and ignore the majority,” Mr Prapas said.
“Most vendors clearly don’t want City Hall. So if we don’t manage the market ourselves, we’d rather have another investor run it.”
Some dissatisfied vendors have claimed that red-shirt guards were overseeing the market and extorting money from them.
The governor called the allegations baseless.
City Hall insists a group called "The Chatuchak Weekend Market Vendors Cooperative" is unhappy with the high rental charges and has found other irregularities.
It is preparing to complain to the NCPO, said Chalermchai Keawparadit, the city's former weekend market management director.
Vendors were only charged between 300 and 600 baht rent under BMA management, he said.