BMA to extend operating hours of Chatuchak market to 7pm

Photo: www.facebook.com/aswinkwanmuang

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will extend the operating hours of Chatuchak weekend market, from 6pm to 7pm, to accommodate shoppers who prefer to visit the market in the evening, Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said today.

The market reopened yesterday in a subdued atmosphere, after almost two months of closure as part of the lockdown measures, with most shops still shuttered and few visitors.

The Governor said that about 2,000 of the 13,000 shops opened yesterday and today and an estimated 17,000 people, mostly Thais, visited the market.

Officials noticed that many shoppers did not observe social distancing as they shopped.

City Hall has set up temperature screening checkpoints at the three entrances and at six other points in the market.

Governor Aswin said that City Hall has waived rental fees for all the shops for March, April and May and will negotiate with the State Railway of Thailand to do the same for June through November, to ease the burden on the traders.