SRT gets control of Chatuchak market

After 25 years of managing the Chatuchak Weekend Market, the BMA has been required to turn over control to the State Railway of Thailand, the owner of the land where the market is located.

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SRT gets Chatuchak market nod

Vendors asked to meet to finalise rental rates

Amornrat Mahitthirook,
Pradit Ruangdit
Manop Thip-Osod

The cabinet yesterday backed the State Railway of Thailand's plan to take over management of Chatuchak Weekend Market from City Hall on Jan 2.

The SRT will operate the weekend market after the lease held by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) expires on Sunday, Deputy Transport Minister Chatt Kuldiloke said yesterday after emerging from the cabinet meeting.

During the meeting, the cabinet acknowledged the SRT's planned takeover of the market management. It asked the SRT to come up with a plan to set up a subsidiary to operate the market.

The plan, including details of registered capital and the subsidiary's management structure, will be submitted to the Finance Ministry, the State Enterprise Policy Office and the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board for approval before forwarding it for cabinet consideration, said Pol Lt Gen Chatt, who oversees the SRT.

The railway agency has been at odds with the BMA over management of the lucrative market. The city administration signed the management contract 25 years ago.

Vendors will be invited to meet with the SRT to jointly set rental rates.

Pol Lt Gen Chatt said the railway agency was debt-ridden due to accumulated losses from its railroad service.

Transport Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat said the cabinet's acknowledgment today cleared up any question about who will manage the market after the BMA's lease contract expires on Sunday.

He questioned vendors vowing to protest if the SRT managed the market.

"I don't understand why the SRT, which will be the operator of the market, cannot enter the market, which is located on its own land. Why do vendors want to stage a protest against the agency? The ministry is still giving existing vendors the right to operate their stalls. Why are they not happy with the SRT?" asked the minister.

He insisted that the SRT was not a profit-oriented agency. During the time that the BMA has leased the plot, the SRT has received only 100 million baht in lease revenue.

The BMA enjoyed huge profits from managing the market, while the SRT suffered losses, he said.

ACM Sukumpol said the SRT would enter the market on Jan 2 and was prepared for protests by angry vendors.

SRT governor Yutthana Thapcharoen said he would today chair a meeting of the SRT's weekend market management committee to work out guidelines for operating the market. He will later meet with vendors to discuss rental rates.

The SRT governor said the railway agency expected to make at least 100 million baht from rents in the first year of managing the market.

He said the SRT would not earn less than 24 million baht annually, the most it ever received in a year from the BMA.

He said a consulting firm had conducted a study on the best scenario for rental income and put the figure at 1.1 billion baht a year.

So far, tenants of more than 7,000 out of the 8,000 stalls in the market have registered with the SRT, he said.

get the nod – to receive permission to do something ได้รับอนุญาต
vendor – someone who sells something, but not in a shop พ่อค้าแม่ค้าแผงลอย
rental – the act of renting something or an arrangement to rent something การเช่า
rate – an amount of money that is paid or charged  ราคา, อัตรา
cabinet – the group of government ministers who make and approve government policy คณะรัฐมนตรี
back – to support สนับสนุน
City Hall – a city government, in this case, the Bangkok city government  กรุงเทพมหานคร
lease – a legal agreement in which you pay money in order to use a building, piece of land, vehicle, etc. for a period of time สัญญาเช่า
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) – the local government of Bangkok กรุงเทพมหานคร
expire – to come to an end or stop being in use หมดอายุ
emerge – to come out of ออกจาก
acknowledge – to let someone know you have received something or the you understand what it is  รับทราบ
takeover – an act of taking control of a company, organisation, etc. การครอบครอง
subsidiary – (of a business company) owned or controlled by another company บริษัทในเครือ
details – small facts or pieces of information relating to a situation รายละเอียด
registered capital – the total of the share capital which a limited company is allowed to issue to its shareholders ทุนจดทะเบียน
structure – the way in which the parts of something are connected together, arranged or organised โครงสร้าง
submit – to formally give something to someone so that can make a decision about it ยื่น (เอกสาร) เพื่อการพิจารณา
state enterprise – a company or business owned and managed by the government รัฐวิสาหกิจ
policy – a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group นโยบาย
approval – agreement to do or accept something ความเห็นชอบด้วย
forward – to send onwards  ส่งต่อ
consideration – giving careful thought to something before making a decision การคิดพิจารณา
oversee – to watch or organise a job or an activity to make certain that it is being done correctly คุมงาน,ควบคุม
at odds with – disagreeing with ไม่เห็นด้วยกับ
lucrative – earning a lot of money ที่มีกำไรงาม
jointly – done together อย่างร่วมกัน, พร้อมกัน, ด้วยกัน
debt-ridden – owing a lot of money มีหนี้สินมาก
accumulated – gathered or collected over a period of time สั่งสมมานาน
loss – money that has been lost by a business or an organisation การขาดทุน
vow – to make a formal and serious promise to do something สาบาน, ปฏิญาณ
protest – to make a strong complaint or disagreement ประท้วง
located – where something is ตั้งอยู่
stage – to organise an event or activity จัด
stall – a large table or a small building that is open at the front, used for selling things (or for giving people information) รถ หรือแผงขายของ
insist – to keep saying very firmly that something is true ยืนกราน ยืนยัน
profit – money that you make from selling goods and services after all your costs have been paid กำไร
oriented – mainly concerned with or directed towards
revenue – income from taxes or business activities รายได้
plot – a piece of land used for a particular purpose ที่ดินแปลงเล็ก
chair – to be the person in charge of a meeting, committee, or company ดำรงตำแหน่งประธาน, ทำหน้าที่ในฐานะประธาน
guidelines – official instructions or advice about how to do something สิ่งที่ช่วยแนะแนวทางให้ปฏิบัติ
annually – happening every year ทุกๆปีด
consulting – discussing something with someone in order to get their advice or their permission to do something ปรึกษา, ปรึกษาหารือ
firm – a business or company บริษัท
scenario – a description of possible actions or events in the future การสมมติสภาพที่เลวร้ายที่เป็นไปได้
income – money that someone gets from working or from investing money รายได้
tenant – a person who pays rent for the use of a room, building, land, etc. to the person who owns it ผู้เช่า
register – to put your name and other information on an official list in order to be allowed to do something, e.g., vote, study, stay in a hotel etc ลงทะเบียน