BANGKOK – Some argue that Bangkok’s charm is in its bustling streets and abundance of cheap Thai food. But the authorities want to change that. Street food is rapidly disappearing in the Thai capital.

Sidewalks are being cleared of food carts and street hawkers in an attempt to modernize the city and attract investment. The authorities’ top down approach to urban redevelopment has involved displacing thousands whose livelihoods rely on the city’s informal economy.

This story aired on Southeast Asia Dispatches Monday, November 12, 2018.