
BANGKOK -- Traffic-free pedestrian zones have been reintroduced on main avenues in the Thai capital after a suspension of about four years in hopes of invigorating an economy hit by a tourist spending slowdown.
Thailand's tourism industry has been negatively affected by a global economic slowdown and a higher baht. The number of street stalls has been decreasing in Bangkok as urbanization progresses rapidly. Offering a taste of Southeast Asian life, the reinstated pedestrian zones have proved popular with tourists.