The utterly unforeseen livelihood shock: COVID-19 and street vendor coping mechanisms in Hanoi, Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang.

Abstract

Well before COVID‐19, municipal governments in Vietnam, Thailand and Laos were enacting policies that made street vendor livelihoods increasingly challenging. Yet, vending continues to support tens of thousands of urban households in these three countries. Vendors are often rural‐to‐urban migrants lacking the formal education skills necessary to secure ‘modern’ urban employment, and despite ongoing government disapproval, vending provides a relatively low entry‐cost opportunity for them to support their household's financial needs. Now add to this complex situation the livelihood shocks associated with the COVID‐19 pandemic, as well as additional government restrictions across these three countries to mitigate the pandemic's impacts. Drawing on interviews with 61 street vendors in Hanoi, Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang, and rooted in conceptual discussions regarding urban livelihood shocks, we examine how street vendors, especially rural‐to‐urban migrants, experienced and responded to the ‘first wave’ of COVID‐19, including additional government‐imposed constraints on their livelihoods and mobility. We find that a diverse range of responses helped some—but not all—vendors overcome the initial shocks to their livelihoods and household responsibilities. Yet, we also note that the pandemic's onset altered urban‐rural connections and mobility, with many vendors who turned to formerly dependable rural‐urban ties for support facing unexpected barriers.