I've run a food stall in Bangkok for six years, and the push to standardize street food hygiene is now pushing out the vendors who make the best pad thai. A $50 permit plus stainless steel counters might sound reasonable, but it ignores that most of us cook over charcoal that's been used for decades. Is food safety really about regulations, or is it about respecting the craft that has fed millions without major outbreaks? I say the real risk isn't the food—it's losing the flavor that draws tourists from around the world.