BANGKOK - HUNDREDS of small shopkeepers are locked in a legal battle to prevent Bangkok's night bazaar, a hugely popular tourist attraction, from being razed and replaced with a mall, a lawyer said on Wednesday.

The Crown Property Bureau, which manages the assets of Thailand's royal family, had won a court order on Jan 30 evicting the shopkeepers from the market, which sits at a prime downtown Bangkok location next to the city's main park.

But a lawyer for P.Con Development, which runs the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, said the company had appealed against the eviction, allowing the shops to remain open for the time being.

'During that time, it's business as usual at Suan Lum night bazaar,' he said.

The Crown Property Bureau (CPB), which owns some of Bangkok's most desired real estate, has been waging a months-long battle to evict the market.

A court ruled on January 30 that all traders and businesses must leave the market within 30 days, and pay 100 million baht (S$4.45 million dollars) in fines to the CPB.

P.Con vowed to take the case to the Supreme Court if needed.

The site was once a military training academy.

The CPB was granted a lease to run the market at the site from 2000 until 2005. Since then, P.Con has battled to keep the market open.

The market is home to hundreds of shops, restaurants and a puppet theatre.

Located next to a subway stop, the night bazaar has become a major tourist attraction and an incubator for young Thai designers seeking to sell their wares.

CPB has already awarded a contract to Central Pattana, a major retail and hotel company, to develop the site into an upscale shopping centre that would include space for embassies and a hotel.