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Bangkok Morphology and Its Old Settlements an Overview

Bangkok Morphology and Its Old Settlements an Overview

BANGKOK of King III's reign in 1851. Throughout the first 70 years of MORPHOLOGY AND ITS development people preferred to live and OLD SETTLEMENTS travel on water rather than on land, and AN OVERVIEW canal connections in and around the city were a necessity. Such a lifestyle had impressed visitors from abroad, and Kamthorn KulachoP was then widely known as Venice of the East. Abstract The reigns of King Rama IV - King This article outlines the physical Rama VI (from the mid 19'h century to development of Bangkok since its the first quarter of the 20'h century) saw founding as a imperialism and the industrial revolution from the West that soon overshadowed Between 1534-1546 A.D. of the the long predominant Chinese and Indian Ayuthaya Period, a small village named influences. The demolishing ofcity Bangkok, located by the Chao Praya to extend the city limits, the construction river, assumed a new role as a check of the first roads, and the emerging land• point for ships passing to and from the based settlements are only a few city. After the fall of Ayuthaya examples. Bangkok turned 100 years old in 1767 and in 1782, King during King Rama V's reigns, and by , the founder of theChakri that time its image was transformed to , started building a new capital look like a European city with grand named Rattanakosin. boulevards, bridges, plazas, and buildings in neo-classic forms. City beautification King Rama I deliberately built and pro-Western policies prevailed until Rattanakosin, or new Bangkok in a the First World War and beyond. While manner reminiscent of Ayuthaya as more and more roads were constructed, manifested in its city plan, architectural fewer canals were left to be seen. After and even the names of significant the end of King Rama VI's reign, a huge places. The newly built walled city number of new settlers from the consisted of the inner core, where the provinces flocked to the outskirts of king and aristocrats lived and the outer Bangkok. city, where their children settled near market places, temples and sprawling Only two months before relinquishing communities of diverse racial groups. absolute power to the people, King Rama VII presided over the grand Mixed settlements within the city walls opening of the first bridge ever built for became overcrowded towards the end automobiles across the Chao Praya river in April 1932 to celebrate Bangkok's 1 1Associate Professor, Department of Urban 150 h anniversary. About a decade later, Design and Planning, Faculty of towards the end of the Second World Architecture , , War.General Plaek Piboonsongkram Bangkok and his government decided to build the

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Democracy Monument, surrounded by right time for the general public to update the renewed image of Ratchadamnoen their lmowledge, especially those who Avenue, to represent a democratic and are concerned with or interested in the modern society. city's physical development.

Just a decade or two after the end of Most of the writing below is more or the war, Bangkok grew into a metropolis less a revised edition of the article and continued to expand without entitled Physical Development of direction and adequate control, which Bangkok City Since Its Inception up resulted in the present chaotic situation. to 1932 by the author himself and his Some critical issues in city planning are co-author, Songsan Nilkamhaeng of the subsequently discussed by the author. National Archives, in to commemorate Bangkok's bicentennial Efforts to preserve Bangkok's old about two decades ago (Kamthorn and settlements, the area once confined Songsan,1982:221-244). However, the within the city walls, took shape in 1971 . present version which is rewritten in The government has put a tight English for the first time provides a more restriction on any developments within humanistic approach than the previous the inner part where the Grand , one. the Temple of the , and other precious historic buildings and sites Historical Background are located. However, a negative policy to control developments in the outer part It is essential for the readers who lmow where most people live and work has very little about to grasp its failed to improve social, economic and historical perspective prior to the physical environments because people founding of the and the have kept moving out, business concurrent promulgation ofBangkok, or investments have been dwindling, and Rattanakosin, as the new capital city long established communities have lost of Siam. their identities and finally turned into slums. The failure was caused partly by The following chronology is ,therefore, the disregard of public participation and provided to serve as an outline for the missing stakeholders in the planning readers to refer to while pursuing stages process. Recent studies by university of the city's development: scholars suggest that in order to revive the presently decaying old settlements SUKHOTHAI Period 13'h century and bring back the quality of life, a A.D. lasted for humanistic approach with positive about 200 years guidelines is needed. AYUTHAYA Period 1300s - 1700s A.D. reigned Preamble for more than 400 years After 220 years, the story of how THONE URI Period from 1767 to 1782 Bangkok has been shaped should be RATTANAKOSIN Period (Chakri disseminated once again so that the Dynasty) present generation can know this 1782 - 1851 King Rama I- King Rama III centuries-old city better. It is also the 1851-/925KingRamaiV- KingRama VI 1925 - 1932King Rama VII

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1932- Present Originated from the West Side 1946 - Present King Rama IX

This article about the evolution of The capital city of Thonburi in fact physical form begins with the late covered both sides of the Chao Praya Ayuthaya period, a time contempora• river though almost all , neous with Europe's Baroque, and ends institutional buildings, temples, prisons, in the twentieth century, with an commercial and residential areas were emphasis on the old Bangkok area concentrated on the west side. On the where the quality of life and sense of opposite side of the river, minority community are on the brink of decline. settlements and agricultural fields were scattered on wetlands - a perfect The First Settlements strategic place to slow down enemies if they were ever to attack from the east. Bangkok, presumably derived from Surrounded by city walls on both sides Bangkoh or island, originated from a ofthe river, the new capital ofThonburi district of orchards and agricultural land was indeed designed as a volatile city amidst scattered villages. The district with the main waterway running from became well known during the late the · north to south through its heart. Ayuthaya period, approximately by the While King 's reign lasted only first half of the l61h century, when a 15 years, some prominent bui !dings such number ofthe river bends were cut short as and the King's at the king's command to save travel palace, now occupied by the Royal time from the gulf up to the capital city. Navy, re main as major tourist With a new shortcut running straight attractions. through the middle ofBangkok district, the Chao Praya river changed its course, Extending to the East across the thus splitting the land into two .sides: Thonburi on the west and Bangkok on River the east. As a result, the former river with its curves turned into canals along It is widely known that King Rama I, which boathouses and water-based who established \the Chakri Dynasty after his ascension to the throne in 1782 activities gathered on both sides. For ' more than 200 years, the new role of started to build the city of Bangkok as a Bangkok as a checkpoint for ships to new capital on the opposite side of the undergo inspections and pay customs Chao Praya River in 1783 gave it the duties prevailed until the end of the name Rattanakosin or Place to Keep Ayuthaya period. Precious Stones.

It was in the same year, after the fall of It is believed that there were three main Ayuthaya in 1767, that King Taksin reasons for locating the new capital on reclaimed the nation's independence the east side of the river (Naengnoi et. from the Burmese, and chose Thonburi al, 1991: 18): was chosen as the site of his new capital. - Potential to build new city walls Open fields on the east side were easier for moat digging parallel to the

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enlarged city walls than the dense by Cambodian, Laotian, Mon, Malaysian, populated area on the west. etc. were dispersed to the outskirts of -Difficulty in fighting against the city. erosion Being washed by tides from the Development in the First 70 north, the banks on the west side eroded Years quickly. - Problem for future expansion Since Bangkok is more widely used than The Land within the old city was Rattanakosin, let us hereafter refer to mostly occupied and the palaces were it by the former name although flanked by ~he main temples. It was contemporary prefer almost impossible to build greater Krungthep, the initial word preceding 2 palaces or to extend the city's its official and lengthy name. boundaries. Bangkok was first built with surrounding King Rama I spent most of his lifetime walls for protection against enemies, as a warrior fighting great wars with mainly from the east while the river neighboring countries. During his served as a natural border on the younger years, he had witnessed the opposite side. After the old city walls glory of the old capital of Ayuthaya until were demolished to pave way for the the day ofits destruction by the Burmese city's expansion, new walls were in 17 67. It is, therefore, natural that when erected together with encircling moats, he had a chance to rebuild the capital constituting a total area of 4.14 square city, it could be nothing but the new kilometers (about I ,024 acres), Ayuthaya. approximately 1.8 sq.km. as the inner part and 2.3 sq.km. as the outer part. So the first :Significant buildi~gs on the east side of the Chao Praya river The first celebration making the founding included the and the of the new city took place in 1785, three Temple ofthe Emerald Buddha complex years after its inception. When the first for the King and his brother's palace in five years had passed without wars, the the north now functioning as the National rate of urbanization increased very Museum. Apart from these temporary rapidly. According to British ambassador buildings which were constructed with and preacher Jacob timber in a hasty manner, the king also Tomlin, it was estimated that Bangkok's laid the foundation stone ofthe City Pillar population in the ranged from right at the comer of the Temple of the 50,000-80,000, more than half ofwhom Emerald Buddha in order to inaugurate were Chinese immigrants mixed with the new capital. Most of the land for building the Grand Palace complex had been taken from a Chinese estate at the 2 The full name of Bangkok as the capital king's command. Chinese squatters city is: Krungthep Mahanakorn Amorn were then relocated to a new site just Rattanakosin Mahindrayuthaya Maha outside the city walls, south of the river dilokpop Noparatana Ratchathani while the settlements of other ethnic burirom Udomratchanivet Mahastarn minorities namely Vietnamese, Amornpimarn Awatansatid Sakkatattiya Vis an ukamapras it.

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diverse minority groups from neighboring also the way its city plan was organized. nationalities (Naengnoi and et.al, For example, the main palaces with inner 1991:78). walls were situated next to the river; foreign settlements were located outside As illustrated, the city plan during the the city walls to the south of the Grand reigns of King Rama I - King Rama III Palace; a golden was built on top by the mid 19th century looks like a bow of an earthen mound as the city's with the old moat running in the middle landmark; and a canal of the same name parallel to the east city walls, holding was dug just outside the city to them together by two straight ditches. serve as an arena for water festivals. The land was therefore divided into two For transportation, waterways, big chunks; on the left was the inner area especially canals, were necessary for and on the right was the outer area, the people at that time because boats divided into three equal subdivisions. and rafts were major modes of travel that made business and trade possible Most of the land in the inner area was while land transportation was infrequent dedicated to palaces, temples, and limited to pedestrian traffic only. aristocrats' properties, as well as There were only a few streets linking military and administrative functions. the Grand Palace to the main gates of Residential uses were hardly found the city. because people at that time preferred to live in boathouses along the Since the kings and nobles were waterways. There was also an open polygamists, they had to provide many space next to the Grand Palace to be palaces for their children. That is why used as a cremation ground exclusively the land gained for the city's expansion for members ofthe . was mostly occupied by spillover palaces and residences for family A memo written by a French cardinal members of the aristocrats, reveals that the early kings of the Chalcri accompanied by settlements of the Dynasty determined to have their immigrants and slaves who served them. palaces and temples built after the forms Neighborhoods and communities were and names of many classic structures built around market places and temples of the Ayuthaya period. Builders with patronized by the nobles in the outer superb skills and workmanship who area of the city. There was also a survived the destruction of Ayuthaya dominant public open space at the center were recruited to create top-class of the outer area, marked by a giant architecture for Bangkok. The swing in front of a significant Buddhist cardinal's admiration for such temple and the Brahmans' monastery. magnificent architecture, standing in The open space with the built contrast to the fresh natural for religious purposes now faces the environment, is seen as a result of King present city in the north and the Rama II's and Rama III's efforts to the temple in the south. This ceremonial restore, decorate, and refine countless space was used by all city dwellers. imperial buildings throughout the city. The first 70 years of Bangkok's history Not only in architecture did Bangkok try ended as King Rama IV ascended to to follow the model of Ayuthaya, but the throne in 1851. The walled city where

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public utilities were not available reached degenerate when a few roads for land a transitional period with the need for transportation as well as land another extension of the city limits to settlements took place for the first time meet the demands ofan increasing urban in the second half of the 19'h century, population. during the reign of King Rama IV.

The Era of Western Infiltration Once the door was wide open to Westerners, it was considered normal Like all other capital cities in Southeast practice for the ruling monarch to hire , Bangkok by the late 1850s could as many as 84 professionals and experts hardly resist the influx of western from Europe and the United States to cultures and the overwhelming impact assume consultants' or civil servants' of the industrial revolution. King Rama roles, not mentioning an even greater IV, or King , whose image has number of those involved in trade and been portrayed in the world- renowned business in the private sector. play , had to succumb to the western powers and let their These Westerners, with their modern influence penetrate the Thai society. ways of doing business, began to settle next to the districts where the Chinese By 1854, the population of Bangkok has corrununity had settled and dominated mounted to about400,000 and hence the trade with the local people for a long city had to face the problem of time. overcrowding. King Rama IV finally decided to disassemble the city walls The southern areas of Bangkok, and annex another 2.4 square kilometers previously developed outside the city (almost 600 acres) as appeared in the walls, now became places of hustle and new city map. A third encircling moat bustle in the middle of the city where parallel to the old ones, lined with seven offices, trading companies and distant forts but without walls between warehouses of both Chinese and them, emerged to mark the new Europeans stood side by side near boundary. However, it is interesting to embassies and consular offices. These note that it took more than two centuries developments were first packed on the for Bangkok to abandon the city walls riverside but later scattered along both whi ch lad characterized European sides of the main roads - the roads that baroque cities. were built later to satisfy complaints that the lack of such facilities for It was mentioned earlier that most promenading or horse r iding was Bangkok city dwellers in the first 70 hazardous to health. years spent their lives doing business, traveling, and living on waterways. King Rama IV approved the According to memos written by construction of the first three major European immigrants, it was the roads of Bangkok: the New Road thousands of boathouses, rafts and the stretching from the grand palace to the corrununities down south of the river network of canals connection ' throughout the city that made Bangkok the Bamrung Muang Road extending better known as the Venice of the East. the main pedestrian street from the giant Unfortunately, such an image started to swing eastward (now Rama I Road)

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parallel to the main canal that Jinks the The reign of King Rama V witnessed city to the countryside, and the Fueng many new inventions, such as steam Nakon Road traversing the first two, ships, automobiles, railroads, trams, across the middle of the city in a north • electricity, telephone, telegraph, radio south direction. broadcasting, and so on. These helped to add modernize the capital city. As a It should be noted that never before in result, the population of Bangkok soared the early had land to approximately 600,000 in 19003 while settlement and land transportation, the total urbanized area covered 13 .33 particularly roads for vehicles, sq.km., about three times larger than the 1 materialized until 80 years after its walled city of the mid l9 h century. founding. In terms of physical character, modem offices in European neoclassical With the fast growing rate of style and Chinese shophouses in urbanization and the proliferation of Singaporean style began to emerge and Western influence, King Rama V was gradually gained popularity. keen to facilitate movement inside the city with an extensive transportation Furthermore, the construction of King network and infrastructure, especially Rama IY's Summer Palace on the bank roads inside the inner core and canals of the canal in a suburb has set a new connecting to the suburbs and other direction for the city's expansion to the remote areas. By that time, boathouses east in the following years while areas and rafts had lost their popularity due to in the north were still quiet with sparse damage caused by steam ships while settlements gathering around a few land subdivision and land speculation as Buddhist temples. well as the importation of automobiles in 1902 assumed leading roles and Time for Beautification and induced changes in the economic Modernization system.

After succeeding his father in 1868, Towards the end of the 19'h century, King Rama V ruled for 42 years. He King Rama V, following in his father's has become the most beloved monarch footsteps, bought a large piece of land because of the significant changes he in the north and built the brought to the country and his subjects. Complex for himself and his family. The He is particularly respected for saving new palaces were a new magnet setting the nation from being colonized by the the new direction for the city' s Western powers, eradicating , expansion to the north. It did not take modernizing infrastructures and very long for the areas around the ·introducing a plan to the city palaces to be developed as a high-class, beautification. Under the ingenious low-density residential zone. king's leadership, Bangkok, when close to 100 years old, was fully equipped with Back in 1897, King Rama V visited western-standard systems: economic, Russia, Germany, France, England and education, public health, industrial, public 3 From official statistics of the Census wel_fare, transportation, military, Division, Department of Administration, administration, telecommunications, Ministry of Interior. business, etc.

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other countries in Europe. Upon the construction of palaces within the returning , he planned to link the Dusit Complex, the first railroad terminal, Dusit Palace to the Grand Palace with Hua Lampong, the first railway bridge a boulevard, like Unter den Linden in across the river, Rama VI bridge, and Berlin or The Mall in London. Two Chulalongkom University. For his own years later, , initiative, the first public park located on meaning the royal path, was actually Rama IV road, Lumbhini park, was built between 1899-1903. Three dedicated to the capital city. connecting parts constitute the whole length: the first one lies outside the old . The pro-Western tradition, in terms of city walls while the second and the third social values, architectural style and parts cut through the old settlements. As urban way oflife, continued until the end shown in the illustration, the avenue of the reign of King Rama VI in 1925. clearly dominates the old city plan with It can be concluded that for 74 years, its geometric supremacy. throughout the reign of King Rama IV to King Rama VI, the city underwent For the local people, such a beautiful city tremendous changes and more and design was a real shock. While more contrasts became evident between pavements neatly lined with trees, the new outer areas and the old inner western-style street furniture and areas of Bangkok. embellished bridges were much admired, everybody was suspicious of their Generally speaking, the outer areas have intended functions since the whole been developed mainly for the fac ilities avenue upon completion was underused and utilities of a modem city such as and left empty - only a few rickshaws educational institutions, railway station, and pedestrians came into sight once in and mixed residential-commercial a while. shophouses. The areas settled by Westerners expanded further and A public square called the turned residential neighborhoods into an at the north end of Ratchadamnoen international financial business district Avenue was another feature designed now known as Suriwong-Silom• to accentuate the Dusit Palace Sathorn. On the other hand, the old inner Complex. When King Rama V perished area became more densely populated in 1910, his equestrian statue was raised after the First World War with increased right at the center ofthe square, serving commercial activity. Many residents as a terminating point in the same inherited property from their forefathers. manner as King Louis XIV's statue in Interestingly, quite a number of the new front of Versailles in Paris. The Royal settlers used to be slaves who lived and Plaz;a thus symbolizes the glory of the served their masters in the vicinity. great monarch, baroque traditions, and the City Beautiful image. Regime Change and World War n The succeeding reign lasted for only 15 years. Despite hard times during the first King Rama Vll's reign started in 1925 world war, King Rama VI had but he sacrificed his throne soon after completed a number of unfinished Bangkok celebrated its 150rh projects initiated by his father, namely anniversary to pave the way for the

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Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 04:49:53AM via free access Bangkok Morphology and Its Old Settlements: An Overview democratic system in 1932. And to Growth in the Second Half ofthe 1 commemorate such an auspicious 20 h Century occasion, the roads on both sides of the river were linked together for the first Bangkok was fortunate never to have time when the Prabuddhayodfa been attacked or damaged by any wars bridge the first bridge, ever built for throughout the 220 years of its automobiles, was inaugurated together existence. Yet the city exploded into an with the monument of King Rama I by unrestrained metropolis with a multi• King Rama VII himself. million population after the Second World War. In modem-day city planners' view, After the regime change, from absolute the gap between the capital city and the monarchy to , in 1932, there rest of the country has widened since was a series of coups d'etat by top 1932 because Bangkok has already military brass. However, the urbanization become the center for international rate of Bangkok kept growing trade and investment, education, health continuously and land in the outer areas care, job opportunities and better living was densely occupied by new standards (DTP, 1999: 111). It is immigrants from the provinces. incredible that with a population ofnearly ten million and an area covering little In 1939, the year that the Nazis invaded more than 1,500 sq.km. the city still France, the city of Bangkok underwent keeps on growing recklessly without a major operation when all of the fully adequate control and efficient public mature and shady mahogany in the services. middle ofRatchadarnnoen Avenue were felled to make way for the construction Without an articulate and widely of a together recognized master plan or accepted with uniform buildings on both sides guidelines, decisions to define land use throughout its length. It was a strong and to create a transportation network will of the then Prime Minister who was for Bangkok have been arbitrarily made a major coup leader, General Plaek by politicians and government officials Piboonsongkram, to show the modernity as well as the private sector, particularly of Bangkok as well as the rise of the developers and land owners, throughout democratic system in Thailand. the last five decades of development. Borrowing the image of the Arc de A broader picture of the city can then Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees in be described as chaotic and lacking of Paris, the new face of Ratchadarnnoen a clear vision to cope with present and Avenue was completed and ready for future problems efficiently. celebration in 1943, two years before . the end of the Second World War. The The following commentaries more or image of a Western boulevard with a less reflect the physical changes of grand monument in the middle has greater Bangkok in the last 50 years: brought a reputation and pride to Bangkok dwellers and Thai people in general without regard to the sharp Waterways were replaced with roads contrast and incongruity with its surroundings. Apart from causing eventual area-wide flooding in the flood prone sites of the

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city, the beautiful canals that once governments' decisions in the past were earned Bangkok the name Venice ofthe made too late to gain an efficient mass East are gone forever and were transit system and restrict the use of replaced with either a heated concrete private automobiles. surface or polluted open drainage. Lack of public understanding/ Lack of land use planning and concern controls Except for a handful of scholars and Bangkok has proved that it gained professionals, the rest of Thai society, nothing from overcrowding. Not only including politicians and most decision does it have inadequate· open spaces and makers, hardly understand what city innumerable slums, but also high-rise planning is all about and how it could buildings scattered all around the city. enhance the quality of life of city Furthermore, the real estate business dwellers. Quite a number of people in has grown rapidly at the cost of public Bangkok still suffer from living next investment, not to mention the concentric door to toxic plants or slaughterhouses. development pattern that has become Such an example shows that a number the main obstacle to providing effective of master plans prepared by experts, and efficient infrastructure. both domestic and international, have never been implemented seriously. Lack of integrated transport systems Lack of efficient tools

Bangkok was and still is infamous for There are no effective laws or zoning its traffic jams due to a lack ofsystematic ordinance available. The existing 1975 planning for transportation. Roads were City Planning Act and. the obsolete built in such a way that resulted in Building-Code are too general and not superblocks and overwhelming traffic nearly powerful enough to cope with the problems. In addition, relying heavily on city's ever growing problems. In other buses as the only answer to mass words, law enforcement to set order to transportation needs plus delays in the the city and protect its citizens' right is decision-making process to solve critical not adequate. problems such as railroad on-grade crossings have worsened the situation. It is simply justified to conclude that the Mass transit investments have only physical form ofBangkok during the first begun and are yet to expand. And worst 70 years of development was better of all, costly construction of structured than in the later periods. expressways, overpasses, underpasses, Overcrowding, lack of thoughtful etc. has encouraged the increase of car planning and weak controls are the key ownership. As for water transportation, factors involved in the reduction of which had been overlooked for a long quality of the built environment and time, express boats along the river and hence the livability of the city today. main canals have played only an However, with the initiative of a ihsignificant role due to inadequate conservationist group some 30 years support and poor management. In the ago, the government has been persuaded broader picture, most of the to preserve the areas of the city's origin.

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4 Preservation of the old city by a moat along the demolished walls • The inner area features imperial The first idea of preserving the old city architecture such as palaces, temples of Bangkok or the Rattanakosin Area and other buildings of historic came up in 1971 to celebrate the 25th significance. The area is highly anniversary of the present King's restricted to any new developments and ascension to the throne. The proposed modification of public buildings. scheme is well known as the Residents of the three · resistant Project. Its main communities on the riverfront, Tha Tzen, objective is to safeguard the world• Tha Chang and Tha Prachan, are renowned architectural gems inside the living in fear as they are being targeted Grand Palace, Temple of Emerald to be wiped out and replaced with green Buddha, and countless monuments and open spaces. sites of historic significance built on both sides of Chao Praya River within the In the outer area, less significant old city boundaries. buildings and sites are scattered all around. The identities of many Ironically, a major construction project, communities are gradually dying out the Pra bridge, took place in together with socioeconomic vitality. the very same year with the very same Without positive guidance and new objective. Upon its completion in 1973, investments, one can expect a the bridge has challenged the deteriorating environment, eventual preservation aims by attracting a huge decay, and finally the demise of the old amount of traffic to and from the central city. It is also sad to find that no part ofRatchadamnoen Avenue. Today, community participation has been invited the avenue helplessly serves as a major in the planning process during the past thoroughfare for draining enormous 30 years. volumes ofautomobiles and trucks from inside and outside of the city both day The old city today and night, and hence completely shuts off the close relationship between the The following analytical descriptions of northern and southern portions of the old the outer area of the old city core are city. summarized from recent studies, research works, and special reports. The Rattanakosin Island Project still exists and a great many problems have As mentioned earlier, the area under yet to be solved. The project area review has been bisected into north and stretches from the walls built during the south territories. Bordering the Chao · Thonburi period on the west side of the Praya river, most of the land in the river to the city walls on the east side. northern portion had been allocated to The said boundary is presumably the nobles, a Moslem community, and a conceived as the core of the old couple ofBuddhist temples established settlements of Bangkok. 4 Some texts refer to the 'outer' part as the The core of old Bangkok on the east 'middle' part, mistakenly annexed the area side of the Chao Praya river consists of between the city walls and the third moat the 'inner' and 'outer' areas as divided excavated during the reign of King Rama IV.

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since the founding ofthe city. This area, • Gun and ammunition supply dealers commonly called Bang Lampoo, was • A shopping center built on the site of later developed into a shopping node an old market from where people inside and outside • A well-preserved theater building of the area came for leather goods, outfit early modem style tailoring, and ready-made clothing. A • A noble's property once turned into number of modem department stores a famous entertainment complex in were developed at a later period to 1950s, now converted into retail facilitate shoppers. Surprisingly, the area shops and department stores known as has now • Pedestrian shopping alley linking the become a popular hub for international Indian and Chinese communities backpackers. Within walking distance, • Wholesale fresh flower and the recent improvement of a historic vegetable markets fort, Phrasumen, on the riverfront to serve as a public park, Santichaiprakam The outer area of the old city core has park, has brought laudable been in decline and thus needs careful environmental effects to the area. study and revolutionary planning as well However, strip developments behind the as visions and positive guidelines to building blocks along Ratchadarnnoen revive its socioeconomic vitality and Avenue have already turned into slums. physical livability.

On the other hand, the old settlements In 1991, a group of Architecture Faculty with rich diversity in the southern portion members from of the old city core deserve deeper University, in their research project investigation. entitled Physical Elements of Rattanakosin City, (Naengnoi and Places of interest for possible others, 1991) identified the following improvement were studied and identified problems of the said area: by a graduate student of Silpakorn University in 2002.5 Such places and People keep moving out to seek activities were found to have kept the business opportunities and better old city alive with their unique identities living environment as follows: The rate of out-migration is higher than • Strip of second-hand goods /military that of in-migration due to the outfit and accessories I hiking deteriorating ambience of the old city supplies and its run-down business is. • Strip of Buddhist religious goods • Silversmith/ goldsmith/ decorative The rising cost of land in the height items such as badges and trophies restricted zone has held back • Printing shops investment • An old prison converted into a museum and public park • Shops selling bamboo weaving and rattan/wickerwork products 5 Ms. Vasinee Visuthiviset's project entitled • Jewelry dealers A Study of Old Bangkok Area to Promote • Audio-visual appliances Tourist Routes, implemented to fulfill the requirements of Urban Design Studio 2.

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A classic example is the New World Conclusion Department Store located just opposite a major Buddhist temple in Bang Located on a flood plain suitable for Lampoo. While the maximum height is agriculture, Bangkok came to public restricted to four stories, the company recognition in the early 16th century after gradually added four more floors to the a river short-cut was dug through it. Its building. With the court's ruling to knock new role as a check point for ships down the top four floors, the company prevailed until the fall of Ayuthaya m decided to go out of business. 1767.

Obsolete regulations and standards The new capital city after Ayuthaya, to curb and prevent encroachment Thonburi, was founded by King Taksin who reclaimed the independence of the In contrast to the just-mentioned case, country. Its development was historic preservation in the old city still concentrated on the west bank of the lacks appropriate bylaws for special Chao Praya river for 15 years. The protection of the national heritage Temple of Dawn, and King Taksin 's against offensive developments. palaces and houses along the canals are the legacy of such period. Poor quality of tourist-related facilities The city walls on both sides of the river were tom down in 1782 when King Despite an ever increasing number of Rama I, the founder of the Chakri tourists visiting the old city each year, Dynasty, decided to move the capital there is still no defmite plan to deal with across the river to the east because he critical problems such as inadequate realized that to extend the palaces and parking for tourist buses, messy services the city limits on the Thonburi side was and soliciting street vendors at tourist almost impossible due to limited spots, hazardous pavements and street developable land and erosion problems. crossings for pedestrians, missing information signs, unavailable onsite The building of Rattanakosin, the origin transportation, etc. ofcontemporary Bangkok, followed the model of Ayuthaya city. During the first Pollution and dull streetscapes 70 years of development until the end of King Rama ill, patterns and styles Water in the canals and other waterways of the city were influenced by Indian, is substandard. Investment in water Chinese and other neighboring cultures. treatment plants by the Bangkok Early city dwellers preferred to live and Metropolis Administration in recent do business in boathouses and use years has yet to yield fruitful results. waterways as their means of Furthermore, visitors to the area often transportation. Most buildings during find themselves disturbed by low air that time were built facing water and quality, dust and loud noise generated significant structures, particularly those by road traffic. Except for built during King Rama III's reign, Ratchadamnoen Avenue, an in-depth clearly show the influence of Chinese study recommends that most architecture. As land transportation, only streetscapes should be improved. a handful of pathways were built mainly

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for walking. Historic monuments and and Rama VII, continued on with the sites of the city in the early years include same policies and attitudes towards the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Westernization until the end of absolute Emerald Buddha, the City Pillar, the monarchy in 1932. Giant Swing, the Royal Cremation Ground, city walls and other imperial Since the regime change, the areas architecture inside the inner city. outs ide the old city walls were overwhelmed with an in flux of The city walls were all demolished in immigrants from all over the country. the 1850s when King Rama IV opened Such incidents have caused chaotic the door to Western civilization. The city situations which have grown worse boundaries were extended far out to the since the end of the Second World War. east to relieve overcrowding and Today, with a number of defunct master Bangkok began to grow in a Western plans, weak controls, and lack of serious style. The first roads for horse traffic, implementation, Bangkok has much to wagons, and promenading purposes do to achieve livability and an acceptale flanked by brick buildings for quality of life for its ten million commercial activities on both sides came inhabitants. on the scene. These trends prevailed and began to replace the water-based Despite the adoption of Rattanakosin lifestyle ofBangkok. Island Project in the early 1970s, governments over the past 30 years have Then came the glorious time and the achieved very little in terms ofbenefiting longest reign of King Rama V the Great the people. Negative controls and a lack who Jed the nation to liberation and of community participation have played modernization to Western standards. His a critical role in bringing stagnant reign coincided with 20'h century situations to the old city where business industrial technology and the first and commercial activities h~ve shown centennial of Bangkok. Modern signs of degeneration. Recent studies infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and scholastic researche have indicated electricity, telecommunications, trams, the need for positive guidance and railroads, automobiles, etc. was adopted appropriate action in order to bring back to equip the city in parallel with radical the vibrancy and livability of the old changes in the economic, educational, settlements. medical, and administrative systems. Above all , his great legacy for Bangkok is the creation of Ratchadamnoen Avenue linking the Grand Palace to the new Dusit Palace, hence instigating the city's growth to the north - much as King Rama IV 's Summer Palace induced growth to the east.

Major physical improvements for Bangkok made King Rama V the most beloved monarch. When he passed away in 1910, his sons, Kings Rama VI

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References

Department of Town Pialll1ing. City Planning Movement during the Naengnoi Saksi and Others. Research on Reign ofKing Rama IX. Physical Elements of Ministry of Interior.1999. Rattanakosin City~ Chulalongkom University. 1991. Kamthom Kulachol and Songsan Nilkarnhaeng. Physical Suarez, Thomas. Early Mapping of Development oj_the Bangkok Southeast Asia. Hong Kong : City Since Its Inception up to Periplus Editions.l999. 1932. Silpakom University Journal, Special Issue. Vol.4-5. December 1982.

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2. Bangkok served as a checkpoint for more than 200 years

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LL'-llJYi.. n;·~tllJ'l!,-- ...... uu..,,h~,~...... ,

3. Location of Bangkok and Thonburi Built-up areas were concentrated on the west side and sparse settlements of minority groups on the east

4. Early maps of Thonburi as a new capital Drawn by a native and a westerner

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5. White elephant & Floating city The images of Siam and Bangkok

6. Boathouses & Temple of Dawn Early symbols ofBangkok

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• Palace ! Temple

7. Rattanakosin as a walled city 1782- 1851 70 years of development (Kings Rama I- Rama III)

8. Giant swing & Brahman quarters Influence of in a new Buddhist city

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9. Buddhist temples in 1800s (Rama III) Showing strong influences of Chinese style

10. Living and traveling on waterways Early Bangkok way of life

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11 . Venice of the East Impressions in water color by a Japanese artist, Niro Yokota

12. King Rama IV demolished city walls To solve overcrowding and extend the city to the east

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13. Beginning of land settlement Early roads were enclosed by rows of shop houses

. I ,!.... l :- ......

14. Facilities for emerging land transportation Roads were built for carts and carriages as well as promenading

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/' ··- ~

15. Westernization by the end of 19th century Hustle and bustle d istricts in the south of Bangkok

16. Streetscape in a business area By the end of 19th century

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17. Influx of the 20th-century technologies Bangkok was equipped with modem infrastructures

18. Bangkok afterlOO years of development Growth outside the old walls spreading to the east and the north

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19. King Rama V's city beautification Dusit Palace & Ratchadamnoen Avenue (1899-1903)

20. King Rama V's city beautification Ratchadamnoen A venue was purposely linked to the Grand Palace

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21. King Ram a V 's equestrian statue In front of the Dusit Palace and the Royal Plaza

22. Pending projects completed by King Rama VI First bridge across the river & railway terminal (duringWW. I)

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23. King Rama VII and regime change in 1932 Bangkok's celebration ofitsl5Qth anniversary .

24. The city's growth after regime change Bangkok is packed with settlers from the provinces

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25. The major change ofRatchadamnoen Avenue Borrowing from the model of the Arc de Triomphe & the Champs• Elysees

llefore After 26. After the Second World War Sathom & Silom areas lost their canals

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27. Since the Second World War Silom has turned into a bustling financial district

28 . Bangkok becomes a fast growing metropolis The rate of urbanization is overwhelming

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29. Bangkok today keeps growing recklessly Despite a number of master plans

30. Preservation of the old city A fo rt by the river was recently converted into a public park

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