Bangkok Morphology and Its Old Settlements an Overview
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BANGKOK of King Rama 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 Bangkok 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 <?apital city 220 years ago, radical changes in all walks oflife when with an emphasis on its old settlements the nation faced the strong impact of known as the Rattanakosin area. 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 walls 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 capital city. After the fall of Ayuthaya examples. Bangkok turned 100 years old in 1767 and Thonburi in 1782, King during King Rama V's reigns, and by Rama I, the founder of theChakri that time its image was transformed to dynasty, 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 style 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 , Silpakorn University, War.General Plaek Piboonsongkram Bangkok and his government decided to build the Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 04:49:53AM via free access MANUSYA : Journal of Humanities 6.2, 2003 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 Thai language 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 Palace, one. the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, 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 Thailand to grasp its failed to improve social, economic and historical perspective prior to the physical environments because people founding of the Chakri Dynasty 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 82 Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 04:49:53AM via free access Bangkok Morphology and Its Old Settlements: An Overview 1932- Present Constitutional Monarchy 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 palaces, 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 Taksin '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 the Temple of Dawn 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 83 Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 04:49:53AM via free access MANUSYA: Jdurnal ofHumanities 6.2, 2003 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.