3. Components of the Sukhothai Historical Park Development Project Aims of the project isbed project win present the bistorical The aims of the project are to revive the structures of Sukhothai against the ag- historical atmospbere of the ancient riculturaI scenery of the area. The rest city by preserving and restoring ancient areas, parking facilities and souvenir edifices, reviving the landscape, im- sbops win encourage visitors. ln aIl, an proving communications systems and area of2,887 rai will be developed. The developing the community. The work public facilities and utilities ( e.g. roads, sbould be planned within the bounda- scbools, bealth centre, rest area, police ries of the available expert advice, funds, station) win occupy a total area of 490 time and staff involved. rai. Those bouses wbicb are scattered The master plan along the bigbway win not need to be The historical park bas been divided relocated but they sbould be redevel- into five sections according to catego- oped to improve the environment. The ries of land use, including areas for bouses wbicb need to be relocated at bousing, fannimg, preservedforests and present occupy a total area of 1,230 rai. public facilities and utilities. The fin- Paddy-fields, plantations and orcbards Table 5. Land developent Description Area Percentage Rai Km2 of70 km2 Areas to be developed: 3 402 5.248 7.48 Ancient sites 875 1.40 2.0 Landscape development area 1 592 2.547 3.63 Service area 135 0.21 0.03 Orchards (described in stone inscriptions) 800 1.280 1.82 Public facilities area 490 0.748 1.06 Residential area: 1231 1.769 2.81 Vi"age renewal area 287 0.469 0.655 Vi"age resettlement area 428 0.677 0.967 Houses wlùch do not have to be renewed or relocated 520 0.833 1.19 Agricultural areas: 12 795 20.509 29.31 Paddy-fields Sugar-cane cultivation 12795 20.509 29.31 Preserved forest 26057 41.96 59.56 '0" 177 comprise an area of 13,410 rai. Pre- addition to this, the area within the city served forests lie in the hilly area to the walls and the area north of the city west of the city. The Forestry Depart- (vicinity ofWat Phra Phai Luang) wiIl ment, which has control of this area, is be preserved and maintained. The sec- responsible for prohibiting encroach- ond phase will be concemed with the ment in these forests. To determine digging of 400 additional test pits as zoning and land-use patterns, the fol- weIl as preserving and restoring the lowing plans and regulations were remaining acient sites. drawn up: The owners of a 7,000-rai Landscape development plan area consisting largely of rice fields ln developing the landscape the aim is have been issued settIers' rights. Ex- to create an atmosphere that closely cept for those areaswhich are adjacent resemblesthe one described in the stone to the ancient sites, relocation of the inscription. Improving the environmeDt inhabitants is not necessary.Although wiIl enhance the ancient bistoric struc- the inhabitants are allowed to continue tures. Roads joining the ancient sites living in this area, it will be necessary should be planned aesthetically. A 10 prohibit further settlement. soil survey conducted by the Soil De- The government must make velopment Department concluded that arragements to pay off those settlers the soil was suitable for growing pro- who are to relocate. vided the plants or crops were weIl An areaoutside the city walls should be watered. reserved for the new settlements. Design o/the landscape The restoration and preservation of The hiIly forestedarea to the west should the ancient structures be planted with those trees described in The restorers should adhere strictly to the stoneinscription, for example coco- the Venice Charter-a series of regula- DUt, ar~ca DUt,betel nut and tamarind. tions concemed with the restoration of Local trees can be planted in public ancient structures. H there is to be any faciIity areas.AlI treesand plants sbould restoration, the original ancient bricks be cared for regularly. It bas been will be used laid down that trees, rather than However, there will be some structures plants and flowers, sbould constitute which will need to be fixed with mod- the vegetation; that plants and trees em building materials, but only to con- should be grown in large groupings- solidate crucial points. scattering them sparsely over large The temples that were prominent dur- areas wiIl not contribute to the ing the Sukhothai period will be given improvement oflandscape; and that the flfSt priority as regards restoration. plants and trees should be grown in Those massesof ancient bricks that are weIl-traversed areas, e.g. along roads half -buried in the ground should be left and by park benches. To achieve the alone until a more detailed archaeo- effeCt of orchards (as described in the logical survey can be obtained. stone inscription), the fruit trees sbould The restoration project will take tell (a) be grouped together in small clus- years. The flfSt phasewill be concemed ters, (b) be evenly spaced, and (c) be primaraily with finding archaeological located in open areas which are not evidence. A hundred and twenty-five being used at present for any other test pits will be dug for this purpse. ln purpose. 178 v Category A: Measures for maintain- by materials thatexistedin ancienttimes. ing the ecological balance of the park The houses in the third category do not development area of 617.2 rai. This need to be renewed or relocated be- includes groves. trees and plants. The cause they do Dot block any sites and existing groves of mango.coconut. their appearancedoes Dot clash with the palm. tamarind. etc., could provide a atinosphere of the ancient city. basis for establishing the size of the The new settlement area will be fruit orcbards that are described in the situated beside paddy-fields and some stone inscriptions. Their location could aIreadyestablished villages. A adequate be based on the soil composition of watersupply system must be provided. particular areas. Smalllanes should connect every house Category B: Restoration of ancient to the main road. A primary school, a wells. ponds and moats. The surface of health centre and a co-operative store the wells win be raised and laid with should be provided. bricks. The programme of village renewal Category C: Provision of infrastruc- and resettlement work invoves: (a) ture facilities. This includes the con- registering the number of persons in struction of parking facilities and path- each family and prohibiting further set- ways (within temple complexes) and tlement in the hisorical park area; (b ) the erection of street-ligbts and sign- issuing officia! orders to relocate those posts in a total area of 63 rai. families involved; (c) providing alI the Village renewal and resettlement villages, whether or Dot they need to be At least one'-third of the 600 families relocated or renewed, with more public living within the old city walls win be facilities, while at the same time im- relocated and the bouses of about 400 proving the existing oDes; and (d) tak- families along the bigbway and roads ing meaSuresto prepare for a possible win be redeveloped to improve the increasing the population among the environment of the area. present inhabitants. The bouses in the bistorical park Tourist development programme bave been classifield under the fo11ow- The total number of foreign arrivaIs ing categories: bousesthat win be relo- in Thailand in 1974 was 1.1 million; in cated; bousesthat win be redeveloped; 1975 it was 1.2 million. International and bouses that can be left alone. The tourism in Thailand has eamed foreign first category includes tbose bouses exchange equivalent to 10 per cent of wbicb block the pathway to. or obstruct the total value of exports in 1975. In the viewing of the ancient sites. The 1975 about 3 per cent of the total number new settlements area win be located of foreign tourists in the country visited inside and outside the city walls. The Sukhothai (about 33,000 persons) vinagers involved sbould be given ad- whereas 21 per cent visited Pattaya equate compensation. Most of tbe beach. Table 6 gives an estimate of the bousesin the secondcategory , althougb number of foreign tourists who will they overlap the park development area. visit Sukhothai after implementation of do not baveto be relocated.They sbould. the tourist development plans. bowever be redeveloped to improve After 1987 it is estimated that there will the living environment. The present be an additionaI1 0 per cent increase to building materials sbould be replaced 185,185. 180 -Sukho1!1ai Historical Park Development Projttt ;.;.-- Table 6 Number of foreign tourists, at estimated increase rate of 10% Year No. of foreign arrivaIs Percentage who visit No. of persons in country Sukhothai (in milions) 1978 1.1 3 1979 1.21 3 36 300 1980 1.33 3 39 900 1981 1.46 3.5 51 100 1982 1.61 4.0 64400 1983 1.77 4.5 79650 1984 1.95 5.0 97 500 1985 2.15 5.5 117700 1986 2.36 6.0 141 600 1987 2.59 6.5 168350 Approxirnately 10 per cent of the tourists corne during weekends (104 total Thai population arefinancially able days of the year-350 persons per day). to travel within the country for pur- On week days (251 days of the year) posesof sightseeing. About 25 per cent 59 ,487 persons corne ( 46 per cent of the of this select nurnber ( approxirnately total nurnber per year-approxirnately 1.1 million persons) win actually un- 350persons perday).