Mahakan Fort community loses ‘landmark’ House 99

[webfact]

Mahakan Fort community loses ‘landmark’ House 99

By The Nation

 

 

The demolition on Thursday of the “landmark” House No 99 in Bangkok’s Mahakan Fort community did not bode well for the remaining 15 antique wooden homes, independent city-planning expert Paranee Sawadirak said.
 

And there is still a question as to whether the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was prepared to assist the residents who are losing their homes, he said.

 

The demolition of homes and eviction of residents from historic communities “deprives the city of a root”, Paranee said.

 

“This is not a good way to solve the issue of communities crowded with poor people, be the area historic or anywhere else in Bangkok. Has the BMA considered a mechanism for supporting and providing aid to the residents?

 

“Now I’m worried about the people who have moved out. Are there other ways besides just leaving them to make do on their own, or sending them to a Ban Man Khong project? Some resident groups might find those choices unacceptable. Couldn’t the BMA work with the Community Organisations Development Institute to find a more flexible solution?”

 

The two-storey House 99 on the community’s central plaza was torn down on Thursday, with the owner and neighbours reportedly offering no resistance.

 

The house had served as a library and community-history museum.

 

Officials of the BMA and Army met with resident and academics there in mid-2017 to negotiate the community’s future, resulting in an agreement that 18 houses, including No 99, would be maintained, as proposed by the Association of Siamese Architects.

 

However, a BMA committee later decided that only seven houses would be conserved. That number included House 99, but it was reported that owner Uraiwan Eungpakorn had already consented to its demolition.

 

The demolition work in the Mahakan Fort community makes way for a planned public park and history museum.

 

Community members’ offer to welcome visitors in a “living museum” if they were allowed to stay was spurned.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30338404

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-02-09

[Golden Triangle]

I would love to live in a place like that, it would have probably needed a few upgrades, showers, proper sanitation, water, electricity, air con, fans, fully fitted European kitchen, cable and satellite just the usual sort of needs, and an overall tidy up outside, but with maintenance on the outside it would still be the real thing.  

[chickenslegs]

The lyrics of this song always come to mind when I read articles like this one ...

 

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got til its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

 

Full lyrics here - https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jonimitchell/bigyellowtaxi.html

[lvr181]

Save history and be damned. Money is GOD! 

 

But history can be saved - look at The Bangkokian Museum, a wonderful beautiful piece of history saved. I took my Thai partner there in 2016, couldn't get her out of the place. She works in BKK but neither her nor any of her friends knew of the place.

 

Address: 

Soi Charoen Krung 43, Bangkok, Thailand

[PremiumLane]

Disgusting what they are doing to this community. It was such a unique and different place, full of history.

[Rhys]

....condos a commin....

[lamyai3]

5 hours ago, PremiumLane said:

Disgusting what they are doing to this community. It was such a unique and different place, full of history.

Very true. Good editorial in the BP today on the subject, lauding the "achievements" of the current unelected city governer.

 

On a side note, anyone know where is the exact entrance to this community and if it's still open to visit? I went down there last month and was unable to find the old houses. I'd like to see what's left of this before they bulldoze the lot.