Charoenchai: Life, Culture, Displacement
The metropolitan lifestyle in Bangkok is obviously well acquainted with accessible public transit. Civilization creates convenience and makes life much easier by meeting human needs. However, sometimes it changes things that should be preserved.
Charuenchai community was facing that problem in 2016. One of the historic communities in Bangkok was forced to be moved out despite people in this neighborhood struggling to demand authority for staying and preserving their cultural way of life that has existed for over a hundred years. This photo essay, therefore portraying their hope, though they couldn’t find ways out of this.
Charuenchai has been the home of the old Chinese community for generations. It's located beside Yaowarat, Bangkok. It has been growing since the King Rama V era, or over a hundred years ago.
People there sell ethnic Chinese traditional materials for use in Chinese festivals, food, and so on. Presently, people in Charoen Chai are going against the landlords of the community, considering the construction of the MRT’s underground train Wat Mangkon Kamalawat station.
My inspirations are from visiting this community, seeing their way of life, and the traditional architecture in this neighborhood. It inspires me to take all these living historical photographs as cultural resources in the future.
