Think Like Capitalist, Act Like Capitalist
Walking and observing around Banthat Thong road, you will see many shops are already out of business, some are hanging banners of selling the building contracts or ‘Seng’. During a past Lunar Celebration or Chinese New Year, although many Thai-Chinese neighborhoods were happily celebrating, at Banthat Thong was a little bit quiet.
“The business here is not good anymore, unlike the old days. My family has been living here for over ten years and as you can see now many shops are already moved out, and a lot more is about to leave. You asked me about Chula University? They only come only once a year or two, to look around but do nothing for helping us.” Said a middle-age man, an owner of a family tailor shop ‘Gaytog’s’.
Chulalongkorn University Real Estate Office’s vision is to do the best for maintain a good image of the university and to create an efficient benefit and extra value for Chula’s property, according to its website. Furthermore, the organization is to preserve a good environment and beautiful architecture, and to be a good model of urbanization way. Ultimately, it is to build a sustainable town center of Bangkok.
“I heard they are going to build a new residential building replacing our current building, or a new shopping mall as like Chamchuri Square. My contract will complete the end of this year. I don’t know Chula will let us stay longer or not. We have to look for a new place close to hear, I don’t want to go far from this area.” Added the Gaytog’s shop owner.
Even though, Banthat Thong is not a very old community, but rather say people have settled here for about 30 year ago. When Chula’s real estate project once developed this area to be a commercial and business zone. All the buildings architecture along the road look the same, with about three-four stories. Most of the shop names sound modern with English language, not a single shop named in Thai, for example, Billy (Shoes shop), Parot Sport, Rollie, Sario, Gaytog’s, Giorgio, Athens, 999 Tailor - King of Fashion, etc.
At the daytime, Banthat Thong is crowded with cars and people walking on the footpath, food vendors selling drink and food, busy road, busy area. Hundreds of family and students are living there. Many social and economic activities are lively ongoing.
However, the contract rental fee may not be efficient enough, comparing to the rental money Chula gains for the past 30 years with a new coming project the ‘residential tower’ or ‘apartment service’. When the land becomes even more precious with higher price, close to the heart of the city center, Banthat Thong is hardly avoided to be modernized again.
“No, no, you cannot think like that. They are not academic institute or person, they are capitalist, they want to make money. They don’t care how people are living, or a community we have here. When the economic is not so good as now, they still ask for higher rental rate.”
“Many people, including me, may have to make a decision whether Chula will extent the contract or not. Because as we have been living here for many years, they don’t really care the people. Never come and ask what people think about to build new buildings. They can do whatever they want.” The same tailor shop owner said.
Urbanized, Modernized, But Old
“I am no longer interested to stay here anymore. When the contract ends I will move out. Chula should consider itself, why many people now do not want to stay here anymore. Not only an insecurity of the short term contract, but Chula is going to make this neighborhood down.” Pornpisut, a cake shop owner expressed his feeling.
He explains that local people and office workers who are staying around Banthat Thong, they are not rich people. They can’t afford to shop and to buy stuff all the time. Thus this neighborhood is alive because of food shops, photo shop, copy print shop: all these small shops have helped the local economic. Some people and students will go to 3-4 shopping malls or Siam Square if they would love to.
“Banthat Thong is well-known for the best rice soup, dimsum and noodle. Chula should maintain the good stuff, and renovate some part such a nice walking path or a good marketing, and a good public relations with resident and tourist.” Said Pornpisut.
“Personally, I don’t agree with having so many luxurious shopping malls. A variety of different kinds of unique neighborhood is good for local economy. And if the University said that Sieng Kong, autoparts and repair shops area are dirty. So they can make it clean, nice, but it doesn’t mean they have to replace with a new building, tall-rise one, sparkling mirror buildings. Chula just likes to make a profit and money. That’s all.” He added.
“Being Old doesn’t mean being Dirty.” He emphasized.
He thinks a modern eating and shopping place are not always making lots of money for shop owner or selling shops. It is only good for land developer. He also suggests to go and observe that there are not so many people eating at Talad Sam Yan (Sam Yan market) as before. Chumchuri Square is kinda quiet, just only famous brand name shops making money.
Periphery Running To The Core
Bangkok is being a place in a sense of tourism concentration. If Siam Square is one of the heart of tourism centers. Banthat Thong is naturally becoming periphery of this core. Otherwise, it’s interesting to look at the connection between the core and periphery area.
While every square inches of Siam Square are being used as the selling shops and offices, many tourists and students are hanging out there to shop and eat - Banthat Thong partially serves the city as the residential and cheaper living cost territory. There must be a place for lower-middle class people to stay, where cannot be so far from their working place, and not to close to the core.
Nevertheless, when the urban city is expanding: the core is bigger and trending to trade other area to become more urbanized. Some out-skirted places become urbanized also, when there are many kinds of public transportation close by. The connections between Chula’s Siam Square and Banthat Thong seems to be under this explanation.
If Banthat Thong neighborhood would be fully renovated to be as like Siam Square or MBK mall, where local people would be resettle? The cost of living in that area might be higher, the dorm rental fee might be higher, then where Chula’s or other schools’ students would be?
We all know time pass, things change. Banthat Thong had once been a modern commercial area thirty years ago. Now it is no longer modern in this 21st century anymore. Then, Chulalongkorn University Real Estate project would like to improve it again.
To improve things come with higher cost than locals can afford. The newer and richer comer would come and then build up this neighborhood in a new way. Locals who can’t stay, they have to find a new place to move in.
Come and go. Old and new. That’s natural. But who are actually build up the city? This question lies for us to think and study more. The land developer might have come with an idea to develop an area, but people’s activities have eventually build up city bit by bit.
People find the way to travel, to consume goods, to buy and sell stuff, and to live a place where they can do best for their living. The city for people, so became more than a tourism place or a modernized and high-tech place. It would rather be a place they know their neighbors, they know how to get material to cook, where they can socialize with other people.
To make Banthat Thong more modernized, some people think that might not be good for their business. And what is modernity in people’s mind? Clean and green, and tall building are not in their definition. Condense and crowded market and street are good for them, including well-managed and clean must be good for locals and visitors as well.
The debate must be ongoing discussed. How local residents and land developer can meet half-way, and achieve win-win situation together. Chula should recognize that people contributes and builds city as much as they do to zoning area or improve their land economic value.
Walking and observing around Banthat Thong road, you will see many shops are already out of business, some are hanging banners of selling the building contracts or ‘Seng’. During a past Lunar Celebration or Chinese New Year, although many Thai-Chinese neighborhoods were happily celebrating, at Banthat Thong was a little bit quiet.
“The business here is not good anymore, unlike the old days. My family has been living here for over ten years and as you can see now many shops are already moved out, and a lot more is about to leave. You asked me about Chula University? They only come only once a year or two, to look around but do nothing for helping us.” Said a middle-age man, an owner of a family tailor shop ‘Gaytog’s’.
Chulalongkorn University Real Estate Office’s vision is to do the best for maintain a good image of the university and to create an efficient benefit and extra value for Chula’s property, according to its website. Furthermore, the organization is to preserve a good environment and beautiful architecture, and to be a good model of urbanization way. Ultimately, it is to build a sustainable town center of Bangkok.
“I heard they are going to build a new residential building replacing our current building, or a new shopping mall as like Chamchuri Square. My contract will complete the end of this year. I don’t know Chula will let us stay longer or not. We have to look for a new place close to hear, I don’t want to go far from this area.” Added the Gaytog’s shop owner.
Even though, Banthat Thong is not a very old community, but rather say people have settled here for about 30 year ago. When Chula’s real estate project once developed this area to be a commercial and business zone. All the buildings architecture along the road look the same, with about three-four stories. Most of the shop names sound modern with English language, not a single shop named in Thai, for example, Billy (Shoes shop), Parot Sport, Rollie, Sario, Gaytog’s, Giorgio, Athens, 999 Tailor - King of Fashion, etc.
At the daytime, Banthat Thong is crowded with cars and people walking on the footpath, food vendors selling drink and food, busy road, busy area. Hundreds of family and students are living there. Many social and economic activities are lively ongoing.
However, the contract rental fee may not be efficient enough, comparing to the rental money Chula gains for the past 30 years with a new coming project the ‘residential tower’ or ‘apartment service’. When the land becomes even more precious with higher price, close to the heart of the city center, Banthat Thong is hardly avoided to be modernized again.
“No, no, you cannot think like that. They are not academic institute or person, they are capitalist, they want to make money. They don’t care how people are living, or a community we have here. When the economic is not so good as now, they still ask for higher rental rate.”
“Many people, including me, may have to make a decision whether Chula will extent the contract or not. Because as we have been living here for many years, they don’t really care the people. Never come and ask what people think about to build new buildings. They can do whatever they want.” The same tailor shop owner said.
Urbanized, Modernized, But Old
“I am no longer interested to stay here anymore. When the contract ends I will move out. Chula should consider itself, why many people now do not want to stay here anymore. Not only an insecurity of the short term contract, but Chula is going to make this neighborhood down.” Pornpisut, a cake shop owner expressed his feeling.
He explains that local people and office workers who are staying around Banthat Thong, they are not rich people. They can’t afford to shop and to buy stuff all the time. Thus this neighborhood is alive because of food shops, photo shop, copy print shop: all these small shops have helped the local economic. Some people and students will go to 3-4 shopping malls or Siam Square if they would love to.
“Banthat Thong is well-known for the best rice soup, dimsum and noodle. Chula should maintain the good stuff, and renovate some part such a nice walking path or a good marketing, and a good public relations with resident and tourist.” Said Pornpisut.
“Personally, I don’t agree with having so many luxurious shopping malls. A variety of different kinds of unique neighborhood is good for local economy. And if the University said that Sieng Kong, autoparts and repair shops area are dirty. So they can make it clean, nice, but it doesn’t mean they have to replace with a new building, tall-rise one, sparkling mirror buildings. Chula just likes to make a profit and money. That’s all.” He added.
“Being Old doesn’t mean being Dirty.” He emphasized.
He thinks a modern eating and shopping place are not always making lots of money for shop owner or selling shops. It is only good for land developer. He also suggests to go and observe that there are not so many people eating at Talad Sam Yan (Sam Yan market) as before. Chumchuri Square is kinda quiet, just only famous brand name shops making money.
Periphery Running To The Core
Bangkok is being a place in a sense of tourism concentration. If Siam Square is one of the heart of tourism centers. Banthat Thong is naturally becoming periphery of this core. Otherwise, it’s interesting to look at the connection between the core and periphery area.
While every square inches of Siam Square are being used as the selling shops and offices, many tourists and students are hanging out there to shop and eat - Banthat Thong partially serves the city as the residential and cheaper living cost territory. There must be a place for lower-middle class people to stay, where cannot be so far from their working place, and not to close to the core.
Nevertheless, when the urban city is expanding: the core is bigger and trending to trade other area to become more urbanized. Some out-skirted places become urbanized also, when there are many kinds of public transportation close by. The connections between Chula’s Siam Square and Banthat Thong seems to be under this explanation.
If Banthat Thong neighborhood would be fully renovated to be as like Siam Square or MBK mall, where local people would be resettle? The cost of living in that area might be higher, the dorm rental fee might be higher, then where Chula’s or other schools’ students would be?
We all know time pass, things change. Banthat Thong had once been a modern commercial area thirty years ago. Now it is no longer modern in this 21st century anymore. Then, Chulalongkorn University Real Estate project would like to improve it again.
To improve things come with higher cost than locals can afford. The newer and richer comer would come and then build up this neighborhood in a new way. Locals who can’t stay, they have to find a new place to move in.
Come and go. Old and new. That’s natural. But who are actually build up the city? This question lies for us to think and study more. The land developer might have come with an idea to develop an area, but people’s activities have eventually build up city bit by bit.
People find the way to travel, to consume goods, to buy and sell stuff, and to live a place where they can do best for their living. The city for people, so became more than a tourism place or a modernized and high-tech place. It would rather be a place they know their neighbors, they know how to get material to cook, where they can socialize with other people.
To make Banthat Thong more modernized, some people think that might not be good for their business. And what is modernity in people’s mind? Clean and green, and tall building are not in their definition. Condense and crowded market and street are good for them, including well-managed and clean must be good for locals and visitors as well.
The debate must be ongoing discussed. How local residents and land developer can meet half-way, and achieve win-win situation together. Chula should recognize that people contributes and builds city as much as they do to zoning area or improve their land economic value.
keep blogging Por!
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