Conservation Education as a Form of Community Service in Bangkok, Thailand

Although Thailand has had significant experience regarding built heritage conservation, it is only recently that more formal, institutional efforts have occurred in this regard. This article will explain those efforts in greater depth and will also root general trends around an important, specific issue that Thailand is experiencing related to citizens' demands for the conservation of a newly recognized urban heritage: early twentieth-century shophouses. While the government pays most attention to the preservation of temples, palaces, and archaeological sites, the early shophouses are neglected and deteriorating; or worse, being demolished. The rise of citizen concern for this heritage has incited researchers and educational institutions to study the history and construction of these houses and propose solutions for their preservation and maintenance. This paper presents two cases of community-based conservation projects in two shophouse communities located in Bangkok's historic district. In both cases, the research was conducted as class fieldwork towards a master's degree within the urban and regional planning department of a university. Course instructors, students, and residents worked together to propose an alternative conservation programme to responsible government agencies. The research findings illustrate that the shophouse tenants have a certain capacity to repair and restore their premises but that the government needs to provide opportunities and tools to guide and support conservation initiatives for this vernacular urban heritage.