Chapter – 6: Pom Maha Kan – Community – Park

Pom Maha Kan – Community –Park

Figure 34 Pom Maha Kan Community source: https://www.matichonweekly.com/column/article_6241

Pom Maha Kan is a fortress built since Bangkok was established as the capital around 1783, located along with the Khlong Ong Ang (outer canal). It is one of the two fortresses that still survived the demolishing in the Rattanakosin Island; another one is Pom Phra Sumen located next to the Chao Phraya River in the earlier chapter. In the past, the border of the city wall was a boat pier which the nobilities used to travel along Khlong Saen Saeb, and houses in this area belonged to the aristocrats. Subsequently, the noble class relocated to new places and left the old houses for rent. The urban area was growing; people moved in and built new houses, and eventually developed into a community. Pom Maha Kan community had been situated behind the wall for over a hundred years. For this long period, migration was inevitable, but the community had never been desolated. From the small wooden house in the early period, the community had gradually changed as a city growth; some wooden parts were turned into concrete, cheap zinc roof sheets can be seen anywhere.

In 1949, Pom Maha Kan was registered as a historic site by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand.

In 1992, the government issued the decree to reclaim the land around Pom Maha Kan to make a public park and preserve the historic site. Moreover, the Bangkok Municipality also proceeded with a code of dwelling prohibition in the historic site. As a result, the local people had started a resistance and fought for their community for over 20 years. Some researchers and academics had done research in the area to point out the community's historical value. They proposed better solutions to the authority, such as a proposal to present the community as a real live museum. However, in 2018 the whole community had been completely removed, and the public park had been open in the same year. After the years of operating, the park seems not working according to the empty space and a lack of people (not account for the superficial of the design). In the case of Pom Maha Kan, the question of how we should define the word "historic" has emerged. The history justified by the authority and the attempt to purify and marketise the history can affect the urban form and the citizen in the physical world. The visible layer of the historic reminiscent ruin gives memory to the place, but its strong perception sometimes obscures and causes ignorance for other layers.

Figure 35 Pom Maha Kan Community Ruin after Demolition source: https://themomentum.co/momentum-feature-the-conflict-and-solutions-of-pom-mahakan/