10 other places we will be sad to see go

Anchan Gaemchei
Manager of Bangkok Forum

What’s the definition of “public space”?
It can be a concrete building or a virtual space open for gatherings and discussion. A basic example is a park, but a web board or online community can also be a public space.

What kind of public space does Bangkok need?
Both real and virtual spaces. Recently, I heard the news that the Vietnamese government is now encouraging people to send comments and suggestions through the internet. I think our BMA has something like that, but it’s not widely known. It should be the people who suggest how things should be done, not the government telling us to sit down and listen to their ideas.

What can we do to save our public spaces?
Set up seminars, coordinate with NGOs, collect people’s opinions with comment boxes…

Which part of Bangkok should be conserved?
All of it. Bangkok is not a good city to build huge projects because our land is soft and lower than sea level. Skyscrapers also require a lot of energy for their air-con. We need to think about global warming and the next generation’s future.

Anusorn Tipayanon
Architect, columnist, author of Muang Yen

What’s your opinion on the closing of Suan Lum Night Bazaar?
We need to carefully consider things before we let every space in our city become more and more commercial. Sellers will always attempt to reach more customers. It is inevitable for big companies to be attracted to such a prime location as Suan Lum.

In your opinion, how is Bankok’s city planning?
Our city became a mess from the moment we had Chinese shophouses. They combine residential and commercial areas together with living upstairs and a first floor used as a shop. A good city plan should start with zoning.

What are criteria for preserving one area?
A way of life, a certain indigenous uniqueness. The question is, what do we want to keep, and what do we want to borrow from other cultures?

Can you suggest some ways to improve our city?
I think it’s hard to do anything for Bangkok now. But in old cities like Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya, Prae or Nan, we should start zoning seriously before it’s too late.

Neil Thompson
Deputy Managing Director of BEC Tero Entertainment

What’s your opinion on Suan Lum closing?  
We are sad that we will lose a great downtown venue. However, we are hopeful that when they develop the site they will include a performing arts facility. Bangkok needs a lot more of these.

Why did BEC Tero choose Suan Lum?
We have always been on the lookout for good venues with downtown locations and easy for patrons to access. With the underground station and the link to the Night Bazzar, the Suan Lum hall was ideal.

Do you think Bangkok should have more venues for concerts/events?
Yes, Bangkok is in dire need of more venues with various capacities. We have the best indoor arena in Asia with Impact Arena but beyond that, there is a big void. With Paragon and Central World both offering multi-purpose halls, it relieves the pressure on exhibition venues, but they are not well suited to concerts. There is still a need for a downtown indoor venue with 5–7,000 seat capacity, good acoustics, and where everyone can see the show. The more venues we have, the easier it is for promoters to bring in a bigger selection of artists and shows to Bangkok.

Brian Mertens
Author of Bangkok Design

How do you feel about the end of Suan Lum?
The city might just lose another bit of its soul. And it might also lose an economic asset both for tourism and for cultivating local design and crafts. If you look thoroughly, you’ll find that several hundred budding designers and crafts entrepreneurs have taken root there. Leading architect Amanda Levete, of London’s Future Systems, recently visited Bangkok and cited Suan Lum as the thing she found remarkable about the city. She gets flown around the world by governments and companies begging her to design for them, so she knows what’s out there.

People like malls. Aren’t malls a sign of progress?
That’s how Singaporean planners thought, and so they sacrificed much of the city’s old neighborhoods and traditional markets. Now Singapore is under chronic pressure to find enough tourists and enough shoppers. They have to throw money at advertising, promotions, and devising new cultural attractions that don’t have much authenticity. Suan Lum is not old, but it’s certainly authentic. It’s real people presenting the things they create themselves, not corporations and brands. You just don’t find this kind of charm in a mall.

We already have Siam Square and JJ. Don’t they cover our needs for cheap retail space?
Suan Lum is better for grown-ups to shop because it’s cooler, less congested and a bit fancier than Chatuchak. It’s more diverse than Siam Square, which is focused on youth fashions.

Isn’t the real battle putting Thai designers into the malls?
The malls need the Thai designers, not the other way around.

Dr. Suvit Yodmanee
Minister of Tourism and Sports

What impact will the closing of Suan Lum Nigh Bazaar have on tourism?
Suan Lum Night Bazaar is a major tourist attraction in Bangkok, but I don’t think it will affect tourism as a whole if it were to close down. Tourists who come here can always find other places to visit; there are many more. And yet, Suan Lum is a great place to come and relax; people will definitely miss it.

Should there be more places like Suan Lum?
It actually depends on the type of tourists, too—a place like Khao San for example attracts only a certain type of tourist—so one place alone can’t affect the tourism industry as a whole.

Chol Bunnag
Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Thammasat University

If Suan Lum closes, do you think it will affect the Thai economy?
The effect won’t be that big, but people will have fewer choices for sure, assuming that goods sold at Suan Lum and Chatuchak differ from those in malls. The real issue here is not this though, it is the use of public space.

Can you explain?
Suan Lum itself has two characteristics: it’s a commercial space rented out by vendors and a free public space located next to a public park where people can come and go as they please. This is different from a mall.

What’s the value of the Suan Lum Night Bazaar?
It generates social networking. A few months ago, I remember there was some kind of local cooking contest at BEC Tero Hall. Street vendors came together and exchanged know-how. This kind of connection building is called social capital. If Suan Lum shuts down, this capital will be lost.

Do you have any suggestions?
Well, Central already got the lease so it’s up to them now. I hope they offer wide open spaces for people to sit and talk.

Do you think the government should intervene?
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) should do something. This is about the welfare of the community, not just a conflict of interests between P Con and the Crown Property Bureau. At least they should do a survey among the affected community.

10 Places We Will Be Sad to See Go
 

1. BEC Tero Hall
02-252-9292, www.bec-terohall.com.
Many concerts, parties and events have been organized here since its opening in 2003. The stage has welcomed numerous international and Thai artists.
New Location: None planned.

2. La Belle
Lopburi Soi 3, 08-9110-6160.
We love this Bollywood-in-Bangkok shop for its Indian mosaic lamps, chandeliers, mirrors and candlesticks.
New Location: No immediate plans.

3. Doi Tung Coffee
Doi Tung Development Project Tourist Center, 02-252-7114 ext 217 or 234. www.doitung.org.
A trendy coffee shop under royal patronage, Doi Tung is more than an ordinary café. Its selection of coffee is part of the Doitung Development Project, which was initiated to alleviate poverty in rural areas. The shop also offers cottage handicraft and design products, all locally made.
New Location: None planned.

4. Gakabear
D463-464, Lopburi Soi 6, 08-1584-4327.
Fluffy bears are the passion of Khun Kla, who runs this shop as a sideline job. Here you can find all sorts of teddy accessories: teddy safety belts, teddy mouse pads and teddy pillows. Prices range from B145-490.
New Location: Possibly Siam Square or Chatuchak Weekend Market.

5. His Story
Lopburi Soi 8, 08-9000-2999. www.hisstorybkk.com.
This stall stands out from others with its classic décor and fashionable outfits for men. His Story has a variety of choices of shirts, pants, shoes and bags at prices starting at B1,290.
New Location: No immediate plans

6. La Roue de Paris
The Ferris wheel attracts lovers, friends, and families to Suan Lum for B100 per ride. Bangkok doesn’t have another big wheel, and if it needs to move out, we’ll sorely miss the fresh air up there.
Next Destination: Singapore.

7. Ruaen Ngam
Lopburi Soi 1, 02-231-3269, 08-5815-9038.
Another local design outfit, this one offers ceramics, big and small. They’ll also make custom items.
New Location: Chatuchak Weekend Market, Section 7 Soi 1.

8. Sitz Design
Lopburi Soi 5, 02-736-1846.
The showroom of a local design company, Sitz has been selling stylish furniture and offering interior design services here for three years. Every piece in the shop is made at its own factory.
New Location: 29/10 Soi Sri Akssorn, Fuel Rd.

9. Traditional Thai Puppet Theater (Joe Louis)
02-252-9683/4, 02-252-5227/-9, 02-251-0978/9. www.thaipuppet.com.
Winner of the best traditional performance award at the 10th World Festival of Puppet Art in Prague last year, this is Thailand’s most widely known puppet show, yet it’s still at risk of being closed. Nightly shows at 7:30pm.
New Location: None planned.

10. The Violin Shop
Ayudhya Soi 5
You wouldn’t expect to see a secondhand violin shop in a night bazaar, but there it is. Like taking a step back in time, the elderly shop owner always seems to be sitting there, busy fixing an old instrument or reading a newspaper.
New Location: Narathivas Road Soi 10 TKTKTKT phone number

Duangtawan Nilayon thinks about saving Suan Lum Night Bazaar!