Hua Hin's architectural heritage under threat

As tourism grows in this resort town, the municipality plans to tear down Chatchai Market and replace it with a new structure to meet growing demand

http://www.bangkokpost.com/travel/trave ... der-threat (Photos)

* Published: 25/07/2010 at 12:00 AM
* Newspaper section: Brunch

Like so many popular tourist towns, the resort town of Hua Hin now faces an "old versus new" dilemma, which typically arises as a result of a growing demand for tourism-related infrastructure.

The "old" is Chatchai Market, which has been a landmark commercial and tourist site in Hua Hin for nearly 100 years. In Hua Hin municipality's plans, it is to be replaced with a "new" seven-storey building with a vast car park.

This plan for a new market, which was unveiled late last year, has triggered resistance from local traders who fear relocation and a hike in rents, as well as from a group of conservationists who recognise the historic value of this old building - a spectacular design that represents a modernist architectural style.

The resistance has caused the Hua Hin municipality to suspend the plan, pending a public hearing. The date and further details about the hearing have yet to be announced.

ML Piyachatra Chatrajaya, who called for the review of the plan for a new market, raised the issue in the local media a few months ago.

ML Piyachatra said his call for the municipality to review the plan had nothing to do with the fact that he is the grandson of the Prince of Kambaengbejra (Prince Purachatra Jayakara), who supervised the building of the market in 1926.

"I make this move purely because of the value of this market. It is indeed a heritage site," he said.

The Prince of Kambaengbejra started the project to build the market, which is situated close to the Klai Klang Won villa, as Hua Hin emerged as a favourite retreat for King Prachadhipok and members of the royal family, as well as court officials.

The prince, an engineer, oversaw the market's design and building. The market's signature seven-arched roof was to symbolise the reign of King Prachadhipok, or King Rama VII, and it was named Chatchai Market in honour of the prince. Thanks to its prime location and range of quality foodstuffs, Chatchai Market has maintained its popularity among locals and tourists alike.

"The new design, with eight arches, has no historical meaning," said ML Piyachatra.

In his opinion, instead of demolishing the whole structure to pave way for the new seven-storey building, the municipality should consider keeping the market and, with the help of new building techniques, repair it, enabling the market to maintain its historic value while still serving current demands.

ML Piyachatra also raised several other cases of old markets that, once renovated, have become a popular tourist destinations, including Khlong Suan Market in Chachoengsao and Samchuk in Suphan Buri, as well as Amphawa in Samut Songkhram.

"These markets were once run-down, but after some brilliant renovations, along with technical assistance from people in the know, they are now important tourist attractions."

ML Piyachatra, a marketing communications officer, noted also that car parking is an issue for old markets, as they were designed when there were fewer privately owned cars than there are today. However, this problem can be solved through good space management.

"Many countries want to have structures with historic importance as we have here, but they [the municipality] don't. Such as this case, I think we should keep the market instead of entirely demolishing it for a new one."

ML Piyachatra welcomed the decision of the municipality to put the controversial plan on hold, and hoped that the agency will be open-minded during the extensive discussion that should cover every aspect of the project.

Discussions should be held with transparency and should cover the issue of the building's durability and safety, if it is to be kept, and how to properly conserve it, he said. "We need to have an holistic view of this. If keeping the market is too unsafe, then demolition could be the best option," he said.

After all, ML Piyachatra said, it depends on the decision of local people as to how the market should be redeveloped.

"This is a matter for the people of Hua Hin. This market has a cultural heritage value to the locals. Myself and other conservationists are outsiders. We are just visitors who come here from time to time. It is the people of Hua Hin who own this heritage. If it turns out that the locals want a new building, we should listen to them."

Meanwhile, renowned conservationist Pongkwan Lassus, of the Association of Siamese Architects (ASA), noted that other old buildings in a modernist style, like Chatchai Market, are facing the threat of demolition.

"Society in general does not recognise these buildings as heritage sites, thinking they are simply old buildings. Standing for 100 years or so, people tend to think the buildings should be torn down and replaced," she said.

Ms Pongkwan said it is unacceptable to demolish a heritage building for the sake of a bigger car park.

"There are other ways of solving the problem, like finding a new plot of land for parking. Visitors to the market may have to walk a little, but I think it should be alright.

"We could also renovate it [the market], but keeping the main symbolic part [of the structure] and modifying the building to accommodate the new demands on it. Otherwise, we will have to lose another part of our heritage," she said.

Part of the problem with the market building is that it cannot be seen in its original context. So much architectural flotsam and jetsam has been thrown up around it, effectively walling it in, that its original architectural clarity is almost impossible to discern. It would be great if it could be restored so that its original open character and classic, Modernist form could be revealed once more:



This would also make it the pleasant place to shop that it was originally intended to be instead of the smelly, damp and dingy experience of the market as it is now.

Unfortunately, I have a feeling that Hua Hin has changed so much that such a building is now rendered anachronistic by its context and is therefore doomed.

Mind you, wasn't it (sort of) renovated a couple of years ago?

Yes, they cleaned up and tiled the original front part on Pethakasem road.
It would be nice if they could keep that bit and then rebuild the rest of it which is just a load of alleys roofed over with corrugated metal.

A few good points there and I agree it would be a great loss but she seems to be missing some other considerations:

A decent car park is something the town desperately needs.

Finding a new plot of land large enough near the town that doesn't cost tens of millions is impossible (unless someone with masses of land anyway wanted to donate a bit!).

Visitors to the market never walk anywhere ... ever, which is why there are triple parked SUVs outside it and motorbikes being driven inside it.

Can you imagine the effect that a car park would have in that particular location? It would increase the flow of traffic in the area exponentially. A car park - yes. But in that location? No! You only have to look at UK towns to see the effect that multi-storey car parks have on town centres. I think Ms Pongkwan has it right when she suggests a car park a little further away but how to make people walk the extra distance would be the problem. A park & ride might be an interesting idea with free, regular songthaew services into town to encourage people to use it. The songthaew services would be paid for through the parking fees and contracts let to local companies for running the songthaews.

Easy!

But it'll never happen!

Oh dear - HH has certainly caught the modernsation bug, but I do think pulling down ChatChai would be a step too far.
Surely most people who use it are going there by motorbike anyway? It's not as if they're going to do a huge Tesco type shop after all.
Sadly though it would probably cost more to renovate than to re-build. Trade will be lost during the process - customers will get into the habit of shopping elsewhere - parking problem solved!
Please at least limit any re-build to single storey - high arched roofs are there for a reason, and the idea of a 7 floor abortion there is awful IMO.

Somebody, somewhere stands to gain. Just like in the west, I might add.

Some random thoughts:

I like Chatchai market. It may be horrible, dirty, smelly and all that, but to me its got character. When I first went there it was everything that I thought a Thai market should be, it was genuinely like something off the tv.

I thought there were height restrictions on new builds in the town centre. A 7 storey car park? Really?

Everyone agrees we need a car park. If it doesn't go there, then where?

I liked the experience of shopping there in the mornings, but the place certainly needs a clean up.

If the building was taken back to the original design, open and airy, that would cure the smells and make the place a better place to shop.

However, money talks and sadly, there is more to be made from seven floors of apartments, car parks or business's than one full of tiny stalls.

My main worry would be that by the time it was built, it wouldn't be a market, it would just be another Western style shopping mall the same as the one that is being built on Saturkan square.

Jaime: Thanks for the putting in the old photo. I have wondered what the market was originally was meant to look like with proper ventilation and light. I know its not the same thing but where cities retain institutions like say Covent Garden market or Camden market areas, they retain style and ambience not given by carparks overhead. Park and ride!

Agreed 100% there Steve. Plus the fact that 7 storeys would be way over the current height around the town centre - at least on Petkasem itself. OK there is the block just behind the Chinese area, and of course the Hilton bless it.
Wasn't there a height restriction on the Satukarn development by the way?
We all know deep down of course that the TIT principal will rule, whatever people think. But to me a market is a focal point for any town, as some in the UK are now discovering to their cost.
Strangely heritage seems to mean little to Thai people. They can leave disused palaces galore, which are stripped of furnishings etc when no longer in use, providing little or no real historical interest. But grandfather clocks are given pride of place in Wats - and they aren't even Thai!
Thankfully they still preserve old trains very well.

Are you people real - Chatchai worth saving??
As Jim said it may be horrible, dirty, smelly and all that, but to me its got character. When I first went there it was everything that I thought a Thai market should be, it was genuinely like something off the tv.
Add to that the rats. cockroaches, slip/trip hazards, offal and detritus on the floor, cats/dogs, motorbikes wheedling along with oversized loads etc etc.
So whats wrong with hygiene and modernisation??? Maybe the idea of chatchai should stay as a nice 1950's picture not a dirty/dilapated 2010 "abortion" - (margaret's word). Have a squizz at Singapore and some Malaysian markets - they can do it without totally losing the plot.
There are still plenyy of the Thai style markets (for want of a better description) at Kao Takiap, Pranburi, NongKae etc if you want to reminisce.

Im with Mags here... a fixed market is part of the lifeblood of any decent town, and replacing them with the sterile air conditioned Market Villiage style malls is like replacing a hospital with a graveyard.

In Bolton there were 2 fixed markets, both of which are now gone and relaced with malls and a cuple of strip mall style Tesco developments. Its killed the town centre stone dead.

If theres a building restriction Id love to see here it would be maximum heights....which if I had my way would be stuck at three floors max/no taller than a tall palm tree. while they are at it they could also get rid of all the street spaghetti wiring, the annoying & confusing proliferation of signs and billboards that clutter the place, and those sodding brick sheds that the Police hide in which conveniently turn road junctions into blind junctions/accidents waiting to happen and block up most of the pavement.

I have heard that it is going to be similar to the one in Ratchaburi.
That one opened about 5 years ago, it spacious with a nice high roof with fans
It has reasonable parking, which is going to be the problem here.