OLD TOWN PRESERVATION
Images © TAT
The groundswell of public support for the preservation of the Old Town during the 1980s received a strong impetus in 1992 when the National Environment Board declared eight roads in Old Phuket a conservation zone – Dibuk, Thalang, Phangnga, Phuket, Rasada, Ranong, Yaowarat and Krabi. Two smaller lanes, Soi Romanee and Soi Soon Uthit, were also included. Within the zone, a 12-metre limit was set on the height of buildings, and various other guidelines were laid down for the restoration of existing structures.
The 1992 Environment Law mandated local participation in preserving the local heritage, and this brought about cooperation between the Old Phuket community and the municipality in renovating the Old Town.
This was enhanced in 1994 when Phuket Municipality proposed the Old Town Conservation Plan to the government as a pilot project to assess local initiatives in environmental management.
The following year, the municipality invited a university team from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (in Bangkok) to survey buildings in the Old Town. Lead by Dr Yongtanit Pimonsathean, a lecturer in architecture and urban planning, the team documented Phuket’s heritage, listing 141 buildings along Thalang Road between 1995-96.
Dr Yongtanit’s team noted the measurements and design of each house, and prepared individual architectural blueprints that covered styles, different facades, bat vents, Chinese signage over doors and windows, and other distinctive features. These designs were then provided to each home owner for use in future restoration work.
When the survey work was complete, exhibitions and presentations were staged among the local community to create awareness of the need for restoration and preservation of the Old Town heritage. Home owners who carried out restoration were given certificates by the Municipality, which also placed informative signs outside the restored properties
To increase awareness of the Old Town’s heritage, the Old Phuket Town Festival was launched in 1998, and has been held every year since. Thalang Road is turned into a pedestrian street for three days as a showcase of the old houses. Visitors can learn about the baba culture, food, dress and see plays about the old way of life.
The municipality’s long term goal in this conservation movement is to turn Thalang Road into a permanent walking street, revitalizing the Old Town’s main thoroughfare as a magnet for tourism.
“Five-foot path”, Thalang Road
Soi Romanee
Images © TAT
|
To lay the groundwork for this major change, the Old Phuket Foundation was formed in 2003. It brings together 15 community leaders who have been tasked with reviving the Phuket way of life and raising awareness among residents of the benefits of conservation. A new public park with a special car park for residents was opened at the beginning of Thalang Road as a precursor to closing the road to traffic.
Despite these moves, the majority of residents have rejected the closure of Thalang Road on the grounds that vehicle access is needed for business reasons.
Unperturbed by the setback, the municipality and the Old Phuket Foundation have turned their attention to turning Soi Romanee into a pedestrian-only zone and to opening up the arched walkway – often referred to as the “five-foot path” – that runs in front of the shophouses all along Thalang Road. Over the years, this unique walkway has become blocked by a variety of obstructions, which if removed could turn Thalang Road back into a walking street and attract more visitors to savour the atmosphere of Old Phuket. |
|
