Manusya, Journal of Humanities
Publication Date
2014-01-01
Abstract
This article analyzes the relationship between the spatial configuration and socio-economic factors to find the existence of the communities in the historical city of Phra Nakorn Sri Ayutthaya, an island area mainly covered with historical monuments. This area has historical structures covering most of the town, so the communities here at present are small. The transportation network in the area is not systematically connected to the town itself and, thus, cannot serve a wide-range of community activities. The activities that do take place are not spread evenly across the area according to its integration value. As a consequence, communities cannot be self-reliant but instead are cross-community reliant and depend on the development of certain relationships to maintain their existence. The research process for the study includes data collection regarding socio-economic activities for joint analysis using a spatial model created with a geographical information system. The research results reveal that these communities coexist as a "community group" of which there are three types: namely 1) a community group with a complete set of necessary elements that allow it to exist as a group, for example, "Huaro Market community group" and "Chaophrom Market community group," 2) a community group that does not have all the necessary elements and only needs to rely on other communities occasionally, for example, "Pratoochai community group" and "Pakkran-Banpom community group," and 3) a community group that does not have complete elements and always needs to rely on other communities both near and far, for example, "Rongngansura community group." The nature of the three community groups is reflected in the difference in efficiency of the level of the transportation network in the area, which is a result of the confining arrangement of the historical structures in the area. This research thus sees the major factor in the continued existence of the communities in the historic town as the preservation, enhancement, and rehabilitation of the transportation network so that it appropriately connects the communities in the area of historical structures in a way that benefits each community group. This will allow for greater integration and foster a variety of activities as complementary elements of the communities while letting them retain their own identity.
First Page
78
Last Page
103
Recommended Citation
Rattanathavorn, Tapanee; Paksukcharern, Khaisri; and Peerapun, Wannasilpa
(2014)
"Existence of the Communities in Historic Ayutthaya Town, Thailand,"
Manusya, Journal of Humanities: Vol. 17:
No.
1, Article 5.
Available at:
https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/manusya/vol17/iss1/5