The Influence of Commercial Development by Quasi-Public Agencies on the Urban Spatial Pattern of Pathumwan District, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

This paper defines the urban spatial pattern of the Pathumwan District in Bangkok after the end of the period of Thai absolute monarchy in 1932, although the monarchy still maintained important influence in the area. The district is known as a prime commercial zone of the capital city where Siam BTS Station, one of the busiest Bangkok mass transit hubs, is located. Unlike other commercial areas in Bangkok, the district represents images of a modern city with traces of royal traditional elements in the period of Thai absolute monarchy. The research data were collected from archival materials including official documents, newspapers, magazines, and other related publications. The results show that the Crown Property Bureau (CPB) and Chulalongkorn University, two large and powerful quasi-public agencies, are the major influential landlords whose properties absorb a huge amount of investment, as well as generate commercial clusters, with intense commercial competition among business groups, along the corridor of Rama I-Sukhumvit Road. Investors try to sustain their clusters, but those with less economic strength are forced to leave the area.