Economic History of the Local Area around Ayutthaya Railway Station (1922-1977)

Abstract

This research aims to study the economic history of the local areas around Ayutthaya Railway Station during 1922-1977. The results indicated that the construction
of Ayutthaya Railway Station was a crucial factor that led to the settlement of various groups of people. It was then expanded into a community with diverse economic activities, including small-scale vendors close to the railway station, a labor group, as well as the rise of a market area that extended from the traditional water trade, evolving into production and commerce associated with the railway station, such as food stalls, grocery stores, and other services that conformed to the residents’ daily lives. Additionally, local businesses that were considered prominent in the area, such as fish sauce factories, fermented fish, and tobacco, were growing, and so were other industries, such as ice factories and sawmills. The Kamang Canal and Phichai Songkhram Temple were also the areas where people resided and traded densely, extending from the original community. It can be inferred that the construction of Ayutthaya Railway Station was a significant factor in promoting local economic prosperity during this time.