Fire incident and urban transformation of Bangkok
Keywords:
fire incident, Bangkok, Sampheng, city transformation, historyAbstract
Urban morphological transformation is partially from a fire that causes damage to houses and buildings. This article aimed to describe urban transformation of Bangkok caused by fires during 1892 in the reign of King Chulachomklao (King Rama 5) to the reign of King Prachathipok (King Rama 7) by means of historical documents, especially the Royal Thai Government Gazette. The study results revealed that when the country was more progressive and the number of population was higher, house and building construction took place tremendously and crowdedly, being a cause of the fire that spread quickly over a large area and was difficult to control. Meanwhile, those buildings were barriers for accessing burning areas, especially making Sampheng, the study area in Phranakhon (Bangkok) damaged from fires that broke out many times. After the fires, the road was expanded and new roads were constructed. By doing this, it helped prevent a fire from breaking out and spreading over a large area. Importantly. It was a starting point bringing about the road system as seen today.
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