Traditional music fills the air while the smell of charcoal-grilled prawns complements the festive mood at Amphawa Chai Pattana Nurak, an educational centre in the district of Amphawa. Shopowners begin to open their stalls and a group of young volunteers prepares a mini-stage for a puppet show. This is part of the art exhibition "Amphawa Hai" _ or "disappearing Amphawa".
The exhibition features hundreds of drawings, paintings and photographs, mostly done by residents, students, artists and cultural workers. It is part of the movement for attention after this sleepy town made headlines protesting against a multi-million baht hotel project. Set to be constructed on a seven rai plot of land by a canal, the four-storey building was met with protest from local residents, artists, and conservationists. Lately, the hotel owner decided to back down and said he was ready to alter his plan to suit the villagers' concerns.
After Amphawa, the exhibition will move to D Kunst Gallery in Ratchaburi on Oct 19. The organisers also plan to exhibit in Chiang Mai and the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre.
Contrary to what most people believe, "Amphawa Hai" is not a protest action. The organisers of the exhibition stress their aim is "to provide a venue for discussion and raise awareness on cultural preservation and environmental protection".
Siriwat Kantaros explains that the event is not to put down Chuchai Buri Sri Amphawa Hotel _ the planned building that caused the protests _ but to raise awareness on what is happening in Amphawa in general.
"Amphawa is rapidly changing from a peaceful and laid-back place to a chaotic tourist attraction.
"There is more to Amphawa than just the floating market. This place is rich in natural resources and culture. The Amphawa canal community is a Unesco heritage site," he added.
The conservation efforts of the community living at the sides of the canal in Amphawa was given an "honourable mention" in 2008 in the Unesco Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
The community together with conservationists has preserved traditional teak houses. Unfortunately, some of these wooden houses were torn down to give way to Chuchai Buri Sri Amphawa hotel project.
Early in its history, Amphawa was a major trading route that served its neighbouring provinces and Bangkok. Michael Biedassek, one of the founders of Bangkok Vanguards, a group of young advocates for sustainable tourism, explains how his grandmother travelled by boat.
"My grandmother would tell us stories of her journey from Amphawa to Bangkok by boat. They would sell coconuts and other farm products. It would take them two days to reach Bangkok," says Biedassek.
Amphawa-born artist Chalit Nakphawan has good memories of growing up in the district.
"People used to share each other's produce. If somebody has a good harvest, he shares it with his neighbours. And if somebody needs help, you can always count on them.
"I joined the exhibition because I love Amphawa. This is my home and it has produced great artists, poets and musicians because the place is very rich and has a strong culture. King Rama II was even born here," Chalit says.
Thirty-four-year-old T-shirt artist Maturavan "Golf" Logvit strongly agrees with Nakpawan's observations. Golf earns a living by selling hand-painted T-shirts at Amphawa Chai Pattana Nurak. She observes that Amphawa has changed and is now changing faster.
"Prices of basic commodities were cheap before. People are very friendly and nice. Today competition is brewing among businessmen, most of them come from Bangkok and not from Amphawa. It is not peaceful any more and some just want to have a profit without giving back to the community," says Golf. "I cannot do much about development [real estate development] as an ordinary citizen. I hope the government can regulate it."
Lawyer-turned businessman Pratheep Ieonputh, who runs a folk museum by the canal, believes that "development is inevitable but should be done in a right way." The 55-year-old lawyer who sells novelty items in his shop called Sawadee Amphawa was once a tour guide for visiting students.
"Amphawa was once famous for its fireflies, but you do not get to see many of them now. The fireflies are dying because of the pollution that is coming out of the motorised boats carrying tourists. Local people on the other hand are cutting down the trees where fireflies live. Development changes everything but we have to preserve our culture and protect our environment, or else we will perish," says Pratheep.
The Chuchai Buri Sri Amphawa hotel describes Amphawa on its website as a "luxury paradise which highlights several magnificent historical attractions." The hotel "reflects community values and cherishes Amphawa's cultural heritage and aspires to preserve and pass it on the future generations."
Local authorities say that the European-inspired hotel project has not violated any laws and was therefore given the go-ahead. The owner however vows to revise construction plans and keep the wooden houses.
"The lack of building regulations however remains an issue," says Wasinburee Supanichuoraparch, the Ratchaburi artist who joined the exhibition to advocate cultural and historical preservation. He believes that laws and regulations will put a cap on the buildings that are being put up in Amphawa.
"Laws and regulations will protect the people and its community. What is happening in Amphawa has happened in Ratchaburi and other places in Thailand. Without building regulations, anybody who has the money to put up a humongous structure can do so. Then buildings will start to sprout one after the other," says Wasinburee.
A quick visit at the construction site revealed that heavy equipment and cranes are all gone. A handful of construction workers though are seen doing masonry job, laying bricks at the fourth level of the hotel.
For the local community, putting a good fight against a development project that endangers their heritage is not limited to protest action. A visual exhibition like "Amphawa Hai" is a venue for everybody to share their views on culture, heritage and sustainable development.
