City Hall is pressing ahead forward with plans to evict the Mahakan Fort community by the end of this month, despite increasing opposition from residents, civil society and social media users, as a petition on change.org garners attention.
On March 28, Phra Nakhon district officers put up an eviction sign at the fort entrance, to indicate the relocation move is in line with the government's policy to preserve the old city's walls and structures. A decree of expropriation was issued for the community in 1992.
By April 30, 59 families, with 283 registered residents, will be forced to move out of the century-old quarters to make way for a public park.
According to the announcement, a cabinet resolution in 2002 approved a proposal by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Fine Arts Department to improve the landscape of Mahakan Fort.
In 2004, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled in favour of the BMA, allowing it to roll out its eviction plan and tear down structures built by locals. City Hall says it has compensated community residents.
The sign erected near the fort wall last month asked for residents' cooperation and assured them the BMA would help them find new housing.
Meanwhile, community members said they would not back down easily, as they have been living inside the wall for generations. On Wednesday, they tried to deliver a petition to the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (Onep), demanding to stay in the area, though that effort failed. They plan to march again to the Onep next week to insist on their right to stay.
The Mahakan Fort community is the oldest remaining community that still lives by the old city's walls, said Sudara Sujachaya, a writer on history.
Most residents have legal titles for their houses, which belonged to courtiers during the reign of King Rama V.
Efforts to evict residents began during Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat's premiership in 1959. Since then, the objective has been to transform the site into a public park and tourist attraction, she said.
Later, the committee on conservation of the Rattanakosin island area, known as the old town, came up with a plan to develop community areas in the old city of Bangkok.
"They wanted to force residents out and leave only the empty sites, for tourists to visit," Ms Sudara said.
In 2006, Silpakorn University, commissioned by City Hall under Apirak Kosayodhin, came up with a plan for the community as a living museum. However, the then-governor rejected it. His predecessor, Samak Sundaravej, was in favour of the residents' eviction but left office before he could see it through.
By putting up the eviction sign at Mahakan Fort last month, the BMA has caused worry among communities living in Bangkok's old city, said Orasi Silapi, the Bang Lamphu community leader.
"Mahakan Fort is unique. Its singularity should be preserved," Mrs Orasi added.
The community, tucked behind the thick wall of Mahakan Fort, is sheltered from the outside world. If one wishes to observe residents' way of life, they must walk through the old city's walls.
The BMA's plans to transform this enclosed site into a public park makes little sense, she said, especially when it comes to security concerns.
Mrs Orasi cited Santi Chaiprakan park next to Phra Sumen Fort which must be guarded round the clock. If the Mahakan Fort were to turn into another park, it will also require security.
Mrs Orasi called for the BMA to review its plan and let the community stay by the fort instead. Residents bring life to the area and could attract visitors while also looking over the park to ensure it is safe.
If the BMA pursues the eviction, it won't just be another loss of an old Bangkok community, she said, but a traditional Thai lifestyle, crafts and ancient skills will also disappear. The community is famous for its bird cages, fireworks, and traditional craft of making clay sculpture featuring a hermit's head, revered by traditional musicians and performing artists.
According to a poll by change.org, conducted between March 30 and April 6, a majority of respondents believe residents should remain at the fort, as the community and the park are not mutually exclusive. The data, drawn from People Poll application users via smart phones, shows 82.2% of respondents are in favour of efforts to restore the old city walls and fortresses as historical learning sites. About 7% disagreed, while 8.3% were undecided and 2.3% said they were uninterested in the question.
Of 1,538 respondents, about 45% of respondents believe the community and site can evolve together, while 27.7% view the community as an obstacle to the area's development. More than 60% were in favour of a new plan to allow the community to remain by the fort, while nearly 25% felt they should be relocated to other areas.
A source at City Hall said the BMA would proceed with the eviction no matter what happens. The BMA does not acknowledge the Mahakan Fort community as an old community because its crafts and the professions exercised by residents are not inherited from the quarters' original inhabitants.
"These are only people who have resided in the area for a long time," the source said. If it were a genuine historical community, City Hall would have a different approach, the source added.
The Mahakan Fort community is different from other communities such as Ban Bat community, where nearly all families create alms bowls. In Mahakan Fort, most families have different professions.
The source argued that amending the eviction laws to allow the community to remain on the site would only create more confusion. It may trigger communities living illegally on public land, such as along canals, to fight relocation as well.
If the eviction law is changed, the land will be returned to the previous owners, according to the charter.
"What will happen if owners turn it into a condominium or a hotel? Won't that be worse?" the source said.
If residents do not move out from their quarters by April 30, district officers will proceed to remove all structures they have built. After the community has been relocated, City Hall will ask the Fine Arts Department to examine the old lodgings and determine which ones are original buildings to be preserved.