A big fire in the Chanthabun community in 1990 destroyed not only parts of century-old properties but also the life of the long-standing commercial area of Chanthaburi province.
Its resurrection depends on an awareness of the value held by its remaining buildings, which consist of old-time restaurants, food stalls and trendy hotels and cafes.
The riverside Chanthabun community stands on the first road of the eastern province of Chanthaburi. Its prosperity peaked during King Rama V's reign, when it was a centre of trade and transport, packed with residences of the well-to-do.
The rich sent their children to study abroad, and the younger generation settled elsewhere after graduation. Consequently, many buildings on the one-kilometre Sukhaphiban Road were abandoned and the community went quiet.
The great fire occurred, followed by rounds of flooding -- turning the community into a near ghost town.
"The once-busy road became a way for motorcycle street racers to escape the police," says Chirapat Paka, owner of the restaurant and hip hotel Tamajun in Chanthabun. "Nobody wanted to stay here."
Going against the flow, Mr Chirapat dreamt of settling down by the Chanthaburi River. He spent most of his savings on five riverfront buildings along the community's main strip and opened his restaurant in 2012.
Later he bought more buildings on the opposite side of Sukhaphiban Road, converting an old love motel into part of Tamajun.
The property began its new life as a simple ground-floor restaurant. In 2013, Mr Chirapat renovated the second floor and launched a 24-room hotel.
"Local residents wonder if I'm a fool or a nut for running a restaurant here," he says with a laugh. "The place is quiet, and there's no parking lot. There's only one lane in the alley."
It's a problem because "Chanthaburi people like to drive and eat out", and even tourists mostly travel by their own cars, he says.
When two old houses were closed for renovation to meet his design, local residents started to wonder what Mr Chirapat was up to. When he and his wife opened the restaurant with a lone employee serving chilled beer and meatballs, customers surprisingly flocked to it.
People were curious about the bold entrepreneur who previously had obtained only a secretarial diploma and farmed shrimp.
Customers kept arriving in the evening and through the night. Mr Chirapat left the premises open nearly 24 hours a day to show passers-by and tourists that the neighbourhood was coming back to life.
The joy of seeing renewed activity on the road where he walked every day as a child made his big bet worth it, he says.
"I hardly have time for my family. I sent my two daughters to a boarding school in Bangkok. My wife is at our farmhouse. I spend most of my time here," says Mr Chirapat. "I just want to be a small mechanism in presenting the potential of the road. When others share my perspective, we may have beautiful hotels and hip shops to attract tourists here."
He strongly believes further renovations of abandoned buildings will make the alley more attractive and an even bigger tourist draw.
In fact, several cafes, restaurants and hotels have cropped up already. Next to Tamajun, the Baan Luang Rajamaitri Historic Inn, which won a Unesco award for cultural heritage preservation, tends to be fully reserved on weekends and 50% booked on weekdays.
Some 90% of guests at Baan Luang Rajamaitri are Bangkokians. The power of photo sharing on social networks, word of mouth and media coverage has persuaded more tourists to check out the community.
Baan Luang Rajamaitri was a pilot project of the Arsom Silp Institute of the Arts, a foundation that helps to rehabilitate historically important buildings.
Built in the Sino-Portuguese style, the 150-year-old Baan Luang Rajamaitri is the former residence of local aristocrat Luang Rajamaitri.
"We would like residents to participate for the sake of sustainable conservation," says general manager Pattama Prangphan, adding that several homeowners have expressed interest in joining the project.
"We don't want a frenzy in the community, but we would like visitors to absorb its genuine lifestyle.
"We do not want to follow the path of Amphawa, Chiang Khan or Pai. We want local residents to stay and maintain constructive development."'
A woman is preparing rice crackers at a shop in Chantabun community.