Penprapa Ployseesuay did not know her husband's family had been the guardians of the Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine until they married in 1997. She quit her factory job in Nakhon Pathom and relocated to Bangkok to start a family. Despite the departure of her husband, she has been unwavering in her caretaking duties.
A big change came in June 2020 when the Property Management of Chulalongkorn University (PMCU) issued an eviction order. Despite its long history, the Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine is located on PMCU land, which has been managing financial districts including Siam and Sam Yan, spanning over 385 rai. While community residents have moved out, the fourth-generation caretaker is standing her ground.
"Can't we co-exist?" she asked through voice-over narration.
A talk session as part of the exhibition titled ‘A Trip Down Memory Lane’ at Museum Siam.
Her oral history was recounted in a performance titled Before Memory Fades Away on April 20, which marked the birthday of Mazu, or Chao Mae Thapthim, the sea goddess that dates to over a century ago. Artist Wasitpon Tangsathapornpan, who played Penprapa, fell down and hugged a picture of the deity. An image of Penprapa and the shrine, which were surrounded on all sides by construction, appeared on the screen.
"The script is based on her autobiographical book Where The Divine Faces Eviction: Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine's Struggle," he said at the end of his performance. It was published by Sam Yan Press, a publishing house founded by Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal and his colleagues at Chulalongkorn University to document her life until the end of 2022. The event was part of an exhibition titled "A Trip Down Memory Lane" at Museum Siam.
Wasitpon Tangsathapornpan.
Assoc Prof Wasana Wongsurawat, a history lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Arts, explained how urban memory is tied to the centre of power. Two waves of modernisation led by King Rama V and the Khana Ratsadon (People's Party) have produced competing versions of urban history. Sanam Luang (Royal Ground), for example, is subject to several interpretations. During the pro-democracy movement, it was renamed as Sanam Ratsadon (People's Ground).
"When it comes to gentrification, the question is whether urban memory is tied to community residents or landowners," she said.
As the fray over the Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine continues, the PMCU has built a counterpart on the edge of Centenary Park. According to its website, the new shrine has organised cultural and religious activities since 2020. During an annual event to honour the goddess from April 19-21, thousands of visitors, particularly younger people, flocked to the over-century-old shrine, while the new shrine celebrated her birthday in the same vein.
The creators of The Last Breath Of Sam Yan.
Assoc Prof Wasana said gentrification dates back to the modernisation of Bangkok. During the reign of King Rama IV and Rama V, road construction led to increased property value. Another wave of gentrification came during the expansion of the electric train network, which made adjacent neighbourhoods increasingly unaffordable to live. The latest wave of gentrification has affected Suan Luang and Sam Yan.
"Who owns urban memory? What kind of city do we want? Is it possible to develop the city without gentrification? Isn't it good to see development? I think it is good. Of course, it comes at the expense of a higher price. But if you displace low-income earners to make way for condominiums and shopping malls, who will serve you?" she said.
Assoc Prof Wasana expressed concern that gentrification will erase urban identity. When chain stores take over each neighbourhood, tourists will find everything the same. Previously, low-income residents were unable to make their voices heard. Prior to the attempt to knock down the shrine, local shops in Sam Yan faced eviction and Scala Cinema in Siam Square was demolished.
"But it is changing. People are joining hands to preserve urban memory. In 2020, the pro-democracy movement, led by students, brought other issues to the fore, such as indigenous rights, marriage equality and labour rights. Students at Chulalongkorn University felt that residents around campus were priced out of their neighbourhood. Their campaign went viral and brought to light gentrification," she said.
Wasitpon Tangsathapornpan during a performance of Before Memory Fades Away.
Assoc Prof Wasana explained how history can make the city unique. Following the Cultural Revolution, those in mainland China view Southeast Asia as a living museum for their posterity. The Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine is part of the network of Chinese communities around the South China Sea. As Mazu is much revered by sailors, they built her temples where they settled. In Thailand, the sea goddess is known as Chao Mae Thapthim.
"She can be seen as the goddess of Asean and the centre of faith that unites those in the South China Sea region," she concluded.
While Penprapa is lodging an appeal against eviction, youth-led efforts are ongoing to preserve community history under the threat of gentrification. On April 11, the Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine received the Outstanding Architectural Heritage Conservation Award from the Association of Siamese Architects Under Royal Patronage. Meanwhile, The Last Breath Of Sam Yan won the Best Documentary Film at the 2023 Suphannahong Awards.
Speaking after a screening at Thammasat University's College of Innovation on April 18, Netiwit explained that the team initially assumed that the Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine would be demolished and therefore produced the documentary for commemorative and educational purposes but public support for the site has turned the tide. Several measures can be taken to resist gentrification, for example, cataloguing historic sites and writing articles. Some of his works that appear on the101.world website delve into the forgotten histories of Suang Luang School and noodle shops.
Netiwit said reconstruction of lost history can be helpful. From his own research, Sam Yan and Hua Lamphong were occupied at least two centuries before Chulalongkorn University came into existence. According to his book, Luang Phetkasem Withisawasdi, who obtained the right to develop the campus, managed to evict around 70,000 community residents from what would later be known as Siam Square.
"As many stories are not recorded, I am arranging a walking tour to educate the public about the university from an outsider's perspective. I am trying to systematise knowledge," he said.
When asked why young people want to preserve the Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine, Netiwit said around 50,000 people took a survey on X and TikTok earlier this year, of which 80% of respondents were female, with 50% in their 20-30s.
"I think they need mental support. In an achievement society, success is not guaranteed. We all need comfort and seek it from the shrine," he said.
