Factors Affecting Changes of Lak Ha Floating Market Village, Ratchaburi Province

Abstract

       This study investigates the factors driving changes in the Lak Ha Floating Market Village, Ratchaburi. It examines the community's evolution by analyzing interactions between people, activities, and land use, and identifying primary and secondary factors that influenced these changes across different periods. The research uses data collected through field surveys, interviews with key informants, local residents, and the general public, along with information from relevant organizations. Findings reveal that the community initially thrived as a key hub for water-based trade. The development of land transportation and the presence of Chinese merchants, Vietnamese, and Chinese Christian settlers introduced public amenities and infrastructure, making it a period of prosperity. The community transitioned into an onshore market and developed a business sector shaped by its identity as a floating market. However, further urban development altered the landscape. Settlement patterns shifted along transit networks, reducing the importance of the original
Lak Ha Floating Market. Transportation networks were identified as the primary drivers of change, while shifts in trading patterns and activities such as adapting trade to urban contexts and changes in community lifestyles played a secondary role in shaping the transformation.