Vernacular Architecture of Kamphaeng Phet Old Town: A Case Study of Tesa and Ratchadamnoen Roads, Kamphaeng Phet Province

Abstract

This article aims to study vernacular-architecture structures located along Tesa and Ratchadamnoen roads, Nai Muang sub-district, Muang district, Kamphaeng Phet province which contributes to the categorization of the areas as a part of creative cultural heritages in Kamphaeng Phet province.  Tesa road is the road first-ever built in Kamphaeng Phet province along the Ping river as the concourse of river and land transport while Ratchadamnoen road is built on the auspicious occasion of King Chulalongkorn’s visit to Kamphaeng Phet.  Evidence showed that important structures related to physical, social, and economic surroundings used to locate along these two roads.  The researchers then gather data by reviewing documents, surveying, doing cadastral survey, interviewing the house owners or inhabitants, and interviewing academics with knowledge on Kamphaeng Phet history.  The result showed that vernacular architecture of structures found along Tesa and Ratchadamnoen roads shares similar pattern to Central-region Thai traditional house which is the shop building with moderately high beneath space and traditional identity. Along the roads, three groups of vernacular-architecture structures were found including 1) one-storey wooden houses, 2) two-storey shop buildings, and 3) houses of the wealthy and government officers.  Furthermore, it is revealed that the vernacular-architecture patterns of structures on Tesa and Ratchadamnoen roads are influenced by four factors as follows: 1) politics and government, 2) topography and climate, 3) inhabitants’ earning a living, and 4) construction technology and the vernacular-architecture construction materials.