Bangkok living: Encountering others in a gated urban field

Abstract

This paper reflects on the social effects of gated living in Bangkok. Income inequalities in this little-researched Thai capital are among the highest in the world, while income groups live highly segregated and often behind walls and gates. According to one dominant criticism, this ‘enclave urbanism’ prevents intergroup encounters, thus undermining mutual understanding and solidarity. This view seems consistent with recent observations that prejudices between income groups in Bangkok are high. Reporting on research on the social networks of Bangkok's various resident groups, we reflect on the role of the city's gated urban structure in this polarization. We conclude that social networks in poor neighborhoods are close-knit while neighborhood contacts in high-income areas are sparse. We also conclude that encounters between different income groups do take place, with exception of the super-rich. And while our research does not show negative attitudes towards others in general, it does indicate a potentially problematic stigmatization of low-income neighborhoods.