Gentrification of Communities Surrounding Chedi Luang Worawiharn Temple, Sri Phum Subdistrict, Muang District, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

Modification of building structure and use by new investors to achieve increased economic returns by pushing former residents out of the areas is the process of gentrification.The purpose of this article is to investigate the gentrification of communities surrounding Chedi Luang Worawiharn Temple, Sri Phum subdistrict, Muang district, Chiang Mai province, and to analyze changes in the gentrification phenomenon during the coronavirus disease 2019 situation. Data collection was composed of physical surveying, interviews, and questionnaires. Three major groups were interviewed including 18 persons from the original community, 15 newcomers, and 10 community leaders and government officials. The 268 questionnaires were sampled in three communities including the Phra Chao Mengrai Samakkhi community, the Chang Taem community, and the Phranon community. The study found that there is mostly commercial land use in all three communities. Most of the new occupants used to live in the central region. The study area has three stages of gentrification. The development process begins with the first stage, early development, and then completes development in the second stage, and lastly to the third stage, which is the community's adaptation to the emergence of the gentrification phenomenon. The study also discovered that, before the emergence of coronavirus disease in 2019, the communities were significantly impacted by the economy due to gentrification, such as increased living costs and rent/land prices. While the rise of commercial and service businesses is a beneficial result of gentrification. During coronavirus epidemics, certain localities witnessed population declines whereas land prices climbed with a stagnant economy, increased speculation, and a drop in commerce and services. However, gentrification improves better relationships between former inhabitants and newcomers for overcoming the 2019 coronavirus disease outbreak.