Role of Sino-Thai in the Production of Urban Space in Thailand in the 1950s

Abstract

Using a social science approach, this article investigates the history of the production of space by Sino-Thai and their spreading of that urban space, both physically and socially. The article shows that the city was not only a space for families and for social activities but was also an area of economic activity, state administration and the consumption of resources drawn from villages and rural areas under the patronage of the city. The article also examines changes in urban space in relation to the socio-cultural adjustment of Sino-Thai after World War II. This includes the rise in power of the Chinese community achieved through their use of urban space and the movement of different groups within the urban environment. This change was controlled by government officials and Chinese entrepreneurs residing in the city, the latter playing a significant role economically through the acquisition of municipal power. However, the strength of bureaucratic power restrained the political impact of the Chinese community and helped to foster democratization of the city.