Some Amphawa Locals Back Hotel: Controversial Plan

[webfact]

CONTROVERSIAL PLAN

Some Amphawa locals back hotel

KAMPANART KHANTRAKUL

THE NATION

AMPHAWA: -- Residents of Amphawa, famous for its authentic floating market and canal lifestyle of a bygone era, will today hand a petition to the governor of Samut Songkhram in support of controversial plans to construct a European-style hotel.

Led by former Amphawa deputy mayor Witoon Laoprathum, the group says it wants Chuchai Chairittilert, owner of the Chuchai Buri Sri Amphawa Hotel, to continue with plans to build his hotel in the historic canal village.

Chuchai's Bt500-million four-storey luxury hotel was criticised by opponents who felt the lavish, European-style building wasn't in keeping with the village's rustic aesthetic. They asked him to demolish his hotel and complex of jewellery shops, which threatened a row of century-old wooden shophouses.

After strong opposition from another group of protesters, Chuchai vowed to decrease the European decorations and adjust his hotel's colours and patterns to the local architectural style. He vowed to not tear down the old shophouses but improve their condition.

Chuchai also promised that his hotel would boost tourism in Amphawa and increase revenues in the village. An amount of the hotel's revenues would be spent on preserving the local culture and traditional canal lifestyle.

More than Bt200 million has already been spent on construction of the hotel.

Witoon said he believed most of the initial opposition to Chuchai's hotel came from historic preservationists outside the Amphawa community. He wanted Chuchai to build the four-storey hotel so local shopkeepers could set up businesses in the first and second floors.

"If he demolishes the third and the fourth floors, that means villagers will have no place to sell their products to tourists," the former deputy mayor claimed.

Amporn Thiptiansiri, a 50-year-old restaurant owner, said she supported Chuchai's plans for a four-storey building but wanted him to adjust the design to be more in harmony with the local style.

"There are many four-storey buildings in Amphawa. It was not fair for Chuchai to demolish his hotel," she said.

Chuchai said he thanks the residents for their support and promised to follow their demands in order to create jobs and bring economic growth to the area.

Amphawa Mayor Sanchai Arayaasssanee has said the issue would be a case study for future projects and whether the demolition of old buildings would be allowed.

-- The Nation 2012-10-24

[DTiger]

Another little area which went from charming to sordid in just a few years!!!!

[asiawatcher]

Considering the neglect of any town planning by authorities, it is good to see this guy is going to try to maintain some level of Thai style. But I doubt the area needs a hotel at all.