As development cannibalizes Chinatown, French artist preserves pieces

By Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter -

 

A room inside an abandoned building where artist Francois Langella found objects to be used in a forthcoming exhibition. Photo: Francois Langella / Courtesy

 

BANGKOK — See the speed of change as years of development are compressed into a month in a room full of discarded materials.

 

Struck with conflicting feelings while wandering through Bangkok’s abandoned buildings over the years, Francois Langella started picking up things he found. Now he’s putting it to use in an installation of his found objects throughout the month at Junked.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2016/11/02/development-cannibalizes-chinatown-french-artist-preserves-pieces/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2016-11-03

I am one who loves old Chinatown , but so much is being demolished for the new extension of the MRT , 

and more will be torn down once the MRT is open and its easier for "normal tourists" to just get off the MRT and see the new "sterile" Chinatown , 

 

Add  to that the street seller "clean up" and it has lost a lot of the "Chinatown" hustle and gritty "charm" ,  

 

But there are still a lot of side streets , alleyways etc that only someone lost will ever find ,   you really need to visit , hold your nose (its not a shopping mall) and enjoy the energy of people trying to make a living everyday....

 

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got til its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot........

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, BKKdreaming said:

I am one who loves old Chinatown , but so much is being demolished for the new extension of the MRT , 

and more will be torn down once the MRT is open and its easier for "normal tourists" to just get off the MRT and see the new "sterile" Chinatown , 

 

Add  to that the street seller "clean up" and it has lost a lot of the "Chinatown" hustle and gritty "charm" ,  

 

 

Oh, just like Singapore????

 

  

Chinatown has THE best food and is THE best part of Bangkok.  Touching a single building would be an act of barbarism .  It would be unthinkable to harm Bangkok's soul. 

Are we really replacing something old with something better? After I pass feel free to cannibalize me for parts and replace me with a new hopped up IT junkie. Give him a credit card and tell him to go for it. Tell him the banks are giving away almost free money and that Utopia is here. Then trot him over to the gate of the sheeple pen to join the flock.  

3 hours ago, yellowboat said:

Chinatown has THE best food and is THE best part of Bangkok.  Touching a single building would be an act of barbarism .  It would be unthinkable to harm Bangkok's soul. 

 

When in Chinatown i can't find any food since i won't eat streetfood. Where is the great food in restaurants?

 

I've been walking in almost all the alleys and sure there's a lot of business going on there. They even have very professional shops who have it all, are neat and organised but very expensive.

 

I wished i knew a place with good chinese food, restaurant but also takeaway like in Europe. Have tried some restaurants at the river down there but was not impressed.