Wonder Land: Saving teak city's charm

Saving teak city's charm

Phrae province rediscovers its past, even as its old teak houses are being moved away,

Published: 20/02/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

The northern province of Phrae - once dubbed "teak city" - is in danger of losing its good name as some old heritage homes are being moved elsewhere.

The imposing Khum Chao Luang Muang Phrae was the residence of Phrae’s former rulers. PHOTOS BY SUBIN KHEUNKAEW

Phrae was once famous for its huge reserves of sought-after gold teak.

The proof is in the province's expansive teak forests where the best-quality gold teak is still found in large concentrations in Mae Yom National Park.

The park is believed to be the country's last remaining source of gold teak.

Many businesses, particularly those from Western countries, have vied for logging concessions in Phrae over the last century.

Although logging has been banned for over two decades, demand for the gold teak persists.

Foreign firms, such as the East Asiatic Co and Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, made their commercial presence felt in the province. They put up buildings made of teak which are still standing.

A teak villa that once belonged to Denmark’s East Asiatic Company, which began doing business in the province in 1897 when logging was flourishing.

Other historical buildings made of golden teak in Phrae include schools and hospitals built by Western missionaries, and old houses constructed around the time of King Rama V, when old Siam started opening to international trade.

Teak is also recognised as the province's emblem.

Now, a project is being carried out to study Phrae's history and to preserve historical buildings and places in the province.

For some conservationists, however, the project has come too late.

Some owners have sold old teak houses and moved the parts elsewhere.

The houses are dismantled and parts transported out of the province to be re-assembled elsewhere.

The reconstructed houses are now "permanent fixtures" in upscale resorts or are summer houses of the rich, says Ekkachai Wongworakul, president of the Phrae cultural council.

Another run-down heritage home, the highly unusual Ban Sib Liam, or Decagon Home, which is 10-sided.

The first survey conducted as part of the project shows there are more than 100 traditional houses that need to be preserved.

About 70 have been registered under the historical building preservation project.

A second survey, now under way, is likely to turn up more houses that need care.

The project was started by residents and is supported financially by state agencies and the private sector.

Phrae is still the province to visit for its teak building architecture and handicrafts. One example is the khum - homes of the city rulers in the old days. An entire house can be made of teak wood, from the supporting pillars to the roof. Most old houses with significant historical merit are more than 100 years old.

A leading example is Khum Chao Luang Muang Phrae, the ruler's residence, which won an outstanding architectural award in 1997.

The award was granted by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Khum Vichai Racha, a restored former residence of Chao Saen Samer Jai, a close relative of the last ruler of Phrae, was built before 1891.

The home was a combination of Thai and European colonial architecture and resembles a gingerbread house.

Built during the reign of King Rama V, the residence has served as the seat of government for the city and is testament to the province's historical richness.

Once, prisoners were kept in the basement. The detention room is windowless and dark.

Phrae Governor Somchai Hathayatanti says the province plans a festival highlighting its history. The highlight will be the basement prison at the residence.

"Northern people believe that if you walk backwards into a prison, you will be blessed with good luck," he says.

Their Majesties the King and Queen spent a night at the old house when they visited the province in 1958.

Consistent restoration work has ensured the key physical structures are still in their original condition.

US ambassador to Thailand Eric John visits the Serithai Museum in Phrae. The US embassy has donated funds for cultural preservation in the province.

The Phrae Provincial Administration Office has turned Khum Chao Luang Muang Phrae into a museum.

Old appliances and furniture including the bed in which the King and Queen slept during their stay are on display.

In the detention cell, visitors can see the chains used to restrain prisoners.

A prisoner sentenced to death appears in an illustration, getting his head cut off.

Efforts by the Phrae cultural council to preserve ancient buildings in the province are funded by both the private and public sectors.

Last year, the council's historical house preservation project received US$20,000 (663,000 baht) from the US embassy's fund for cultural preservation.

The fund allows American ambassadors to support efforts in their host countries to rescue cultural heritage that is fragile and in danger of being lost forever, says US ambassador to Thailand Eric John.