Chao Mae Thap Thim: An Iconic Sea‑Goddess Shrine Facing the Gentrification Tide
Picture this: a golden‑framed altar glimmers with lanterns and Chinese scriptures, and at its heart sits Mazu, the sea goddess, carved into a tiny figurine. It’s part of the Chao Mae Thap Thim shrine, a relic tucked in Bangkok’s bustling Chinese community. But just outside, a freshly built metal fence shadows the goddess as a construction crew lines up trucks, excavators, and demolition hammers.
Why the Shrines Are in Peril
- Land Ownership – The shrine sits on property owned by Chulalongkorn University.
- University Plans – Two new residential towers, totalling 1,758 units, are slated for the site.
- Student Protest – Even the campus community is throwing up signs against the project.
- Infrastructure Threat – One‑handed claims that water and electricity will soon be cut off to the shrine.
Inside the Jungle of Gates and Greed
Penprapa Ployseesuay has been the shrine’s caretaker for a quarter‑century. Her 25‑year tenure has seen the sanctuary sheltered by stone lions that now stand on the brink of being overwhelmed by the massive construction front.
“Sooner or later, they’ll shut off the water and the electricity,” she warns. “They’re not letting us coexist. They just want us out.”
Community Voices and Roadblocks
- Local Residents – Penprapa and her family live right beside the shrine, providing open‑door worship for anyone seeking blessings.
- Construction Interference – The building has messed with the shrine’s drainage, causing occasional floods.
- Visibility Dilemma – The fence’s sheer height obscures the shrine’s presence from passersby.
Legal Pushback and Cultural Persistence
A dedicated committee is on the ground, filing a court injunction to stop the eviction. They’re arguing that the shrine, a rare bastion against Bangkok’s wave of gentrification, deserves preservation.
Penprapa’s eyes flash when she speaks about the sanctuary’s future: “They just want us to get out.” Yet she remains steadfast—her door remains open for everyone who wishes to honor the goddess.
Bottom Line
In a city painted with prosperity and progress, the Chao Mae Thap Thim shrine still stands as a testament to heritage. While the university’s plans promise condos, they also threaten an ancient spirit, brick by bricks. It’s a fight that may hinge on boardroom decisions and courtroom battles, but the heart of the shrine beats on—waiting for someone to remember its sacred roots.
Old and new
The university, in a response to Reuters’ questions, said it would build a new shrine at a space it has prepared at its Centenary Park “where its grace and auspiciousness will remain with the community”.
Penprapa said a new site could not replicate the original charm of the century-old shrine, which moved to its current location 53 years ago after a fire.
“We will resist as long as we can,” she said. “I know it won’t be easy.”
The coexistence of old and new is central to Bangkok’s character, but its skyscrapers and condominium clusters are eclipsing its shabbier side.<img alt="" data-caption="Commercial buildings and condos stand behind Chulalongkorn university near the Chao Mae Thap Thim shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, Sept 12, 2020.
PHOTO: Reuters” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”893f7fc6-f53d-4d55-a749-1ba8824645db” src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/20201231_commercialbuildingsandcondos_reuters.jpg”/>A notable example is the $1.79 billion (S$2.4 billion) Iconsiam, a mega-mall of entertainment, retail and panoramic riverside views where stilted houses and blackened buildings once stood.
“I’m excited about the new vibe,” said Surin Sae-Ton, 50, who runs a tea shop across the river from Iconsiam. “But I don’t know how the community will be in future with this new prosperity.”<img alt="" data-caption="Surin Sae-Ton, 50, poses for a photograph in his tea shop that he runs across the river from the shopping mall Iconsiam in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan 18, 2019.
PHOTO: Reuters” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”e77e4ba3-a8c5-4d28-987d-1abe9ea0ee9e” src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/20201231_surinsaeton_reuters.jpg”/>Lee Kwang Tao, 62, who owns a Chinese medicine shop, also welcomed the prospect of modernisation.<img alt="" data-caption="Lee Kwang Tao, 62, who owns a Chinese medicine shop, looks at a Starbucks branch that recently opened next door to his shop in Chinatown, Bangkok, Thailand, Dec 8, 2020.
PHOTO: Reuters” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”32c44d13-8000-458b-93e3-988afbfee7ec” src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/20201231_leekwangtao_reuters_1.jpg”/>“This area used to have very good business, but in recent years it has gone down,” he said. “That’s why people in this neighbourhood are selling their property.”
Conservation advocates say the mixed-up identity that makes Bangkok so popular is being lost, and that the city must find solutions to carefully manage the changes.
“This is the speed that nobody can control, it is really unstoppable,” said Niramon Serisakul, director of the Urban Designer and Development Centre at Chulalongkorn University. “Sometime people forget about other important things, like how to preserve the heritage.”
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