Research & Article

This  article  presents  a  record  of  historical  conservation  activities  that  I  have  kept since 1964. It covers projects undertaken with a group of architects and like-minded  colleagues  from  other  disciplines.  Initially,  most  of  the  programmes  were  part of the work at the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) where I was attached. However, the need to work outside officialdom became pressing. In 1968, the Fine Arts Commission was established within the Association of Siamese Architects (ASA) with Pinit Sampatisiri as chairman. Nai Lert Park then became the venue for the group’s gatherings. The Society for the Conservation of National Treasure and Environment (SCONTE) followed in 1971, and the Siam Society’s Arts Committee soon after in 1974. These organisations were the early, if not the earliest, conservation NGOs in this country.