How Can Entrepreneurial Energies Support Historical District Heritage Protection?
Business can play an important role preserving and enhancing the historical significance, cultural landscapes, and sustainability of tourism in Thailand’s historical districts and historical towns, and retaining their quality as sources of livelihood and places of residence for the people who have lived there, often for generations. Business sector can strengthen the identity of these old neighborhoods and old towns. But, lacking awareness of historical and environmental context, business can also degrade the value of those special areas.

The Thai government has officially designated 27 historical towns as “Old Town” and over 600 districts as “old neighborhoods”, requiring that their special cultural heritage significance be considered in managing and developing them. This Siam Society panel discussion seeks answers to four questions concerning these Old Towns and Old Neighborhoods:

What kind of business should be promoted to maintain the identity of Old towns and Old neighborhoods?
What measures should be taken to manage business to avoid damage to these special sites?
Who should be responsible for protecting the identity of Old neighborhoods and Old towns? Who plays a role in guiding business in Old neighborhoods and Old towns?
What is the state’s policy for business management in these special sites– or what should it be?

Click here for summary in Thai