Mahakan Fort is now officially a public park

Five months after the last residents surrendered in a high-profile battle, Bangkok's Mahakan Fort, an earlier Rattanakosin-era monument, began a new life as a public park last Tuesday.

Bangkok Governor Pol General Aswin Kwanmuang presided over the opening ceremony and invited visitors to an exhibition on the history of the Rattanakosin at the Phraya Yanaprakard building in the park. He said that the preservation of the Mahakan Fort and the development of its surroundings as a public park was the fruit of six decades of effort,

History

The project, which started sometime in 1959, required the expropriation of 21 lots spread over nearly 8.000 square meters on which 28 houses were originally built. An ordinance supporting the expropriation was issued in 1992, but by then the community around the fort had grown in size to 102 homes. In 1994, homeowners began to move, for which they were compensated by the city government. In April of this year, after negotiations with the last remaining residents, the last 56 houses were demolished and construction of the park began.

14 forts around Bangkok

Mahakan was one of the 14 forts that King Rama I, the founder of the Rattanakosin kingdom and the Chakri dynasty, had built for protection when Krung Rattanakosin (Bangkok) was established as the capital of Siam in 1782. Of these forts, only the fort of Mahakan and Phra Sumon Fort.

Public park

The governor urged visitors to keep the park clean and beautiful, as well as alcohol-free. Maybe also smoke-free, but that is not mentioned in the news item. On Facebook, the invitation to visit the new park was repeated with the words: “The area of ​​the fort has changed a lot. Now it is open, with many green trees, beautiful and safe. Wherever you stand, you can observe the grace of the fortress and the old city wall”

Cultural Center

The park and buildings will serve as a history center as well as a public recreational space hosting cultural activities from time to time. It will become a unique tourist attraction on Koh Rattanakosin, near Santichaiprakarn Park and Phra Sumen Fort, the governor said. He added an invitation to the public to come up with suggestions on how the park could be further improved and made more attractive. You can reach the governor through his Line chat app account, @aswinbkk.

Source: The Nation