Living with Risk: Precarity and Bangkok's Urban Poor

Column Series: In the City

154 Living with Risk 154 COLUMN SERIES In the City Urban Spaces and Residential Flow While conducting interviews that traced people’s lives in different communities , there came certain moments in which �� was suddenl�� afforded certain moments in which �� was suddenl�� afforded moments in which �� was suddenl�� afforded s in which �� was suddenl�� afforded in which �� was suddenl�� afforded wider glimpses o�� �ang�o�’s histor���� ��n listening to man�� different stories glimpses o�� �ang�o�’s histor���� ��n listening to man�� different stories s o�� �ang�o�’s histor���� ��n listening to man�� different stories o�� �ang�o�’s histor���� ��n listening to man�� different stories regarding the histor�� o�� movement among local residents, ��or instance, it became apparent to me that the restructuring o�� urban spaces, as well to me that the restructuring o�� urban spaces, as well that the restructuring o�� urban spaces, as well as the flow o�� people therein, constructed a realistic visual image o�� the realistic visual image o�� the image o�� the o�� the the cit��’s own histor���� Historicall��, poor communities in �ang�o� have been marginalised been marginalised b�� being continuousl�� pushed outward ��rom the centre o�� development�� being continuousl�� pushed outward ��rom the centre o�� development�� ��n spea�ing with longstanding residents o�� the ��ormer-��ringe communit�� U, �� learned that man�� residents had moved there a��ter being evicted ��rom inner cit�� communities during the 1960s and 1970s�� One example in this regard occurred ��ollowing development in the Siam area o�� the area o�� the o�� the the cit�� centre, now home to various department stores and a popular centre, now home to various department stores and a popular meeting spot ��or ��oung people�� Evictions also ��orced residents to relocate ��rom the Pha��a Thai district that houses Chulalong�orn Universit�� and several other areas around national railwa�� stations�� Other communities tell similar stories�� The construction o�� the second metropolitan administration building in the district o�� Din Daeng in the 1960s involved removal o�� large, �smo��� mountains�� or towering , �smo��� mountains�� or towering �smo��� mountains�� or towering smo��� mountains�� or towering s�� or towering or towering towering rubbish dumps�� �� number o�� residents were ��orced to relocate to a coms �� �� number o�� residents were ��orced to relocate to a com- �� �� number o�� residents were ��orced to relocate to a comnumber o�� residents were ��orced to relocate to a comresidents were ��orced to relocate to a communit �� in the district o�� Klong Toei, while those who had ��ormerl�� , while those who had ��ormerl�� hose who had ��ormerl�� had ��ormerl�� ��ormerl�� earned a living b�� collecting garbage moved to an area near the waste b�� collecting garbage moved to an area near the waste collecting garbage moved to an area near the waste an area near the waste area near the waste disposal ��acilit�� in the eastern district o�� On Nut�� When the cit�� began to spread out during the 1980s along Su�humvit Road in the east, communities around On Nut were in turn targeted ��or eviction�� One o�� these was the �an Mo communit��, which was subjected to mass eviction�� In the City 155 Media coverage o�� this shoc�ed the public and signified a major turning point within development-related polic���� The problem o�� resident eviction was also an issue o�� great contention around this time in Klong Toei�� The Klong Toei slum��ang�o�’s slum��ang�o�’s m��ang�o�’s ��ang�o�’s largest�expanded with the development o�� riverside ports�� The commuThe commuhe communit �� had been considered a part o�� �ang�o�’s peripher�� when it was first had been considered a part o�� �ang�o�’s peripher�� when it was first considered a part o�� �ang�o�’s peripher�� when it was first a part o�� �ang�o�’s peripher�� when it was first part o�� �ang�o�’s peripher�� when it was first when it was first was first ��ormed, and, since it was located near the port at this time, man�� resiand , since it was located near the port at this time, man�� resi- , since it was located near the port at this time, man�� resisince it was located near the port at this time, man�� resiince it was located near the port at this time, man�� resiit was located near the port at this time, man�� resiwas located near the port at this time, man�� residents wor�ed in occupations including da�� labour, urban construction in occupations including da�� labour, urban...