Conservation of Bangkok old town

Conservation of urban heritage contributes to the quality of life of people. Unfortunately, the urban heritage tends to be set aside from city development. The growing importance of locality in recent years invokes the public participation in planning and conservation processes. The paper aims to address the issue in urban conservation through the case of Bangkok old town. The site has been designated as a conservation area with the master plan and a specific advisory board for around three decades. Though a number of palaces and religious buildings have been protected, there is still a need for recognizing the local heritage and the enhancement of public participation. The issues regarding heritage identification, standard used in conservation practices and excessive tourism development in Bangkok old town would be resolved by revisiting the master plan and improving the cooperation among stakeholders. Moreover, urban heritage should be considered as a basis for urban planning and projects.