Negotiating Memory and Modernity: The Case of Samsen, Bangkok

Samsen, a historic neighborhood in Bangkok, offers a rich case study of how diverse communities negotiate space, identity, and cultural heritage within a rapidly urbanizing global city. With a history spanning over 350 years, Samsen has welcomed Portuguese, Khmer, Vietnamese, Hainan Chinese, and Thai inhabitants, each contributing to its unique cultural character.

Through social memory, religious practices, and community-building strategies, these groups have developed distinct historical narratives and employ diverse strategies to assert their cultural identities. They have actively resisted the homogenizing forces of modern urban development. While the neighborhood's physical landscape has evolved, its cultural vibrancy remains evident in the continued presence of Catholic churches, a Mazu shrine, and other cultural landmarks.

This study challenges static notions of heritage and community, arguing that urban identities are shaped through dynamic processes of negotiation between historical legacy and contemporary realities. Samsen's example provides valuable insights into how global cities can accommodate diversity and preserve cultural heritage in the face of rapid urbanization.

This study's findings are crucial for understanding how global cities can balance diversity and heritage preservation amid rapid development. Samsen’s case encourages a reconsideration of urban planning and heritage management policies that tend to favor a fixed, homogeneous view of cultural identity. By foregrounding the dynamic and ongoing processes of place-making, the article contributes to a broader discourse on urban identity, suggesting that global cities must embrace the complexity and fluidity of cultural expression to foster more inclusive and culturally vibrant urban spaces.