Formation and Transformation of Urban Settlement in the old Chinese Community of Songkhla, Thailand

Abstract

The old town of Songkhla is an area which has developed in the settlement of multiple groups, such as Muslims, Thais, and Chinese, rotating to have a role in developing the city since the 16th century. The development of the city has continued resulting in higher levels of city elements according to the role and functions of the city on the basis of physical, social, economic characteristics and governance of each ethnic group as we can see in the early settlement of the Chinese by building the port and fortress as well as the development of buildings and public buildings, including the municipal center of each religious group. These elements have become a model urban morphology and structure as well as the organization of space within the old city of Songkhla which is unique due to the aforementioned factors. The urban methodological study was used to analyze the historical evidence by using maps, old photos, as well as recorded events. The data were compared with the physical characteristics of the city by exploring the study field and interviewing the target population.