Pak Klong Talad: From Fish Market to Landmark Through the Role of Mass Media Pak Khlong Talat: From a Fish Market to a Popular Flower Market through the Role of Media

Abstract

This research aims to study the socio-economic conditions that have influenced the development of Bangkok leading to the adaptation and production of new spaces in the Pak Klong Talad area. It also examines the role of Pak Klong Talad in catering to the tastes of the people through the role of media. Using qualitative research methods, purposive and snowball sampling were employed to select participants for in-depth interviews. A total of seven informants with diverse experiences and connections to Pak Klong Talad were interviewed. The informants were consented to share their experiences with the understanding of the significance of their roles and provided genuine information voluntarily. Observation was also conducted, described through the lens of Henri Lefebvre's concept of the production of space, urban ecology, and media. The findings reveal that Pak Klong Taladhas undergone continuous landscape and popularity enhancements from the past to the present. The influx of Chinese investors in the flower trade, coupled with the rise of online media and the emergence of influencers who promote Pak Klong Talad's attractions and activities, has made the area a popular destination. This popularity has led to the production of two new spaces: physical space and online space. Pak Klong Talad has thus become not only a physical space but also a cultural space through the role of media, enhancing to the production of new spaces that cater to the tastes of urban dwellers in contemporary urbansociety.