Developing Itsaraphap Road as a Historical Landscape in Thonburi

Abstract

This article examines the history and development of Itsaraphap Road in Thonburi as a historical landscape. Originally a dirt track, the road has undergone significant development and is now a paved thoroughfare. A key starting point in this transformation was the project to construct and expand eleven roads in Thonburi and Phra Nakhon provinces, initiated by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Public Works in 1929. This project coincided with the construction of the Phra Phuttha Yodfa Bridge (also known as the Memorial Bridge), built to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the establishment of the Chakri Dynasty and the founding of Bangkok.

Since 1929, Itsaraphap Road has been a space characterized by the diversity of communities that have settled in the area. These include Thai, Hokkien Chinese, Muslim, Christian, Mon, and Sikh communities, who have successively established themselves and lived together, creating a rich blend of ethnic and religious diversity. In recent decades, the area has experienced transport-oriented development with the introduction of mass rapid transit systems (e.g., BTS and MRT), which have strengthened its role as a transport hub and cultural-heritage area. In developing the concept of Itsaraphap Road as a historical landscape, In developing the concept of identified five defining aspects: (1) a site of community-based historical tourism, (2) the role of safety and public order in shaping local identity and civic image, (3) a source of traditional food knowledge, (4) an elevated rail system that supports tourism, and (5) a strategic model for urban revitalization. Together, these elements contribute to guiding the sustainable conservation of Itsaraphap Road as a living historical landscape that bridges the past and the present.