Bangkok group urges MRTA to protect historic shophouses in station plan

A Bangkok civil group has urged the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) to move the proposed entry point for the Phan Fa Purple Line station in a bid to protect historic shophouses located on Phra Sumen Road. Rosana Tositrakul, an ex-senator of Bangkok and president of the Rattanakosin Heritage Conservation Group (RHCG), expressed concern that the century-old shophouses could be demolished in the process.

The construction company has proposed the dismantling and rebuilding of the shophouses. However, Tositrakul argued that this would compromise their architectural integrity. Instead, she recommended placing the station’s entry and exit points closer to more contemporary buildings in the vicinity. She speculated that the MRTA might have selected the site to avoid greater land acquisition costs, reported Bangkok…