The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has started demolishing more homes inside the Mahakan Fort yesterday to prepare for the introduction of new public facilities.
Deputy Bangkok Governor Chakkaphan Phiew-ngam on Sunday led a group of military officers and municipal officers from the Public Works Department and the Drainage and Sewerage Department, carrying machinery and trucks to the Mahakan Fort.
The team removed garbage and structures as well as other impediments, which former residents left after the Administrative Court delivered a verdict in favor of the BMA.
In the verdict, the court allowed City Hall to disassemble 10 houses to turn the area into a public space, Thai News Bureau reported.
The Fine Arts Department has registered the Mahakan Fort and the remains of its wall, a national archaeological site — a decision that means the BMA will have to pursue all legal steps to develop the historic area for public use, including the provision of a museum and a recreational area to offer history and cultural lessons for the people.
In a two-decade-long legal battle, the community objected to the eviction and petitioned to save their century-old homes.
Last year, the community proposed the idea of sharing the space with the BMA and turning Mahakan Community into a living museum that showcases Thai cultures and way of living. However, the government rejected the idea.
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