Urban redevelopment, spatial restructuring, and displacement of communities in Bangkok

Bangkok and the Bangkok Mega Region (BMR) have experienced rapid and compressed development, resulting in complex stratified features. In this study, the characteristics of the spatial restructuring of Bangkok, its driving force, and consequences for the urban lower class are analysed. Macro statistics and raw data for community profiles over two time periods were used, indicating various types of gentrification which might occur in the city. Recently, urban redevelopment projects have been activated, resulting in fierce competition over space. These changes should be understood in terms of the interacting dynamics related to changes in the position and role of Bangkok in a highly interconnected Asian economy, real estate turn in economic development, and the socioeconomic condition of the city. Urban development, aimed at Bangkok becoming a ‘global city’ that will attract global investors and the affluent class, is now intensifying, placing pressure on the informal economy and settlements which are likely to be displaced, as well as creating hindrances to the survival of the urban lower class.