Mahakan demolition to go ahead

City Hall will go ahead with its plan to knock down the remaining 42 houses in the Mahakan Fort community, amid resistance from the community residents, academics and civic groups.

Deputy city clerk Jaroon Meethanataworn said city officials will tear down the remaining 37 original houses and five others which had been re-built in the community. The operation is set for March 6.

Speaking yesterday in a meeting to discuss the demolition plan at the Department of Environment’s office, he claimed these houses have been found to have encroached onto public space.

The session was attended by the Bangkok governor’s chief adviser Vallop Suwandee, deputy city clerk Pichai Kriengwatanasiri and city officials.

The BMA has accused the residents of occupying the area, saying they were not original residents, and tried to evict the community from the five-rai plot.

Its goal is to bulldoze all the houses, some of which could be traced back to the early Rattakosin era, and turn the area into a public park.

According to historians, the Mahakan Fort is home to generations of residents. Many of them claimed to be third generation occupants.

Mr Jaroon said the meeting agreed to demolish six out of 42 houses on March 6. A combined team of military, police officers and city officials will work together on the demolition, which is set to be completed by the end of April.

He claimed 30 owners out of the 42 had transferred their house ownership to the BMA and had given the nod to authorities to dismantle the houses.

He said many residents rented the houses from their owners; they are not the real owners. Some of the houses were rebuilt on the encroached land, he added.

Officials are speeding up talks with residents who have staged several protests against the demolition plan and will ask them to cooperate with authorities, Mr Jaroon said.