FAIRS AND EXHIBITIONS IN BANGKOK IN 1882-1925 A note on the growth of Bangkok city

Abstract

Fairs and exhibitions were noticeable events in the world during the late 19th century and early 20th century, and Siam was no exception. In Europe and America, such events were the display of human progress in all kinds of technology. In Siam, they were much smaller, only Siamese resources of all kinds and new technologies learned from the West. In any case, Bangkok’s fairs and exhibitions reflected its growth as a modern city, especially the means of transportation which was not only by canals but also by roads and bridges, trains and trams. Transportation to certain fairs and exhibitions in Bangkok may reflect the urban growth as well. Major events were the 1882 National Exhibition, the Dusit Park Fairs of 1900-1918 that afterwards in 1919-1924 was known as the Winter Fair, the 1909 Rice Exhibition which later in 1910-1911 was enlarged to Agriculture & Commerce Exhibition, and finally the Siamese Kingdom Exhibition, planned for opening on the 23rd of January 1926 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of King Rama VI’s reign.

These events took place in different parts of the growing city, from the heart of Bangkok at Sanam Luang to the new royal residential area in the north of Bangkok, with a network of roads and trams. The Agriculture & Commerce Exhibition in Sra Prathumwan indicated the southeasterly growth of Bangkok while the southward expansion was clearly seen when Lumbini Park was built at Sala Daeng rice field as an exhibition ground for the Siamese Kingdom Exhibition, linking to the “4 S” residential areas at Sathorn-Silom-Surawongse-Si Phya by the end of King Rama VI’s reign.