Social and Cultural Development in the Old Town Area of Nakhon Lampang

Abstract

This article aims to study the social and economic changes in the old town of Nakhon Lampang.  It was found that the development of social and economic changes in the old town of Nakhon Lampang was divided into 4 eras :  the thousand years ancient city era, international community era,  the era of the northern railway Line to Nakhon Lampang and the ear after World War 2 to the present.  Each era having various factors and conditions which is the driving force for change since the era of the ancient city, a thousand years with relationship with the Hariphunchai Kingdom to the era of the Lanna Kingdom and is the royal city of Thonburi and Rattanakosin until it finally merges with Siam.  Over the past hundred years , the city of Nakhon Lampang was being a center for forest concessions had given rise to a capitalist economy that was defined by foreigners and diverse ethnic groups who came to do business in the city of Lampang at that time. Moreover, in 1916 when the northern railway arrived in Nakhon Lampang  it was an important factor that created the economic and socio-cultural change in Nakhon Lampang. The train had brought prosperity, economy, culture and modernity in various aspects of Bangkok society to Nakhon Lampang which made during that time it became the largest city in the economic center of the upper northern Thailand. Later in the year 1921, the economic and social prosperity was gradually to Chiang Mai.  From that time the city of Nakhon Lampang has gone through various events Both World War II, the government's policy to make Lampang city the center of the government city in the upper northern Thailand but the variations of various situations in turn, the city of Nakhon Lampang has been reduced from the economic and governmental center down the past 50 years. Until the Lampang people felt that the city of Nakhon Lampang or Lampang Province is currently only "Passing cities" of social and economic prosperity to other large cities in the upper northern Thailand only.