Get to Know the Creative Districts Ahead of BKKDW2024: Charoenkrung-Talat Noi

Setting the stage for possibilities in Thailand’s first creative district.

The first Creative District we’re introducing is the location of House No. 1, as well as the first foreign embassy, first hotel, first bank, and even the first roadway: the Charoenkrug – Talat Noi neighborhood.

Even as the country’s first road with a history of over 120 years, the avenue that runs through Charoenkrug-Talat Noi continues to be a throughway for new ideas and creativity heralding Thailand’s future. Since its debut as a ‘laboratory’ for designers and creators, Charoenkrung has been serving as a place for the specialized showcases of Bangkok Design Week, fostering initiatives, endeavors, collaborations, opportunities, and even new perspectives on how to address the issues of the city. Charoenkrung continues to stride toward the horizon as Thailand’s first Creative District.

Telling us about the road ahead for Charoenkrung is a representative of the Creative Economy Agency’s (CEA) Department of Creative City Development, explaining those early days and how Charoenkrug-Talat Noi became a model of creativity for so many more neighborhoods over the past six years, as well as the plans for Charoenkrug-Talat Noi during Bangkok Design Week this year.

A Historic Neighborhood Rich with Materials for Creators

Being Thailand’s first road, Charoenkrung was known in the past as a thriving hub of commerce. Moreover, it has long been a place of multiculturalism, home to people from China, Europe, India, Japan, and more, who arrived in the Kingdom to engage in trade and eventually chose to settle in the area. These factors combined to give the neighborhood a distinct cultural identity that sets it apart even today.

The arrival of the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) at Bangkok Grand Postal Building and its eventual development into the CEA in 2018 led to Charoenkrung becoming the initial testing ground for Bangkok Design Week, which in turn, initiated the excavation of the treasure trove of creativity contained in this ‘historic neighborhood.’ What was uncovered was a prime source of inspiration and motivation for a wide range of designers.

Dispatching Designs from the Bangkok Grand Postal Building TCDC

While the Bangkok Grand Postal Building no longer serves as a mail distribution center, the presence of the CEA in its hallowed halls has led it to distribute ideas and endless possibilities to everyone in the surrounding district.

“Our first three years here were very fun. Everything was fresh, new, and ready to be explored. There was so much excitement. We hadn’t stopped to really think about the fact we were in Charoenkrung, but its residents eventually pointed out how the neighborhood had quieted down before our arrival and how we had brought new life and vibrancy to the area. We were able to rediscover a lot that had become hidden here and brought them into a brighter light. A lot of experimentation happened during that time.”

What followed that period of excitement was the coming of creative businesses, who found a wealth of character in the area’s longstanding buildings. Storefronts that had long been left unused were transformed into shops, cafes, and even creative spaces. Sleepy alleyways awoke with the bustle of commerce and eventually attracted art and design festivals, which manifested new ideas by providing opportunities for designers to apply their concepts in the real world.

“After Bangkok Design Week came Awakening Bangkok and gallery-hopping events. Media began to characterize the neighborhood as artistic, producing content inviting people to come see its artwork and cafes, to snap pictures of community art. Talat Noi began to see street art telling the cultural stories of its community and younger generations were able to gain a new view of the area. Eventually, when people thought of art, they thought of this neighborhood. New value was given to the area’s already rich history as designers and creators began to incorporate its stories into their works.”

‘CO-CREATE’ the Beating Heart of the Neighborhood

On top of the wealth of history and culture inherent to Charoenkrung, working with its people was also essential. With consideration to the needs and quality of life of people who gave the neighborhood its character, each CEA project is based on surveys and studies that take place both before and after for constant improvement and the agency makes collaborating with residents a priority.

“During the three-year run of ‘Made in Charoenkrung’ we made sure to always ask for feedback from actual shops in the area to track our results. We would ask after nine days and then again after two months. We mostly received positive feedback with owners saying that while the project was yet to be a definitive success, its trial phase had benefited them. People in the neighborhood could see how our endeavor was positive for them. At the same time, designers were able to try their hand at working within the context of a community, they were able to turn younger generations on to the businesses of their elders and sparked intergenerational exchanges where there previously might have been no interest.”

Promoting Policies for Creators to ‘Actually’ Thrive

In addition to projects and festivals, the CEA also made infrastructure development, from roads, walkways, and public transport to regulations, measures and privileges, one of its goals. The agency committed to fostering creativity and driving development in tandem, seeking policy level changes that would ensure creators could ‘actually’ thrive in the city.

A clear sign of this in Bangkok Design Week this year is the inclusion of ‘HACK BKK,’ developed by the CEA in collaboration with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to challenge creators to test out solutions to real issues in the city. The hope is that their tests might lead to applicable action.

“Bangkok Design Week deals with policies more this year. It’s more about real life and providing spaces where creators can actually live and work while not detracting from the existing environment, lifestyles, crafts, and cultures of the neighborhoods. We are working with relevant agencies on matters such as infrastructure, facilities, and privileges for creators that go beyond this Bangkok Design Week. The intention is to take steps that may lead to real action in the next four to five years.”

“Highlights Waiting to Surprise at Bangkok Design Week 2024”

Representatives of Charoenkrung-Talat Noi said that they wanted to present a completely different set of programs this year, focusing on fresh faces who had never exhibited anywhere else before and designers experimenting with new approaches. The intent was to support these creators in actualizing their concepts during the festival.

“Highlights this year include ‘Pocket Oasis Garden,’ which is all about designing compact green spaces and easily moveable street furniture for places with limited natural areas, and HACK BKK projects such the Bangkok bicycle signage test.”

“We’re even adding two or three highlighted spaces that are sure to be a surprise. Visit a night gallery built into an unassuming building and the ‘Friendly Market’ offering a different take on Talat Noi.”