GEOPOLITICAL CHANGES IN SONGKHLA OLD TOWN

Abstract

This academic article has the objectives: 1) To study the geopolitical pattern of Songkhla Old Town. 2) To analyze the geopolitics and changes in Songkhla Old Town by studying and researching from textbooks, research papers, journals, websites and academic articles in various formats and then analyzing the results. 1) The Old Town is a city with a history of more than 200 years, resulting in a diverse architectural identity. It came from the cultural exchange with foreigners. In the past, the city was called "Singora" and Thais called it according to the pronunciation, which was distorted to "Songkhla". It is a center of prosperous shipboard trade. 2) Songkhla Old Town can be divided into 3 eras: The Singora Era, which began during the Ayutthaya period, was under Ayutthaya but had free trade with foreign countries. There was King Dato' Mughal, a Javanese merchant, and Indonesia. He was the first king in the Laem Son era. He moved into the Laem Son area. A Chinese man named Yeang Hao became the governor of Songkhla (the ancestor of the Na Songkhla family ruled Songkhla for 8 generations). It developed into a sea trading port with China. The Bo Yang era was a period when the administration was changed to a provincial administration, making Songkhla a part of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province with a governor as overseer. Later, in 1932, Songkhla was elevated to "Songkhla Province". The changes in the old town of Songkhla were caused by 1) people moving out of their hometowns, 2) changes in the shipping routes from Songkhla City to Hat Yai District, 3) changes from trading to fishing, and 4) beliefs of the Chinese.