Pattani’s Baan Khun Phithak Raya wins Unesco award for cultural conservation
The Baan Khun Phithak Raya house in Pattani province won the 2021 Unesco Award of Merit for Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Conservation on December 1.
The building, located in the Hua Talat community on a small road named Pattani Phirom near Pattani River, was used both as a place for business and residence by Chinese settlers.
The two-storey shophouse played a significant role in Pattani’s history and its economic growth. There is also a mention of Baan Khun Phithak Raya in records of King Rama V’s visit to the province and features prominently in photographs taken during the Japanese invasion of Thailand in 1941.
Senator Anusat Suwanmongkol spent some 8 million baht to have the century-old structure restored by skilled craftsmen from the Fine Arts Department.
Unesco (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) said the shophouse won the award because it showcases the contribution of one of the town’s many ethnic communities to the multicultural social fabric of Pattani.
The house was also recognised for authentic conservation in keeping with its original layout, structural system and material palette.
